CHAPTER 34: CHAPTER 34: SEPARATION?!

Pervert!

Should’ve just let him burn last night.

"I... I have tutoring in a bit." Seraphina Thorne tensed her back, trying her best to distance herself from him, "Can we... reschedule?"

Ethan Sterling released his arm, and Seraphina felt as if she was granted amnesty, quickly scrambling up, grabbing her phone, and dashed out of his room.

Lying on the bed, listening to her frantic footsteps, the man chuckled softly.

His Mrs. Sterling was just too adorably excessive!

...

...

She fled back to her room, rushed into the bathroom for a shower, changed into going-out clothes, and finally her pounding heart returned to its normal rhythm.

Ms. Sawyer recently had business back home and took time off; she won’t be coming over.

Seraphina walked into the kitchen, took out two cartons of milk, but remembering Ethan was still sick, put one back into the fridge.

Retrieving her phone from the room, she followed an online tutorial to put rice and water into the pot.

When she finally served the cooked porridge on the table, Ethan also emerged from the master bedroom.

The man was dressed neatly; upon seeing her, he paused at the other end of the living room.

"Do we have masks at home?"

"Yes, let me get them for you."

Seraphina hustled back to her room, brought a pack of masks and handed them to him.

Having been weak since childhood, she often had allergic coughs during autumn and winter.

Thus, masks were a staple.

Ethan accepted the mask, carefully put it on, then walked into the dining room to sit by the table.

He looked down, his gaze sweeping over the porridge in the bowl, then landing on Seraphina’s face.

"Did you make this?"

For the first time in her life, even with the tutorial, she hadn’t mastered the ratio of water to rice.

She added a bit too much rice, and the porridge in the bowl was almost turning into rice.

"I learned from the internet..." Seraphina lowered her lashes, "Sorry, there’s too much rice, would you like me to heat up some milk for you?"

"No need." Ethan raised his chin, "Don’t you have a tutoring session? Shouldn’t you be eating quickly?"

Feeling pressed for time, Seraphina couldn’t bother with Ethan.

After finishing her breakfast, she casually returned the leftover porridge to the kitchen, packed it into a bowl and placed it in the refrigerator, keeping it for dinner.

Now that she was earning on her own, she knew the value of rice and firewood, and even a bowl of porridge was not something she could waste now.

No time to wash dishes, Seraphina tossed the bowl into the sink, grabbed her violin from the room, and reminded him.

"Medicine is on the table, remember to take it. I wrote the usage and dosage on the box, and if you have time, you should go to the hospital for a check-up to see if it’s the flu."

Ethan walked into the foyer and handed her the coat.

He raised his right hand, pressed his index and middle fingers to his temple, giving her a military salute.

"Yes, ma’am!"

Giving him a glare, Seraphina hurriedly donned the coat and walked out of the hall.

By the time she returned to the apartment, it was already evening.

Not seeing Ethan, she also noticed the medicine on the table was gone.

Knowing he took the medicine, Seraphina sighed in relief.

Casually placing the violin aside, she walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge.

However, after scouring the fridge, she couldn’t find her leftover porridge.

And it wasn’t just the porridge.

The ready-to-eat meals she had stored in the fridge, the instant noodles in the cupboard...

All gone.

Seraphina grabbed her phone and dialed Ethan’s number.

After a while, Ethan picked up the call.

"Did you see the instant rice, and instant noodles I had in the fridge?"

Ethan coughed a few times, "I disposed of them."

Hearing him cough, she initially felt a bit worried.

But upon hearing the latter part, Seraphina immediately got angry.

Ms. Sawyer had to leave for personal reasons, and Seraphina couldn’t cook, felt ordering takeout was too expensive, and specially stocked up a week’s supply from the supermarket. Cost how many hundreds?

He actually threw them away!

"You... you went too far!" She couldn’t hold back and snapped, "A few hundred might be nothing to you, but that’s what I earn after working hard for an hour!"

