CHAPTER 561: CHAPTER 549

Clara decided to do what she had been doing for a while and focus on her career.

Men are nothing! There’s no reason to let them affect her emotions!

"Anyway, thank you for today. I’ll make it up to you somehow. Goodbye!" Clara told Ethan and walked up to the side of the road to stop a cab.

She wanted to stay away from Ethan-not because she hated him, but because she was just too vulnerable and fell in love too easily. Therefore, she would quarantine herself and force herself to get away from him.

Nonetheless, Ethan stepped in front of her, stubbornly stopping her from leaving. ’Be more direct with your gratitude. It lacks sincerity if you put it off."

Clara glared at him, but she was also curious. ’In that case, what do you want? I don’t have any money with me."

"You have time, don’t you? I’m hungry and was thinking about supper. You can keep me company," Ethan said directly.

"A playboy like you could summon a truckload of ladies with a single phone call. And you’d still rather have me?"

"Of course. You, and only you. So? Are you game?"

"Yes!" Clara agreed to it right away, resigning herself to her fate. "It’s my fault that I have to owe you."

"Then get in the car," Ethan beamed, skipping towards his car to open the door for her. He would rather relish in this delight than enjoy the company of a dozen ladies.

They drove steadily through the night sky illuminated by myriad lights-on streets completely devoid of traffic and pedestrians.

Neither spoke as a relaxing tune played on the radio, leaving the air charged with a touch of playful flirting.

It was not until Ethan drove into a luxurious apartment’s basement that Clara realized something was wrong.

Leaning tightly against her seat, she stared nervously at him as she demanded, "Aren’t we going for supper? Where are we?!"

"My place!" Ethan said, focusing on his parking at his reserved lot just then, twirling the steering wheel handily.

"Your place? W-What do you want?!’

"What could I want? To cheer you up," Ethan replied, reclining against his seat as he stared at her, his flirtatious gaze seemingly drawing her in.

Clara folded her arms before her chest and glared at him warily. "You’re a monster! I just got out of prison, and that’s all you can think of?"

"What did I think of?"

"You know damn well what," Clara snapped, her face flushed as she tried to exit the car. "To think that I actually felt touched by what you did for me. But you turned out to be a pig! Just like every other man in the world! Now open the door, or I’m calling the cops!"

Ethan finally understood what she meant. He couldn’t stop himself from laughing while clutching his stomach. "Haha! You’re really wary, aren’t you? I’m telling you, you’re just adorable!"

Even so, there was no hiding the tenderness in his eyes.

"You’re laughing?! I’ll beat you up, believe it! You saw I can dish out a beating!" She cried, raising her fist to hit him.

Nonetheless, Ethan handily caught her wrists and held her against her seat, and said with a tone brimming with desire, "Weren’t you always dissatisfied that we’re just friends? We could breach that gap tonight and properly enjoy..."

Clara was left flushing all the way to her ears by Ethan’s obvious innuendos.

"Y-You’re such a pig!" She snapped, and slapped him across his chiseled cheek before shoving him as far as she could. "I must have been crazy to think that you were nice, but you’re nothing but a pig!"

Seeing that she really was upset, Ethan finally stopped smiling and explained, "Okay, okay —I was just messing with you. Also, I don’t mean ’ enjoy’ in the way you think. It’s a misunderstanding.’

"Then how do you mean it?!"

"I heard from someone that you like crayfish, and I bought ten pounds so that you’d have enough for a while. In some cultures, it’s a food that wards off bad luck too. How is that for your enjoyment?"

"Crayfish?!"

Clara’s eyes lit up at those words-she had to admit that crayfish was her favorite food, bar none. She would devour them whenever they were in season, or she could not stand it.

And while she was incarcerated, it was what she missed most of the world outside.

In that case, Ethan did understand her-and at that moment, even reaching into her very soul!

And the man was resting his chin under his hands with a vague smile." Yeah. It’s your favorite, and I just happen to know how to cook them to perfection. Coincidence, huh?"

"Wait, you know how to cook crayfish?"

"Soup, stew, salad, with potatoes. It goes with everything."

"Perfect!" Clara exclaimed impatiently, gulping her drool that was threatening to leak. "What are we waiting for? Let’s ’enjoy’ already!"

"Indeed," Ethan replied with a smug smile and got out of the car, thinking to himself that she had to be such a glutton to get swindled just by waving crayfish in her face.

However, would he really spare her so easily?

They both alighted and headed to the basement elevator, which took them up to Ethan’s apartment.

It was a nice, homely place, with the interior covered with raw wood, as was the trend these days. There were plush toys at every corner, helping to create an atmosphere of calm and soothing frayed nerves.

’Take a break or a shower. Maybe play a game or something while I cook," Ethan told her as he put up an apron.

When he did, he suddenly appeared to be a domestic husband, and there was hardly a hint of the playboy that he really was.

"Okay," Clara replied tamely. Though she was suddenly a little wary, she gulped, finding herself staring stupidly at him.

She had to give it to him-a man in an apron was awfully seductive, and her appetite for the man was whetted more than her appetite for crayfish.

While he cooked in the kitchen, she could not help surveying his house gingerly out of curiosity.

Tut, tut.

3,000 square feet apartments really were luxurious, and all five rooms were so wide one could jog in it.

The interior of Ethan’s room was actually kept prim and clean, and nothing special about it.

The others were the same-clean and homely, not unlike that from a sample house, and showing little individuality.

However, the last room was closed, which somehow made it stand out.

Clara’s hand was already on the doorknob, and she was hesitant if she should go in for a look.

It would be impolite if she did, but she could not resist the curiosity in her either.

After all, you could not stop yourself from finding out more about a person when you loved them-it was just like opening stacking dolls-you would always hope to see something you’ve never seen...

In the end, she gritted her teeth and opened it!