Chapter 125 Chapter 125
Chapter 125
Ethan had barely settled back into his seat when his phone rang again.
The sound cut through the quiet of the room, sharp enough to pull both their attention toward it. He glanced at the screen, his expression shifting the moment he saw who it was. For a second, he looked like he might ignore it, like he had done earlier, but this time he answered.
“Yes?” His voice was calm, but there was a slight edge to it.
Celine watched him quietly, her fingers loosely holding the edge of the bedsheet. She didn’t need to hear the other side to understand it was work again. It showed in the way his shoulders straightened, in how his tone became more controlled.
There was a pause, then his brows drew together slightly.
“Can’t it be handled without me?” he asked, his gaze flicking briefly toward Celine before shifting away again.
Another pause.
“I said—”
He stopped mid-sentence, listening this time, his jaw tightening just a little.
“They’re already there?” he asked, lower now.
Whatever the person on the other end said made him exhale quietly, almost like he was trying to hold back irritation.
“Fine,” he said after a moment. “Give me a few minutes.”
He ended the call, lowering the phone slowly, but he didn’t speak immediately.
Celine didn’t rush him. She already knew.
“Work?” she asked softly, though it wasn’t really a question.
Ethan let out a short breath and nodded. “Investors,” he said. “They flew in this morning. Apparently, it’s something urgent now.”
He didn’t sound pleased about it.
Celine studied his face for a second, noticing the way he didn’t look at her directly this time. It wasn’t like before, when he stayed, when he chose to stay without hesitation. This felt different—not because he wanted to leave, but because he clearly didn’t.
“You should go,” she said gently.
His head snapped up immediately. “No.”
The response came too quickly, almost instinctively.
“I’ll have them handle it,” he added, already reaching for his phone again like he was ready to call back and cancel.
Celine shook her head, a small smile forming on her lips despite everything. “Mr—” she caught herself and paused, then corrected softly, “Ethan.”
He stilled at the sound of his name.
“You should go,” she repeated, a little more firmly this time.
“I said it’s fine,” he replied, though there was less certainty in his tone now.
“It’s not,” she said, tilting her head slightly as she looked at him. “You have responsibilities.”
“And you don’t?” he countered immediately.
She almost laughed at that, but instead she just gave him a look. “I’m in a hospital bed. I think I’ll survive a few hours without supervision.”
“That’s not the point.”
“Then what is?”
He didn’t answer right away.
For a moment, he just looked at her, like he was trying to figure out how to say something without actually saying it.
Celine saw it. She understood more than he thought.
So instead of pushing him, she did something unexpected.
She winked.
It was quick, subtle, but enough to catch him off guard.
Ethan blinked, clearly not expecting that.
“I’ll be fine,” she said, her tone lighter now. “Go before they start calling again.”
Right on cue, his phone buzzed in his hand.
Celine raised an eyebrow slightly, as if to say, see?
He glanced at the screen, then back at her, and for a second, something about the situation almost made him smile.
Almost.
“A few minutes,” he muttered, answering the call again. “I’m on my way.”
He hung up quickly this time, clearly not giving them room to argue.
Then he sat there for a moment longer.
Not moving.
Not speaking.
Just… sitting.
Celine noticed it immediately.
“You’re still here,” she said softly.
Ethan ran a hand through his hair, exhaling quietly. “Yeah.”
Another second passed.
Then another.
It was strange, the way the room felt right then. Not awkward, not tense… just something neither of them had fully figured out yet.
Ethan finally stood up, slow and deliberate, like he was forcing himself to move.
“Call me if you need anything,” he said, his voice back to that calm, controlled tone.
“I will.”
“And don’t try to do too much,” he added, pointing lightly toward her like he already knew she might.
“I won’t.”
He nodded once, like he wanted to believe her, but wasn’t entirely convinced.
Then he turned, taking a step toward the door.
And stopped.
It was so slight that someone else might not have noticed, but Celine did.
She watched him, confused at first, as he just stood there with his back to her.
