Isabella Li's personal bodyguards weren't your average security personnel; they were all former special forces soldiers. Their combined annual salary alone ran into the millions, though the cost was covered by the Li family rather than Isabella herself.
No matter how deep the internal conflicts ran within the family, Isabella was still a core member, the eldest grandchild of the main branch. For the Li family, while they might argue fiercely among themselves, they would never skimp on ensuring the safety of one of their own.
Ethan wasn't the only one who had noticed the tail.
Isabella's bodyguards had caught on as well, thanks to their counter-surveillance skills.
However, while Ethan immediately deduced who was behind the tail, Isabella's bodyguards couldn't have known.
"Lose them," Isabella said curtly.
This was nothing new to her. With her status, being followed was a frequent occurrence. Over the past four years, Dylan Ding had often had her tailed, especially when she went out alone, seemingly wanting to know everything about her. His desire for control bordered on pathological.
The convoy began to accelerate.
Isabella's brows furrowed slightly, her annoyance apparent. The tailing reminded her of Dylan, and with him came thoughts of her family's pressures and the wager she'd been forced into.
Honestly, she wasn't entirely confident that she could surpass Dylan in terms of business achievements.
She had considered alternative strategies, but none seemed particularly viable.
Ethan suddenly took Isabella's hand, interlocking his fingers with hers.
Isabella turned to look at him, her earlier smile replaced by a dark, pensive gaze. Ethan, however, was smiling. Seeing her looking at him, he said, "Don't worry, Ice. Your brother will be fine. I'm here."
The way he said her name, "Ice," felt like a signal that this was all part of an act.
The driver and bodyguards were in the car with them, and although they were Isabella's people, she had insisted on keeping up appearances for everyone. So, a bit of acting in the car was fitting.
But the timing and nature of his words — "I'm here for you" — struck a chord with her.
Ethan wasn't omniscient, but he understood Isabella well enough to guess what she was thinking.
He knew she likely suspected Dylan Ding was behind the tail.
Half an hour later, the convoy arrived at Radiant Style's offices in the CBD.
Ethan formally completed his employment paperwork, officially becoming the assistant to the company president with a monthly salary of twenty thousand. Afterward, Isabella personally took Ethan on a tour of the company, introducing him to everyone. While it was ostensibly to help him get acquainted with the place, the real intent was to make it clear to everyone that Ethan was her boyfriend.
Throughout, Isabella held onto Ethan's arm.
She didn't seem like the usual cool, domineering CEO; instead, she smiled often while by his side.
Clear River Residences, Villa No. 5.
"You lousy friend! So you finally picked up my call, huh? And you dared to turn off your phone! Completely ditching me for a guy, huh? After all the times I've been there for you…" Chloe Mu was yelling into her phone by the window.
She was genuinely furious.
She had tried calling her best friend all morning, knowing she was likely spending time with her boyfriend, but having her calls dodged only to find her phone turned off the next day was too much.
"Chloe, let me explain! I didn't turn it off on purpose. My phone died because I forgot to charge it, and I slept till noon…how was I supposed to know?"
"Enough excuses. Get over here! I need to talk to you!" Chloe snapped and ended the call.
Twenty minutes later, Chloe's best friend arrived.
The housekeeper let her in since they knew her, and she headed straight upstairs.
Knock, knock!
Chloe, lounging in her room, heard the knock and responded in a tone far from friendly.
The door opened to reveal a girl standing there.
She wasn't strikingly beautiful, but her skin was flawless, and she was adorned in luxury brands from head to toe.
This was Chloe's best friend, Vanessa Wan, also eighteen. Her father, Wan Jianmin, owned Wan Biotechnology Group, one of Sea City's top biotech companies.
Naturally, a wealthy girl like Chloe's best friend couldn't be an ordinary person. They moved in the same circles, and both came from families that were long-time business partners. Chloe's family, the Mu Biopharmaceutical Group, collaborated with the Wan family's business, and the two girls had known each other since childhood, attending the same schools from elementary through high school.
