?Chapter 1045:

    To her, it felt as if Ethan was distancing himself from her by doing this. “Ethan, how can I possibly ept this ce?” she said. “That ce is your home. Every corner still carries memories of you.”

    Her words weren’t just for Ethan; she also wanted Brenna to feel the sting, to know she was staying where Ethan had once lived.

    Annoyance flickered across Ethan’s face. “We’ve arrived at your ce. Time for you to get out of the car.”

    Even though Gracie had helped him before, he couldn’t stand her emotional maniption.

    Picking up on his displeasure, Gracie felt sorrow well up inside. She just couldn’t grasp how everything between them had shifted so soon. Not long ago, Ethan had weed her warmly, but now, he seemed cold toward her.

    She knew she couldn’t let things keep going this way. She had to find a way to make Ethan care about her again.

    After Gracie exited the vehicle, Ethan also got out and lingered by the curb, saying to her, “Make sure you get some rest.” Then, he got back inside the car and drove away.

    Brenna’s silence hung heavy, her face cold.

    Noticing that, Ethan finally broke the quiet, trying to clear the air. “Brenna, please don’t read too much into this. I gave her that ce just because I don’t want to have any ties to her because of it. She’s had it roughtely. Just don’t take her words and gestures to heart.”

    Brenna’s tone was sharp. “Is that sympathy I hear from you?”

    Ethan pressed his hand to his forehead,pletely aware she was simmering with jealousy, unable to stomach any of his gentle gestures toward Gracie. “I’m telling you, I don’t feel anything for her. Don’t get the wrong idea, Brenna. I spoke to her while you were present. That means I don’t care about her,” he said.

    Brenna shot him a sidelong nce, still feeling displeased. “I don’t think so.”

    The car soon rolled to a halt in front of her family’s home. Without a word, Brenna slipped out of the car, leaving Ethan to catch up in a hurry. “Brenna, I promise, she means nothing to me. Frankly, I dislike her a little. I know she was doing all that just to get my sympathy. Trust me, I see right through her. I’ll only treat her as a colleague. You have my word.”

    Her tone stayed cool as frost. “You might believe that, but I doubt she does. She’s lost everything, and you’re all she’s got left. She won’t give up on you easily.”

    Hearing that, Ethan believed that Brenna might not be as angry as earlier. Relief washed over him. “I won’t let her get any chance to get close to me.”

    ???????????????? ?????????????? ???? ?????????????????﹒?????

    As Brenna entered the house, she saw Ernst. He had just returned and was talking with Giselle. From the window, Giselle had spotted Ethan’s car earlier, and her mood was far from good. Ernst, meanwhile, tried to calm her down and keep her from meddling.

    “So you two are back together again?” Giselle asked Brenna, clearly angry. Brenna gave a soft nod, dropped onto the couch, and tugged her mother down to sit beside her. “Yeah. Are you mad at me because of this?”

    Giselle let out a sigh that held both affection and resignation. She didn’t love the situation, but she had no ns to make trouble for her daughter.

    “I am not mad; I only want you to be happy.”

    .

    .

    .