Chapter 157: Chapter 155: You Are My Woman, So Naturally I Must Dote on You (6)

She stood up and winked at Mrs. Ellsworth. "I’ll go upstairs first."

Ethan Ellsworth stared at the other bowl, and Chloe Marshall’s words from last time immediately came to mind. ’What was it... like shit? A male dog’s... genitals?’ Actually, it really was a reproductive organ, just a bull’s.

At that thought, he found the soup utterly disgusting.

"What are you spacing out for, son? Hurry up and drink it." After speaking, she looked at Chloe Marshall. "Chloe, dear, I made this specially for you. You drink up too."

Chloe Marshall knew from last time what this was supposed to be a tonic for, but she didn’t want to drink it, and she didn’t want to see Mrs. Ellsworth unhappy.

She smiled and picked up her bowl. "Okay."

She held the bowl and slowly drank it all. By the time she finished, Ethan Ellsworth’s bowl was still untouched.

Seeing this, Mrs. Ellsworth grew anxious. "What’s the matter? Hurry up and drink."

Ethan Ellsworth slowly lifted the bowl, closed his eyes, and drank it all down. He almost felt like vomiting again. Fighting it back, he said, "Mom, I’m begging you, please don’t ever make this for me again, okay?"

Mrs. Ellsworth turned a deaf ear. "Now that you’ve finished, hurry upstairs. Don’t go home tonight. The whole family will have breakfast together in the morning."

Chloe Marshall was taken aback. "No, Mrs. Ellsworth, I have to go home."

Mrs. Ellsworth grabbed her hand. "Listen to me. Call your family and tell them you’re not coming home. Hurry upstairs with Ellsworth."

Ethan Ellsworth was both exasperated and amused. "Mom—"

Mrs. Ellsworth shoved the two of them directly toward the stairs.

She opened a door, pushed them into the room, and then shut the door behind them.

Ethan Ellsworth sighed and flicked on the light. He said to Chloe Marshall, "Call Nora and tell her we’re not coming back tonight."

Chloe Marshall looked around the room. A bathroom, a large bed, and nothing else. It was obvious they were expected to sleep in the same bed.

"Boss Ellsworth, we can’t."

Ethan Ellsworth said in a low voice, "I think my mom plans to personally supervise us being together. Don’t worry, I won’t touch you. Just consider it doing me a favor."

Hearing this, Chloe Marshall had no choice but to call Nora Ainsworth and ask her to pass the message to Zeke Marshall.

After hanging up, Chloe Marshall stood there awkwardly. "Boss Ellsworth, there’s only one bed. How are we supposed to sleep?"

Ethan Ellsworth grabbed a bathrobe and headed for the bathroom. "We each get half the bed."

"But... I feel a little uneasy."

Ethan Ellsworth looked her up and down. "You’re all boobs and no butt. Are you afraid I’m going to jump you?"

A little spark of anger flared up inside Chloe Marshall again. "Boss Ellsworth, how can you say that? I have a butt too!"

Ethan Ellsworth retorted leisurely, "Want me to feel it again to check? Otherwise, I won’t admit you have one."

Chloe Marshall turned her head away. "Just go take your shower, Boss Ellsworth. I’m going to sleep."

Ethan Ellsworth went into the bathroom. Chloe Marshall pulled open the curtains. The sky outside was filled with stars. A cool breeze blew in, clearing her head.

To avoid any awkwardness, she turned off the light. The starlight from outside was enough to vaguely make out the room.

She took off her shoes but didn’t dare to take off her clothes. She just lifted the covers and lay down.

Lying on her side, she gazed out the window, finding it hard to believe that she was actually going to sleep in the same bed as Ethan Ellsworth tonight.

Even though it was just an act, her heart refused to calm down.

She gripped the bedsheet tightly, trying to fall asleep, but sleep wouldn’t come.

Ten-odd minutes later, the bathroom door opened. Ethan Ellsworth came out, wrapped in a bathrobe.

