Bound by Fate

Chapter 12: A Shocking Revelation

The storm had passed, and when Lily Thompson awoke, the sky was clear, with no trace of the previous night’s dark clouds—only warm sunlight remained.

Ethan Blackwood glanced at the girl still nestled in his arms and gently kissed her forehead before carefully trying to get out of bed. Lily hadn’t slept well the night before, so he wanted to let her rest a little longer.

But as soon as she felt his warmth slipping away, Lily pouted in her sleep and instinctively cuddled closer to him. “Ethan…” Ethan couldn’t help but smile as he looked at the small figure clinging to him, a sense of contentment washing over him like never before. He decided to stay in bed with her for a bit longer.

However, the peaceful moment was interrupted by the ringing of his phone. Ethan quickly grabbed it and hit the power button to turn it off.

“Hmm…” Lily frowned and stirred slightly, finding a more comfortable position in his arms and continuing to sleep.

Ethan frowned slightly. Although he had only glanced at the screen, he had seen that the call was from Nate Foster. It seemed important, and for the first time, he found these matters to be a nuisance.

After lying with Lily for a little longer and ensuring she was deeply asleep, Ethan gently slipped out of bed.

In his study, Ethan sat behind the desk, his face expressionless as he reviewed the documents on his laptop. On the opposite wall, a 50-inch LCD screen displayed the image of a man with an innocent, doll-like face, though it was currently set in a serious expression. Nate Foster’s eyes occasionally flashed with cold light as he reported the latest activities of the Vulture Gang, which had been making frequent moves against them lately, even injuring several of their men. It was clear they were looking for trouble.

Ethan swiftly scanned through the information, his fingers tapping lightly on the desk. The only sounds in the room were the clicking of keys and the faint hum of electronics.

“Bang!” Suddenly, the door to the study was kicked open. Lily walked in, one hand holding a teddy bear and the other balancing a tray with two cups of milk, which she carried with impressive steadiness.

Ethan looked up, and a natural smile spread across his face. His voice softened involuntarily. “You’re awake?”

The sound of glass shattering could almost be heard as Nate’s serious expression cracked, his eyes widening in shock. It was as if he had just seen a ghost in broad daylight.

The boss… the boss was smiling!

Lily nodded and set down the milk, handing one cup to Ethan and keeping the other for herself. She then retrieved her own pink laptop, which had recently taken precedence over the TV. She pushed Ethan’s laptop aside slightly to make room for hers, then settled herself comfortably on his lap, pouting as she complained, “Ethan, you didn’t wake me up!”

His arm automatically wrapped around her waist as Ethan replied gently, “You didn’t sleep much last night. I wanted you to get some more rest.”

Their conversation sounded entirely different to Nate’s ears. His big, bright eyes stared at Lily as if she were some rare, exotic creature.

Oh, something’s definitely up! His gaze fell on the teddy bear in Lily’s arms—the one he had painstakingly found for her. A flash of excitement crossed his eyes. The boss was being so gentle—he must really like her! He needed to tell the others about this as soon as possible!

Ethan shot Nate a cold glare, while Lily simply smiled at him and blurted out, “You’re so cute!”

Both Ethan and Nate’s faces darkened. Nate especially hated being called cute because of his babyish features. It made him feel like he would never be taken seriously, even though his looks often came in handy. But that didn’t mean he enjoyed being called cute! And as for Ethan… well, it was clear he was jealous.

Ethan’s murderous gaze locked onto Nate, making him shiver. Immediately, Nate put on a fawning smile. “Boss, I’ll get out of your way!” After all, this was his future sister-in-law, so he’d let it slide this time. And besides, a woman who wasn’t afraid of the boss was a rare find and needed to be well protected!

“Wait!” Ethan’s voice was cold. “Send over a bodyguard.” By bodyguard, he meant a skilled assassin who could act as one. “Make sure it’s a woman.”

Nate grinned mischievously. “Boss, don’t tell me you’re planning on starting a harem?” He quickly cut the video feed before Ethan could react.

Ethan looked down at the girl in his arms, a hint of concern in his eyes. Though his identity was still somewhat hidden, there were plenty of people out there who would love to cause him trouble. In the past, he hadn’t worried about it, but now he feared that someone might target Lily. The Vulture Gang had been provoking them repeatedly, and the thought made him uneasy. It seemed he would need to keep her close, not letting her wander too far.

Lily had been focused on her screen, but she looked up, sensing something was off. Her clear eyes met his as she asked curiously, “Ethan, is something wrong?”

“Nothing.” He smiled at the sight of milk on her upper lip and leaned in to lick it off.

Lily blinked, her heart pounding as she gazed at his impossibly handsome face. Once again, her brain short-circuited.

“Little One…”

She nodded.

“Do you like my kisses?”

Another nod.

“Do you love me?”

A nod again.

“Will you stay with me forever?”

Yet another nod.

Ethan’s smile widened. “So you’ll stop eating desserts from now on, right?”

Another nod, then she suddenly snapped out of it and shook her head vigorously. “No way!”

Ethan pretended to be troubled. “If you eat dessert, I’ll disappear.”

Her head stopped shaking as she clung to him tightly. “No…” Tears welled up in her eyes as she struggled with the decision. Her pitiful expression tugged at Ethan’s heartstrings. He knew he had gone too far, but he couldn’t help wanting her love, wanting to know just how much he mattered to her.

But as he watched her distressed face, he couldn’t help but feel his heart soften. No matter what, he wasn’t going to let her go.

Just as he was about to drop the subject, Lily finally made up her mind after some inner turmoil. With tears in her eyes and a reluctant expression, she said, “I won’t eat dessert anymore, but you have to promise not to disappear!”

Ethan hugged her tightly, whispering in her ear, “I’ll never disappear. I’ll always be with you.” As long as he had her, nothing else mattered. He would never let her go.

Lily rubbed her face against his shoulder and broke into a smile. “You’re the best, Ethan!” She had no idea she had just sold herself completely.

Ethan hadn’t expected that by using dessert as leverage, Lily would genuinely refuse to eat it anymore. No matter how much he tried to coax her, she wouldn’t touch her favorite treat unless he was with her. That’s when he realized that her love for him was just as deep as his for her.