“Do you also think I did something foolish by helping them?” Scarlett turned toward Ethan, who was sitting beside her on the couch with his coat draped over the armrest. He had been unusually quiet since returning from the Carvendish Mansion, and although she could tell that something was bothering him, she hadn't asked him about it. She wanted him to talk to her when he felt ready, rather than feel pressured to explain what had happened. “Why would you think that?” she asked gently. Ethan rested his arms on his knees and stared at the floor for a moment before answering. “They spent years treating me like I didn't belong to that family. They believed Charlie over me, blamed me for things I never did, and even sent me to prison. Yet when I found out they were in trouble, I still went there and helped them. Sometimes I wonder if I should have left them to deal with their own problems.” Scarlett listened without interrupting him, giving him the time he needed to put his thoughts into

“Ethan, if you keep working without eating, I'm going to take that laptop away from you.”Scarlett stood beside the couch with a plate of food in her hand, watching her husband finish typing something on his laptop. After their heartfelt conversation about the truth behind Ethan's rescue, the bond between Scarlett and Ethan grew stronger than ever. A week passed, and both of them gradually returned to their usual routines, carrying on with their work and daily lives.He had been working for nearly an hour despite promising her that he would take a break after returning home, and she was beginning to lose patience with him.“Give me five minutes, Scarlett. I need to finish this,” Ethan answered without taking his attention away from the screen.“You told me the same thing twenty minutes ago, and I'm not going to listen to another excuse.” Scarlett placed the plate on the table, walked over to him, and held out her hand. “Close it and eat something before your food gets cold.”Ethan fi

“That's none of your concern right now, Charlie,” the man warned, making it clear that he had no intention of discussing the matter further. “You've already caused me enough trouble, and the best thing you can do now is keep quiet. All I ever asked of you was to maintain a low profile, win their hearts as their adopted son, and make yourself indispensable to the family. It was a simple task, yet you still managed to fail. So, for now, stay out of trouble and don't do anything unless I tell you otherwise.”“But Dad, you can't expect me to sit here and do nothing while Ethan ruins my life, he is the reason behind everything, how can I let it go?” Charlie protested, struggling to contain his frustration.“Listen to me, Charlie. You've already made enough mistakes, and if you want my help, you'll follow my instructions without creating another problem,” his father ordered. Charlie fell silent, knowing he had little choice but to obey. After a brief pause, he agreed to do as he was told,

“What am I supposed to do now? I don't even know if Ethan will agree to speak to me.”Sally sat on the edge of her bed, staring at her phone as she tried to find the right words to express what she was feeling. Since the news of Charlie's expulsion had spread, several people had contacted her to find out what had happened, but she had ignored most of their messages. She had no interest in discussing the family's problems with people who were only curious about the scandal.Charlie had deceived them all, stolen from his own family, and allowed innocent people to take the blame for his actions. Sally no longer wanted to defend him, but that didn't make it any easier to face the truth about her own behaviour.Her thoughts kept returning to Ethan.When they were younger, he had always been there for her. Whenever she got into trouble or felt upset, he was the first person she turned to. He would protect her even when it meant getting into trouble himself, and she had never doubted that sh

“How many secrets are you keeping from me?” Ethan muttered as he removed the dragon ring from his finger and placed it on his desk.The old man's warning had stayed with him since their meeting. Ethan disliked being kept in the dark, especially when someone expected him to act without explaining what was at stake. If the ring held a secret, he intended to find it himself rather than wait for another conversation filled with unanswered questions.He picked up the ring and examined the dragon engraved on its surface. He had worn the ring for so long that he had never considered it anything more than a valuable possession. Although he had discovered some of its abilities, he hadn't expected it to hold so many more secrets. However, the old man's words had made him question everything he thought he knew about it.Ethan turned the ring between his fingers, studying the dragon's head and the small details around it. Everything appeared ordinary until he noticed a tiny marking beneath the dr