He knew she might feel a bit awkward, so he left the light off.

He placed his clothes on a hanger and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Are you asleep?"

"No."

Ethan Ellsworth lifted the covers and propped himself up, lighting a cigarette. He took a light drag and said, "Idiot, I just realized I don’t know how old you are." 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"Twenty-one. A year younger than Nora."

"Do you know how old I am?" Ethan Ellsworth asked.

"Boss Ellsworth is twenty-five."

Ethan Ellsworth flicked his cigarette ash. "Not bad. So, do you know what I like?"

"I do. You like playing sports and acting, but you love music more. You also like dancing, and you especially like going to that club, Temptation. Your favorite colors are blue and yellow. And you also like Miss Grant."

When she finished speaking, Ethan Ellsworth didn’t ask anything else.

Chloe Marshall turned to look at him. In the darkness, his bright eyes were clearly visible.

"When did you find out I liked her?"

Chloe Marshall didn’t mince words. "I’ve known for a long time. It was obvious at a glance."

"Heh—" He laughed. "So even you knew long ago."

Chloe Marshall could hear the desolation in his voice. Even though he was laughing, it didn’t feel like he was truly laughing at all.

"Boss Ellsworth?"

"Hm?"

"After you drank the soup... did you feel anything?"

Ethan Ellsworth sounded puzzled. "No."

"Then why do I feel like all my blood is rushing upwards? I didn’t feel this way before, but now it’s getting uncomfortable."

Ethan Ellsworth reached out and flicked on the light. Seeing her face was flushed, he reached out and touched it. "Why is your face so hot? Do you have a fever?"

Chloe Marshall shook her head. "No, my head doesn’t hurt. I just feel a little hot."

"The soup you just drank... did it taste different from last time?" Ethan Ellsworth asked tentatively.

"It tasted a bit gamy."

Ethan Ellsworth understood immediately. ’His own Empress Dowager had given her deer blood to drink...’

’But when a woman drinks it, it’s supposed to make her feel... desirous. This was his dear mother’s way of setting the mood.’ Ethan Ellsworth felt a headache coming on.

She slowly got up. "I’m going to take a shower."

Ethan Ellsworth hummed a low "mhm."

Chloe Marshall went into the bathroom, stripped off her clothes, and turned on the cold water, letting it pour over her body. Her mind cleared a little, but the heat inside her body didn’t seem to subside.

This simmering heat made her whole body desperate for some kind of release.

She walked out of the bathroom holding her clothes, completely naked.

She placed her clothes on the table. "Boss Ellsworth, I feel awful."

Ethan Ellsworth feigned ignorance. "It’s nothing. That’s just the tonic working. Once you fall asleep, you’ll be fine."

’The question was, could she even fall asleep in this state?’

Chloe Marshall got back under the covers, gripping the sheet and silently enduring the fiery discomfort.

Seeing she was quiet, Ethan Ellsworth reached out and touched her hand.

The touch was like a spark igniting a wildfire; he found he couldn’t move his hand away.

Chloe Marshall reached out and grabbed his hand. "Boss Ellsworth, your hand is magical. As soon as you touched me, I don’t feel so awful anymore."

Ethan Ellsworth was struggling. He looked toward the ceiling. "Well, if that’s the case... I’ll make a sacrifice and reluctantly let you hold my hand."

"Okay."

Their hands, fingers intertwined, rested between them.

Chloe Marshall closed her eyes, and somehow, she actually fell asleep.

Ethan Ellsworth, however, couldn’t sleep. He had thought it wouldn’t be a big deal to have his assistant lying next to him. But actually sleeping together like this really proved the old saying true: a man and a woman alone in a room is a dangerous combination.

**

In the early morning, when Chloe Marshall woke up, the warmth in her palm felt unreal.

She turned her head. Whose face could it be lying beside her, if not Ethan Ellsworth’s?