Chapter 117: Encouragement to Have a Child

Clara blushed as she looked at Ethan, wondering what he was up to.

"Does it still hurt?" Ethan asked.

He had been a bit rough the previous night.

She was adorably bold and passionate when drunk, and he lost control for a moment.

Clara's face turned crimson as she looked at Ethan, feeling both embarrassed and angry inside.

Ugh!

Now he asks if she's in pain?

Where was this concern last night?

And wasn't it obvious?

Of course, she was in pain.

Would she have slept all morning if she wasn't?

"It's okay," Ethan said. "You'll get better over time."

Clara looked at Ethan, puzzled. Get better over time?

"You'll get used to it," Ethan said.

"You're too tender," Ethan said in a hoarse voice, gently stroking Clara's hand intermittently.

Her hand was soft and smooth, just like her entire being-delicate and tempting him to ravage her.

"... Stop touching me," Clara said, blushing as she tried to pull her hand away, but Ethan held it firmly.

Clara blushed even more, feeling that his behavior was somewhat peculiar.

Why keep touching her hand?

Was he obsessed with hands?

Ethan raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why?"

Why indeed?

Who keeps touching someone else's hand for no reason?

"I... I have work to do," Clara said, forcing her hand away and trying to leave, but Ethan held her by the waist and asked, "What work do you have?"

Clara wanted to argue but found herself unable to.

In the secretary's office, apart from serving him tea and coffee, she really had nothing to do.

Now that the coffee was brewed and served... there was nothing else.

"Then... you should get to work," Clara said.

She had nothing to do, but Ethan, as the vice president of a major corporation, surely had plenty on his plate.

She could tell Ethan was very busy; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was swamped with work.

Indeed.

"I'm leaving," Clara said, pulling her hand away forcefully and hurriedly walking out, afraid that if she slowed down, Ethan would catch her again.

Clara opened the door and stepped out, just as Alayna returned with Nora.

Nora saw Clara coming out of the vice president's office and frowned slightly... noticing Clara's flushed face. She felt even more puzzled...

Why was Clara blushing?

Was she embarrassed?

Did she and Ethan do something in the office?

Seeing Alayna and Nora made Clara's face turn even redder.

Even though nothing much happened with Ethan, she felt as if she'd been caught doing something wrong.

Clara returned to the secretary's office.

Alayna and Nora followed suit.

Nora's desk was right next to Clara's, but she couldn't focus on work anymore; she kept sneaking glances at Clara.

She couldn't help but wonder what Clara had been doing in Ethan's office.

Why did she come out with a red face?

And clearly looking guilty and shy.

Could it be... they did that thing in the office?

How could they do that?

The office is a place for work.

But soon, Nora had no time for idle thoughts because Alayna took her out again...

Compared to Stephanie and Clara's leisure, Nora was quite busy, constantly going in and out with Alayna...

Clara felt that Nora was genuinely there to learn and work seriously.

She was just there to pass the time.

Without comparison, there would be no harm.

If Nora went to Ethan and complained that she was just idling all day, Grace would surely be angrier and dislike her even more.

Near the end of the workday, Nora returned and cheerfully invited everyone in the secretary's office: "Let's have dinner together tonight. I'm new here and would like to treat everyone."

It's normal for new employees to treat their colleagues to dinner. It's meant to foster good relationships with coworkers.

Alayna, Hanna, and Stephanie looked at Clara. They were all subconsciously waiting for Clara's decision before making theirs.

They weren't uninformed; they knew the truth-that Mr. Logan had no interest in Nora. If Mr. Logan did have any intentions toward Nora, then Clara wouldn't be involved at all.

They were Ethan's secretaries, and Clara was Ethan's wife, effectively their superior.

Naturally, they would follow Clara's lead.

Being stared at by so many people made her feel pressured... Did their gaze mean that if she said no, none of them would go?

She actually didn't want to go.

She didn't like Nora; she even disliked her. Dining with someone she disliked would ruin her meal.

But...

It seemed she couldn't refuse now.

If she didn't go and the others in the secretary's office didn't go either, Nora would surely complain to Grace that she was leading the secretaries to isolate her...

"I'll ask my husband," Clara said.

She'd ask Ethan if he would go.

If Ethan didn't go, then she wouldn't have to go either.

That way, if Nora complained to Grace about being isolated by the secretaries, Clara wouldn't worry about it.

Stephanie glanced at Clara.

Was Mrs. Logan being naive?

At this moment, she actually went to ask Mr. Logan?

She should just refuse outright.

She should decline and make Nora embarrassed.

There was nothing Nora could do about it, anyway.

Nora smiled and said, "I'll go ask Ethan."

With that, she walked out of the secretary's office.

Alayna, Hanna, and Stephanie looked at Clara.

Well, from their expressions, Clara realized she'd made another mistake.

Though she didn't know what she'd done wrong exactly.

Nora wanted to ask Ethan; could she stop Nora?

"Madam, why are you like this?" Stephanie asked with disappointment in her eyes as she looked at Clara.

"... What do you mean?"

"How can you let Nora go find Mr. Logan?" Stephanie said.

Clara: "Why can't I?"

Stephanie: "Don't you know Nora has feelings for Mr. Logan..."

Clara nodded and said, "I know... But whatever she does is her business; I can't stop her... My mother-in-law really likes Nora."

With this explanation, everyone in the secretary's office understood.

There was a mother-in-law issue in between.

Such situations were common...

When a mother-in-law doesn't like the daughter-in-law her son married, she'll go out of her way to cause trouble and stir up drama between them.

Many marriages are ruined because of the mother-in-law.

It's not always about being a bad mother-in-law; it's just that when a mother-in-law dislikes her daughter-in-law, it becomes very difficult to manage.

In fact, if they thought about it a little more, they'd understand why Grace didn't like Clara.

Indeed... From an outsider's perspective, pairing Clara with Ethan seemed... forced.

Those who didn't know Clara well would only judge based on external factors; from that view alone, Clara indeed seemed unfit for Ethan.

Just considering that Ethan was the future leader of Logan Group... Clara seemed unfit for him.

Ethan should be paired with Riverton's top socialites... like Nora or Belle, not someone like Clara from a moderately wealthy family.

Outsiders would think this way; how much more so Grace?

Mothers always see their children as the best and feel no one is good enough for them... Especially when their son is an outstanding man like Ethan.

They speculated that according to Grace's thinking, perhaps only a true princess would be worthy of Ethan.

Naturally, Grace felt Clara wasn't good enough for her son and thus didn't like her.

The secretaries all sympathized with Clara as they looked at her... A mother-in-law truly posed a significant challenge.

Indeed, marrying into a wealthy family wasn't as easy as it seemed.

"Madam... You should hurry up and have a child," Stephanie suggested.

Based on her years of watching various dramas and reading novels, once a child is born... conflicts between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law tend to resolve themselves.

Moreover, if Mrs. Logan really had a child, it wouldn't be easy for the mother-in-law to break up Mrs. Logan and Mr. Logan either.

Clara looked at Stephanie,

Was this concern for her?

"I'm still in school," Clara replied.

"You can have a child while studying," Stephanie said. "You should hurry up and have a child to secure your position. With a child in hand, you'll have fewer troubles."