He didn’t move.
Didn’t leave.
Didn’t say anything.
Then slowly… he turned back.
Their eyes met again.
For a second, neither of them spoke.
Celine felt it before she understood it. That same unfamiliar feeling from the night before, the one she had been trying not to think about too much. It crept back in quietly, settling somewhere she couldn’t easily ignore.
Ethan looked like he was about to say something.
Then stopped.
Then tried again.
Nothing came out.
Instead, he let out a small breath, almost under his breath, and shook his head slightly like he was arguing with himself.
Celine noticed the shift in his expression, the hesitation, the way his eyes lingered just a little longer than usual.
“What?” she asked, a faint smile forming, though she wasn’t entirely sure why.
“Nothing,” he said quickly.
But he didn’t move.
Celine tilted her head slightly, studying him now. “You look like you forgot something.”
“I didn’t,” he replied, but it didn’t sound convincing.
“Then why are you still standing there?”
That made him pause again.
And then, for the first time since she had known him, Ethan looked… unsure.
Not weak.
Not confused.
Just… unsure.
Like he wasn’t used to this version of himself.
Like he didn’t quite understand why leaving the room suddenly felt harder than it should.
Celine’s gaze softened slightly as she watched him. She didn’t push. Didn’t tease this time. She just waited.
Ethan swallowed lightly, then let out a quiet breath.
It was ridiculous, he told himself.
Completely unnecessary.
But the thought didn’t go away.
It had been there the moment he stood up. Quiet at first, then louder the closer he got to the door.
And now it refused to leave.
(Peck her on the cheek.)
He almost scoffed at himself.
Where did that even come from?
It made no sense.
They weren’t there yet.
This wasn’t that kind of relationship.
She was still… his employee.
And yet—
His gaze dropped slightly, then lifted again, landing on her face.
She was watching him.
Waiting.
Not impatiently. Not expectantly. Just… there.
That alone made it worse.
Ethan took a step back toward the bed before he could overthink it again.
Celine’s eyes followed him, confusion flickering across her face now.
“Did you forget something?” she asked again, softer this time.
“Yeah,” he said, though his voice wasn’t as steady as before.
He stopped beside her, close enough now that she could feel his presence shift the air around her.
Celine’s fingers tightened slightly against the bedsheet, not out of fear, just… awareness.
“What is it?” she asked quietly.
Ethan didn’t answer immediately.
He just looked at her.
Really looked at her.
Like he was trying to memorize something.
Or maybe understand something.
Celine felt her heartbeat pick up just a little, though she kept her expression calm.
“Ethan?” she called softly.
That was all it took.
He leaned in—slow, careful, like he was giving himself time to stop if he needed to.
But he didn’t stop.
And before either of them could fully think it through, he pressed a light, brief kiss to her cheek.
It lasted barely a second.
Soft.
Gentle.
Gone almost as soon as it happened.
But it was enough.
Ethan pulled back immediately, like he had just crossed a line he hadn’t planned to.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Celine just sat there, completely still, her mind taking a second to catch up with what had just happened.
Her eyes lifted slowly to his.
Ethan looked just as surprised as she felt.
“I—” he started, then stopped, clearly not prepared to explain himself.
Celine didn’t help him.
She didn’t laugh.
Didn’t question him.
Didn’t even tease.
She just looked at him.
And then, slowly, a small smile formed on her lips.
Not big.
Not dramatic.
Just… real.
Ethan noticed it, and something about that made it easier to breathe again.
“I should go,” he said, this time more certain.
“Yes,” she replied softly.
But neither of them looked away immediately.
There was something new there now.
Something quiet.
Unspoken.
But understood.
Ethan finally stepped back, creating space between them again.
“Take care,” he added.
“I will.”
This time, when he turned toward the door, he didn’t stop.
And when he left, Celine didn’t call him back.
She just sat there, her fingers slowly lifting to her cheek, touching the spot where his lips had been.
Her smile didn’t leave.
Not even after he was gone.