Harem Investment System: Getting Money And Women-Chapter 177: To The Site

Then he spotted her.

Vanessa was out cold on the couch, tangled in a blanket, one arm hanging over the edge and a small line of drool escaping from the corner of her mouth.

Ethan raised an eyebrow.

'So, that's why she didn't wake me up.'

A rare sight — Vanessa sleeping in, rather than causing trouble first thing in the morning. He considered waking her up, just to return the favor for all the times she had interrupted his sleep.

Maybe shake her shoulder a bit. Or even better, take a picture for leverage later.

Instead, he simply smirked and walked past her, letting her rest.

The smell of food hit him as he entered the kitchen, and his stomach immediately growled in response.

Marianne, as always, had already prepared breakfast. She stood by the counter, humming softly as she wiped her hands on a towel.

The dining table was already set — plates of scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, and a side of fresh fruit. There was even a steaming cup of coffee waiting for him.

"Morning," he greeted, his voice still heavy with sleep.

Marianne turned to him, giving him a small nod. "Good morning, Ethan. Surprised you're up on time without Vanessa throwing water on you."

Ethan scoffed, walking over to the table and taking a seat. "Yeah, well, she knocked out on the couch. Guess she finally ran out of energy."

Marianne glanced toward the living room and shook her head. "About time."

Ethan chuckled, picking up his coffee and taking a sip.

The warmth spread through his chest, waking him up further. "This is why I keep you around, Marianne."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, so it's not for my excellent cooking skills?"

"Nah, it's definitely the coffee."

She lightly smacked the back of his head with the towel, and he grinned.

The smell of freshly brewed coffee and warm toast filled the kitchen as Ethan sat at the dining table, quietly enjoying his breakfast.

The morning was calm for once, with no sudden water attacks or Vanessa looming over him like a vengeful spirit, ready to dump ice water on his head.

It was almost unsettling.

He had half expected her to come barging in with another cold-water ambush, but to his surprise, she had been nowhere in sight.

It was such a calm morning honestly.

Now, as he sipped his coffee, he couldn't help but feel like something was missing.

The answer came in the form of a sleepy groan from the living room.

He glanced over just in time to see a bundle of blankets shift on the couch. A few seconds later, a wild-haired Vanessa emerged, rubbing her eyes like a child waking up from a deep nap.

Her hoodie was slightly oversized, hanging off one shoulder, and her sweatpants were wrinkled from sleeping in them.

Before he could say anything, she stumbled toward him, arms outstretched.

Ethan barely had time to react before she wrapped her arms around his shoulders from behind, pulling him into a loose, lazy hug.

Her chin rested against his shoulder, and her scent — something sweet, mixed with faint traces of sweat from yesterday — filled his nostrils.

If one ignored the sweat and all, she smelt nice.

"Morning," she mumbled sleepily.

Ethan raised an eyebrow, taking another bite of his eggs. "You're up late."

Vanessa groaned, tightening her hold around him like a clingy koala. "Shut up… Let me have this."

He smirked. "What happened to my personal alarm clock? I thought you took pride in annoying me awake."

She exhaled against his neck, the warmth sending a slight shiver down his spine. "I was exhausted. Do you know how much effort it takes to keep you on schedule?"

Ethan chuckled, shaking his head. "Oh, the horror."

Vanessa groaned again but didn't move. Instead, she stayed pressed against him, as if she was soaking up warmth from his body.

He could feel the steady rise and fall of her chest against his back, and though he wouldn't admit it, it was… comfortable.

Too comfortable.

Before his brain could wander too far, Vanessa finally pulled away with a stretch, her hoodie lifting slightly to reveal the toned skin of her stomach.

Ethan looked away, pretending to focus on his plate.

"Anyway," she yawned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "You should get going. Don't you have a project to attend to, Mr. Business Man?"

Ethan smirked, finishing his coffee and pushing his plate away. "Yeah, yeah, I'm leaving."

Marianne, who had been quietly observing from the kitchen, stepped forward and set down another plate of food — this one for Vanessa.

Ethan turned to her, offering a grateful smile. "Thanks for breakfast."

Marianne gave him a small nod, though there was a knowing glint in her eyes. "Try not to overwork yourself."

New novel chapters are published on freewёbn૦νeɭ.com.

He scoffed. "No promises."

Then, before leaving, he leaned in and pressed a light kiss to her cheek. It was something he did often, a small show of appreciation for the woman who was practically feeding him daily.

As he pulled away, he caught Vanessa watching with an unreadable expression. He turned to her with a smirk.

"Don't think I forgot about you," he said.

Before she could react, he leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to her cheek as well.

Vanessa blinked, clearly caught off guard. "What was that for?"

Ethan just grinned, grabbing his keys. "For not throwing water on me this morning."

Vanessa scoffed, crossing her arms. "I will make up for it tomorrow, just you wait."

He laughed, stepping outside and making his way to the garage. His Porsche sat waiting, sleek and polished, ready for another day of work.

Sliding into the driver's seat, he started the engine, the familiar purr filling the garage.

As he pulled out of the driveway, he took a deep breath. Today was going to be another long one at the construction site, but at least the morning had started off on a good note.

Now he just needed to see Riley.