"Chloe, don't look so mad. Are you really that upset?"
"Hmph! You ditched me for a guy!"
"Oh, come on! I came to be with you, didn't I? What's so urgent?"
"Let me ask you something!" Chloe said seriously, her tone stern. "Was it you who arranged for someone to approach me yesterday, someone to act with me?"
"Someone? What someone?"
"Don't play dumb!"
"I'm not playing dumb. What person?"
"You…Ethan Wu. Wasn't that all your setup?"
"Who's Ethan Wu? What are you talking about?"
Chloe knew her friend well enough to tell she wasn't lying. Though Vanessa loved to joke around, she wouldn't avoid the question if Chloe was this serious.
So Chloe recounted the events of the previous day.
She left out some details but emphasized how Ethan had claimed to be stuck in a time loop, how he accurately predicted the time of Vanessa's call, and how he later managed to scare off the troublemakers with just a phone call.
"Chloe, you actually believed a scammer like that?" Vanessa exclaimed, stunned by her friend's naivety. "And you even went with him to steal someone's car?"
"Wait, so he really wasn't your doing?" Chloe pressed, her suspicion wavering.
"Of course not! Do you think I have nothing better to do?" Vanessa scoffed, tossing her bag onto the table before sitting down.
She then noticed a box of pills on the table.
Picking it up, she saw that it had already been opened. Judging from its appearance, Chloe had taken one.
The box was labeled "Levonorgestrel."
Vanessa, who had had her first boyfriend at sixteen and changed boyfriends often in the past two years, recognized it immediately. It was emergency contraception.
"Give me that!" Chloe snatched the box back defensively.
Vanessa turned to her friend with wide eyes, then sprang to her feet. "You slept with that scammer?"
"Y-yes…" Chloe stammered, visibly flustered.
She knew her friend was more wild-spirited than herself. Though Vanessa had a string of boyfriends, Chloe had strict family supervision and had never dated, intending to wait until college.
To Vanessa, it wouldn't matter if Chloe had a boyfriend and slept with him. But judging by her friend's tone, it sounded like she'd been tricked by a scammer and then lost her virginity to him.
"You…you absolute fool!" Vanessa snapped, shaking with anger. "What's his number? I'm calling him and dragging him out here!"
Chloe blinked, staying silent.
Vanessa was shocked. "Wait, don't tell me you didn't even get his number?"
"I…forgot to ask…" Chloe replied in a small voice.
Vanessa buried her face in her hands, exasperated.
Ethan spent the afternoon at Radiant Style. Though his role was nominal and required no actual work, he made a show of familiarizing himself with the place, meeting people, and attending a company meeting.
Around five in the afternoon, the two of them left together. This time, instead of the Maybach, Isabella opted for another car — a Bentley Continental. She drove, with Ethan in the passenger seat and a few bodyguards in a Mercedes G-Wagon trailing behind.
Though she was a high-powered CEO, she had her own personal life.
"Where to for dinner?" Isabella asked, fastening her seatbelt and glancing at Ethan.
"Let's…" Ethan paused thoughtfully, then looked back at Isabella. "Do you mind if more people see us together?"
"The more, the better," Isabella replied.
"Then let's go to Old Taste Pavilion," Ethan suggested.
Old Taste Pavilion was the top Cantonese restaurant in Sea City. There was no competition. It was a highly exclusive Chinese restaurant that typically required reservations well in advance, and often, it was fully booked. Ethan chose it because Isabella was a frequent patron, a top-tier member, and often hosted important clients there.
Additionally, it was a place for the wealthy, especially business people, so it was an ideal spot to "run into" familiar faces — the kind of faces you'd find among Sea City's wealthy elite.
They arrived at the restaurant.
Though there were private rooms available, they chose a window table on the first floor. It wasn't that the private rooms were too big; Isabella simply wanted as many people as possible to notice Ethan and confirm that he was her boyfriend. If they were going to be seen, they might as well be seen in a visible spot.
They ordered.
They waited.
And sure enough, before long, someone came over to greet them.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。