2: She Rejected His Request

Natalie wasn’t sure when Ethan had left. All she knew was that she had slept straight through to 2 PM.

Not that she had expected Ethan—someone as busy as he was—to stick around and chat about last night with a one-night stand.

At the very least, he was handsome and skilled. No regrets.

What she didn’t expect was to run into him again so soon.

The resort was newly developed, known for its tranquil surroundings—which also meant it was far from the city. What she hadn’t anticipated was how difficult it would be to get a ride.

"Hop in."

When Lucas pulled up beside her, she was genuinely surprised. She never thought the young master of this development project would remember someone like her.

"It’s hard to get a cab here. Where are you headed?" he asked casually.

"Downtown."

"That works. We’re heading back too."

Since he put it that way, Natalie didn’t see the need to be polite. She had only met Lucas Sinclair a few times, mostly through Ryan. He had a reputation for being a gentleman, especially toward women—though that didn’t stop him from cycling through girlfriends at an impressive speed.

But in the very next second, she regretted getting in.

She should have paid more attention to the word we.

Sitting in the backseat, focused on his laptop, was a man in perfectly tailored black dress pants and a crisp white shirt. His long legs stretched slightly as he leaned back, exuding an effortless sense of nobility.

If it wasn’t Ethan, who else could it be?

Her suitcase was already loaded into the trunk, and there was no backing out now.

As soon as she slid into the seat, the scent of cool, woody cologne—one that had clung to her all night—wrapped around her once again.

Silence filled the car.

Natalie tried to make herself as invisible as possible, turning her gaze toward the window, hoping the serene landscape would help cleanse her thoughts.

Lucas had turned around, about to strike up a conversation with Natalie, but the moment he saw Ethan’s expression, he quickly changed his mind and faced forward again.

Interesting.

The car remained quiet, so when a phone vibrated, the sound was especially sharp.

Natalie instinctively reached for her phone, but another hand moved faster.

That same hand had explored every inch of her body last night. Now, watching it casually swipe across a phone screen, there was something strangely intimate about it.

Ethan had expected a work message. Instead, it was from Lucas.

[She ordered room service last night… plus a box of condoms. Didn’t know Ryan had that kind of stamina.]

Ethan frowned.

[You’re a creep? Spying on guests now?]

[Relax. I just happened to be passing by when the hotel staff delivered it. But I could’ve sworn that guy’s voice sounded a lot like you. Definitely not Ryan.]

The light from the screen reflected off Ethan’s glasses for a brief moment.

Without a word, he closed the chat.

[?]

[Did I hit a nerve?]

Lucas was dying to turn around and demand details, but before he could launch a full interrogation, he realized—Ethan had blocked him.

…?

Unfazed, Lucas switched tactics.

He went straight to their group chat.

[Congratulations, everyone! Our very own Ethan has finally fallen! The great iron tree has blossomed at last!]

The chat immediately exploded.

People flooded the messages, demanding to know which goddess had descended to make the impossible happen. Some even questioned if Lucas was drunk and talking nonsense.

After all, this was Ethan Sterling—a man who had never shown interest in anyone.

Lucas glanced at Natalie through the rearview mirror.

Now that he thought about it, the first time Ryan had brought her around, everyone had been stunned. Not because she was impossibly beautiful, but because of the way she carried herself.

Even the most conservative outfits on her somehow exuded an innate sensuality.

She was the kind of woman who triggered a man’s desire to conquer—without even trying.

And her eyes… They weren’t deliberately seductive, but they had a feline sharpness to them. Cool. Detached. Untouchable.

Lucas had always suspected Ryan wouldn’t be able to handle someone like her.

But he never imagined she’d end up entangled with Ethan.

As the messages kept flooding the chat, Natalie sat in the backseat, her scalp tingling.

She could feel it—Ethan was staring at her.

Indeed, Ethan was watching Natalie.

The seconds stretched on.

She felt like prey, locked in the gaze of a panther, waiting for the perfect moment to pounce.

Finally, she mustered the courage to turn her head and ask what he was looking at—only to find that his eyes were closed, his head resting against the seat as if he was simply taking a nap.

Unconsciously, she let out a breath of relief.

Maybe she was overthinking it.

Once she got out of the car, they would go their separate ways. No entanglements. No complications.

After all, a man like Ethan was never short on one-night stands.

Midway through the trip, Lucas got off early.

Natalie ignored his teasing glance, already planning to ask the driver to drop her off at the next intersection. She could easily take the subway home.

Any longer in this enclosed space with Ethan, and she might suffocate.

"Your address?"

His voice was cool and emotionless.

"No need. I’ll just get off—"

Ethan turned his head slightly, raising an eyebrow.

Natalie abruptly lost the ability to finish her sentence.

"The Aurelius."

The privacy screen slowly slid up.

Natalie’s head snapped toward Ethan in shock.

The man tugged at his collar, looking slightly impatient.

"Are you afraid of me?"

"I'm not."

She had no idea what Ethan meant by all this. It wasn’t like he expected her to write a report on last night’s performance for his approval, right?

His lips curled into a faint chuckle.

On his usually cold face, it looked almost surreal.

"Last night… weren’t you a lot bolder?"