Chapter 149 Trending Love Story (Not)
Olivia frantically tried to recover: "What I meant is, you can do whatever you want. I can't stop you, and I have no right to interfere. All I can do is take care of myself—study hard, eat properly, that's it."
"Olivia, don't disappoint me," he said, his voice cold as ice.
She laughed bitterly. "I'm disappointing you?"
The irony was suffocating. Here she was, essentially under house arrest during Christmas break. She couldn't see her friends, couldn't go shopping or out to dinner. If she wanted to leave, she needed his permission and his company.
Sure, he claimed it was for her protection, and part of her understood that. But understanding didn't make it any easier to lose her freedom.
Meanwhile, he was probably out there with another woman—shopping, dining, maybe even getting formally engaged in some grand, public spectacle.
The thought made her chest tighten until she could barely breathe. Yet she hadn't complained or thrown tantrums. All she wanted was to occupy herself, to prepare for the inevitable moment when he announced his engagement and she would quietly walk away.
But he wouldn't even allow her that small dignity. And he had the nerve to talk about disappointment?
Words failed her. This was beyond ridiculous.
"I told you to trust me," he said, his voice dropping to a dangerous octave.
She couldn't stop herself. "Are your words some royal decree? You tell me to trust you, so I'm supposed to just do it? Do you think you're the fucking emperor? Your golden words are absolute law?"
Besides, when had men's words ever been trustworthy? Especially when his actions screamed the opposite of what he claimed.
Cutting off the internet, restricting her access to the outside world, not letting her leave, even preventing Walter from coming to cook—he'd effectively isolated her from everyone. This wasn't protection; it was imprisonment. If she trusted him after all this, she'd be the world's biggest fool.
Ethan had already been on edge, having endured over two hours of mind-numbing shopping with Emily Sullivan, his patience wearing dangerously thin. Her defiant words snapped what little restraint he had left.
"Olivia!" His voice turned glacial. "Behave yourself. Don't make me angry."
"I won't behave! I don't want to behave!" she shouted back. "You can't brainwash me! I'm not listening! Not listening! You're full of shit!"
His tone, his attitude—he wasn't treating her like a girlfriend but like a possession he could control absolutely. She added, "Ethan, tone it down a bit. Stop acting like you're God's gift to humanity. Being that arrogant isn't good for you. You might get struck by lightning."
Before he could respond, she hung up. She didn't care how furious he'd be. Every second spent talking to him took years off her life.
---
Meanwhile, at Bennett Enterprises, Ethan stood in a corner of the second-floor mall, looking at his phone with mixed feelings.
This girl was something else. Submissive only in bed, but fierce and sharp-tongued everywhere else.
Surprisingly, her defiance improved his mood. After their argument, his earlier frustration had disappeared.
If she had ignored him or acted resigned, that would have bothered him more. But her fiery attitude, like an angry kitten's, stirred something pleasant inside him.
Ethan's lips curled into a small smile as he was about to pocket his phone when a message from Justin appeared.
[The trending topic has reached number one, boss.]
Justin followed this with several screenshot images of top comments.
@PeachySweet: Isn't that woman Tiffany Sullivan, CEO of Starshine Media?
@BubblesAndTrouble: Yes, that's definitely Tiffany Sullivan of Starshine Media.
@LonelyInAntarctica: OMG this ship is killing me! Female CEO and her mysterious boyfriend!
@YeahYeahYeah: OMG real-life billionaire romance novel! This is the content I live for!
@WealthyNotPretty: Can't see the man's face clearly, but those broad shoulders, that narrow waist, that tall, elegant posture, and that cool sophistication—perfection! They make the perfect power couple!
Ethan barely glanced at the screenshots before replying with a single word.
[Good.]
Justin: [That actress was very cooperative. I barely had to hint at what was needed, and she understood immediately.]
The actress Justin mentioned was Zoe, the blonde girl who had pretended to argue with Emily Sullivan at the Hermès store yesterday.
Justin: [As soon as the trending topic appeared, she spread the content through all the Victoria-related sister groups, claiming she was standing up for Emily. She even went to Emily to take credit for her initiative.]
[Victoria and Emily have old grudges. Now that Victoria sees these photos of you shopping with Emily, she'll likely direct all her hatred toward Emily instead.]
Ethan: [Don't let your guard down. Keep a close watch on that actress to prevent any betrayal.]
The typing indicator appeared as Justin began another message.
Ethan didn't wait. He locked his phone, slipped it into his pocket, and walked back toward the Hermès store, his expression cold and distant.
Inside the store, Emily Sullivan had been browsing for quite some time. She picked up a bag and turned to ask Ethan's opinion, only to find him gone.
The man couldn't even be bothered to pretend.
Emily's lips curved in a cold smile. Just as she prepared to go looking for him, she received a message from Mia.
Seeing the screenshot images of trending comments about her "relationship" with Ethan, along with Mia's foolish and malicious attempt to take credit, Emily's perfectly groomed straight eyebrows nearly arched in fur
Too impatient to type a response, Emily called Mia directly, her voice tense with irritation.
"What the hell is wrong with you? Did a donkey kick your brain?"
Mia affected an innocent tone. "Huh? What's wrong, Emily? Did I do something wrong?"
Emily's voice turned cutting. "What was your purpose in spreading those posts everywhere?"
Mia immediately changed her approach. "I apologize, Ms. Sullivan. Please don't be angry."
She then added with artificial thoughtfulness: "I remembered how Victoria mistreated you in the past, and I wanted to help you get back at her. That's why I shared the trending posts in all those groups—to make sure Victoria saw them and felt jealous. I was trying to upset her on your behalf."
Emily gripped the designer bag so tightly that her nail caught on the chain, and she winced in pain as she yanked it free.
"You're not helping me—you're making trouble for me! Those photos will only create unnecessary complications with Victoria once she sees them!"
Emily's anger peaked as she realized what had happened. "I've been used by Ethan Bennett. He deliberately brought me shopping, claiming he wanted to support my public image, but instead he arranged for someone to take candid photos and create a trending topic. He wanted Victoria to direct her hatred toward me, all to protect his precious little bird!"
Mia sounded surprised. "What? Mr. Bennett would do something so underhanded?"