CHAPTER 6: CHAPTER 6: A GIRL LIKE YOU WANTS TO MARRY INTO THE GRANT FAMILY?

Talia looked up at him, confusion in her eyes. "What?"

Ethan thought, perhaps she’s still upset and doesn’t want to give him the gift just yet. That’s okay, he can give her a way out first.

He softened his tone, "I was a bit harsh in the store earlier, don’t be mad."

Would that work?

Talia sighed, looked up at him, and said earnestly, "I’m not mad."

Ethan was unconvinced, "You’re just saying that."

"Believe what you want."

Hearing this, Ethan became impatient.

"Talia, I’ve already apologized, what more do you want?"

Talia continued packing her things without stopping, and replied unemotionally, "I don’t need your apology."

Ethan stared at her fixedly for a few seconds.

After a moment, he asked awkwardly, "Where’s the gift?"

Talia turned to look at him, "What gift?"

"Wyatt Jacobs said he saw you buying a watch for me," Ethan said, "Did you buy it to apologize and please me? I’m back now, aren’t you going to bring it out?"

Talia was about to say it wasn’t for him, but Ethan continued speaking to himself, "Come on, this isn’t fun anymore."

Hearing this, Talia suddenly laughed.

Ethan furrowed his brow, "What’s so funny?"

"What you said is really funny," Talia matched Ethan’s intense gaze and replied, "I did buy a watch, but it wasn’t for you, and I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong, so why should I bow down and apologize to you?"

"Not for me? Then who is it for?" Anger rose in Ethan’s eyes, his fists unconsciously clenched.

"None of your business," Talia answered lightly.

"None of my business?" Ethan was furious, "I’m your boyfriend! You buy gifts for another man, and that’s none of my business?"

Compared to Ethan’s anger, Talia was much calmer.

She looked at Ethan with amusement, "Aren’t you Vivian Coleman’s boyfriend?"

Ethan instinctively explained, "I’m not in that kind of relationship with Vivian."

His voice was much softer than when he was questioning earlier; he spoke with uncertainty and guilt.

Their current relationship was more like lovers than a couple.

They had done everything they shouldn’t, but Talia was still his official girlfriend.

He liked Vivian’s passion and openness, liked her flirtatious advances, but also liked Talia’s pretty face and gentle, considerate personality.

He wasn’t ready to tell Talia that he and Vivian were together.

Ethan explained further, "Today, my mom wanted me to go look at rings with Vivian, but it wasn’t for Vivian. It was to help my mom pick out some jewelry to match her new dress."

"My mom said Vivian has a good eye for matching, so she asked Vivian to join me. We weren’t just looking at rings, but also necklaces, earrings, bracelets, to carefully pick a set to match my mom’s new dress. I know you misunderstood, but I was angry then and deliberately didn’t explain, wanting to make you jealous."

"Jealous?" Talia’s eyes were cold, "You still know I would be jealous?"

"Talia, I’m sorry..."

Talia replied coldly, "I received your apology, but I don’t accept it. The gift wasn’t for you."

Ethan’s voice suddenly rose, "Then who is it for?"

"Fiancé."

"Ha! Talia, you’ll say anything to force a marriage, won’t you?" Ethan’s eyes were mocking, "Are you saying if I agree to marry you, become your fiancé, you’ll give me the gift and forgive me?"

Talia frowned; how could this man be so self-absorbed?

Where did he get the confidence, thinking she’s the only one for him?

Disappointment filled Ethan’s eyes as he looked at Talia, shaking his head repeatedly, "Talia, I thought you understood the insurmountable gap between us, I thought you’d be sensible, but you keep forcing a marriage, I’m really disappointed."

Talia: "?"

After saying this, Ethan turned and left.

The bedroom door slammed shut with a "bang."

Talia shook her head helplessly.

She had originally planned to use this as an opportunity to break up with him and tell him she was the heiress of The Rhodes Family in Oakhaven, soon to return and get engaged to Adrian Jennings, but he didn’t give her the chance to speak.

Talia thought, maybe Ethan’s certainty that she’s determined to marry him was the confidence she inadvertently gave him.

She had always played the role of the obedient, sensible girlfriend — not checking up on him, not getting jealous, not overly inquiring about his privacy — except for physical intimacy, she almost always fulfilled his requests.

This perhaps gave him the illusion that "she couldn’t be without him."

He didn’t know that she was so accommodating because she already knew he never intended for them to have a future together.

A year ago, she considered bringing Ethan back to Oakhaven and telling him she was the Rhodes Family heiress, but she overheard Ethan’s phone call with his mom, Eleanor Madison, by accident.

"Mom, don’t worry, I know you won’t agree to her marrying into the Grant Family, I’m just dating her. If we were to get married, we’d definitely have to pass your approval first."

"Your son isn’t a love-struck fool; I know the difference between dating and marriage."

Well, what a "know the difference."

From then on, she knew Ethan never intended to go to the end with her.

To put it bluntly, Ethan didn’t even like her all that much.

However, she wasn’t the type of woman who would cling to love to the death.

She could pick up and put down, since Ethan only wanted to date, then let it be; she needed companionship and emotional value, a warm embrace in this lonely city, nothing more.

She protected herself well, both her first kiss and her first night remained untouched.

Why not break up sooner?

Because she still liked him back then and was used to his companionship.

Emotions are complex; they’re not always either/or, black or white.

After that incident, she never mentioned being a wealthy heiress again.

But upon realizing she was just a stand-in, she suddenly felt pointless.

She could accept no future with Ethan, accept that he didn’t love her that much, but she couldn’t accept Ethan treating her as Vivian’s stand-in.

She was Talia Rhodes; she was just herself.

...

Talia never expected Ethan’s mom, Mrs. Eleanor Madison, would come looking for her.

Wearing a deep blue silk cheongsam, paired with expensive sapphire earrings and necklace, the pigeon egg on her hand matched the color of her outfit — indeed as Ethan described — a wealthy lady who would buy a whole set of jewelry just to match a dress.

"Are you Talia Rhodes?" This wealthy lady looked at her as if she were examining an unpleasant object, eyes filled with criticism.

Talia politely greeted, "Hello, Aunt Eleanor."

"Hmm." Eleanor Madison walked into the house, her gaze circled around before settling on Talia, "I’ve heard about you and Ethan."

Eleanor Madison sat on the sofa, legs elegantly slanted, though her words were far from graceful.

"With a girl like you, you still think you can marry into the Grant Family?"