Ethan looked into her eyes, the corners of his mouth curving up: "Don't worry. As long as you behave and don't want to leave, you'll always have a place with me."
His tone was flat, but carried a strange soothing power: "Of course, I'll also give you freedom. If one day you feel tired or want to leave, you can tell me directly. I'll give you generous compensation so everyone can part on good terms. I mean what I say."
Sophie was stunned.
She hadn't expected him to say such things so frankly, and even lay out the rules so clearly.
"Men's words are lies..."
She muttered in a low voice, with a bit of disbelief: "When you get tired and the novelty wears off, won't you just kick me aside and go find someone new?"
Ethan's expression remained calm, but his eyes were extremely serious: "I'm being straight with you. I promise everyone the same thing. I never force anyone to stay. I'll be good to those who are willing to stay. What I'm saying to you today is just as valid."
His gaze was open, as if stating a simple truth.
Sophie looked at him in a daze, his handsome profile looking particularly clear in the noon light.
This almost cold honesty actually calmed the grievances and uneasiness surging in her heart.
She suddenly felt that perhaps being a canary kept in a gorgeous cage with clearly stated rules wasn't completely unacceptable.
After all, who could really say who the "main girlfriend" was in this huge kingdom of his? Maybe everyone was just a "side piece"? This thought made her feel weirdly balanced.
There was a hint of moisture in her eyes, but a sincere and slightly touched smile bloomed on her face: "Thank you, Ethan... Meeting you might really be the greatest luck of my life."
She paused, her voice softer, with a hint of cautious testing and intimacy: "So... can I call you 'babe' when it's just the two of us?"
Ethan looked into her eyes, and after a few seconds, the corners of his lips rose slightly as he spoke one word: "Sure."
Sophie's eyes lit up instantly, her joy almost overflowing.
She called out quickly, with infinite attachment: "Babe~"
"Hmm?" Ethan responded, his tone rising slightly at the end.
"I love you."
She almost blurted it out, her voice as light as a feather but full of all the emotion she could muster at the moment.
Ethan didn't respond to this "love"—he just smiled faintly and raised his hand to signal it was time for her to head in.
Sophie didn't press the issue, carrying her loot and walking briskly into the golden lobby of the Riverside Plaza.
Watching her back disappear, the smile on Ethan's face faded.
He started the Ferrari and drove toward the Courtyard by Marriott where Jessica was staying.
Ten minutes later, the Ferrari parked smoothly in the not-too-spacious street-facing parking space at the Courtyard by Marriott. The streamlined body and eye-catching color instantly attracted the attention of countless passersby.
Ethan didn't get out of the car immediately, but lowered the window halfway, leaned back quietly in his seat, his eyes casually sweeping the street scene as he waited patiently.
Just as Ethan was scrolling through his phone boredly, a young woman wearing a tight pencil skirt and sky-high stilettos walked over with an exaggerated sway.
Her goal was very clear—the Ferrari that was dazzlingly red in the sunlight, and the young and handsome owner inside.
She first pretended to stop a few steps away from the car, pulled out her phone and took a few selfies with herself and the Ferrari in frame, the camera angle very precise to ensure the logo and license plate could be captured.
After taking a few shots and seeming dissatisfied, she twisted her waist again and walked straight to the driver's side.
The woman's body leaned forward slightly, deliberately pulling down her already low-cut top again, revealing a carefully enhanced and suggestive curve.
Her face was plastered with the sweetest and most charming smile she'd practiced countless times in front of the mirror, her voice husky and syrupy: "Hey there~ Are you here alone?"
Her gaze seemed casual, but actually swept over Ethan's body like a scanner.
She'd noticed this brand new Ferrari just moments ago—bright paint, new plates, not like a rental from some car service.
More importantly, her gaze landed accurately on Ethan's wrist as he casually rested it on the window edge.
That watch! The deep black dial, the intricate chronograph bezel, and the understated but stunning platinum case... As someone who circulated in the "influencer scene," her recognition of luxury goods was a required skill.
This Patek Philippe—she'd seen it in magazines, and it was definitely worth more than this Ferrari!
This discovery made her heart race faster, the excitement almost overflowing—the person in front of her was definitely a real, young and rich "big catch"!
The corners of Ethan's mouth curved up with a playful arc. The other party's little moves and instantly lit-up eyes were all caught by him.
He'd seen this kind of routine plenty in his previous life.
The so-called "influencer" was just a carefully packaged illusion.
They had their own circles, splitting the cost to rent a five-star hotel suite and taking turns shooting content, just to create a wealthy persona in their social media feeds that didn't actually belong to them.
The term might not have been widely mocked in 2014, but the behavior pattern had long been the same.
Faced with her pick-up attempt, Ethan just asked lightly, his tone impossible to read: "Not one person—would that make me half a person?"
The woman seemed to take this as encouragement and immediately covered her mouth in cooperation, letting out a series of contrived giggles: "Hehe~ You're so funny!"
She took the opportunity to lean her body closer again, the smell of perfume hitting strongly: "Look, what a coincidence—I'm also alone."
She batted her eyes with thick false lashes, her voice becoming sweeter: "There's a really great café around here, the vibe is amazing, perfect for chatting. Want to grab a coffee together? Make a new friend~"
Ethan didn't even raise his eyelids, and directly refused: "Maybe another time."
How could the woman easily give up the "big catch" in front of her, and immediately threw out new bait: "Oh, that's okay! Why don't we add each other on Instagram first? Next time I go out with my girlfriends, I can invite you along!"
She deliberately emphasized it, her voice full of temptation: "All my girlfriends are gorgeous, with amazing bodies and great personalities! Maybe I can help introduce you and hook you up? We could all hang out together?"
She was thinking she absolutely couldn't let go of this young, handsome, and clearly loaded target.
Ethan shook his head directly, too lazy to waste more words.
Although he was disdainful of these "influencers" in his heart, thinking they worshipped money and were superficial, as long as they didn't bother him, he didn't care to judge.
Everyone had their own chosen lifestyle.
Just when he was getting a bit impatient with this persistent approach, the hotel revolving door gave a soft "ding," and a fresh and beautiful figure walked out lightly.
It was Jessica.
She spotted Ethan's car at a glance, along with the seductive woman next to it who was practically draped over Ethan's door.
The smile on Jessica's face instantly cooled, but quickly returned to normal. She even quickened her pace, walking briskly to Ethan with a bright smile.
She didn't look at the pick-up girl, but very naturally reached out and took Ethan's arm intimately, leaning her body slightly toward him, then raised her head and asked Ethan as if she'd just noticed the woman, "Ethan, is this your friend?"
Ethan felt the pressure and warmth coming from his arm, shrugged his shoulders slightly toward the girl who'd been hitting on him, then looked down at Jessica, who was nestled against him like a bird.
He didn't speak, but that look and gesture had already expressed their "relationship" to the fullest—the real deal had arrived.
The smile of the woman who'd been hitting on him completely froze on her face, her carefully made-up expression collapsing in an instant, leaving only embarrassment and a hint of imperceptible shame.
She tried to maintain her last bit of dignity, the corners of her mouth twitching as she forced out a sentence: "Well, maybe we'll talk another time then."
Her voice was dry. After speaking, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, she quickly turned around, her high heels clicking as she walked away rapidly, her retreating figure embarrassed.
Ethan didn't even glance at her, his tone returning to warmth: "Get in the car."
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