He walked to the couch. Isla, who was nearly asleep, immediately perked up and held out her drawing – a colorful picture of a rainbow and a castle with a shiny gold award sticker.
“Ethan, look, I won!” Her eyes shone with anticipation.
Seeing her bright, innocent face, Ethan felt something stir up inside.
A gentle smile softened his features. He patted her on the head. “Isla, that’s amazing. You did a great job.”
But Isla didn’t react the way he expected. Instead of lighting up, she drooped, sadness washing over her face.
“What’s wrong?” Ethan asked.
Her voice was barely above a whisper. “When Dad was alive, he always praised me and gave me rewards … Now, no matter how many prizes I win, I’ll never hear Dad praise me again … “
Ethan’s thoughts flashed to Jack, his friend who died so young, and a crushing wave of guilt washed over him.
He had promised Jack that he’d take care of Hannah and Isla.
But now, to protect his career and reputation, he was deliberately keeping his distance.
Hannah was an adult. Maybe she could understand.
But Isla was just a child. She didn’t understand any of the adult stuff. She might even think he didn’t like her anymore and that he was going to leave them, too.
To cheer Isla up, Ethan asked almost instinctively, “So, how did Dad reward you in the past?”
Isla’s eyes lit up immediately. “He used to take me shopping, and he would buy me lots and lots of pretty princess dresses. And then, we’d go out for big fancy meals to celebrate!”
Ethan froze.
With all the rumors about him swirling outside, there was no way he could take Hannah and Isla out to eat or shop in public anymore.
He’d be walking right into the paparazzi’s cameras.
While he hesitated, Hannah came out of the kitchen with a steaming cup of hangover tea.
She set the cup down on the coffee table. Seeing Isla’s excitement, she put on a composed smile and spoke gently to Ethan. “Ethan, don’t listen to Isla’s nonsense. I’ve
No Sex for Six Years Because of Her? I’m Done!already told her she has to get used to life without her dad. She can’t always trouble you.”
As soon as she said it, Isla’s face fell.
She looked like she was about to cry.
Ethan saw how disappointed she looked. He took a deep breath, made up his mind, and finally said, “It’s fine. After work tomorrow, I’ll take you guys out to celebrate. We’ll have a nice dinner together.”
The second Ethan gave his word, Isla’s sad little face instantly brightened up.
She let out a happy cheer. “Ethan, you’re the best!”
Then, like a cheerful butterfly, she scampered off to her room.
The living room was quiet again. With only Ethan and Hannah around, the mood got a little awkward.
“Thank you, Ethan.” Hannah was the first to break the silence, her voice soft and full of gratitude. “You’re so good to Isla. You’re going to spoil her.”
But she quickly switched topics. “By the way, Ethan, I wanted to talk to you about something.
“Now that Isla’s in school, I’m home alone all day with nothing to do. I’d like to find a job. I can’t just stay here doing nothing and let you support us forever.”
Ethan thought it was actually a good idea.
If Hannah got a job and became more independent, it would save him a lot of unnecessary trouble.
He casually asked, “What kind of job are you looking for?”
It seemed like Hannah had been waiting for that question.
She looked up at him, her eyes shining with anticipation. “When Jack was still here, I worked as his secretary at his company.”
She stopped there, her eyes full of silent hope.
Ethan’s heart sank.
He wasn’t stupid; he knew exactly what Hannah was hinting at.
She wanted to work at Rowe Group as his secretary and have everyone see her hanging around his office all day?
That was completely out of the question.
Ethan shook his head and said, “A secretary or assistant job is demanding, with lots of overtime and business dinners. Since you need to care for Isla, it wouldn’t work for you.”
Then, he steered the conversation in another direction, “Didn’t you major in fine arts in college?”
Hannah’s eyes flashed with excitement, like she’d found a new opening.
She nodded quickly, a little embarrassed. “Yeah, I started with oil painting. After I had Isla, I got bored at home and started learning a bit about fashion design on my own.”
“That’s great.” Ethan seemed relieved, picked up the cup, and downed the rest of the hangover tea. His tone turned formal as he said, “I’ll ask around and see if there’s a job that suits you. It’s getting late, you should get some rest.”
With that, he headed straight upstairs.
Hannah stood there, watching as his tall figure disappeared at the top of the stairs.
The warm lamplight cast soft shadows on her face, and slowly, a mysterious smile curled her lips.
Back in the main bedroom, Ethan took off his jacket and headed to the shower.
Afterwards, he wrapped himself in a towel and went to the closet to get his clothes. As he was picking out his work outfit for the next day, he suddenly remembered that Amelia would be stopping by the office tomorrow.
He recalled how Amelia had once given him a dark blue striped tie, which he’d always thought was too old-fashioned to wear. He never wore it, and now he didn’t even know where it was.
If I show up in front of her tomorrow wearing that tie, maybe … she won’t be so angry anymore?
The idea popped up and wouldn’t go away.
After a moment’s hesitation, Ethan left the main bedroom and went to Amelia’s room.
He opened the door. The room was empty, bathed in cool moonlight and Amelia’s lingering scent.
He walked straight to the closet and opened it.
When he reached in to look for the tie rack, his arm accidentally brushed against a silk nightgown.
The pink slip dress slid off its hanger and landed at his feet.
He bent down to pick it up. The silky fabric was cool and smooth against his fingers, making him freeze in place.
Ethan couldn’t stop his mind from coming up with an image of Amelia wearing that nightgown.
The delicate straps hung over her smooth shoulders, the soft material outlining every graceful curve she had …
His eyes darkened, a shiver running through him. His Adam’s apple bobbed involuntarily as a wave of restless heat crept over him.
Amelia wasn’t even here, yet he was having indecent thoughts just from looking at her nightgown.
Ethan’s handsome face instantly tensed, and he silently cursed himself for being such a creep.
“Ah!”
Suddenly, a scream echoed from the guest room downstairs.
Ethan snapped back to reality. Not stopping to think, he shoved the sleep gown into the closet and rushed out, heading straight for Hannah’s room. He pushed the door open with force.
No Sex for Six Years Because of Her? I’m Done!
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.