Seeing Mason rushing out after shouting, Ethan smirked coldly, took the phone to his ear, and said with a little bit of coldness etched in his voice, "Hello." Saying that, he added, "Think before you speak, Noah." His voice was colder than the previous one.
Hearing his words, the person on the other end seemed to be silent before lashing out, "You want me to think before I speak! You're out of your mind! How can you stay with my sister? And let me remind you, Ethan, don't even think about laying a single finger on my sister."
Ethan had a knowing smirk playing on his lips as he said, "You don't even know your sister well, Noah."
The person on the other end of the line seemed to have been caught off guard by his words, as the voice came out in a dangerously low and cold tone: "What do you mean?"
Ethan smirked as he asked, "Do you think Lia would stay with me if she didn't want to?" He sat on the couch near the stairs, his tone carrying a hint of amusement.
The other end of the line fell silent for a moment. A faint sigh of irritation could be heard.
Catching the response, Ethan said, "Focus on your work, Noah."
"Wait, wait, Ethan." Noah hurried to stop him.
Ethan had already pulled the phone away from his ear, intending to end the call, but hearing Noah's urgency, he brought it back. "What is it?"
Noah remained silent for a beat before speaking in a warning tone. "Take proper care of Lia, Ethan. Otherwise…"
The corner of Ethan's lips lifted into a knowing smile. "You don't have to worry about Lia, Noah. And you know that."
With that, he ended the call, rose from the couch, and walked upstairs to his room.
__________
The next morning, Zara woke up much later than usual.
Having stayed up late the previous night, she had slept through her usual morning routine and didn't wake up until eight.
After freshening up, she made her way downstairs, still feeling a little drowsy as she headed toward the dining area for breakfast.
Ethan, who was drinking water, noticed her coming down the stairs.
"Good morning, Lia," he said casually.
Zara, who had been looking down as she descended the stairs, looked up at the sound of his voice—and stopped for a moment.
It was the first time Zara had seen Ethan dressed for a workout, and the sight caught her completely off guard.
He had just finished his morning workout and was making his way out of the kitchen with a glass of water. His fitted black workout T-shirt clung lightly to his frame, accentuating his broad shoulders and defined arms, while his track pants gave him a relaxed, effortless look. His hair was slightly damp and tousled from the workout, and a faint sheen of sweat lingered along his forehead and neck.
Somehow, the sight of him like this felt far more distracting than Zara had expected.
Her lips parted slightly as her eyes moved over him, taking in every little detail before she even realized she was staring.
Ethan noticed.
Of course he did.
The corner of his lips slowly curved into a knowing smile as he walked toward her.
Zara, who had already reached the bottom of the stairs, remained completely lost in the moment. Her eyes lingered on him, following him as he came closer, completely forgetting that he was very much aware of where her attention was.
She didn't realize how close he had gotten until he stopped right in front of her.
Zara swallowed softly, her gaze meeting his for a second before instinctively drifting over him once again.
Ethan's smile deepened.
He seemed to be enjoying every second of her reaction.
Without saying anything, he raised his hand and gently tucked a few loose strands of her hair behind her ear. His fingers lingered near her cheek for a moment, his touch soft and unhurried.
"Good morning, baby," he murmured, his voice quieter this time as he leaned slightly closer.
His eyes remained fixed on hers.
The sudden closeness finally pulled Zara out of her daze.
She blinked, realizing just how close Ethan was standing—and how his warm, post-workout presence seemed to make the moment even more intimate.
She immediately took a small step backward, trying to regain her composure.
But the warmth spreading across her cheeks betrayed her.
She looked up at him, attempting to sound perfectly calm.
"Good morning, Ethan."
Ethan's lips curved into a teasing smile.
"Did you enjoy your morning view, baby?"
Zara cleared her throat, trying to hide the embarrassment on her face.
For a moment, she looked away.
Then, instead of letting him have the satisfaction of seeing her flustered, a mischievous smile slowly appeared on her lips.
She looked back at him.
"What if…" she began, deliberately pausing, "what if I said it could have been even better?"
As she said it, she took a step forward, closing the very distance she had created moments ago.
Ethan's expression changed for a brief second.
He hadn't expected that.
His teasing smile faded into something softer as he looked at her standing so close to him, completely aware of what she was doing now.
The amusement in his eyes was replaced by unmistakable warmth.
"I'll try to do better as you wish, baby," he said softly. "Anything you command will be done, Madam."
He leaned closer, bringing his face near hers.
Zara's breath caught slightly.
She looked straight into his eyes, suddenly finding it much harder to maintain the confidence she had moments ago.
Neither of them looked away.
For a few quiet seconds, they simply stood there, close enough for Zara to feel the warmth radiating from him after his workout.
And Ethan didn't seem to have any intention of moving away.
Zara finally realized that she had walked straight into her own trap.
Trying to hide her embarrassment, she stepped to the side.
"I'll have breakfast," she said, trying to sound unaffected.
Ethan chuckled as he watched her escape after starting the teasing herself.
"Go ahead. I'll join you in a minute."
Zara simply nodded and continued towards the dining area, hiding the small smile that had found its way onto her lips.
Ethan watched her for a moment, amusement lingering in his eyes, before turning towards the stairs to freshen up.
For someone who had been so determined to tease him just moments ago, Zara had retreated rather quickly.
The thought brought another faint smile to his face as he headed upstairs.
And for Zara, who had walked downstairs expecting nothing more than an ordinary breakfast, the morning had already turned out to be unexpectedly distracting.