Chapter 3 Her Future Husband

Gerard and Willa had quickened their pace, somehow making it to the villa's entrance before Noelle.

Just as the bodyguard had said, a sleek black car, polished but without flash, sat quietly by the curb.

When Gerard saw clearly the model of the vehicle, his breath caught. This limited limo... His heart thudded against his ribs.

There was only one man in Cielrora who could drive this limited limo-Ethan Martin.

Ethan, head of the powerful Martin family and CEO of Martin Group, was more than a businessman-he was the city's most influential figure, the kind of man people rarely saw unless summoned.

For Ethan to come here in person today-it was nothing short of extraordinary.

A wave of excitement lit up Gerard's face as he rushed toward the car, his voice suddenly full of flattery and nervous respect. "Mr. Martin! Good day! We had no idea you'd be visiting. Please forgive us for not receiving you properly!"

He stood there, waiting. But no one answered. The car remained still. No window rolled down. The door didn't move. It was as if no one had heard him.

What was happening? Gerard's smile froze in place.

Willa stepped forward next. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear with delicate grace, her tone soft and sweet. "Mr. Martin, what an honor to have you here. May I ask what brings you?"

Still nothing. No sound. No movement.

Gerard and Willa glanced at each other, confused.

There was no doubt about it-it was definitely Ethan's car. Still, no matter how many times they greeted him politely, not a single word came back. Just silence.

The tension hung thick in the air until, all at once, the front passenger door opened and a man, clearly someone's assistant, stepped out.

Gerard instantly recognized him-Ruben Douglas. Ethan's right-hand man.

Gerard quickly recalibrated. Of course. It made sense. Given their family's current position, they weren't worth Ethan's personal time. Sending Ruben was already generous.

Ruben, being Ethan's top assistant, wasn't just some background staff. Earning his favor could still bring valuable opportunities to the Moss family.

Once he'd gathered his thoughts, Gerard forced a friendly smile and stepped forward. "Mr. Douglas, good day! What brings you-"

But Ruben didn't spare him a look. Without a word, he walked right past Gerard and Willa, making his way toward Noelle, who stood quietly a short distance away.

That moment left Gerard and Willa cold. A shiver ran through them as they stood rooted to the spot, too stunned to move.

Ruben stopped in front of Noelle and gave a respectful bow. "Good day, Miss Moss. I'm here on Mr. Levi Martin's behalf to escort you to the Martin estate."

Levi Martin?

Hearing the name, a gentle warmth spread through Noelle's chest. So it was Levi.

Though she'd spent her early years in an orphanage, she'd been adopted later by Jeffery and Babette, who had raised her kindly.

Levi, Jeffery's close friend, had once played with her as a little girl.

Ruben held a watch in his hand-the same one Levi had worn for as long as Noelle could remember. That alone confirmed he had truly sent Ruben to get her.

Since the invitation came from Jeffery's friend, Noelle had no choice but to accept. She nodded with quiet respect. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome, Miss Moss," Ruben said with a pleasant smile, effortlessly taking her suitcase from her hands.

He placed it carefully in the trunk, and then opened the rear door for her. "Miss Moss, please."

Noelle bent down to step in-but paused. Someone was already inside.

A man.

He sat in the back seat, one leg crossed over the other with an easy confidence. He wore a spotless white shirt, buttoned all the way up. His posture was composed.

In his hands was a neat stack of papers, and his long fingers moved smoothly as he flipped through them one by one.

At the sound of the door opening, the man slowly looked up from the documents and turned to face her.

Noelle's gaze met a pair of dark, unreadable eyes that seemed to hold more than they revealed.

"I'm Ethan Martin," he said, his voice low and husky, with a relaxed kind of confidence. "I'm here on my grandfather's behalf to bring you home."

Ethan Martin?

The name, so familiar yet strangely distant, sent a wave of childhood memories rushing through Noelle's mind.

Jeffery had once mentioned a marriage arrangement to her years ago. The chosen future husband for her? Levi's grandson-Ethan.

And now, the man sitting before her... was him? Her future husband?

She slid into the back seat slowly, trying to gather her thoughts as the black car pulled away from the Moss family residence.

Gerard and Willa were still standing outside, too stunned to move. Their expressions were frozen-shock mixed with disbelief.

They'd spent years trying to impress the Martin family. And now, the Martins had shown up-for Noelle? And Ruben, with complete respect, had personally invited Noelle into Ethan's car?

The whole time, he hadn't so much as looked their way-treating them like they didn't matter at all. How was this possible?

Willa's jaw tightened, her sweet smile long gone. Being outshone by Noelle had always rubbed her the wrong way. But this... this was something else. It felt like she'd been slapped in public.

Meanwhile, inside the car, Noelle kept her eyes low, stealing cautious glances at the breathtaking man beside her. But all she could think about was whether he remembered the marriage arrangement.

God, she hoped he didn't.

The whole idea felt childish now. Outdated. Ridiculous.

But Ethan seemed to read her mind without even trying.

He looked at her, one brow lifting slightly. His throat shifted as he spoke, voice calm and steady. "I remember."

Noelle's heart skipped.

Of all the outcomes she'd imagined, this was the one she feared most.

To put it simply, their relationship had always been complicated.

Even though she was adopted, Jeffery and Babette had given her a good life. Jeffery had powerful friends, and among them was Levi, the former head of the influential Martin family.

Naturally, Levi had often visited-with Ethan in tow. That was how she and Ethan had first crossed paths.

As kids, they spent a lot of time together. Maybe too much. The adults had taken that as a sign and arranged for the two of them to get married someday.

Back then, Noelle was too young to really understand what a marriage arrangement meant. But as she got older and started to realize what it involved, the whole idea began to feel uncomfortable. Being around Ethan only made it worse.

Ethan didn't seem happy about it either. In fact, he often acted cold and oddly hostile-especially when she spent time with the boy next door. His words were sharp, like he knew exactly how to get under her skin.

Their arguments got worse over time, going from childhood teasing to real, heated fights. They eventually couldn't stand each other.

By high school, Noelle had hit a rebellious streak. She marched right up to Jeffery one day and said she wanted to call off the arrangement-because she'd fallen for a boy in her class.

When Ethan found out, he stormed into her room that night, looking like he'd walked straight out of a thunderstorm. His voice was ice-cold as he asked her if she'd completely lost her mind.

She'd never seen him so angry. They argued. Loudly. Painfully. And it all came crashing down that night. After that fight, Ethan left for school abroad, and she hadn't seen him since.

She hadn't even recognized him when she got into the car.

He'd changed so much. The boy she once knew was long gone.