Chapter 57: A Morning of Revelations

Chapter 57: A Morning of Revelations

Emily slowly blinked twice, her tear-filled almond eyes still unfocused. She didn't answer Ethan's question, instead lowering her long, wet lashes, her lips pulling into a pout.

"He doesn't like me…" she mumbled softly, her voice barely audible.

Ethan leaned closer. "What did you say?"

Emily looked up at him, her eyes brimming with fresh tears.

"Brother Ethan, do you like me?"

She had asked him the same question, drunk, outside a bar in Paris all those years ago.

But now, she was no longer the twenty-year-old girl she had been back then. Her looks and demeanor had matured, and in her drunken state, her every glance and gesture were filled with a captivating allure—so much so that if she had asked him that question back then, he would have been even more unable to resist her.

Ethan gently touched her alcohol-flushed cheek, noting how much hotter it felt under his fingers.

"I do," he said, his voice hoarse as he leaned in close to her ear, his tone full of soft affection.

"Emily, I love you."

Emily's gaze flickered for a moment, but her eyes grew even more distant.

"Then let's get married."

Her memory was resurfacing, and she was repeating the exact words she had said years ago.

Ethan brushed his hand through her long hair. "Emily, we're already married."

And divorced.

But this wasn't part of her script, and Emily seemed to freeze, staring at him as if she didn't recognize him.

After a long pause, her lips quivered, and out of nowhere, two large tears rolled down her cheeks.

"You're lying…" she said, pushing him with her weak, trembling arms.

"You don't like me at all! You're always away, and you never tell anyone we're married…" she sobbed, one hand wiping away her tears while the other weakly beat against his chest.

"Am I not pretty enough? Am I not cute enough? How could you hide me… Ethan, don't you feel guilty?"

Ethan let her hit him, his expression softening as he watched her. His long lashes cast shadows over his deep-set eyes, and his face was etched with guilt and sorrow.

He caught her small fist, bringing it to his lips for a gentle kiss.

"It was my fault," he whispered, pulling her into his embrace, his hand soothingly stroking her delicate back. "It was all my fault. I'm sorry."

Her memories seemed to have progressed to the time after their wedding, a time Ethan wished she would never remember. Even now, with everything out in the open, he hated to think about how she had entered their marriage full of hope, only to watch her love slowly turn cold.

Every time he tried to imagine what she must have felt back then, it suffocated him. The pain in his heart was as sharp as the day he had first learned the truth.

Sometimes, Ethan wondered if his current anguish was a mirror of the heartbreak she had once endured…

He knew that this guilt would haunt him for the rest of his life.

The more he had hated her and hurt her back then, the more obsessively he loved her now.

Ethan closed his eyes for a moment, letting out a slow, steady breath.

The woman in his arms had gone quiet.

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Emily?"

Emily remained still, her forehead resting against his shoulder.

Just as Ethan thought she might have fallen asleep, he felt a warm, wet sensation spreading across his chest.

She was still crying.

Ethan's heart clenched painfully. He leaned closer, pressing delicate kisses to her ear.

"I'm sorry."

Emily slowly lifted her head, her tear-streaked eyes and red-tipped nose showing how much she had cried.

Ethan held her close, his dark eyes gazing at her with nothing but tenderness.

Just looking at her like this made his heart melt into a pool of warmth.

Suddenly, Emily's thin arms wrapped around his neck, though she made no other move. She simply gazed at him, her eyes slowly wandering over his face. When her gaze settled on a particular spot, her lips parted slightly, her breath coming in shallow, hesitant puffs.

Ethan's eyes darkened, his throat tightening. He leaned down and tentatively brushed his lips against hers.

When she blinked slowly, he hesitated no longer, pressing his lips to hers in a deep, lingering kiss, his hand cradling the back of her head.

The sound of their breathing gradually filled the room.

It wasn't until Emily let out a small, kitten-like whimper and began to push him away that Ethan finally released her.

Emily licked her swollen lips, her fingertips lightly touching the tender spot, wincing slightly.

She looked up at him, dazed, for a few seconds before, without warning, she lunged forward and bit down on his shoulder.

Just like the time she had bitten his wrist, she used all the strength she had, holding nothing back.

Ethan didn't react, as if he couldn't feel the pain. He simply patted her back, soothing her as he had done before.

But Emily wasn't satisfied with just one bite. She tilted her head and bit down again, like a little animal in a fit of anger.

Ethan let out a short hiss of pain, and the person in his arms immediately released him.

Emily looked up, confused and innocent, as if she hadn't just drawn blood.

She stared at the mark she had left on his neck, a faint line of blood beginning to show. "Does it hurt?"

Ethan shook his head and took her hand, placing it over his chest. The strong, steady thump of his heartbeat pulsed against her palm through the fabric of his shirt.

"This is what hurts."

Emily didn't reply, her hand reflexively tightening over his chest.

Ethan pulled her closer. "Are you still angry?"

