The Phantom Heiress Rising From The Shadows

Chapter 245 Being Ignored

As noon approached, Ethan's sleek car glided to a halt outside the Harper estate. Clad in his signature tailored black suit with artfully tousled hair, Ethan cut a striking figure, embodying effortless style with a touch of sophistication.

To everyone's astonishment, Ethan emerged with an uncharacteristic smile, his usual icy demeanor visibly softened. The tension that typically coiled around his broad shoulders had evaporated.

Rosie's eyes were glued to Ethan. Months had slipped by since she had last seen him, and now here he was, beaming-surely that smile was meant for her. Her heart fluttered with hope.

"Ethan!" she called out eagerly, maneuvering her wheelchair toward him with unseemly haste.

Brenna set her salad fork down with deliberate calm. She had intended to greet Ethan, but Rosie's desperate interception made her pause. Watching the scene with detached amusement, she waited for Rosie to be ignored by Ethan.

Ethan, buoyed by the significance of being included in a Harper family gathering, even offered Rosie a rare courtesy. "How's your recovery coming along?" he asked.

The words were polite, yet his gaze never strayed from Brenna. The warmth in his eyes as he looked at her could have melted glaciers, his expression tender with affection.

Without waiting for a response from Rosie, he strode past her as if she were merely part of the landscaping,

making a beeline for Brenna.

Rosie's face crumpled. The brutal dismissal cut deeper than any physical pain from her injuries. Even Ethan's retreating figure seemed to reject her, his entire being focused solely on Brenna.

Hot tears pricked at the corners of her eyes.

The Harper siblings exchanged knowing glances. They felt no sympathy for Rosie, and Audrey even believed Rosie had brought the humiliation upon herself.

deference, the normally aloof tycoon exhibiting

gifts Ethan had brought to the

siblings, Ethan finally reached Brenna. From his jacket pocket, he produced a single perfect rose. "For you,"

accepted it, her smile finally

brought the bloom to her nose, inhaling its

Rosie maneuvered closer. The sight of that rose-a symbol of affection-in Brenna's hands sent jealousy churning through her veins. She wanted one from Ethan,

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envy and frustration, she forced a brittle smile. "I made your favorite soup," she told Ethan, pretending her heart wasn't shattering. "You have

bare minimum of courtesy required

of sympathy toward Rosie. Rosie's desperate affection was as clear as day. Meanwhile, Brenna, who had just returned to the family, had somehow enchanted everyone around her. The girl possessed an uncanny ability to excel in

remarkable for

different. Luther

only he truly had

wouldn't meddle in matters of the heart, witnessing Rosie's suffering pained him

idea took root in his mind-when the moment was right, he would

today's meal comes straight from the garden. I picked them myself," Rosie declared, sliding a porcelain dish toward Ethan. "Organic produce.

positioned herself beside Ethan

is your favorite dish," she murmured, invoking childhood memories like a finely honed weapon.

onto Ethan's plate with her own fork, her smile brimming

hope.

moment's hesitation, he moved the food to his discard plate. "There's no need for you to do this. I am Brenna's boyfriend, and it would be

protest burst forth from her throat. "You've

"Surely you can appreciate

her demeanor cold. "I