Chapter 25

“Ethan? You…” Grace turned around, quickly rubbing at the corner of her eye with the back of her hand. “What brings you here?” “You parked your car right in front of the store exit, and the contact number you left was mine,” Ethan said casually, though his gaze never once left Emma’s face. “Oh shoot, my brain’s totally fried today!” Grace gave her head a slap, grabbed her bag, and stood up. “Emma, I’ll head out first. Don’t forget to keep in touch after you go abroad.” “I will. Take care, Mrs. Brooks.” As Grace’s figure disappeared into the distance, Emma deliberately avoided looking at Ethan. She turned to grab her bag, clearly ready to leave. But as they brushed past each other, his large hand suddenly gripped her slender wrist. Still rough, not the least bit gentle— “Do you… need something?” Emma tried to pull away. Her skin had grown more sensitive lately, and the pressure hurt. “What my mom just said… is it true?” Ethan’s voice was low, his lips pressed into a tight line. Emma loo