Chapter 291
Vegetables tumbled under the stream of water as Ethan rinsed them, every motion smooth and unhurried, the task lending his hands an unintentional grace.
A playful tone colored his words. “Hey, think you could snag me Rhoda’s autograph?”
That question caught her off guard. After a heartbeat, she pieced it together. “So, you saw me with Ansell at the airport. Didn’t peg you for a Rhoda superfan.”
His steady gaze found hers, his strong jawline and expressive eyes softening as a small, genuine smile broke through.
A slow, knowing smile curled at his lips as he replied, “She’s someone I admire.”
“Very much.”
That single line made Noelle’s lashes flutter.
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Back on his birthday, she had handed him a Rhoda original, and he’d barely batted an eye. Now he suddenly had a favorite designer? Was Rhoda’s magic really that undeniable?
A sly grin broke across Noelle’s face. Her eyes glittered with mischief as she tilted her chin. “Alright, I’ll get you one. In fact, I’ll bring you a whole stack!”
Catching her playful challenge, Ethan’s voice dipped with laughter. “You’re the best, darling.”
Instantly, Noelle’s playful mask slipped. She stammered, “Wait… what did you just call me?”
After drying his hands, Ethan crossed the kitchen with slow, deliberate steps. Noelle’s surprised expression only made her look more endearing. Reaching her side, he pinched her earlobe with teasing gentleness.
“So it’s fine for someone else to call you that, but it’s off-limits for me?”
“Someone else? What are you getting at?” Noelle asked.
Ethan’s remark left her rooted to the spot. Who could possibly call her something so familiar? Then recognition dawned—could Ethan be hinting at Ansell?
The pieces clicked together. Fumbling for her phone, she typed a quick search. There it was: a video uploaded by a store clerk, showing her and Ansell shopping together. To make things worse, the clip had clearly caught Ansell calling her “darling”—a moment she wished had never seen the light of day.
No words came to mind; she just stared at her screen.
A heavy sigh slipped from her lips as she set the phone aside. Glancing up, she found Ethan watching her with an unreadable, cool expression.
Heat prickled at her temples, as if she’d been caught red-handed in a lie. Panic rushed in, and before she could stop herself, she blurted, “Hold on, let me clear this up. You’ve got it all wrong!”
“I’m listening,” Ethan replied. “Explain yourself.”
She had expected him to shut her down or wave her off.
Clearing her throat, she hurriedly explained, “Ansell says ‘darling’ to everyone he meets—it’s just his thing, really. It doesn’t mean anything.”
Ethan’s voice stayed relaxed, but there was an edge that cut through. “So, are you two really that close?”
Noelle felt like she was on the witness stand, under a harsh spotlight. Lying didn’t cross her mind, so she nodded. “Yes, we’re close friends. I’ve known him for years.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, his gaze sharpened, his voice dropping lower. “Then what about you and me?”
“We’re…” Noelle tried to answer but faltered, uncertainty clouding her thoughts.
.
.