Hearts in Turmoil

Chapter 13 – The Tension

Lily quickly covered Grace's mouth. "Could you please lower your voice?"

"I'm just surprised," Grace replied, brushing her hand away. "How could Ethan possibly be... small?" I mean, back in school, when he was swimming competitively, wearing those tight swim trunks…

Ethan was in high school at the time, and even then, it was pretty obvious that he was well-endowed.

Some of the girls used to joke that whoever ended up with Ethan would have a hard time surviving their nights together.

But at the end of the day, Lily had actual experience with Ethan, unlike Grace. It was impossible for Grace to know more about Ethan's development than she did.

"Have you double-checked?" Grace asked, still sounding a bit incredulous. She couldn't quite get her head around the idea that her male idol would fall short in that department.

Before Lily could answer, she noticed Ethan standing just a few feet away, his face serious.

Grace felt the tension immediately and turned to see what had caused the sudden change in atmosphere. As soon as she saw Ethan, she felt the embarrassment hit her full force.

Ethan glanced at Grace, his voice flat and lacking any warmth. "We're done here. You can leave."

Grace could tell that he wasn't asking for her input—he was telling her to leave.

Although Luke had a reputation for being wild, Grace was actually more afraid of Ethan.

People who didn't know him well often said he was cold and distant but polite—the kind of person with impeccable manners.

Grace, however, knew better.

There was a time when someone had tried to hurt Eva, and Ethan had lost it. Even after he broke his ribs and punctured a lung, he kept hitting his attacker's face into the ground long after the guy passed out. He only stopped when his parents physically dragged him away.

His family was furious with him for making such a reckless move, and they resented Eva for it.

But Ethan remained calm as he told them, "You can have another daughter-in-law or you can lose a son." "My life is up for grabs."

From that moment on, Grace knew that Ethan was not someone to cross.

Even so, he seemed to have a different kind of hostility toward Lily. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but there was a definite tension between them.

"Ethan, you've slept with her twice." "I'm sure there's some connection between you," Grace said, her voice nervous.

"You're overthinking this," Ethan replied, his tone cold. "I'm not going to hurt her."

Grace wasn't fully convinced. Ethan seemed calm on the surface, but there was a dangerous edge to his words.

He looked at Lily, his eyes sharp and steady.

Lily, recalling the awkward messages and the series of events that had transpired, knew she needed to provide an explanation. She didn't want Grace to get involved any further, so she said, "Grace, I'll explain everything." You should head out.

Grace hesitated, then left reluctantly, saying, "Ethan, Lily's only acting this way because she likes you."

Likes me? Ethan thought, "It's funny to think that someone who could turn around and flirt with Luke was in love with him." He didn't believe it for a second. His face was still cold and emotionless.

Once Grace had left, Lily locked the door as Ethan had asked.

He loosened his tie and sat on the couch, clearly waiting for her explanation.

Lily was momentarily distracted by his hands—those long, elegant fingers. She quickly shook off her distraction, sat down next to him, and showed him the chat records on her phone. "Dr. Li, I didn't write that letter." I was just the one who lost the game and had to deliver it. "I'd never spy on you, let alone say something like that."

She paused, then added gently, "And as for what I said to Grace, I wasn't calling you small." I know from experience that you're not.

Ethan raised an eyebrow and asked coolly, "Oh? And what exactly am I?"

Lily froze, then awkwardly held her hands up to measure a length, remembering what it felt like that night. She felt self-conscious and adjusted the distance between her hands, making it a little larger.

Ethan watched her, noting how her ears turned red with embarrassment.

After a moment, he commented, "You should know that Luke and Jason are close." Their families are closely connected. "Pursuing Luke isn't going to help you."

Lily blinked, looking a little confused. When had she ever pursued Luke?

Sure, Luke was easy on the eyes. And, to be fair, Ethan was too. But she knew there was no way she could get with Ethan—he was way out of her league. Flirting with him was just a way to deal with Jason.

"Dr. Li, I've explained everything." "I hope you don't hold this against me," she said, trying to keep her tone calm. "I didn't pursue Luke, and I'll figure out how to handle Jason on my own. I just ask that you don't make things more difficult for me. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave.

Ethan gave her a quick once-over. "Your dress zipper is open."

Lily's face fell as she reached behind her to pull up the zipper, but her arms were too short to reach.

Just then, they heard voices outside.

"Did you see the woman in the black dress next to Luke?" "Who was she?"

"I don't know." She seemed innocent enough, but the way she was clinging to Luke made it seem like she was practically begging for it. "So slutty."

Lily cringed. Oh, my goodness! Those doe eyes of mine... I swear I'm not flirting with anyone on purpose.

The conversation continued outside the door. "Wait, why is the door locked?" "Who's in there?"

"Let's go find Mr. Zhang and get the key."

Lily glanced at Ethan, who seemed calm and wasn't paying attention to the people outside.

She fiddled with the zipper a bit more, clearly having some trouble.

"Come here," Ethan finally said, sounding slightly annoyed.

Lily hurried over, eager to leave before the women returned. She really didn't want to get into a confrontation after overhearing them badmouthing her.

But something didn't seem quite right.

Instead of pulling her zipper up, Ethan yanked it down, which caused her dress to slip off entirely.

She turned to him, her eyes wide with surprise. Without his tie, he didn't look like the usual composed, professional doctor. He still looked cold and aloof, but there was something dangerous in his demeanor now.

"Dr. Li…" she said quietly, unsure of what to do.

He glanced down at his lap and said, "Have a seat."

Lily paused, biting her lip. "They'll be back soon to unlock the door." "I think we really should…"

"Mr. Zhang isn't here," Ethan replied. "They won't get the key."

Lily's heart started racing. "You're not going to help me deal with Jason anyway…"

Ethan was clearly starting to lose his patience. "The chance is right here." It's up to you.

Lily was torn, and took a moment to think it over. She still wasn't convinced Ethan would be able to help her, so she was about to turn him down when he grabbed her and pulled her onto his lap.

She noticed the scent of alcohol on his breath.

She recalled how much he'd been drinking earlier—he'd accepted every toast directed at him.

It was obvious that the alcohol was affecting him now.

"Ethan, please, don't..."

But Ethan wasn't paying attention. He pushed her down onto the couch and tied her hands with his loosened tie. "When I told you to lock the door, what did you think I meant?" he asked, his voice low and teasing.

Meanwhile, Grace had gone back to check on Lily. As she got to the door, she heard soft, hushed whispers from inside.

"Dr. Li..."

The sound sent shivers down Grace's spine—it was that seductive.

She stood there for a moment, trying to figure out what was going on, when Jason stormed down the hall, clearly upset. "Where's Lily?"

Grace stopped in her tracks, taking in the faint scar on Jason's face—the one Lily had given him when she smashed him with a brick.

When Grace didn't respond, Jason gave a sneer. "You'd better not be covering for her." I think that woman has been messing with my brother. "Let's see if I don't kill her for it!"

Messing with your brother? Grace thought to herself. Or maybe it's your cousin who's messing with her right now.

As Jason got more and more upset, Grace began to understand what was going on. Jason never really paid much attention to Luke's love life. It seemed that his anger was driven by something else entirely.

Could it be that he's jealous?