Chapter 4 A Florist?
795 Words
Noah turned and left. Just then, a tall, sharply dressed young man approached me.
"Good evening, ma'am. I'm Jack, Mr. Hawke's agent. Mr. Hawke would like to have a word with you. Is now a convenient time?"
"Of course," I said, relieved. "I actually have a few things I need to discuss with him, too."
Half an hour later, Jack led me to the rooftop pool at the top of Starlight Tower.
The city lights glittered beneath the night sky, reflecting off the rippling water like a dreamlike galaxy.
"Ma'am, Mr. Hawke is right over there. Please go ahead." Jack gestured towards the pool.
Following his gaze, I saw Ethan lounging on a chair by the pool, wearing nothing but a pair of black swim trunks, his strong upper body on full display. His eyes were closed as if savoring a rare moment of peace.
I let Nightshade fade into the shadows before walking into the pool area. Hearing my footsteps, Ethan opened his eyes. When he saw me, a charming smile curled his lips.
"Ms. Alina West, have a seat." He gestured to the chair beside him.
I walked over and sat down.
"Mr. Hawke, you've seen the document I gave you, right?" I said, cutting straight to the point and nodding towards the parchment marriage contract on the table.
Ethan nodded. "Yes, I've seen it. It's a marriage contract with my name and yours, and..."
He paused, his expression puzzled,
"And two tiny fingerprints?"
"Those are our fingerprints. We were just kids when this marriage was arranged," I said, shrugging.
I picked up the contract and pointed to the terms. "See? It's all clearly stated. All we need to do is place our fingerprints, and this contract will be null and void."
Ethan took the contract and examined it again, his face showing a mix of emotions.
"Well, I knew about the contract and your name, but I never expected you to come to break it off."
I blinked, confused. "Why wouldn't you think I'd come to end it?"
Ethan pointed to himself, a hint of pride in his voice. "Look at me. I'm Hollywood's hottest star right now, with fame and fortune most people can only dream of. And you... forgive me, but my agent just looked into it—you're just an ordinary florist who runs a small flower shop."
"What?" I couldn't believe my ears.
Sure, I had more assets than I could count, but since when did I own a flower shop? Wait... That was not the point!
"You don't know my real identity?"
"Your real identity... is a magician? I saw you with a big dog earlier—is that your magic trick partner?" Ethan raised an eyebrow, seemingly intrigued.
'Should I praise his imagination, or...'
The moonlight highlighted the perfect contours of his muscles. His tanned skin glowed healthily in the night, his chiseled chest and abs radiating power, and his V-line was... very enticing.
I swallowed involuntarily. "Fine, you're right. I'm just an ordinary florist... with a side hobby of magic."
I decided not to complicate things by revealing the truth.
"Between us, whether it's our social status or our lifestyles, there's a huge gap. Besides, this whole engagement was just something our elders set up when we were kids. We're adults now. We should be the ones deciding our own lives and marriages, don't you think, Mr. Hawke?"
I thought I'd laid it all out clearly enough that Ethan would have no problem agreeing to cancel the engagement.
But to my surprise, Ethan remained silent.
He lowered his head, lost in thought, and after what felt like an eternity, he finally looked up, his gaze steady.
"I refuse to cancel the engagement."
"Why?" I was stunned. I couldn't understand what was going through his mind.
"You're Hollywood's biggest star right now. You could have any woman—or man—you want. Why would you want to get married at a time like this?"
"So you just assumed I'd be willing to break off the engagement?" Ethan asked, a faint, amused smile playing on his lips.
I was even more puzzled. "Isn't that right? Or... do you actually want to marry me?"
Ethan's expression suddenly turned serious. He walked over to me, his long fingers gently lifting my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze.
His deep blue eyes were like stars in the night sky, shimmering with a captivating light.
"As unbelievable as it may sound, my father once told me." He leaned in, his warm breath brushing against my cheek as his deep voice murmured seductively, "You're my destined partner. With you, I'll find true happiness."
He paused, his gaze drifting to my slightly parted lips. "And I believe... we'd be very compatible."
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