Chapter 68 I Lost
Hannah smiled knowingly and patted Ethan's shoulder.
With that, she opened the door and walked out, leaving only me and Ethan in the room.
I froze for a heartbeat as realization washed over me. This had been a setup. A test designed to probe my loyalty.
My first reaction was shock, quickly followed by a wave of relief—thank god I hadn't taken Hannah's offer. If I had, I'd be finished right now.
But as I processed what had just happened—that Ethan had allowed his family to test me like some suspicious package—an unexpected anger rose inside me.
Ethan watched me with those deep, unfathomable eyes, taking purposeful strides until he stood directly in front of me.
I glared at him and turned to leave. His arm shot out, circling my waist and pulling me against his chest with effortless strength.
"Let go!" I pushed against his chest, struggling to break free. "Ethan, let me go."
Instead of releasing me, he held me tighter, his arms like steel bands around my body.
I hit and scratched at him, my emotions boiling over. "Let go, Ethan! Let me go!"
Ethan watched my lips move with each angry word. His hand on my waist suddenly tightened painfully, and as I gasped in surprise, he bent down and claimed my mouth, effectively silencing my protests.
Despite my anger, my body betrayed me. His kiss weakened my resolve until my hands, which had been beating against him, gradually lost their strength, eventually hanging limply at my sides.
When he finally released me, his thumb caressed my wet, reddened lips. "Was it the truth?" His voice was rough with emotion.
I looked up at him, my eyelashes fluttering. Then, unexpectedly, I smiled.
"What do you think, Mr. Bennett?" I asked, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Do you think it was the truth?"
Ethan's expression remained unchanged, but the temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees.
I shivered involuntarily, my body instinctively trying to create distance between us.
The moment I moved, Ethan forcefully pulled me back. His lips curved into something between a smile and a sneer. "What's this? You want to study abroad after all?"
I stared at his chilling smile, my heart trembling. I pressed my lips together, saying nothing.
Ethan's thumb pressed hard against my lips before moving to the corner of my mouth. Suddenly, his hand opened wider, gripping my face, his long index finger pressing against my jawbone. With a flick of his wrist, he forced my small face upward.
I had no choice but to look directly into his eyes. My eyelashes quivered, my pupils contracted sharply, and the fear in my eyes was impossible to hide.
Ethan looked into my watery eyes as if he could see straight to the depths of my soul. "Olivia Reed," he said, his voice cold and low, "you do want to go abroad. You just didn't trust what Hannah was saying."
With that one statement, he exposed the thought I'd been hiding deep inside.
I remained silent, my eyelashes trembling even more violently.
Ethan's grip on my face tightened, puckering my lips. "Olivia Reed, your ambition isn't small."
I was angry too—angry that he would test me like this. But what was there to test? Our relationship wasn't normal to begin with. Yes, I had wanted to leave him before, but after the kidnapping incident, I'd already compromised. What more did he want?
I closed my eyes briefly, and tears rolled down my cheeks.
Ethan suddenly released his grip and said through gritted teeth, "Olivia Reed, for the next two years, don't even think about leaving!"
I lowered my eyes, my voice breaking with emotion. "I never planned to leave. You're the one who had to test me!" I shouted through my tears. "Ethan, what exactly were you trying to test? Whether I'm too proud to take money? Or whether I'm opportunistic and shameless?"
The more I spoke, the more upset I became. I turned away from him and began to sob loudly.
Behind me, Ethan lowered his head and laughed coldly. "I lost."
My back stiffened and my sobs stopped abruptly. I didn't understand what he meant by that sudden declaration.
But before I could ask, Ethan brushed past me, not saying another word as he walked coldly out of the room.
---
After that, Ethan didn't return to the Westwood apartment. He didn't contact me at all. This continued until my summer vacation began, and still, Ethan hadn't appeared in front of me.
Just when I thought my relationship with Ethan had ended for good, Blake returned to the country.
Blake's father, Nathan Bennett, had died in a car accident, and Blake had returned for the funeral.
I didn't go home for the summer break, choosing instead to stay in Los Angeles for a summer job.
One evening, I was working the night shift at KFC. I had just delivered an order to a table when I received a call from an unfamiliar local number.
"Hello?" I answered.
"Liv." It was Blake's hoarse voice.
I was about to hang up when Blake continued, his voice choked with emotion: "Liv, my dad is dead."
After a moment of silence, I softly said, "I'm sorry for your loss."
"My dad was murdered," Blake said.
I felt my heart skip a beat, and a bold thought crossed my mind. Could it have been...?
"It wasn't Ethan," Blake clarified, as if reading my thoughts. "It was a parent of one of his students. My dad was... promiscuous. Last year, he slept with a seventeen-year-old female student and got her pregnant. She was later expelled, and she killed herself not long after. The incident was hushed up, but the girl's father couldn't accept it. After investigating and learning the truth, he ran over my dad with his car."
I was speechless, unsure what to say. I couldn't find it in me to offer Blake comforting words. In fact, I thought his father had gotten what he deserved.
"Liv," Blake continued, "I now have a way for you to completely escape from Ethan. Would you like to leave him?"
My heart skipped a beat. I had a pretty good idea what this "way" might be.
Blake pressed on: "Liv, let's meet and talk. Can you come out now?"
I was afraid—and unwilling—to meet Blake. I remembered Ethan's warning: even if we broke up, I should never have anything to do with Blake.
"Blake, don't call me anymore," I said firmly.
"Liv, have you actually fallen for Ethan?" Blake sounded surprised.
I sighed with resignation, a hint of impatience in my voice. "Blake, your family is going through something terrible. Don't worry about me right now."
After speaking, I hung up immediately.
At eleven o'clock, I finished my shift and was about to call a cab back to my apartment. As I walked out of the KFC doors, I saw Blake standing outside.