Chapter 8
I was aware that Ethan, having watched the surveillance footage, likely heard the rumors Belinda spread on the flight and already understood my relationship with Lucius. I replied honestly, “I just got married to him not long ago.”
I noticed that Ethan seemed lost in thought and could guess what was on his mind. He was debating whether to spare Lucius as a favor to me. I had done so much for his grandmother on the flight, so he probably would have granted me that request if I had asked.
I continued, “It’s over between us; I’m filing for divorce later today.”
Ethan’s concerns were put to rest after hearing that. He didn’t ask any further questions, though he did give me a deep, searching look through the rearview mirror.
When we reached the hospital, the doctor informed us that Grace was in a stable condition with only a minor concussion and that her arm injuries had already been dressed.
He added that she would need to be hospitalized for observation for a few days after she regained consciousness, but she should be fine as long as no complications arose.
Ethan and I both breathed a sigh of relief.
I sat down on a hospital bench and pulled the scattered pearls from my handbag, and since I still had the chain, I figured I would put the necklace back together while we waited for Grace to regain consciousness.
I felt a sharp pain in my forearm the moment I moved. I pulled back my sleeve and realized I had a long gash on my arm. I hadn’t noticed it at all since I was wearing dark colors.
Ethan’s brow furrowed at the sight of the blood. He summoned medical staff at once to tend to the cut, and despite my protests that it was just a scratch, he insisted on taking me for a full physical checkup. He only seemed to relax once he was certain I hadn’t sustained any other injuries.
I suddenly realized that beneath his stoic and imposing exterior, Ethan had an unexpectedly endearing side that came out in moments like these.
I had just finished stringing the last pearl when Grace regained her consciousness. I presented her with the fully restored necklace, causing her eyes to glisten with tears again.
Grace took my hand and held it as if she would never let go. “You’re truly an angel, honey. I truly couldn’t have done it without you; I would have never found those pearls with my eyesight being what it is.”
She went on and on with her gratitude, eventually reaching out to pull Ethan over from where he stood. “How could you just stand there like a statue, Ethan? You should hurry up and thank Zoe! You’ve hated talking ever since you were young, but I can’t believe you’re still this way now that you’re an adult…”
I couldn’t help but smile faintly upon seeing the way Ethan was completely under Grace’s thumb. “It’s alright, Mrs. Howard Senior. Mr. Howard already gave me his thanks a moment ago.”
Grace asked, “Do you need anything at all? Ethan might not look like much, but he’s got plenty of money. You can just ask for whatever you have in mind, Zoe.”
I stole a glance at Ethan standing next to me, noting that he looked undeniably handsome with his sharp, chiseled features and deep–set eyes. I hadn’t felt much when I’d seen him on TV, but meeting him in person like this actually made my heart skip a beat. I found myself staring at his side profile without realizing it.
Grace noticed and said tentatively, “I’m all for it if you’ve taken a liking to Ethan. He isn’t getting any younger,
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and he hasn’t even had a girlfriend before. I’d be the first person to sign off on you two getting married.”
Ethan cleared his throat to cut Grace off. “You’ve only just woken up, so you should give it a rest and focus on taking it easy, Grandma.”
I shook my head, feeling somewhat stuck between amusement and disbelief. “It won’t be necessary, Mrs. Howard Senior. I simply did what I felt was right, and I’m honestly just glad I could be of assistance,”
Grace sighed before shifting the conversation to more casual topics.
I stayed and talked with her until the nurse checked in to say she needed to rest. I used that as my cue to stand up and bid my farewell.
Ethan arranged for me to stay at the best hotel and personally escorted me to my room. “Lucius and Belinda have been detained. I’ll handle everything from here onward, and I’ve also tracked down the people who filmed the incident on the plane and ensured every one of those videos was deleted.”
I made sure to express my gratitude to him one more time since he had managed every aspect of the situation with impeccable care.
It seemed as if there were more he wanted to say, but he eventually thought better of it. “I’ll be leaving now if there’s nothing else, so please get some rest.”
I thought it over for a second and called him back. “If you’re going to take legal action against Lucius, can you hold off until my divorce from him is finalized?”
I didn’t want a scumbag like him to tarnish my background or bring shame to my family.
I actually caught a glimpse of letdown in his expression once he turned around. “Is that the only reason why you called me out? Is there nothing else you want to say to me?”
I was caught off guard. “Is there anything else I should say?”
Ethan took a breath so shallow it was barely audible. “It’s nothing. I’ll see to it that everything is handled properly so that you won’t be dragged into it. I’ll be heading off now.”
I wanted to say something more, but he climbed into the car in such a rush that I didn’t get the chance. I could only call out after him. “Goodbye, Mr. Howard!”
Ethan was caught off guard for a moment. “Goodbye.”
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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.
