Chapter 33: Ethan’s Sleepover

Eleanor returned to her villa around midnight, her heart weighed down by guilt and sorrow. The Grants had revealed so much about her mother that she felt utterly shattered. Her guilt for not respecting or loving her mother had grown exponentially, and she couldn’t even bring herself to hate the Whitmore family anymore. She was mostly angry at herself—for being so naïve, so blind. It was now clear how they had slowly fed her false information, brainwashing her into their puppet. The signs had always been there, but she had failed to see them, blinded by misplaced trust in Jeanne and Jennifer.

As she entered the house, she saw Ethan sitting in a chair, reviewing some documents. He looked up and immediately noticed her frozen in the doorway. Eleanor’s mind was a storm of emotions; she didn’t know what to do.

Ethan put his documents aside, stood up, and walked over to her. Without a word, he wrapped his arms around her in a gentle embrace. He could feel the chaos inside her, the silent scream for comfort. And while he didn’t know what had happened, a simple hug felt like the right thing to do.

It was the first time he had embraced her since their student days. Although he had been officially pursuing her for over five years, their physical contact had never gone beyond holding hands—and even that had been rare.

But this time, she clung to him tightly, seeking warmth and comfort. They stood in silence, hearts speaking in the language of pain and support. While Eleanor found solace in Ethan’s embrace, he was filled with turmoil. What had shaken her so deeply? Not even the traumatic events from six years ago had broken her like this. Though she wasn’t crying, Ethan could feel the heaviness radiating from her like a silent scream.

After a long while, Eleanor pulled away and whispered, "Thank you. I really needed that."

Ethan nodded gently. "Freya’s already eaten and is asleep in her room. Why don’t you take a shower first? I’ll set the table for dinner."

"I’m really not in the mood to eat," Eleanor said tiredly. "I need to sleep. I have a meeting tomorrow morning."

you. I haven’t had dinner yet," Ethan replied. "Just a little food with me? Then you can

he had stayed up waiting for her. Without another word, she

staff had gone to their quarters hours ago, so he simply warmed the pre-cooked dishes and arranged them neatly. As he waited, he sent a message to find out where Eleanor had gone

slightly. "So she went to meet Grant... it must be something about her past. Or more specifically, her mother. But I won’t pry. If she wants to tell me, she will. I just need to be here for

the dishes and serving her silently.

in case I was late,"

confess emotions she wasn’t ready to face. Instead, she focused on the food and began to eat slowly. Unintentionally,

it did, it was intense—far beyond a normal human’s needs. Once full, she could feel Ethan’s love radiating through his gaze. Even

she said, standing up. "I’m tired. Going to

away, Ethan said, "I’ll be in the guest room.

with you under the same roof?

inside her room, she locked the door behind her, changed into her sleeping clothes, and lay on the bed. Despite her swirling emotions, the thought of Ethan sleeping in the same house gave her a surprising sense of safety. Her exhaustion finally caught up to her, and she

deeply, and all the fatigue from the previous day had melted away. Feeling refreshed, she freshened up, changed her clothes, and headed to

locking the door behind

completed the task you gave me. Here," Ophelia said, handing over three sealed packets. "Each pack contains hair samples from one person.

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