Love On Ice: Don’t Leave Me, My Charming Liar

Chapter 52: "Sure," Callie said, dabbing at her lips with a napkin. Throughout the drive back to the office, Ethan's mind wandered, mistakenly pausing at green lights. Callie held back her grievances. Though feeling slighted, she was also curious. Finally, she spoke up. "Ethan, does Nyla mean a lot to you?" Ethan's awareness snapped back, his face smoothing over as he realized his mood had been excessively affected. "No. You're reading too much into it," he said, though his voice lacked warmth.

They had just parked in the company garage when Ethan turned to face Callie, his expression unreadable. Despite his reassurances, Callie felt a pang of doubt. She tentatively grasped his hand. "I've heard whispers about your interest in Nyla," she replied quietly. Ever since she had returned to the country, Callie had scrutinized Ethan's life for signs of other romantic entanglements but had found none, much to her relief. Yet, during a recent gathering, their friends had let slip about a striking woman recently seen with the Brooks family-someone Ethan seemed to care for.

Typically, Ethan's protection of a younger Brooks family member wouldn't raise any eyebrows, yet Nyla was the daughter of Ethan's brother's mistress. Driven by suspicions, Callie had visited the Brooks home uninvited that day to observe Nyla but had seen nothing out of the ordinary. Only today had she felt a disturbance in the air. "Those are just idle rumors, and besides, she's considered my niece." Ethan's assurances washed over Callie, prompting a relieved exhale from her. On paper, their roles as uncle and niece made their relationship innocuous. What was there to worry about?

Her smile, tinged with shyness, emerged as she exhaled again. "Ethan, my fondness for you just makes me a bit paranoid. If all is well, can we begin planning our engagement celebration? I've always dreamt of marrying you, even before I went overseas. Do you still remember promising me?" Fresh content live now gⱯlnσνs․com Back then, Callie's intervention had saved Ethan, prompting both the Brooks and Higgins families to agree on their marriage. Ethan had been indifferent to the arrangement; after all, for him, the identity of his spouse was irrelevant.

But in that moment, the image of Nyla intruded into his thoughts, unsolicited. "The Brooks family will take care of the preparations. Let's go; we have work to attend to." Ethan clicked off his seatbelt and stepped out of the car, Callie trailing right behind him. Nyla, after her lunch with Murray, was dropped off at her studio. Murray had proposed she merge her operations with Skycloud Group, but she had declined firmly. "My studio stands independently. Joining a team hasn't crossed my mind," Nyla said.

Murray, though disappointed, admired the craftsmanship in Nyla's team's designs, recognizing their caliber as comparable to top global brands. He remained hopeful about partnering in the future, a prospect Nyla didn't dismiss. At her studio, Nyla dedicated her afternoon to addressing Ethan's suggestions. Her current project, themed "Romance," blended shades of light blue and soft pink, capturing the intensity of new love. Absorbed in her work, Nyla barely registered Cand's multiple entrances. . . .