Chapter 6 Chapter 6 A Double Date

Sophia looked up at Ethan. Under the soft lighting, his features appeared especially gentle, and that rare tenderness gave her unexpected courage. She leaned into his embrace, her voice muffled against his chest.

"Ethan, something important came up tomorrow. but Lily needs me too."

She hesitantly explained Lily's "blind date" idea, her voice growing softer and more embarrassed by the second.

To her surprise, Ethan didn't object.

He paused for a moment, fingers gently combing through her hair. Just when Sophia thought he might turn her down, his deep voice came from above.

"Alright."

She blinked. "You. agree?"

He lowered his head, smiling faintly. "I'm an outstanding man. If she meets me, how could she possibly settle for anyone else?"

"If she can't, you can marry her too. I don't mind sharing you with my best friend," Sophia teased half-jokingly.

"I mind," he chuckled, scooping her up into his arms. "Let's talk about how you're going to thank me first."

As things heated between them, a trace of unease flickered through Sophia's mind. Was it really okay to deceive Lily like this? And was Ethan's easy agreement a sign of trust. or just indifference?

-

The next afternoon, Sophia arrived at the café. Lucas was already there, dressed in a tailored black suit, his expression unreadable as always.

She'd barely sat down when the door opened again-and the world came to a standstill.

There stood Ethan, beside Lily.

Four pairs of eyes met. Shock. Awkwardness. Disbelief.

Ethan was the first to break the silence. "What a coincidence." His gaze settled on Sophia, calm and composed, as if this were the most natural thing in the world.

Sophia opened her mouth, desperate to explain, but all she could say was: "Yeah. what a coincidence."

She saw Lily's eyes widen and her smile falter. Lucas, meanwhile, smirked faintly, as if he'd expected this all along.

Unable to bear it, Sophia stood up. "Ethan, can I talk to you for a second?"

Ethan smiled and followed her out, leaving Lucas and Lily staring at each other in stunned silence.

Lily had clearly put effort into her appearance today. Her subtle, elegant makeup did a good job of softening her otherwise fiery personality. The man sitting across from her was cold as ice, yet something about him stirred her interest.

She'd been on plenty of blind dates before. Rich, powerful, stunningly handsome, and actually her type? She'd always thought that was too much to hope for. In fact, she'd come today with the mindset that as long as the guy had a decent family and good character, looks didn't matter. But now? It felt like she'd hit the jackpot.

But. why had he brought Sophia with him? Was he not taking the date seriously?

"Let's cut to the chase," Lily said, never one for beating around the bush. "What do you think of me?"

Lucas finally looked up at her, then glanced briefly toward the door. "What do you think of her?"

"You like her?"

"Yeah. You guessed it."

"What do you like about her?" Lily leaned back, genuinely intrigued.

"Well, she's better looking than you. Better body too."

Lily let out a scoffing laugh. "Are you blind?"

Lucas narrowed his eyes, the temperature in the room dropping several degrees. No one had ever spoken to him like that.

"I'm not Sophia." Lily said, cocking an eyebrow. "You think I can't see what's going on? You clearly know she's married to Ethan, and yet you're still doing all this. What's your angle? From what I've seen, you and Ethan aren't just casual acquaintances. You two didn't even bother introducing yourselves-your vibe is more like old friends from way back."

"I heard you're a painter," Lucas said coolly. "But you're giving off serious detective energy."

"Thanks. I'll take that as a compliment. In fact, I have every reason to suspect this whole blind date setup was orchestrated by you. So tell me-what's your real motive?"

"Smart women aren't cute," Lucas replied, eyeing her.

Lily smirked again, unimpressed. "And you think Ethan is someone to be trifled with?"

Lucas met her gaze, his eyes gleaming with provocation. "I don't know whether he is someone to be trifled with. But I'm definitely not."

Meanwhile, just outside the private room, Sophia was standing face-to-face with Ethan. He said nothing-just looked at her with a faint, unreadable smile.

"Lucas and I are just business acquaintances. I'm trying to secure Brighten's contract. This was just a formality-to help him deal with family pressure."

Ethan listened without interruption, his eyes deep and unreadable. Then, he reached out and gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. The softness of the gesture made her heart race.

"I believe you," he said, his voice gentle to the point of suffocation. "Don't frown. It doesn't suit you."

"Ethan." Her voice trembled. She felt no warmth in his trust-only a chill. What kind of husband could remain so calm, so kind, after finding his wife at a blind date with another man?

"You're not mad I lied to you?"

"You didn't lie," he said calmly. "You really did have something to do. It was business. I get it."

Back at the table, the atmosphere was icy. They quickly wrapped up and left. Sophia's phone rang-Henry calling to tell her that Brighten had officially approved the contract. They had the deal.

She hung up, unsure whether to feel relieved or hollow.

That night, she asked Ethan, "Aren't you angry? That I went on a blind date with another man and lied to you?"

Ethan raised an eyebrow and smiled slightly. He pulled her into his arms. "You said once you didn't want fights in this marriage. You wanted trust and communication. I trust you. Isn't that what you wanted?"

"Ethan. I'm scared. Scared one day this marriage won't exist anymore."

"It won't disappear," he said gently, cupping her cheek. "And even if it does. I'll still be here."

"Why are you so good to me?"

He didn't answer. He simply held her as he opened a book, quietly reading as she drifted off to sleep in his arms.

Much later, his voice broke the silence. "There's a get-together with a few friends this weekend. Want to come?"