The moment the dismissal bell rang, I dodged Anna's attempt to block my path and grabbed a taxi straight to Ethan's construction site.

But I wasn't looking for him.


I walked into a shabby internet café next to the construction site.

The café owner, a middle-aged man with a receding hairline, stared at me with wide eyes.

Within twenty minutes, I'd successfully negotiated a part-time position as a network administrator—four hours daily for eighty bucks.


I eyed the grimy chair behind the counter with distaste, pulled a sanitizing wipe from my clutch, meticulously cleaned the seat, and only then perched on it.

After all, three years of Ethan's royal treatment had left me with certain... standards.


As evening descended, the café filled with patrons.

Most were young men with vibrant hair colors and multiple piercings.

Many were blue-collar workers who came to blow off steam with online gaming.

None expected to find a girl in designer dress and flawless makeup manning the counter of their run-down hangout.

They froze collectively, staring at this misplaced princess.

Within minutes, a queue formed at the counter.

"Hi there, need a VIP card?" I asked the first guy with my best customer service smile.

"Y-yeah," he stammered, his face flushing crimson.

"Coming right up."

The owner beamed, dollar signs practically visible in his eyes.

Suddenly, the door was pushed open, and a man with a cold demeanor walked in.

Without a word, Ethan strode to the counter, scooped me up like a sack of potatoes, and marched toward the exit.

"Ethan! What are you doing?! Put me down!" I squirmed in his arms, pounding his back with my fists.

Ethan said nothing, absorbing the blows while quickening his pace.

"Ethan, you're hurting me!" I injected a strategic quiver into my voice.

Hearing this, Ethan's stride immediately slowed.

His iron grip around my waist loosened slightly.

He turned his head, eyes blazing with fury. "Bella Reed, do you have any idea what kind of place that is? Who told you to go there?"

"I just see how hard you work for money, so I wanted to help! I thought I could lighten your burden!"

Ethan stopped.

He set me down on a nearby bench and knelt to straighten my rumpled dress.

I deliberately avoided his gaze, pouting dramatically.

"You're always lecturing me! You don't understand anything! I just wanted to be near you—to see you sooner, to go home together."

Ethan remained kneeling before me, his dark eyes softening with emotion.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I overreacted. When Peter mentioned seeing you at that café, I panicked. Those places can be rough—I was worried someone might harass you."

He reached out and gently ruffled my hair.

"You don't need to work. Just be patient with me a little longer, and I'll give you everything you deserve."

A nearby streetlamp flickered to life, bathing his face in amber light.

I gazed down at Ethan's earnest expression and sighed internally.

This guy is such a gullible fool.

He fell for such amateur theatrics.

Ethan drove me home in the company truck and prepared dinner before preparing to leave.

I trailed him to the door and caught the hem of his shirt as he reached for the handle.

"Ethan, when are you going to move in with me?"

Ethan visibly startled. "Bella, you..."

In the past, I'd sneered at his "undignified" job. Forget cohabitation—I'd been embarrassed to be seen with him in public.

"We're together, but you live so far away. Don't you miss me?"

I gazed up at him with a perfectly calculated expression—furrowed brow, trembling lip, eyes swimming with tears.

Right on cue, panic flashed across Ethan's face.

"It's not like that, Bella. I just assumed..."

He lowered his head, and after a long pause, said: "I'll pick you up after school tomorrow, okay?"

"Perfect!" I beamed, nodding enthusiastically.

After Ethan left, I sprawled across my bed, scrolling through my iPad while munching on the imported Belgian chocolates he'd bought me.

Ethan was proving easier to handle than I'd anticipated.

At this rate, when Ethan inevitably meets Anna, I can orchestrate a clean break, secure a generous settlement, and gracefully exit stage left—avoiding my tragic fate entirely.

For the first time since my awakening, I felt genuinely hopeful about my future.