CHAPTER 142: CHAPTER 142: ETHAN GRANT ACTUALLY BLUSHED

Hotel room.

Ethan sat by the desk, glancing at Yvette, who was hiding in the corridor, too afraid to come over.

"Drink the medicine." Ethan pushed the cup with the mixed medicine forward.

Yvette nervously hid behind the partition, only walking over with her head down after hearing Ethan speak.

"Do you want to rest in the hotel or go out for a stroll?" The sea view in Solara is nice, Ethan remembered Yvette mentioning it.

Yvette’s eyes lit up as she held the cup.

She wasn’t good at expressing herself, but her eyes never lied.

You could always tell at a glance whether she liked or disliked something by her expression.

That’s why Ethan, when he first saw Yvette at the Grant Family, thought her eyes showed a clear and naive stupidity.

"Has the fever gone down?" Ethan stood up, touching Yvette’s forehead.

Yvette’s body stiffened slightly, but she surprisingly... did not dodge.

"There’s still some warmth. Rest a bit after taking the medicine, and later we’ll go see the coastal night view." Ethan leaned against the desk, watching Yvette drink the medicine.

Yvette was a bit nervous and swallowed all the medicine in one go.

"Here." Ethan reached over, took the bottled mineral water from the table, opened the cap, and handed it to her.

Yvette’s eyes turned red from the bitterness, reaching for the mineral water as she was about to drink.

"Wait." Ethan frowned and took back the bottle.

Ethan was a clean freak, so he had very strict requirements for all hotel utensils.

Earlier, when he opened the bottle cap, he hadn’t used much force, indicating that this bottle of mineral water had been opened before.

Carefully examining the bottle, Ethan sniffed at the mineral water, his expression turning grim. "There’s something wrong with this water."

Yvette looked at Ethan in shock. "Something wrong with the water? Is it... not clean?"

Yvette assumed Ethan’s cleanliness obsession was excessive. "Let me get a new bottle."

"Smell it." Ethan brought the bottle to Yvette’s nose.

She sniffed it and was stunned. "There really is something wrong; it has a sour smell."

Regular mineral water wouldn’t have a sour taste even if expired.

This indicated that the contents were not water.

Ethan frowned, gesturing silently to Yvette, then grabbed two packets of white sugar from beside the coffee machine and took her to the bathroom.

Yvette looked at Ethan curiously.

Watching Ethan explore, not knowing what he was up to.

Ethan ripped open the sugar packets, placed them in the ashtray, then poured in the bottled water.

Soon, the white sugar oxidized and turned black, releasing gas.

"Slightly diluted sulfuric acid." Ethan held the bottle, his voice deep.

Yvette gasped, raising a hand to cover her mouth. "Sulfuric acid?"

What would be the consequence of drinking it?

At best, damage to the esophagus or vocal cords; at worst, life-threatening?

Ethan’s face was very solemn as he tightened the cap and walked out of the bathroom to call Christopher.

Before long, Christopher arrived in the room, installing open cameras inside and outside the bathroom.

"Act naturally." Christopher glanced at Yvette.

Yvette nodded dazedly, knowing Ethan wanted to catch the culprit.

The bottle contained sulfuric acid. The staff who had been in and out of the room were limited, but surely more than one person; it wouldn’t be right to wrongly accuse anyone.

If something happened to Yvette, everyone would be flustered and wouldn’t think to take away the bottle for evidence.

The perpetrator would definitely return to the crime scene to eliminate evidence.

If that bottle of water was flushed down the toilet, there would be no evidence left.

"Don’t be afraid." Ethan said to comfort her.

Yvette’s face was pale, unsure whether the person behind wanted to target her or Ethan.

"This room is booked under Yvette’s name, so this was aimed at Yvette?" Christopher spoke quietly.

Ethan nodded.

If he hadn’t proactively helped Yvette open the bottle cap today, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

His fingertips felt cold; Ethan felt apprehensive for the first time.

"Someone help!"

"Call an ambulance, now!"

Outside the room, Christopher shouted in panic, his hands covered in ’blood.’

Yvette’s face and mouth also had ’blood,’ pretending to faint. Ethan carried her out of the room, hurriedly running into the elevator.

"Mr. Grant, what happened?" The staff asked in a panic.

Ethan, with a suppressed demeanor, didn’t respond.

As Christopher left, the cleaning staff lurking in the corridor sneaked into the room with the door ajar, searching everywhere for the opened bottle of mineral water.

Then quickly poured it into the toilet.

"Heh... Everyday precaution can’t prevent a family thief." Outside the door, Christopher returned with the hotel manager, his voice low and sarcastic.

The cleaning lady’s face turned pale with fright, almost collapsing to the ground.

"Man... Manager..."

"Speak up, who instructed you to do this! You’ve got some nerve trying to harm Mr. Grant!" The manager’s anger was intense, shaking in his voice.

This was a criminal offense.

"Manager, manager, I didn’t... I did nothing. I just saw the door open, and I came in to clean." The cleaner still tried to argue.

"Is that so?" Christopher sneered, pointing at the pre-installed camera and swapped sulfuric acid. "Caught red-handed, you can try arguing with the police."

...

Underground parking lot.

Yvette got in the car, still somewhat out of sorts.

"Scared?" Ethan reached out, pulling Yvette closer. "If you keep avoiding, you’ll get out."

Yvette fearfully looked up at Ethan, with newfound psychological shadows.

From now on, anything going to Ethan’s mouth she must pre-check for poison.

"We’re going back to Meridia; let Christopher handle the aftermath." Ethan’s face was not good, he couldn’t let Yvette stay and risk any more.

She had just offended Melody Crowe today, and then someone plotted against her; this was Melody warning Yvette.

Ethan snorted, flexing his fingers.

Melody Crowe had been living too comfortably in the Grant Family these past few years.

Yvette stiffly nodded.

Originally, she had anticipated going to see the night view by the sea with Ethan.

Looking down at the passing cars outside the window, Yvette watched eagerly.

Sometimes she wondered if people in the world were all free, except her.

As if she was forever trapped in a cage.

"Take the outer ring, to the seaside." Ethan instructed.

The driver nodded, heading for the outer ring road.

...

"Yvette, what are your plans after getting out?"

During the years in prison, the only person Yvette could speak to was Holly Ziegler.

"Just to be with my son..." Yvette’s voice was raspy.

All she wanted was to watch Summers grow up.

"Have you thought about marrying someone? As a woman raising a child alone, it’ll be exhausting."

"Will marriage make it less exhausting? No one will love a woman like me..."

Yvette was very aware that as a woman burdened with blemishes and criticism, no one would love her again.

Marriage, the future.

She had long since given up hope.

The car stopped by the roadside, Ethan got out and opened Yvette’s door.

Yvette, originally leaning in the car in a daze, was startled by Ethan suddenly opening the door and fell unsteady forward.

Ethan instinctively stepped forward, and Yvette bumped against his leg.

"..."

Ethan, standing tall at 188cm with perfect proportions and long legs, Yvette’s fall was a compromising, innuendo-laden position.

Ethan cleared his throat, averting his gaze. "The tide’s in, let’s take a walk by the beach."

Yvette stood up straight, walking awkwardly in step behind Ethan, flustered.

Raising her head to look at Ethan, Yvette noticed... his ears were red, very thoroughly red.