Clara let out a sigh of disappointment. Then, she suddenly felt a cool sensation on her lips. The breath she had just released was instantly drawn back in, and she widened her eyes in surprise, looking at Ethan. Ethan’s lips had only lightly brushed against hers. He then fastened Clara’s seatbelt and started the car.
In the backseat, Nora noticed Ethan fastening Clara’s seatbelt and sighed with relief. So, he was just helping Clara with her seatbelt. She had thought Ethan was going to kiss Clara. Yet, she felt a pang of discomfort. Why was he being so considerate to Clara by fastening her seatbelt? Clara wasn’t incapable of doing it herself. Nora was frustrated but had no outlet for her emotions, so she silently watched and simmered in her own anger, feeling like she might explode.
Clara blushed as she quietly watched Ethan drive, her heart racing. What did Ethan mean by that? Was it an accidental brush of lips or a deliberate stolen kiss? It couldn’t have been accidental… She felt certain Ethan had done it on purpose, intentionally kissing her. When asked for a reason, she couldn’t explain it; she just felt Ethan had intentionally stolen a kiss. Unable to resist, she smiled softly, feeling sweet inside.
Ethan sensed Clara’s gaze and turned to glance at her casually. Clara blushed and shyly turned her face away, looking out the window. Where was her courage? It seemed lacking. She could only sneak glances at her own husband. How pathetic. Why not look openly? Would her eyes go blind or develop a sty?
Nora, sitting in the backseat, felt as if something had happened between Ethan and Clara in the front seat. Though she sat behind them, she suddenly sensed an ambiguous atmosphere in the car. Had something happened between them? But she hadn’t seen anything except Ethan fastening Clara’s seatbelt. Could that create an ambiguous atmosphere? She thought it unlikely. Surely something else had happened. Could it be that Ethan kissed Clara? Or maybe Clara secretly kissed Ethan? She was truly anxious, not knowing what had transpired between them, leading to countless speculations.
Upon reaching their destination, Ethan parked the car and the three of them got out and entered the restaurant. Nora hadn’t reserved a table in advance, and since the restaurant was busy, there were no private rooms available when they arrived. They had to sit in the main hall, where a waiter led them to a table.
Then Clara saw someone familiar. She paused for a moment; it had been a long time since she’d seen Daniel, and encountering him here was unexpected. Daniel was with his friends and brothers, and Clara glanced at them, recognizing them all as Daniel’s friends whom she had once known but hadn’t interacted with much since Daniel went abroad for studies. Many of them seemed like strangers now.
Daniel noticed Clara too, his eyes lighting up with surprise as he stood up and approached her with a smile. “Clara, you’re here for dinner too? What a coincidence.” Clara nodded, feeling inexplicably guilty as she sneaked a glance at Ethan beside her. Would Ethan be upset? Last time, Ethan seemed quite bothered by Daniel.
Daniel nodded politely to Ethan. “Mr. Logan.” Ethan glanced at him briefly.
Nora looked at Clara with a smile and asked, “Clara, is this your friend?” Clara nodded affirmatively.
“Hello,” Nora greeted Daniel with a smile and extended her hand. “I’m Nora Poole.” Daniel shook hands with Nora. “Daniel Novak.”
Clara felt bewildered by the interaction. Nora seemed unusually familiar with Daniel. It felt odd because Nora typically maintained a cool demeanor towards strangers. Yet with Daniel, she was overly friendly and familiar.
If Clara didn’t know that Nora was deeply in love with Ethan, she might have suspected Nora had fallen for Daniel at first sight. After all, Daniel’s appearance was striking, and during their teenage years, Clara had seen many people fall for him instantly.
“Clara… it’s been a while; you’re getting prettier,” Daniel’s friends remarked with smiles as they looked at Clara. Clara blushed shyly and thanked them.
The other friends exchanged meaningful glances between Daniel and Clara, as if there was something between the two of them.
Ethan’s expression turned cold as he cast a glance at Daniel’s friends. Their expressions shifted slightly; some avoided eye contact with Ethan out of embarrassment.
Ethan reached out and put his arm around Clara’s shoulders. Nora and Daniel both noticed Ethan’s possessive gesture, their expressions changing slightly.
Clara glanced at Ethan, feeling inexplicably shy about his sudden embrace.
Ethan asked the waiter if there were other tables available, indicating he didn’t want to sit near Daniel and his group.
Although Clara also felt uncomfortable sitting next to Daniel’s group, Ethan’s direct request seemed a bit awkward. However, it was clear that Ethan didn’t feel awkward at all; he believed if anyone should feel awkward, it would be others.
The waiter smiled and confirmed there were other tables available.
“Take us to another table,” Ethan instructed.
“Certainly,” the waiter replied and led them to another table.
Daniel could only watch as Ethan walked away with his arm around Clara.
He lowered his gaze slightly, hiding the storm brewing in his eyes.
The waiter led Ethan and the others to another table where they sat down.
Nora turned to Clara and asked, “Hey Clara, is your relationship with Daniel not going great?”
Clara shrugged and said, “It’s just okay, you know.”
Nora just nodded and went, “Oh.”
“Ethan… do you not like Daniel?” Nora asked Ethan again.
Ethan glanced at Nora indifferently without speaking, but his silence indicated agreement-he didn’t like Daniel.
“Clara… how did Daniel offend Ethan?” Nora asked Clara instead of Ethan because she knew Ethan wouldn’t tell her directly.
How could she know? Should she say Ethan was jealous of Daniel? That was merely her speculation without any evidence.
If she were to blurt it out right away, saying that Ethan was jealous of Daniel… How shameless that would be! It would make her seem like she was being overly narcissistic.
Moreover… if Ethan denied it, she would be embarrassed.
She might have to find a hole to crawl into.
“He hasn’t offended Ethan,” Clara replied.
“Then why doesn’t Ethan like him?” Nora asked.
Ethan answered indifferently, “He looks annoying.”
This statement seemed somewhat insincere because Daniel’s appearance was indeed attractive and likable.
From a young age, Clara had seen numerous people drawn to Daniel because of his looks.
“I think he looks quite handsome,” Nora said with a smile. “Like the popular guy in school.”
Wasn’t he the popular guy? Daniel had always been the sunny school heartthrob.
Nora suddenly thought of something and jokingly asked Ethan, “Ethan… are you jealous of his good looks?”
Clara looked at Ethan in surprise. Impossible! How could Ethan be jealous of Daniel’s looks?
Daniel was indeed handsome, but Ethan was even more so.
Ethan couldn’t possibly be jealous.