13
Mark’s pupils constricted.
Chloe’s sneer deepened. “You’ve had a crush on her for a long time, and I knew it. Even your computer wallpaper is her.” Her voice, sharp and clear, tore the fig leaf from Mark’s heart.
“The pink hair clip on your desk? Hers, right? You kept it for three years.”
Mark visibly flinched, a flicker of panic in his eyes.
“Every time you told me about Ethan’s
whereabouts, it was
intentional, wasn’t it?”
“Stop it!” Mark said coldly.
Chloe pressed on, looking more triumphant.“My dear brother, you’re just as dirty as I am. Why do you get to judge
me?”
Mark’s
his teeth, growling in a low
face darkened. He gritted his
voice.“Chloe! Stop it!” But she wouldn’t. Her voice became more hysterical. “What’s so great about her? Why are you all so obsessed with her? You guys have a thing for the deaf?”
Mark smaXXed her in the face, a sharp sound cut through the silence. Chloe was stunned, tears welling up. She covered her face, her expression a mixture of hurt and resentment.
“Mark, you slapped me for that slut! Did I hit a nerve? Are you embarrassed?”
Just as Mark was about to say something, his gaze fell on Ethan in the doorway.
His heart sank. The air stilled; Chloe’s tirade ceased. She followed his gaze.
Ethan stood there, leaning against the wall, his handsome face flushed with alcohol. His slightly drunken eyes fixed on them, unwavering.
A thrill of hope sparked in Chloe. She started towards him.“Ethan…”
Before she could reach him, Mark pulled her back.
He guided Ethan back to the bedroom. Finding him still unconscious from the alcohol, he calmed down. Chloe continued to shout from the doorway.
Mark rubbed his temples, took Chloe away, and shut the door.
The next second, Ethan opened his eyes. His gaze was clear, devoid of any sign of intoxication. He walked to the window, opening the curtains to watch Mark
2 Chloe leave.
His
eyes were icy, a cold, mocking smile curving his lips. He hadn’t expected Mark, his best friend, to covet his girlfriend for so long.
Ethan unconsciously clenched his fists, the tendons in his hands standing out. Mark, pulling Chloe chilling gaze on his back. He looked back, but saw nothing.
away, felt
a
After a long moment, Ethan went to Natalie’s studio. The familiar sight calmed his turmoil. If Natalie were here, she would recognize the setup, which was almost identical to how it had been before. The sketches were all hers, collected by him at great expense.
He even had someone complete a partially finished piece of hers. He’d painstakingly recreated the entire room based on his memories.
Ethan sat in the chair before the drawing board, his eyes fixed on a wedding dress design – the one Natalie had sold three months ago for two hundred million. It was his favorite, the dress she’d designed for their wedding. He couldn’t accept that she no longer wanted it.
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