Chapter 98

Alexander's words echoed in Clara's mind like a haunting melody, leaving her restless and uneasy. Even the next day, when she visited Ethan, her thoughts were still clouded with worry.

"Clara, what's troubling you?" Ethan asked, his voice gentle yet probing.

She blinked rapidly, turning her face away. "What... What's the deal with Vanessa?"

He smirked, a glint of amusement in his eyes. "Are you jealous?"

She puffed out her cheeks, feigning indifference. "Of course not. You've never mentioned her before, so I was just curious."

Remembering how Vanessa had kidnapped Amelia and even tried to stab her, Clara's anger flared on top of her jealousy. "How did you attract such a crazy admirer? She's completely out of her mind!"

Ethan gestured for her to come closer. "Clara, come here."

She obeyed, moving closer and sitting by his bedside.

Taking her hand, Ethan looked at her seriously. "She was my high school classmate. She pursued me relentlessly back then, but I rejected her clearly. Later, she attended the same university as me and continued chasing me, but I never gave her any hope."

She lowered her eyes and pouted. "That's it?"

Ethan pinched her cheeks playfully. "That's really it. I hardly spoke to her, and we never even exchanged contact information."

Clara remained silent for a moment before asking, "Then why did she persist for so long? Ten years isn't short, after all. It's not mere days or months."

He chuckled helplessly. "How would I know? Everyone around me knows how indifferent I have been to her. We barely spoke a few sentences in ten years."

She leaned closer and huffed. "How many sentences are 'barely'?"

He laughed softly. "Maybe five or six sentences..."

"What could you possibly have to say in so many sentences?" Her tone turned unreasonable.

Seeing her jealous expression, Ethan found her utterly adorable.

His gaze softened, overflowing with affection. "Nothing much. She confessed a few times in high school, and I rejected her twice. After that, we rarely spoke."

"You really didn't feel anything for her?" Clara asked skeptically. "She's pretty, after all."

"Nope," Ethan said firmly, gazing at her intently. "There's already someone in my heart. There's no room for anyone else."

She feigned ignorance. "Someone else? Who's that?"

He gleamed with amusement. "Who do you think?"

She mumbled vaguely, "How would I know if you don't tell me?"

In Ethan's eyes, her sulking was pure coquettishness, melting his heart entirely. He couldn't resist. With a smile, he said, "There's no one else but you."

Clara turned her face away, avoiding his gaze. "She confessed to you in high school. I was so young back then."

He couldn't have liked her at that age, could he?

Ethan explained, "I didn't think about dating in high school."

Hearing that, Clara grew curious. She looked into Ethan's eyes, her almond-shaped eyes sparkling. "When did you start liking me?"

He said, "At first, I only saw you as a little sister. I'm not sure when it changed."

She pressed on. "Not even an approximate time?"

"If I had to guess, it was when you were in high school. When Dylan Carter harassed you, I realized something was different after I hit him."

She pursed her lips. "You hid it well."

Ethan ruffled her soft hair. "I had to wait for you to grow up."

His eyes revealed a hint of sorrow.

"When you graduated from college, I went to your father to propose a marriage alliance. But you didn't agree and ran away from home."

Feeling guilty, she looked away. "I thought my dad was sacrificing me for the company's benefit. How would I know you had this planned all along? You didn't tell me, and I felt so wronged..."

He suddenly put on a pitiful expression. "Ouch, my wound hurts."

Panicked, Clara immediately leaned over his waist. "What's wrong? Did you accidentally touch it? I'll call the nurse."

He pulled her into his arms just like that, resting his chin on the top of her head. His voice was low and gentle. "Just hold me and it won't hurt anymore."

She chuckled. "You're teasing me?"

"No," Ethan murmured, stroking her hair gently. "It really hurts, so be good. Let me hold you and the pain will go away."

Clara nuzzled her face against him, taking in his presence.

...

When Julianna returned from dinner, she was stopped in the hotel lobby.

"Julianna."

She turned toward the voice and saw a young woman she didn't recognize.

The woman was dressed in luxury brands from head to toe.

"You are?" Her eyes were full of confusion as she walked toward her.

The woman leaned against the couch, tilting her head slightly to look at her. "You will know soon enough."

Julianna sat in front of her and asked again, "Who are you?"

She replied, "The Reed family's adopted daughter, Valerie."

"The Reed family?" She frowned and continued, "Ethan's sister?"

"That's right." She smiled. "How about considering a partnership with me?"

Julianna looked puzzled. "What kind of partnership?"

She smirked. "One that will break Ethan and Clara up."

Julianna eyed her suspiciously. "Why should I trust you?"

She let out a soft laugh. "Because I love Ethan. No one wants to break them up more than I do."

Valerie handed her a business card. "I know you've been looking for investments recently. Contact this number, and they will invest in the Lopez Group."

She added, "But if you want the Lopez Group to be invested in, you have to work with me to break them up."

Julianna glanced at the card. "Even without the investment, I will find a way to break them up. Clara can only ever be mine."

She curled her lips into a smile. "Then, Ms. Lopez, I hope we get along."

Julianna looked thoughtful. "I will verify your identity before contacting you."

"No worries." She offered her contact information. "We'll stay in touch."