Chapter 292
“What?” His expression was cool, but there was an undercurrent of danger in his tone.
She paused, her mind racing for the right way to describe what they had. The answer was anything but simple.
Still, she found her words at last.
Looking him in the eye, she said quietly, “If you fell into a river, I’d jump in after you and do whatever it takes—even give you CPR on the spot.”
The response took him by surprise. For a heartbeat, his eyes burned with unexpected warmth.
Then Noelle’s lips curled into a sly grin. “But let’s be real. You’ve always been a good swimmer. My heroics would just be for show.”
Ethan was caught off guard, unable to say a word. A chuckle slipped out—half frustration, half genuine amusement.
Before he could respond, Noelle reached into her pocket and drew out a small, dark-blue box. Nestled inside was the set of cufflinks she had carefully chosen.
Taking his hand, she pressed the box into his palm. “This is for you. I hope you like it.”
𝘐n𝗌𝘁а𝗻𝘁 𝖺c𝖼еѕ𝘴 𝗈n gа𝘭ո𝘰vе𝘭𝗌.c𝗈𝘮
With that, she darted off to the side in search of water.
Lifting an eyebrow, Ethan popped open the lid, discovering a pair of gleaming obsidian cufflinks.
Silence lingered between them for a moment before a quiet, amused laugh escaped his lips. His eyes found Noelle, who stood sipping her drink, and his voice carried over, low and playful, making her shiver. “Thank you for the present, darling.”
Noelle’s water went down the wrong pipe, and she broke into a fit of coughing. A slow smirk tugged at Ethan’s mouth. “If you keep that up, I’ll have to swoop in and save you with CPR.”
Noelle was speechless. He was definitely being cheeky on purpose—no question, he was teasing her.
Recently, the Moss family’s fashion brand had launched several new haute couture designs that had skyrocketed in popularity, causing a surge in their reputation.
Inside the villa where Ansell was temporarily staying, Noelle lounged casually on a couch while Ansell occupied the seat opposite her.
He swiped through a collection of images showcasing Moss Corporation’s latest designs on his tablet, his brows knitting together in puzzlement.
“Wait a minute—why do these outfits look suspiciously familiar?”
Noelle paused from nibbling on a cherry and glanced at his screen.
“The instant her eyes landed on those familiar designs, her gaze hardened briefly before melting into a mocking grin. “Of course they’re familiar—I created them.”
“I knew it! I had a feeling they looked like your work!” Ansell clicked his tongue. “But seriously, how can the Moss family be bold enough to say Willa made these? Just listen to this—she said in an interview that she stayed up late drawing them because she couldn’t stand seeing the family business fall apart. She even claimed she taught herself fashion design and didn’t expect people would like her work so much.”
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