Chapter 162: Chapter 162: Are You Satisfied with This Title?
Kenneth Yates paused and looked at Ethan Yates. It was as if he had voiced Ethan’s innermost thoughts. Ethan was always complaining about how persistent Summer Lancaster was toward him, but he failed to realize that he was just as persistent with her. Despite getting no response, he never gave up. Even when he was in a foreign country, he would find ways to get news about her.
Kenneth spoke again. "Loving someone inherently means putting in the effort. If you hadn’t held on until now, could you truly say you love her? She has liked me since we were children; of course she would make me feel her love."
Ethan Yates lowered his head, silent. This was what he feared most—being caught between the brother he loved most and the woman he loved most, not knowing how to choose.
"You’re right. It’s all because I’m a coward. I’ve always buried my feelings, never daring to say them out loud. Even on the day she confessed to you, I smiled and gave her my sincere blessing. But after I went back to my room, I’d cry all alone, bearing the weight of these feelings that were never returned. That’s right, I love her! Even more than you do!" Ethan shouted out the last sentence. This belated confession might be meaningless now, but it was a necessary step to bring this Chapter of his love to a proper close.
From the top of the stairs came a series of CLATTERS and THUDS as something fell. Rosy red apples tumbled one by one down the steps, and a plate spun for a long moment at someone’s feet before wobbling to a stop.
Summer Lancaster’s eyes widened, unable to believe what she had just heard. ’He said... he loves me?? Ethan? How could that be? He never mentioned it, not once. There was never even a hint of flirtation between us. We’ve always called each other buddies.’
’If he likes me, then when did it start? I confessed my feelings for Kenneth when we were kids. Ethan wouldn’t fall for someone who liked his own brother. Could it have been... before that?’
Summer’s thoughts were in a turmoil.
Kenneth saw Summer and immediately went over, wrapping his arms around her. "What are you doing up here? It’s cold."
"Oh, I... I was just bringing you some fruit. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, I just happened to walk up and overheard..." Summer glanced cautiously at Ethan. His expression was tense, tinged with resentment.
"Well, I... I’ll go back downstairs, then. You two talk!" Summer said, wanting to make a hasty escape. The situation didn’t seem right for a chat.
"Summer, stay!" Ethan shouted, stopping her in her tracks. Summer’s heart skipped a beat. She slowly turned to look at him. He seemed like a complete stranger. His face was contorted with anger, his voice was hoarse, and he looked utterly dejected.
"Summer, I’ve loved you since we were children. I know this confession is meaningless now, but I still need to tell you how I feel. I loved you even before you loved my brother. The year you two got married, I chose to study abroad because I was running away. I couldn’t bear to watch the woman I love most marry the brother I love most. Now I regret it. I shouldn’t have run away. Maybe if I hadn’t left, you wouldn’t have had to go through so much suffering you didn’t deserve. Maybe... we would have been together by now..."
"No," Summer interrupted Ethan. "That would never have happened. Because my feelings for you are limited to those for a best friend, the best of buddies. No matter how deep a friendship is, it can’t evolve into romantic love. Even if you hadn’t left back then, I would have stood by my love. I wouldn’t have given up on it because of your unrequited feelings!" It was time to make him see the truth. She couldn’t let him waste any more time on her. Maybe, because of her, he had missed out on so much love that could have been his.
Ethan lowered his head, watching as Summer laid bare the most fragile wound in his heart. How could he not have understood? He had never told her precisely because he was afraid of getting hurt.
Tears dripped onto the floor, one by one. Ethan raised his hands to cover his face, but the tears still streamed wantonly from the corners of his jaw, flowing uncontrollably.
Her heart ached to see him like this, but Summer knew she’d had no choice. She stepped forward and hugged Ethan. "Ethan, you have to remember, you will find the person who is most right for you. It’s just that person isn’t me. You need to broaden your horizons and search, not keep your sights fixed only on me. Your brother and I will both give you our heartfelt blessings. And I don’t feel like I’ve suffered at all. The person I love is still by my side, and that’s all I ever wanted."
"Summer!" Ethan looked up at her with tear-filled eyes, then glanced at Kenneth. He wiped away his tears and gave a bitter smile...
"Bro, don’t you think I’m being incredibly immature? You guys still indulge my willful antics like this. You’ve completely spoiled me." Ethan decided to let go. As long as Summer was happy, that was enough. He would be happy just seeing her happy.
Kenneth smiled, walked over, and ruffled Ethan’s hair. "Because you’re my beloved little brother, and you’re Summer’s best buddy. Of course we’re going to spoil you."
Summer looked at Kenneth and smiled.
That night, Summer tossed and turned, unable to sleep. She kept thinking about what Ethan had said. ’How had I not noticed a thing after all these years? Was I that oblivious, or did he just hide it too well?’
