Chapter 176
“Still reading?” Ethan asked, watching Irene pore over the stack of papers.
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“You’ve already learned everything you need. Staring at it won’t make anything new pop up. Why not take a break? When we arrive, I’ll let you know,” Ethan said, his gaze drifting to the dark circles under her eyes.
Irene hesitated, then looked away and said directly, “I want to win. I want that commission.”
Honestly, she thought people were really strange sometimes.
Back when they were together, Ethan always tried to keep his distance from her whenever others were around, as if he didn’t want anyone to get the wrong impression.
But now that she’d decided to leave, he kept saying things with hidden meanings, making her overthink and wonder what he was really trying to say.
Out of a bit of spite, Irene said it on purpose.
But as soon as she said it, Ethan snatched the papers right out of her hands.
‘It won’t hurt to take a break for a few minutes,” he said. “If you don’t feel like resting, why not just talk for a bit?”
Irene watched as he snatched the papers away, and she couldn’t help but frown.
But Ethan was still her boss, and she had to keep working at the firm, so Irene figured there was no need to make things tense between them.
Especially with Vince sitting right there. If she really got on Ethan’s bad side and he fired her, that’d be a huge loss for her.
Irene considered herself a pretty practical person.
So she pushed down her feelings, looked at Ethan, and said seriously, “Alright, Mr. Drake, what do you want to talk about?”
Seeing Irene like this, Ethan turned to her and said, “Then let’s talk about your blind date. You’ve been giving it some real thought, haven’t you? I’m honestly curious, what kind of guy has you actually considering it?”
“He’s just a regular guy. Honestly, I don’t even know how to describe him. You definitely wouldn’t know him, Mr. Drake; he’s not in our field,” Irene replied, a little uneasy, not expecting him to bring this up.
“I don’t need to know him personally. Just tell me a bit, I’m curious what kind of person he is,” Ethan pressed, still sounding
serious
As he spoke, Ethan couldn’t help but lean in, giving her a playful look. “What, can’t even tell me about it? So all that serious talk yesterday about your blind date and getting hitched was that just you messing with me?”
Even though Irene knew Ethan was just trying to push her buttons, she shot back, “No way! I wouldn’t dare make up something like that in front of you, Mr. Drake.”
“We’ve only met once, and nothing’s even set in stone yet. If I talked about it too soon and it didn’t work out, wouldn’t that be awkward?” Irene said.
“Once it’s official, I’ll definitely let you know. I mean, at my age, if I ever get married, I’ll have to invite you I’m counting on you to give me a big wedding gift,” she added.
Irene said this while watching Ethan’s suspicious look. She couldn’t help but say, “You still don’t believe me? Fine, I’ll show
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Chapter 176
you his photo, see for yourself.”
She pulled out her phone, tapped open the photo she’d saved of her blind date, and held it out for Ethan to see.
That’s him. He’s from my hometown, my folks set us up, and he happens to work in Ockgend too,” Irene said.
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“My parents think it’s pretty great. We can have each other’s backs at work, and when the holidays roll around, we can go home together. Sounds pretty ideal, right?” she went on.
“He’s not bad–looking, honestly. I’m happy with him. You know me, I’ve always wanted a place to call my own,” she said.
“Honestly, I don’t need him to be some big earner. As long as he’s down–to–earth and dependable, that’s all I really want,” she added.
As she spoke, Irene felt her emotions start to well up, and she couldn’t bring herself to say anything more.
Just thinking about the way Eliana had described that guy made Irene feel uncomfortable even trying to lie about it.
But honestly, Ethan wasn’t really listening to her anymore.
When he saw the photo she handed over and realized there really was someone out there, Ethan’s was already seething, his emotions surging.
He stared at the guy’s face a few times, but seriously, he couldn’t see what Irene saw in him. With an annoyed grunt, Ethan shoved the phone back at her.
“So you’re really that eager to get married?” Ethan asked again, watching as she took the phone back.
“Yeah, ordinary people like us just want somewhere to belong at the end of the day. I’m not like you, Mr. Drake. You can stay single, and everyone thinks you’re living your best life. The older you get, the more attractive you become.” Irene said.
“But me? I come from a small town. If I don’t settle down, my family will never stop nagging me. Honestly, as I get older, I might end up being one of those older moms, but I still want kids of my own,” she added.
Irene said this in a perfectly serious tone.
As she spoke, she almost managed to fool herself into believing it.
“Always with the family stuff, Irene… You’re your own person. Why do you always let other people’s opinions run your life?” Ethan said.
Hearing the irritation in his voice, Irene nodded. “Makes sense. I’m independent, so I guess I get to make my own decisions, right?”
Irene sounded like she was agreeing, but Ethan just felt weirdly stumped by her response.
Feeling a tightness in his chest, he didn’t bother saying anything else. He just turned to stare out the window.
Irene could sense that Ethan was in a bad mood, but she didn’t bother thinking about it.
If he couldn’t be bothered to talk to her, that just meant she didn’t have to bother with him either.
The car kept rolling, and the silence settled back in.
Surrounded by the quiet, Vince instinctively stepped on the gas a little harder.
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Chapter 176
ཁ0:།
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As the car rolled up to the place they’d agreed to meet the client, Vince breathed a sigh of relief and announced, “Mr. Drake, Ms. Perry, we’ve arrived.”
He quickly got out to open the door for Ethan.
Irene got out on her own.
Irene took one look at the villa and couldn’t help but sigh to herself.
Seriously, people like this just make you want to scream. This insanely fancy villa was just one of the client’s many houses.
Meanwhile, all she wanted was a tiny place to call her own, and even that felt like a pipe dream.
Irene wasn’t some shady lawyer. Her client wasn’t exactly well–liked, but this time, the wife was the one to blame for the divorce.
That’s why she agreed to take the case.
Thinking about all this, Irene’s eyes grew a little darker.
As Ethan stepped out of the car, he saw Irene standing there, her eyes practically burning as she stared at the villa ahead.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
