Encourage herself to win his heart?
Was he expecting it?
Expecting her to win his heart?
“… Yes.” Clara nodded, blushing.
Ethan slightly curled his lips and turned to the dressing room to change clothes.
Clara watched Ethan’s back. She was a bit dazed… Did Ethan just smile?
Although it was just a slight curl of his lips, and the smile was fleeting… she still saw it.
Ethan did smile.
Clara’s face turned even redder.
Why did he smile…
Clara and Ethan went downstairs for dinner. In the dining room, Clara saw Benjamin still there, sitting steadily in a chair, looking ready for dinner.
He hadn’t left yet?
Benjamin looked at Clara. He had planned to leave after having tea and fruit, but June came back and warmly invited him to stay for dinner… He couldn’t refuse her hospitality, so he stayed.
The adults of the Logan family hadn’t returned home.
The elders of the Logan family rarely ate at home except for breakfast; they had various social engagements every day.
Ethan used to be the same.
But since marrying Clara, he would cancel any non-essential evening engagements and come home for dinner on time.
Tonight’s dinner was just Ethan, Clara, Benjamin, and June.
Benjamin was playing with his phone while eating, then suddenly said to Clara, “Want to go out for a drink tonight?”
“…” Clara was stunned for a moment, looking at Benjamin. Was he asking her?
Out of nowhere… suddenly asking her to go out for a drink?
“No,” Clara refused outright.
She wasn’t very familiar with Benjamin.
Although he didn’t seem like a bad person… she didn’t have the habit of going out drinking with unfamiliar men.
Society is so dangerous and complex nowadays.
You never know someone’s true intentions.
Who knows what might happen if she went out?
News often reports about girls going out drinking with men and then getting into trouble.
As a somewhat attractive girl, she had basic vigilance and caution.
Ethan looked coldly at Benjamin.
Benjamin said, “… Why are you looking at me like that? I’m just inviting her for a drink. Do you think I would do something to her?”
June found it strange that Benjamin invited Clara out for a drink but didn’t take it to heart… Clara was Ethan’s wife; Benjamin wouldn’t dare have any improper thoughts about Clara.
Otherwise, Ethan would tear Benjamin apart.
“I’ll go with you, Benjamin,” June said with a smile.
Benjamin nodded, “Okay, but it would be more fun with more people… Will you two join us?”
He looked at Clara and Ethan.
Clara said, “I’m not going.”
Ethan said, “Alright.”
Huh?!!!
What?
Clara looked at Ethan in surprise.
He said alright?
Was he going to take her out for a drink?
“Then we’ll go after dinner,” Benjamin said with a smile.
Clara looked at Benjamin’s happy face.
This guy… is really crazy, right?
He liked Nora, Nora liked Ethan… so he and Ethan were rivals in love. Didn’t he dislike Ethan?
Going out drinking with his rival and being happy about it?
This guy’s thought process… is really hard to understand.
Clara didn’t want to go drinking.
But since Ethan said they were going…
Could she resist?
She couldn’t.
—
After dinner, Ethan and Clara went back to their room.
To go out drinking, they definitely needed to change clothes; they couldn’t just wear casual home clothes.
Clara changed into a dress. Ethan also changed into more casual clothes.
Then they went out together.
When they arrived at the karaoke bar, Clara realized… there were many people already there.
There were already more than ten people.
Among them… was Nora.
Seeing Ethan arrive, everyone in the room was surprised… Ethan usually didn’t like such occasions; why did he come today?
And he brought his young wife along.
Everyone greeted Ethan and Clara enthusiastically.
Ethan held Clara’s hand and sat in the central position,
As soon as they sat down, people started coming over to toast them.
Ethan was very accommodating; he drank with everyone who came to toast… one glass after another.
People toasted both of them; it wasn’t possible for Ethan to drink while Clara didn’t.
Clara drank too.
She downed each glass in one go.
Soon, she had downed ten glasses of beer.
Clara’s alcohol tolerance wasn’t great; after ten glasses of beer, she already felt her face burning hot.
Ethan looked at Clara.
Clara blinked at Ethan.
Ethan curled his lips… She had drunk beer, and her eyes were watery.
Very cute.
—
Nora sat with Benjamin, watching Ethan look at Clara. Her eyes flashed with a hint of gloominess.
“Ethan seems to treat his wife quite well,” Benjamin said with a smile.
Nora looked at Benjamin and nodded lightly with a smile. “Yes.”
Benjamin continued, “They seem quite well-matched.”
Nora didn’t want to respond to him.
Although she knew Benjamin was saying this on purpose in front of her, she still didn’t want to respond to him.
She knew Benjamin liked her.
But so what?
Just because he liked her, did she have to like him?
Benjamin liked her, but unfortunately… she liked Ethan.
To others, Benjamin might be excellent enough.
But her first love was someone as outstanding as Ethan. Having experienced someone like Ethan… how could anyone else catch her eye?
“I’m more well-matched with him,” Nora said.
She was different from Belle.
Belle clearly liked Ethan but still hid behind the guise of friendship, being evasive about it.
But she… she openly liked Ethan and wasn’t shy about it.
People in their circle and her friends all knew she liked Ethan.
Benjamin said, “… He’s married.”
Nora replied, “Just because he’s married doesn’t mean he can’t get divorced.”
Just like when they were together before… they could break up even after being together.
Naturally, being married meant they could get divorced too.
Benjamin frowned, looking at Nora.
Why did it have to be Ethan?
Was there no other man in the world besides Ethan?
Was Ethan the only one in her eyes?
Benjamin felt terrible.
Watching Nora look at Ethan… Her eyes were filled with passionate and lingering love.
He didn’t want to see it anymore. He turned away and drank alone from the bottle in frustration.
After drinking for a while,
Clara was already dizzy, leaning on Ethan’s shoulder with half-closed eyes.
She was somewhat drunk,
But still conscious,
Feeling dizzy and uncomfortable,
“Let’s play a game,” someone suggested,
“What game?” someone asked,
“Let’s play Truth or Dare,” someone said,
“Sure.”
Truth or Dare…
These people were almost all adults around twenty-five or twenty-six years old,
Didn’t they find Truth or Dare childish?
She thought this game was more popular among students,
“Mr. Logan, will you join?” someone asked Ethan,
Ethan shook his head. “No, you guys play.”
Since Ethan said that, no one dared to insist. They played without him,
Ethan looked at Clara leaning on his shoulder. He reached out and pulled Clara into his arms, letting her face rest against his chest. She leaned entirely into his embrace,
Having something to lean on made Clara feel much more comfortable. She rubbed her face against Ethan’s chest, finding a comfortable position,
All of this… fell into Nora’s eyes,
Making her heart restless for a long time,
It was the first time she saw how Ethan interacted with Clara,
They looked like an ordinary couple,
But… it shocked her,
When she dated Ethan, they were both eighteen years old. They were classmates in school. At eighteen, they were young and passionate… But when dating her, Ethan was very proper… even coldly proper,
Every day they just ate together and went home together after school… They started dating in the second semester of their senior year and dated for an entire semester,
And during that whole semester, their relationship only progressed to holding hands,
And it was she who took the initiative to hold Ethan’s hand,
At that time, there were other students dating in school too… She saw others dating secretly hugging and kissing if they were low-key. If they were high-key… they would directly go to hotels…
At that time, she thought… that was just how Ethan’s personality was.