"Kenneth, when did you find out?" Summer had been thinking for a long time. Now that she thought about it, Kenneth had seemed a little odd when they first got home today. He hadn’t said much and hadn’t sat with her for dinner.
"Back when you were sick, Ethan came to see me. He said he’d never been able to accept you as his sister-in-law and blamed me for not protecting you properly. I guessed it then, and Mom confirmed it. That’s the whole story." Kenneth had actually been lying there with his eyes open, waiting for Summer to ask.
"Then why didn’t you tell me?" Summer asked, wrapping her arms around Kenneth’s and snuggling into his embrace.
Kenneth hugged her back. "Because I wanted Ethan to tell you himself. Otherwise, he would never have been able to let go of this."
The two of them talked for a long time, reminiscing about their childhood. As Kenneth was talking, Summer fell silent. Kenneth smiled. She had fallen asleep. He pulled the blanket up higher and sweetly drifted off to sleep with her.
「The next morning」
The first rays of dawn woke Dominic Thorne, who had spent the entire previous day languishing in bed. He found the bright light almost repulsive. ’I can’t keep wallowing like this. It’s just one woman. It’s not like I’ve never had my heart broken before.’
After a quick wash, he put on a white suit and drove his flashy pink sports car out the door.
While waiting at a red light, he suddenly spotted Sary. ’She really got dragged into my mess the other day,’ Dominic Thorne thought, and immediately called out to her.
"Sary, what are you doing here? Come on, get in," Dominic Thorne said, taking off his sunglasses and warmly gesturing for her to get into the car. Sary didn’t hesitate and hopped right in.
"What a coincidence! I was just at the library, and my driver hasn’t come back to get me yet. You can give me a ride home!" Sary was very happy to see Dominic Thorne. The other day, after he’d gotten home, he just had his family’s driver take her home without saying a single word to her, not even a "thank you." ’That girl must be really important to him for him to be so down,’ she thought.
But today, he looked like he was back to his old self. ’The flaky Dominic Thorne seems to have returned.’
"Sure. I’ve got nothing to do today. To pay you back, how about I hang out with you for the whole day?" Dominic Thorne’s lips curled into a roguish grin. Yes, this was his true self.
Wild, untamable, and in love with freedom. No one could ever tie him down.
"Young Master Thorne, you seem to be in a pretty good mood today!" Sary said with a smile, looking at his backlit silhouette. This was the Dominic Thorne she knew.
"I’m in a great mood every day. How about I take you to play some golf? Interested?"
"Sure! I even took a golf class when I was studying abroad. We’ll see if you don’t end up losing to me! HAHA!" Sary flashed a confident smile, determined to defeat Dominic Thorne.
"Then you’re sorely mistaken. When it comes to this, I’m undefeated!" Dominic Thorne’s arrogance shot through the roof, instantly shutting Sary down.
"We’ll settle it on the course, then!" Sary shot back, not to be outdone.
The massive golf course was sparsely populated and felt a little desolate. It was still morning, after all, so anyone who could come play at this hour was definitely the idlest of the idle—someone just like Melody Donovan!
The moment Dominic Thorne stepped onto the course, he saw Melody Donovan in a sun hat, and the man beside her. That man was clearly not the one he’d seen at the restaurant last time. ’Damn it,’ he thought, ’did she just find some random guy?’
"Dominic, maybe we should go somewhere else," Sary suggested. She had also recognized Melody Donovan, but Melody didn’t seem to have noticed them, laughing and joking with the man beside her.
"No need. We’re staying right here!" A bloodthirsty rage flared in Dominic Thorne’s eyes. ’I will never forgive her.’
After changing into athletic wear, Dominic Thorne casually slung a golf club over his shoulder and swaggered right up to Melody Donovan. "Well, well, if it isn’t the young lady of the Donovan Family. You’ve already found a new flame? That’s impressively fast. Even I have to hand it to you!"
Melody Donovan heard his sarcastic tone and knew who it was without even looking. The cheerful atmosphere instantly froze over. ’To think I’d run into him everywhere I go.’
Julian Jennings looked warily at the newcomer, and his heart skipped a beat. ’Dominic Thorne! Melody must have some kind of history with him, otherwise he wouldn’t have come over to greet her so caustically.’
"Hello, I’m Melody’s boyfriend, Julian Jennings." Julian stepped directly in front of Dominic Thorne, blocking him from getting any closer to Melody, as she seemed to be quite repulsed by his presence.
Dominic Thorne grinned and put on an exaggerated look of surprise. "Ohhh~~ so you’re the one. Pleasure to meet you, a real pleasure! And I’m... Melody, why don’t you tell him how I should introduce myself?" Dominic suddenly turned the tables on Melody. She was at a loss for words and turned her back on him.
Getting snubbed, Dominic Thorne pouted. "Fine, I guess I’ll have to make something up myself. We’ll just say we’re ’friends’! How does that sound, Melody? Are you satisfied with that title?"
