Chapter 291
Even Ethan himself didn’t fully understand why he had said so much in front of Charlotte.
He rarely spoke like this. He rarely allowed himself to.
And yet, sitting across from her, the defenses he normally kept in place seemed to loosen without permission. As if something about her—quiet, observant, unthreatening—made silence feel unnecessary.
“You’ll get what you want, Ethan,” Charlotte said softly.
Her tone was gentle, almost reassuring.
But behind her calm expression, another thought lingered in her mind.
No one is innocent. Not you… And not me either.
She reached forward and took the wine glass from him.
“You’ve had too much,” she said, replacing it with a cup of hot tea. “Drink this instead.”
The steam curled between them.
Ethan’s gaze stayed on her, unfocused but still sharp beneath the alcohol’s haze. After a moment, he suddenly reached out and caught her wrist.
His palm was warm—too warm.
Charlotte didn’t pull away.
Instead, she leaned in slightly, as if allowing it.
“Bunny,” Ethan murmured, voice low and rough, “you’ve been asking a lot of questions today.”
The word slipped out naturally.
Too naturally.
Neither of them noticed it at first.
Charlotte blinked once, then smiled faintly. “Maybe I just haven’t had a proper conversation in a long time.”
She glanced toward the table. “It’s getting late. We should go.”
But Ethan didn’t loosen his grip.
The alcohol had softened his restraint but sharpened something else—instinct, suspicion, desire to test boundaries.
He leaned closer.
The scent of liquor and his cologne mixed in the narrow space between them.
“You’re doing that thing,” he said lazily. “Acting distant on purpose. Testing me.”
Charlotte frowned slightly. “I’m not—”
“I’m interested in you,” he cut in, voice low. “You don’t need tricks.”
His fingers tightened just a fraction around her wrist.
Then, as if deciding something important in his head, he lifted his hand slowly and held up three fingers.
“If you’re willing to sleep with me,” he said casually, “I can give you three months.”
A pause.
He smiled faintly, as if offering something generous.
“That’s longer than I usually keep anyone around. Think about it.”
The words were said too easily—like a deal, like a transaction.
Charlotte’s expression didn’t change.
Not even slightly.
Instead of shock or embarrassment, she studied him quietly, the way one might study something unpredictable.
Ethan noticed the difference immediately.
That wasn’t the reaction he expected.
Not at all.
The room felt warmer than it should have. Shadows shifted across his face as he leaned closer, waiting for her response.
Charlotte gently withdrew her hand from his grasp.
Then she spoke, calm and even.
“Ethan,” she said, “you’re joking.”
A faint, controlled smile touched her lips.
“How could someone like me… compare to you?”
Her voice softened further.
“I just hope you won’t target me. And… don’t trouble Khloe.”
Ethan studied her.
Something about her tone had changed—subtle, but real. Less fragile than before. More deliberate.
“What if I said I wouldn’t touch Khloe anymore?” he asked.
Before she could respond, he reached for her arm again, not aggressively, but firmly enough to keep her close.
Even in his drunken state, his gaze stayed intent.
He didn’t believe in clean intentions.
Not from others.
And especially not from himself.
Charlotte remained still, letting him hold her.
Her expression stayed gentle, but her eyes had begun to cool—measuring, calculating.
Ethan noticed none of it.
Or perhaps… he simply didn’t care.
He chuckled under his breath. “How will you know unless you try?”
Then, leaning closer, he lowered his voice.
“I’m very sincere with my women,” he murmured. “From the bed… to outside it.”
The last words brushed past her ear.
Charlotte didn’t react outwardly, but something in her gaze sharpened slightly.
Not fear.
No hesitation.
Something far more controlled.
She tilted her head just enough to meet his eyes again.
“Your sincerity,” she asked quietly, “is only a three-month arrangement?”
For the first time that night, Ethan paused.
Not because she was embarrassed.
Not because she was flustered.
But because she was calm.
Measured.
Even… negotiating.
And that was not how this was supposed to go.