Chapter 4

Chapter 4

That evening, I came out of the bathroom after washing my hair to find Ethan waiting by the door with a hair dryer.

"Come here—I’ll dry your hair." His tone was flat, his expression awkward, but he was backing down.

I walked over and sat on the sofa. Ethan dried my hair as he used to, his movements practiced—but unlike before, he didn’t chat or tell jokes to make me laugh. There was only the hum of the hair dryer, filling the silent room.

When he finished, Ethan looked troubled, as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t.

"Something on your mind?" I asked.

"I want to send Leo Parker to Peiying Kindergarten."

"Leo Parker?"

"Luna’s son." Ethan avoided my gaze as he spoke.

"Sure." I kept my tone neutral.

I knew exactly what he meant. Peiying was one of the top private kindergartens in the country, and its owner, George Martinez, had grown up with my father. Getting Luna’s son into Peiying would be as simple as a phone call for me—but I had no desire to waste that favor.

My indifference clearly annoyed Ethan.

"When did you become so cold?"

"What do you want me to do?" I snapped.

It turned out I’d underestimated just how shameless Ethan could be.

"Sophia, just do this for me, okay? You know how I was when I was a kid..." He knelt in front of me, his eyes pleading. Mentioning his childhood, his voice softened.

"Fine." I gave in—anything to end this conversation. If I’d refused, Ethan would’ve kept pestering me, and I didn’t have the patience to watch his act anymore.

That night, Ethan unexpectedly held me as we slept. I lay on my side, and he wrapped his arms around my waist from behind, burying his face in my neck. His warm breath tickled my skin.

The sudden intimacy jolted me awake—we hadn’t been this close in ages. It made my skin crawl. I was about to pull away when he spoke.

"Sophia, thank you. I could never rekindle things with Luna. I’m just helping her because she’s 可怜 —she got me through the hardest time of my life. I just want to repay that. Don’t overthink it."

I sighed. "I believe you."

Ethan remembered the conversation I’d tried to start that night. "What did you want to tell me earlier?"

I hesitated. "Nothing important."

"Why were you coughing then?"

"I had a cold those days."

"Sophia, stop losing weight. You’re too thin now—you’re starting to feel bony." He stroked my back, sending shivers down my spine. Once, this kind of intimacy would’ve made me happy. Now...

In the days that followed, Ethan stayed by my side constantly, following me everywhere like a shadow. We were inseparable, like a couple in love—but I knew exactly why he was clinging to me.

Men...