Chapter 0197
The server managed to contain her immense curiosity, barely preventing her gaze from straying toward Madison.
But Madison could still feel the weight of the server’s shock.
And why was that?
Because the man seated across from her, all suited and booted, exuded an aura of a cultured ruffian; he sat there, barely touching his chopsticks-hardly the image of a ravenous ghost reborn.
It was clearly her who was famished.
The server departed swiftly.
Madison swallowed her food and lowered her voice, “President Grant,
are you sure you’re not going to leave me any dignity?”
“When you’re hungry, you eat. What’s the point of face?” Ethan personally poured her a glass of water.
This gesture made the waitstaff in the restaurant glance over repeatedly.
Some were even too excited and shy, sneakily snapping photos of the
two.
Madison, now used to being photographed, didn’t bother to hide. She behaved naturally.
“I’m a girl, I need to maintain some poise,” Madison insisted with puff- cheeked indignation. “I don’t care, you’re eating half of the food when it arrives.”
Madison rarely showed such girlish coquettishness; most of the time, she was flying planes.
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At work, Madison was like a powerful goddess, radiating brilliance, someone everyone respected.
Moreover, as both captain and pilot, it was not her habit to pout and act cute with her colleagues.
Ethan rarely saw Madison this way.
Now, he gazed at the slightly petulant woman before him, his heart softening to a mush.
If they weren’t in public, Ethan would have pulled her into his embrace without a second thought.
Regaining his composure, he hid the depths of his emotion, giving in to her wish: “Fine.”
That voice, tinged with a mix of amusement and resignation, didn’t escape Madison’s notice.
She arched an eyebrow, perhaps feeling high-spirited for not having dated in days, “What’s wrong? Feeling helpless?”
Ethan looked up, the smile in his eyes yet to fade, and he sighed deeply, “No. I just never imagined you could be like this.”
“Like what?”
“Being willful.”
“You’re saying I’m being willful?”
“…No.”
Ethan cleared his throat, swiftly pulling his rational thoughts together, “What I mean is, you’re adorable right now, so I wanted to laugh. Usually, you’re more on the serious side.”
His careful answer didn’t give Madison any ammunition to tease him further.
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She smiled, “Will you help me move later?”
The mention of moving dimmed Ethan’s mood, though he verbally agreed, “Sure.”
Seeing his displeasure, Madison proactively moved next to him, wrapping his arm and displaying her charm, “They say absence. makes the heart grow fonder. I’m in my ascent, and so is your company. Once everything settles down, if you still… still want to marry me, let’s consider it then.”
“What do you mean ‘then’?” Ethan sounded dissatisfied, “I’ve always wanted to. Do you see me as someone fickle?”
“No, no.” Madison gritted her teeth, “Keep your voice down.”
Ethan’s expression remained unimpressed, “You want to distance yourself from me that much?”
He sounded a bit hurt.
Madison felt a pang of guilt as if she was bullying him and quickly explained, “Of course not! There’s just so much trouble lately, always someone watching us, stirring up issues. Isn’t it better for us if we live. apart? Don’t you agree?”
Alright.
Her last remark convinced Ethan.
His handsome face finally brightened a little.
In the end, under Madison’s cajoling and coquettish assault, Ethan did finish those bites of food with her.
When they left the restaurant, it was Ethan who supported Madison.
In the car.
“I ate a little too much,” Madison patted her belly.
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Ethan glanced at her stomach and chuckled, “Doesn’t it look like you’re pregnant?”
Madison froze.
Pregnant?
They both…
“Do you like kids?” Madison asked.
Ethan thought for a moment, visions of his childhood fleeting through.
his mind.
He had been genuinely happy for a while as a child until he wasn’t.
After his mother’s death, Ethan had forgotten what so-called happiness felt like.
Then…
Then came this woman in the Mukino Airline pilot uniform.
In reality, there hadn’t been too many incidents between him and Madison, nor had much time passed.
But the few events they had shared were enough to cement their importance in each other’s hearts.
Some emotions simply can’t be diluted or explained clearly.
“I like them.”
In the end, that was Ethan’s response.
He liked the idea of having children with Madison.
Only with Madison.
Madison felt a subtle stir in her heart.
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She wasn’t one to compare, but in that instant, she thought of Lucas.
In the two years with Lucas, he had never mentioned children; they hadn’t even been intimate.
So whether someone loves you can be determined by whether they envision a future with you.
Madison took a deep breath and leaned back in her seat, “Alright.”
Those two words nearly sent Ethan’s heart soaring. He turned sharply toward Madison, “What?”
“I said alright.”
Ethan opened his mouth, his heart racing.
He even wanted to ask if they could have a child right now.
But he knew Madison was signaling a future possibility, not the
present.
Because of that scoundrel’s presence in her past, the fact that Madison could accept him now was already a blessing.
Back at Mukino Lakeside, after Madison had showered and changed into home attire, she picked up her phone to see several missed calls.
Accustomed to keeping her phone on vibrate or silent during work, she hadn’t noticed.
Seeing that one number had called three times, Madison dialed back.
“Hello?”
The voice on the other end was enthusiastic, “Hello, may I speak with Captain MadisonMadison?”
Captain Madison?
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Only a colleague would address her that way.
“Who is this?” Her tone immediately became more serious.
The caller spoke in Chinese, “We’re from M country’s Increate International Airways. We have some matters we’d like to discuss privately with Captain Madison. When would you be available?”
Increate Air…
That was a famous big company internationally, and also the airline that Lucas belonged to.
They were reaching out to her at this critical juncture, their intentions clear without need for elaboration.
Madison lowered her gaze, “Sorry, I’m very busy with work lately.”
She declined tactfully.
The caller seemed to have anticipated her response and didn’t sound/ discouraged, “Alright, we’ll contact you another time then. I wish you a pleasant life.”
Such a formal conversation.
Madison shrugged.
“What’s up?” Ethan came out from the bath and saw her make that
gesture.
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