Ethan's piercing gaze didn't waver as he repeated, "Well? Are you not going to say anything?"
Charlotte's mouth parted, but she hesitated. The tension between them felt almost suffocating, and Ethan's cold, confident demeanor only heightened it.
"I thought you wanted to talk about our little encounter at the beach," he said, his voice carrying a mocking edge. "And now, I'm giving you a free pass to speak. Don't waste it."
Charlotte let out a soft sigh, dropping her eyes briefly before looking back at him.
"I… I apologize if I came across as rude that day," she said carefully, and Ethan's lips curved into an arrogant smirk.
"Is that so?" he asked, tilting his head slightly. "How noble of you."
His tone made her regret saying anything. Before she could recover, he asked, "Why were you so hostile, though? What was the reason?"
