Chapter 41By the time morning arrived, Ethan and Claire had spent the night together more than once.Lying in bed beside her, Ethan couldn't help feeling that the first twenty-something years of his life had been wasted.He had been married to Victoria for years, after all. It wasn't as though he had never experienced intimacy before. But compared with last night, those memories felt disappointingly dull.Back when they were married, Victoria had always treated sex like a chore she needed to get out of the way. The lights had to be off, and there were places she wouldn't let him kiss or touch. Most of the time, she simply lay there without showing much of a reaction, as though she were waiting for the whole thing to end.In the beginning, Ethan had tried to convince himself that things would improve with time. Perhaps Victoria was shy. Perhaps she needed more time to become comfortable with him.But the years passed, and nothing changed.Instead, their intimate moments became less an

Victoria's face flushed with anger. Claire's mocking expression, combined with the way Ethan stood quietly beside her, was more than she could bear.Before she could think better of it, Victoria raised her hand and swung at Claire's face.But the slap never landed.Claire reacted immediately, catching Victoria's wrist in midair. Her grip was firm enough to stop the blow, and when Victoria tried to pull away, she discovered that freeing herself wasn't going to be easy.Although Claire wasn't a fitness instructor or a professional athlete, she worked out regularly and took good care of her body. She was also several inches taller than Victoria, with a clear advantage in strength.Victoria, on the other hand, had never been particularly interested in exercise. She had always preferred shopping, beauty treatments, and spending other people's money.The difference between them became painfully obvious.Claire held Victoria's wrist without the slightest sign of strain. Looking down at her,

Chapter 45Ethan and Claire spent nearly twenty minutes trying to decide what to eat for breakfast.Claire opened the refrigerator, stared at its contents, and sighed. "Eggs? Don't you have anything else?""There's bread," Ethan replied from the kitchen counter."Wonderful. Bread and eggs. Such an exciting breakfast.""You asked what I had."Claire closed the refrigerator and turned toward him with an exaggerated look of disappointment."Ethan, you're a millionaire. Actually, you're practically a billionaire. Why does your refrigerator look like it belongs to a college student?""Because I don't spend much time cooking.""Clearly."Ethan chuckled. "Then let's eat outside."Claire's expression brightened immediately. "Now you're talking."They got dressed and headed downstairs, eventually settling on a nearby restaurant that served breakfast all day.Over coffee, Claire asked what Ethan planned to do afterward."Nothing particularly exciting," he replied. "I need to buy a car."Claire

Ethan stared through the peephole for another moment, trying to understand why Lizzy would be standing outside his apartment at such an unreasonable hour.They barely knew each other. Although they lived on the same floor, their interactions had been limited to a handful of encounters in the hallway and elevator. The last time they'd spoken, she'd jokingly called him "Big Money Ethan" and flashed him a playful smile.She had seemed like the sort of woman who was always cheerful and confident.Tonight, however, something was clearly wrong.Ethan unlocked the door and pulled it open.Lizzy stood in the hallway wearing a thin, oversized sweater and a pair of shorts that left most of her long legs exposed. Her dark hair was slightly disheveled, as though she'd rushed out of her apartment without bothering to brush it.Normally, she carried herself with an easy confidence that made people look twice. But now her face was unusually pale, and her eyes were red and swollen.She looked as thou

Chapter 49 Lizzy stood frozen, staring at Ethan as though she couldn't believe what she'd just heard. For several seconds, neither of them spoke. Finally, she swallowed nervously and asked, "When you say you want me... do you mean my body?" Ethan didn't answer immediately. He simply looked at her, his expression unreadable. Lizzy was undeniably attractive. At twenty-three, she had a youthful face, smooth skin, and a curvy figure that drew attention wherever she went. Even now, dressed in an oversized sweater and shorts, with her dark hair disheveled and her eyes swollen from crying, she was still a beautiful woman. Ethan wasn't blind to that. But beauty wasn't enough to make him forget everything he'd learned from his previous life. He had already spent years being deceived by a woman who knew exactly how to exploit his affection. He had no intention of repeating that mistake. And something about Lizzy's story didn't add up. She had appeared at his apartment at two in the mo