Ending the call, she raised her hand and threw the phone onto the sofa.

The phone rang, Ethan’s call was coming back.

Seraphina was furious, and directly disconnected the call.

In the foyer, the video doorbell suddenly rang.

Seraphina assumed Ethan was back and went to the foyer to press the intercom switch.

"Won’t you swipe your card yourself!"

Appearing on the screen of the video doorbell, the delivery guy looked at her innocently.

"Are you Ms. Seraphina? I’ve got your delivery."

"Sorry about that!"

Seraphina quickly apologized, unlocking the unit door.

In a moment, the delivery guy came upstairs, handing her the delivery bag.

Seraphina carried the delivery to the dining room, glancing at the delivery note.

The delivery note bore her name, causing Seraphina to frown in confusion.

She hadn’t ordered any delivery, who ordered it for her?

Ethan had just been hung up on, it couldn’t be him who’s sending her takeaway, it must’ve been Ivy Langley.

Thinking of her good friend, she felt a warmth in her heart.

As she opened the meal box and placed it on the table, she began eating, picking up her phone to send Ivy Langley a message in WeChat.

[Cherish: Thank you, top lawyer, for treating me to food.]

Ivy Langley didn’t respond.

Recently, she’s been busy preparing for the intern lawyer exam, putting in overtime to study; Seraphina guessed she was busy and didn’t disturb her any further.

Storing the leftover food in the fridge, she returned to the guest room, sat at the desk, and continued writing her graduation project.

As she wrote, she suddenly recalled something.

How would Ivy Langley know where she was living?

Could it be...

Ethan told her?

That evening, Ethan didn’t come home until midnight.

Seraphina wasn’t surprised, guessing Ethan was upset since she hung up on him.

Tossing and turning on the bed, unable to sleep, Seraphina grabbed her phone, contemplating calling to ask about his condition.

Opening the contacts, looking at Ethan’s number, she bit her lip and locked her screen.

Even if it was his place, even if she was his contract wife, he shouldn’t throw away her things so casually; at the very least, he should respect her a bit.

On Sunday morning, she followed her routine of going to tutor.

Six hours of lessons for three students, plus commuting time.

By the time she returned from the hospital after having dinner with her father, it was already past nine o’clock.

Outside her unit, stood Sean Hale, masked with a paper bag in hand.

Upon seeing Seraphina, Sean Hale explained with a smile, "The delivery guy just came, and since you weren’t here, I helped you receive it."

Seraphina thanked him and accepted the delivery bag, glancing at the order, her name was still on the order.

This Ivy Langley, did she become addicted to treating her for meals?

Ushering Sean Hale into the elevator, she inquired with curiosity, "Assistant Hale, is there anything you need?"

"President Sterling asked me to help him fetch several changes of clothes."

"Is he going on a business trip?"

"No, President Sterling said he’ll be busy and won’t be coming home for a few days."

As the elevator arrived at the top floor, Seraphina guided him into the master bedroom, opening the wardrobe.

Watching Sean Hale step in and pack clean shirts and suits, pajamas... all into the suitcase.

She finally showed some concern, "How’s his health?"

"President Sterling..." Sean Hale’s hand paused slightly as he packed the clothes, "He’s doing well."

Seraphina didn’t ask further.

Once Sean Hale finished packing, Seraphina escorted him to the door.

Her gaze settled on the wide-open master bedroom door, she turned around and moved to the dining room.

The delivery was plentiful, all her usual favorite dishes, yet Seraphina didn’t have an appetite.

Specifically assigning Sean Hale to retrieve clothes.

What is Ethan’s intention?

Not only did he want to live separately, he couldn’t even be bothered to see her.

Just because she hung up on him?

Seraphina ridiculed herself, tugging at the corner of her lips.

So quickly, he had already grown tired of the pretend marriage facade?

Or was he aiming to show her the consequences of challenging his authority?