Chapter 308
“May I?” he whispered, very close.
Laura swallowed hard, her heart pounding.
“M-May what?” she murmured, breathless.
“May I kiss you?” he asked, his voice low, hoarse, laden with restrained desire.
Laura's blush spread to her neck.
For a moment, all she could do was nod—a small, shy movement, but full of confidence.
Matthew smiled.
A slow smile.
Dangerous.
Affectionate.
And then, with the delicacy of someone holding something precious, he placed his hand on the side of her face and leaned in.
The first touch was soft.
Almost reverent.
His lips touched hers as if memorizing their texture, temperature, sweetness.
Laura let out a trembling sigh.
Matthew deepened the kiss—just a little—his fingers sliding to the nape of her neck, while his other hand held hers in his lap.
It was a kiss full of affection... and full of everything he hadn't said in the last few months.
When he finally pulled away, Laura was panting.
And so was Matthew.
“Now yes,” he whispered, his forehead touching hers. “Now I can say without hesitation...”
He smiled, victorious.
“You're my girlfriend.”
Laura laughed softly, tears in her eyes.
“Yes... I'm yours.”
Ethan looked away for a moment, as if processing the information, before nodding slightly.
“Hm.”
Lilian noticed the slight tension—the kind that only someone who knew him deeply would be able to notice. Even so, she smiled, moved closer, and gently touched his shoulder.
“Hey... it's okay.”
She tried to reassure him with her gaze.
Ethan relaxed a little, but his face remained serious as he stroked her hair, tucking a loose strand behind her ear.
“If he comes, it's okay. If he doesn't...” His eyes softened. “It will still be a good day.”
Lilian smiled tenderly.
“It will be.”
She took his hand and gently pulled him out of the room.
“Come on. If we stay here talking, the house will fill up and you'll never come downstairs.”
Ethan let himself be pulled along, an almost imperceptible smile appearing at the corner of his lips.
In the living room, the atmosphere was light and relaxed.
Dinho and Gael were sitting on the sofa talking to Harry and Julian, laughing loudly at some joke only they understood. When Lilian and Ethan appeared at the top of the stairs, everyone looked up.
Harry was the first to comment, with a smirk:
“Finally. The royalty has descended.”
Lilian laughed.
“Royalty only in your imagination, Harry.”
Julian raised his hand with a glass of juice.
“Lilian, has the food arrived yet? Because Dinho has already asked thirty questions about lunch.”
Dinho raised his hands in defense:
“Hey! I only asked fifteen...”
Gael snorted.
“And complained about the other fifteen.”
The group burst out laughing.
Ethan, quieter, watched the scene with that slight smile that only appeared when he was genuinely comfortable.
Lilian looked around and asked:
“Mattew and Benjamin aren't here yet?”
Harry replied:
“Benjamin is outside helping to park the cars of guests who are arriving too early.”
Julian added:
“And Matthew... well, Matthew left a while ago. He said he was going to pick someone up.”
Lilian frowned in curiosity.
“Pick someone up?”
Harry shrugged.
“He didn't say who.”
But Gael, eating a piece of cake he found who knows where, commented:
“I bet ten reais it's Laura.”
Lilian choked on her own breath.
“WHAT?!”
Everyone looked at her, surprised by her exaggerated reaction—except Ethan, who raised his eyebrow, amused.
“Gael...” Lilian put her hand to her forehead. “You say that with such certainty.”
Gael shrugged, completely unconcerned.
“He got all suspicious last night when you mentioned her at dinner. I bet he's liked her for a long time.”
Ethan crossed his arms and looked at Lilian with interest, clearly wanting to know more.
“Lilian?”
She smiled innocently.
“I don't know anything.”
Gael's eyes widened.
“LIE! You know EVERYTHING about everyone!”
Harry laughed.
“He's not wrong.”
Lilian rolled her eyes.
“All I know is that these two have had chemistry since the first interview.”
Ethan tilted his head.
“Good chemistry?”
“Too good to be just boss and secretary.”
At that moment, as if fate was waiting for the perfect timing, the sound of a car parking outside was heard.
Benjamin opened the door and entered the room.
“Boss Lilian! They're here!”
Lilian:
“Who?”
Benjamin smiled broadly—a mischievous smile, like someone about to drop a bombshell.
“Matthew...”
He paused dramatically.
“...and Laura.”
And then he added, with the most satisfied gossipy look in the world:
“Holding hands.”
The entire room fell silent for half a second.
Julian opened his mouth.
Gael dropped his fork.
Dinho choked on his juice.
Ethan raised his eyebrow in moderate surprise.
Lilian jumped up.
“OMG!”
Harry smiled slowly, fully prepared for the gossip.
“Oh... I need to see this.”
And everyone got up at the same time to look at the front door.
Ethan listened intently, though his gaze carried a subtle trace of suspicion. Lilian noticed—of course she did. Ethan was always alert when the subject involved technology, hackers, or anyone who might be behind it.
But fortunately, he didn't question it. He just replied calmly:
“Théo is really brilliant. Anyone would be curious.”
Lilian smiled proudly—and that expression, that light in her eyes, always made Ethan's chest tighten.
“He is,” she said excitedly. “Do you think they're still there?”
“Probably,” Ethan replied, putting his hand on her back to guide her. “Harry must be showing him all the computers he has. And Théo must be exploring everything.”
As she imagined the scene, Lilian's face relaxed; she could clearly see her son fiddling with cables, screens, keyboards—and Harry, of course, making up stories about each machine.
“Let's go then,” she said, smiling.
But Ethan gently pulled her hand back before she took her first step.
“Lilian.”
She turned around.
Ethan tilted his face, leaning closer to her, with that serious, intense expression that always made her breath catch.
“If this Benjamin... brother or not... does anything that makes you uncomfortable, tell me.”
Lilian blinked, surprised by his “too calm” tone—a calmness laden with elegant, silent jealousy.
“Ethan... you don't have to—”
“Yes, I do.”
His hand slid to her waist, pulling her closer.
“You're my wife. It's natural that I want to know who gets close to you.”
Lilian blushed to the roots of her hair.
“He's just a friend. And Theo will like him, I'm sure.”
Ethan didn't respond immediately; he just watched her face for a moment, as if searching for hidden signs. Finally, he tilted his head in surrender.
“All right.”
He kissed her quickly on the top of her head and finally said,
“Let's go. Before Harry teaches Theo how to take apart some expensive computer.”
Lilian laughed, intertwining her fingers with his as they walked down the hallway.