"If you are, you can hit me, bite me, whatever you want," he said, lowering his head to press a kiss to her eyelid. "Just don't leave me."

Emily's long lashes trembled at the touch, a hint of confusion flickering in her eyes.

"Brother Ethan, can I marry you?"

Ethan: "?"

Did we just loop back?

Ethan paused for a moment before deciding to follow the script.

"Why do you want to marry me?" he asked, his hand cupping her delicate cheek. "Do you like me?"

Emily stared up at him, her expression blank. After a few seconds, she suddenly leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to the mark on his neck.

Ethan's back stiffened.

Emily tilted her head and quickly pressed another kiss to his throat.

She didn't have time to pull away before the tall figure above her completely enveloped her.

**

Mrs. Chen, the housekeeper, stepped out of the elevator, carefully balancing a tray as she headed towards the living quarters. As she rounded the corner, she suddenly stopped in her tracks.

What was that sound?

Mrs. Chen stood there, listening for a long moment before realizing what it was, her face flushing red.

The noise was unmistakably loud.

It sounded like a baby crying, or maybe a kitten mewling. After a sharp scream, everything went quiet again. Then, in a deep, magnetic voice, someone said something, followed by an even louder noise, and more crying—like someone was rapidly slapping a wall.

Mrs. Chen covered her mouth in shock.

In all the years since the lady of the house had married into the family, she had never heard anything like this…

The elevator chimed again, and Mrs. Chen quickly slipped back inside, the tray still in her hands.

Time to retreat.

They probably don't have time for water or porridge right now :)

**

The next morning, Emily tried several times to open her eyes before she finally succeeded.

Her eyelids felt heavy, and she rubbed them for a long time before she could open them fully.

She stared blankly at her surroundings for a few seconds before realizing where she was.

Zhaixing Pavilion?

As soon as Emily moved, she let out a soft hiss of pain.

Her entire body was sore, from her waist to her legs, as if she had been run over by a truck multiple times.

Her memories of the previous night were fragmented, but she immediately understood what had happened.

Yes, she had been…

And definitely more than once :)

The bed beside her was empty, the white sheets rumpled and twisted.

She noticed her blue, one-shoulder dress from the day before lying pitifully on the floor, the back torn wide open.

But that wasn't the worst of it. The real problem was the state of the room—why were the curtains by the window and the rug by the bathroom door both in such disarray?

Emily: "…"

Ethan must have gone mad.

Emily struggled to sit up, and as soon as she opened her mouth, she realized her throat was incredibly dry.

She couldn't help but cough a couple of times, her throat parched.

What was going on?

Even after an all-night karaoke session, her throat had never felt this dry.

Emily wrapped the bedsheet around herself. As soon as her feet touched the floor, her legs wobbled, and she nearly fell. She cursed under her breath, forcing her aching body to move as she headed to the wardrobe to find a white silk nightgown.

After putting on the nightgown, Emily looked down at the numerous red marks on her skin and irritably grabbed a shawl, wrapping it around herself.

She walked over to the central control panel and turned on the humidifier. After a moment's hesitation, she also activated the air purifier.

There was no choice—the room reek

ed of something indescribable…

As Emily walked back to the bed to pour herself some water, her gaze caught on the trash can.

She stared at it for a few seconds, her eyes widening in disbelief.

Silently counting to herself, Emily's expression shifted from embarrassment to shock.

The fragmented memories of last night's shameful events began to resurface.

Ethan's stamina was like a bottomless pit. His breath had been ragged as he reached for the box on the nightstand, only to find it empty.

"They're all used up," he had murmured, his voice tinged with a satisfied chuckle as he pulled her, already dazed, back into his arms.

"That's okay…"

Emily shook her head, refusing to let the images flood her mind any further.

Just as she regained her composure, her phone buzzed on the nightstand.

Jessica: [Are you awake??]

Emily coughed softly, clearing her dry throat.

Emily: [Just woke up, all dried out.]

Jessica: [WTF!]

Jessica: [Chairman Harrison is that intense!!]

Emily: …

Such elegant Chinese language, such poetic phrasing :)

Jessica: [But from the way he was acting last night, I could tell he was, hehe.]

Jessica: [😉]

Emily: [… I meant my throat is dry! As in parched, dehydrated dry. Read my lips: dry, first tone!]

Emily: [Honestly, I can't even with you right now. 😏]

Jessica: [Your throat's dry? Well, that just makes me think of other scenarios…]

Emily: [!!]

Emily: [👋👋]

Jessica: [Ugh, you're making me forget the important stuff with all this daytime debauchery.]

Jessica: [Olivia called you earlier, but you didn't pick up. There's something you should probably be prepared for.]

Emily: [What is it?]

Jessica: [It seems someone on the yacht recorded a video of what happened yesterday and posted it online.]

Emily: [What video?]

Jessica sent over a link.

Emily clicked on it and, within seconds, her jaw dropped in shock.