Zara stepped into the restroom and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror.
Why am I suddenly thinking about Ethan when we're just talking about a good-looking guy?
Oh no! This is a disaster!!
She hadn't had any crazy thoughts like this during her years abroad. But now, just a few days in, her mind is going wild. She pondered this while staring at her reflection in the mirror.
Taking a deep breath to calm her racing thoughts, Zara washed her hands and made an effort to relax as she stepped out of the restroom and headed toward the lounge area, which was beautifully set up in the hotel's backyard, complete with a small pond and open seating.
To soothe her racing thoughts, Zara stepped outside into the open space for a breath of fresh air.
In a mansion within the Clover Hill community, Ethan unexpectedly sneezed while chatting with an unexpected visitor.
Noticing his sneeze, the person across from Ethan laughed lightly and teased, handing him a tissue, "Who's got you on their mind, Ethan?"
Ethan accepted the tissue with a frosty look, his eyes narrowing in annoyance.
Mason noticed the anger etched on Ethan's face and quickly decided to keep quiet, miming a gesture of zipping his lips to show he wouldn't say another word.
Mason Edward, the only heir of the prestigious Edward family in Golrid City, was one of the top three aristocrats in the nation, following the Anderson and Adam families.
As Ethan calmly sipped his glass of water, Mason couldn't help but ask with genuine curiosity, "You really surprised me, Ethan. You didn't mention that you were back in the country."
"If it weren't for the two families you've been involved with, I might not have even known you were here," Mason added, his voice tinged with a hint of hurt.
While he was chatting, it hit him all of a sudden, and he asked, a bit puzzled, "Oh, I totally forgot to ask. What did those two families do that made you take care of them on your own?"
Right then, Mason's phone buzzed. As he spoke on the call, he shot a confused glance at Ethan.
"Just give him the room he requested," Mason said, still on the line. After wrapping up the conversation, he hung up and flashed a cheeky grin at Ethan.
Without looking up from his paperwork, Ethan replied coolly, "If you're just here to gawk, then scram."
Mason, who had been told to leave, waved his hands in frustration and exclaimed, "Wait a minute! I just don't get it. You're always so strict about your principles and rules. But here you are, while your secretary is occupied with two girls at my hotel. Doesn't that bother you?"
David and Carter, standing behind Ethan with some files in hand, were taken aback by this revelation.
They were puzzled about who Mr. Mason was referring to. It was obvious he wasn't talking about them since they were present at that moment.
The only other person who could fit the description was Sirius, but he wasn't in town. So, who exactly was this secretary Mr. Mason mentioned?
Both of them stared at each other in confusion. Mason noticed the bewilderment in their eyes but couldn't quite grasp what was causing it.
Without lifting his gaze or altering his expression, Ethan replied coldly, "Just leave."
Mason was taken aback, yet he realized he shouldn't have anticipated any sort of reaction from the man before him.
However, his curiosity got the better of him, as he inquired, "Hey, Ethan, wait. Listen to me. Isn't Sirius your personal secretary and bodyguard? Why is he at my hotel with two girls asking for a room instead of being here with you?"
As soon as Mason finished speaking, Ethan looked up sharply and asked, "Did you say Sirius is at your hotel?"
Mason was taken aback by the unexpected transformation in the usually distant Ethan, leaving him momentarily speechless and oblivious to what Ethan had just said.
David, initially stunned, quickly regained his composure. Noticing that Mr. Mason was silent in response to his boss's inquiry, he stepped closer and called out, "Mr. Edward, Mr. Edward..."
"Ah... Ah..." David's voice jolted Mason from his reverie, and he turned to Ethan with a puzzled expression.
"Am I seeing things? Is that really my friend Ethan before me? The same aloof and cold person?" Mason questioned, glancing over at David for confirmation.
Without uttering a word, David simply directed his gaze toward Ethan, indicating something.
Sensing his signal, Mason turned his head only to see Ethan coldly looking at him with his cold eyes which seemed to send daggers towards him.
Seeing the confused Mason, David quickly bent over and said in a slow voice, "Mr. Edward, Boss asked whether Sirius is in your hotel?"
"Ah... yes, yes," Mason nodded as he understood what was happening and shifted his gaze to Ethan.
Ethan quickly pulled out his phone and headed to the backyard, leaving a puzzled Mason with Carter and David in the living room.
Carter and David didn't seem fazed at all, like this was just another day. But Mason, who felt completely out of the loop, was struggling to grasp what was going on.
Is that really his best friend, Ethan Anderson?
The guy who's usually so cold and detached, never showing any emotion, not even a glance at any girl?
As he pondered this, he glanced over at Ethan's two assistants, who were just standing there, absorbed in their documents, which only made his curiosity grow even more.
Mason called out to Carter and David, "Hey, do you guys have any idea what's going on here?" He glanced between the two of them.
David turned to Mason, a slight smile on his face, and replied politely, "Mr. Edward, I'm not sure what you mean. We don't really get it."
Carter chimed in, raising his arms in confusion, "Yeah, this is about our Boss. How would we know anything about that?"
Mason could see right through their act; it was obvious they were lying and weren't going to spill any details about their Boss.
With a scoff, he shook his head at them and then turned to look at someone in the yard who was holding a phone.
Ethan stepped into the yard, pulled out his phone, and dialed Sirius.
Meanwhile, Sirius, who had just received the room key, was making his way to the lounge when he noticed his phone buzzing.
Recognizing it was Mr. Ethan on the line, he paused and answered, "Good morning, Boss."
"Are you at Clover Hill?" Ethan asked directly, his tone cool and straightforward.
"Yes, Boss. I just picked up the suite card for Ms. Bennet since she wanted to rest," Sirius replied, glancing around the lounge, where he spotted Zoye but couldn't see Zara.
"Alright, I'll have Mason whip up a few meals for her and deliver them to her room. Just keep me in the loop," Ethan said while gazing at the sky.