Chapter 36 One Bed Is Enough for You Two
At sixteen, he had been exceptionally admitted to Wharton, the top business school in the world, and was the heir the Harrington family had high hopes for.
If it hadn't been for the scheming and the plane crash later on, he would have been in control of the Harrington empire by now.
Faced with Clara Bennett's inquiring gaze, he only responded with a silent smile.
Clara pouted, her mind instantly filled with thoughts: Could he have met his first love at sixteen? They say men never forget their first love. He seemed excited when he mentioned being sixteen, but then he stopped mid-sentence, clearly not wanting her to know...
The only explanation could be a first love.
A hint of melancholy flashed in Clara's eyes. Since he didn't want to talk about it, she wouldn't ask further.
But it left a small knot in her heart.
She quietly returned to the bedroom to change the bed sheets and laid out a blanket on the couch in the living room.
Mason Reed was stunned for a few seconds, suddenly feeling something was off, and grabbed her wrist. "You... why are you putting the blanket back on the couch?"
Clara turned to look at him. "What's wrong with that?"
"Of course, it's wrong!" He tried to control himself, keeping his tone calm. "Didn't you say I should sleep in the bedroom tonight? Weren't you going to... with me?"
"My brother got beaten up, and you're still thinking about that?" Clara glared at him.
Plus, she was still upset about the "first love" issue, so her attitude wasn't great.
"Ethan can't go home tonight. As his sister, if I don't take him in, who will?"
Mason didn't know the full story and felt her attitude had changed... a bit too quickly.
"He's staying tonight? So, you're putting the blanket on the couch for him?"
"For myself," Clara said expressionlessly.
"What?" Mason widened his eyes. "You're not suggesting I..."
"Yes," she said calmly. "You and Ethan can sleep in the bedroom. I'll sleep on the couch."
"There's only one bed in the room!"
"It's fine. It's big enough for both of you." Clara handed him a pillow. "And you two can talk about 'things only men can talk about'!"
"..."
Mason was left speechless, taking several deep breaths.
By the time he snapped out of it, Clara had already called Ethan back from the balcony, had him wash up quickly, and sent him to the bedroom to rest.
Ethan was obedient and actually went to lie down on the bed!
Mason felt a throbbing pain in his temples.
He reluctantly went into the bedroom and lay down on the other side of the bed. It was the first time he'd slept in the bedroom since they got married, but there was a man lying next to him!
Mason exhaled heavily.
The hour he spent in the bathroom was wasted!
Hearing Mason tossing and turning, Ethan, who couldn't sleep either, sat up and leaned against the headboard to chat with him.
"Brother-in-law, am I pretty useless, always getting bullied?"
Ethan was kind-hearted and excelled in his studies, but he was too honest and always felt inferior because of his family situation.
When he first saw Mason, he was scared, but Mason had taken him to the balcony, patiently asked about his situation, and promised to help him get even... Suddenly, he felt that this seemingly cold and stern man was actually very reliable.
"You're right, brother-in-law," he said softly. "A person should be self-reliant, especially a man. I want to learn from you and protect my sister and my family in the future."
Mason lay with his back to him, silent.
"Why aren't you talking, brother-in-law?" Ethan leaned closer to look at him. "Is it because my sister isn't lying next to you, and you're not used to it?"
Asking the obvious! Mason cursed silently.
But aloud, he forced out two words, "No."
"Oh, that's good." Ethan chuckled naively. "I'm really sorry for disturbing you two tonight... I didn't want to bother my sister, but I was upset after getting beaten up, and I didn't know where else to go."
"You won't blame me, will you, brother-in-law?"
"No," Mason said, closing his eyes tightly, hoping his new brother-in-law would stop talking.
"Brother-in-law," Ethan wrinkled his nose, "what did you put on? You smell so good."
"..."
"Do you put on something this fragrant before sleeping with my sister?"
"Shut up!" Mason growled lowly. "Go to sleep!"