Chapter 0103
“Shouldn’t I be the one asking you that?”
eyes
She was nestled in the seat, tilting her head up slightly, her glistening and damp from the alcohol, their fluttering abnormally slow.
An inebriated Madison was endearing, so much so that Ethan felt an urge to hide her away.
It took all his willpower not to let his emotions get the better of him. His hands pressed against the arms of the chair, caging her in between.
“I won’t,” he said.
Madison distinctly remembered this moment.
The night darkened, and his figure was backlit by the soft glow of the room, his tone resolute.
“If I wanted to play, I wouldn’t lack for women. My wealth is enoug squander on a different woman every day. Yet, to this day, I have scandals, no ex-girlfriends, and no so-called arranged family marriages.”
This was the first time, nearing thirty, that Ethan felt such an urgent need to prove his purity and innocence to someone else.
It didn’t matter what others speculated or discussed; he had never indulged in any liaisons with the opposite sex.
To Ethan, emotion was not something to be trifled with. It warranted
consequences.
Wouldn’t it be better to take relationships seriously?
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Resting her head on one hand, Madison echoed the suspicion of others, “With your status, according to today’s societal norms, you shouldn’t be like this.”
It wasn’t that she distrusted Ethan-it was pure curiosity.
Tired from standing, Ethan pulled over a chair and sat next to her, then tugged her seat closer.
His gaze was utterly serious, “In the social structure of men, having many women indeed symbolizes exceptional ability. But not for me. If I have the capability to outshine them in other areas, why should I stir up trouble for myself?”
“I intend to have a stable girlfriend, who I can maintain a happy and stable marriage with someday. A decent family business and a career -doesn’t that sound better?”
His words warmed Madison’s heart.
Ethan shifted back slightly, lighting a cigarette and blowing the smoke away from them, “Now, I’m even more convinced of my choice.
“I don’t want any woman in your presence to insinuate that your boyfriend Ethan has a dubious past and a chaotic private life.”
“I want every woman who meets you to envy you. And I will never become a reason for others to tease or bully you.”
She suddenly called out to him, “Ethan.”
He looked at her.
His eyelashes quivered violently, the ash from his cigarette disrupted by a sudden tremor, scattering to the floor.
Ethan was momentarily stunned, feeling the soft lips that pressed against his own.
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He extinguished the cigarette in the plate, wrapped his arms around her waist, and sat her on his lap.
Madison, straddling his thighs, clung to his neck, their kiss reluctant
to end.
Alcohol fueled a surge in hormones
He carried her upstairs, into his bedroom.
The room was dark, save for the intertwining shadows.
With the alcohol in her system, Madison’s slurred speech made her even more alluring.
But just when they were on the brink of consummation, Ethan suddenly got up, covered her with a blanket, and strode to the balcony.
His shirt unbuttoned, the night wind of autumn swept over him, gradually extinguishing his desire.
He returned to the living room for a smoke, making a brief phone call. The person on the other end responded without hesitation.
When Ethan returned to the bedroom, calm, Madison had just finished her shower.
Wrapped in a towel, her reddened eyes turned towards him.
Ethan avoided her gaze, clearing his throat, “If you’re tired, go to sleep.
There was a hint of seduction in her eyes and brows.
Their earlier impulse had almost led to an unintended consequence.
Perhaps it was the near-death experience earlier, or maybe it was the culmination of years of gentle submission, but Madison felt no
shyness now.
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Instead, she stepped forward, tilting her head to eye Ethan’s adam’s apple.
Feeling her intense gaze, Ethan was on edge.
“Can you stop looking at me like that?” He sounded almost pleading.
Madison remained silent, smiling.
Ethan’s usually steady heart raced, “What is it?”
Madison reached out, hooking her arms around his neck, hugging him.
The embrace was intimate and dependent.
Ethan reciprocated, pressing his cheek against hers, his voice
softening, “Do you feel unwell after drinking?”
“Ethan, you’re really nice,” Madison said sincerely.
Taken aback, Ethan smiled broadly, “What’s so nice about me?”
He lifted her into bed, then began to undress, preparing for a shower.
Madison waited, not in a rush, as he finished his shower and slipped into a robe, lying down beside her.
He extended his arm, and Madison naturally rolled into his embrace.
Only then did she answer his earlier question, “Better than Lucas.”
Madison seemed to grasp people’s nature intuitively.
She seldom analyzed it; she neither wanted to, nor did she care for
the exertion.
For Ethan, surpassing other men wasn’t as satisfying as surpassing
Lucas.
It was like every woman instinctively comparing herself to her
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boyfriend’s ex-it was a common affliction.
Indeed, his smile widened with her words, “Really?”
“Really,” Madison confirmed without hesitation.
“Then promise me you’ll never look back at him, okay?”
Madison’s heart skipped a beat; she sensed something, “Are you… insecure?”
Why else would he keep reminding her not to look back?
It had been from the very beginning.
Ethan didn’t answer, embracing her and closing his eyes, “Let’s sleep.”
Madison poked his waist, “Come on, tell me.”
“If you keep touching me, I can’t guarantee I’ll hold back like I did earlier.”
Madison fell silent.
That night, she held on to him and didn’t let go.
Even when his arms grew numb, Ethan wouldn’t pull away.
In the early morning, as Madison groggily awoke, she felt a warmth.
Opening her eyes, she saw Ethan, half-sitting with one hand propping his head, the other cupping her cheek, kissing her as if she were an invaluable treasure.
“Waking up to his kisses.”
“What time is it?”
“Don’t worry,” Ethan replied with a smile, “Breakfast?”
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“Mhm,” Madison rubbed her eyes and got up.
Downstairs, in the kitchen.
Madison came down in her uniform and saw the busy figure of Director Jiang in the kitchen.
Watching his back, Madison sifted through her mind for the right
word to describe him.
Thoughtful.
