?Chapter 898:


    Without missing a beat, Ethan replied in a low voice, “I’m going with you.”


    This made Lydia whip her head around, disbelief etched on her face. This couldn’t be real. Was Ethan, who usually wore a poker face and seemed uninterested in entertaining activities, really tagging along to a club? Had the universe flipped its script? She blinked at him. “You’re not joking? You’re actuallying in for a drink?”


    It felt almost ridiculous—like watching the school’s top honor student sneak into detention on purpose. Something about it made her feel like she was the one corrupting him. Her surprise cut through the gloom that had been hanging over her.


    Ethan didn’t offer a single word. Instead, he unbuckled his seatbelt, stepped into the rain, and with his signature calm, made it clear he meant what he said. Unable to make sense of it, Lydia stepped out after him.


    Even after they were seated inside, the neon lights pulsing around them, she still hadn’t fully processed the shift.


    As the bartender slid two cocktails their way, Lydia didn’t hesitate—she took Ethan’s ss and pushed it right back, requesting something alcohol-free in its ce.


    A curious expression flickered across the bartender’s face.


    Trying to smooth things over, Lydia offered a quick exnation. “He’s the one driving. No alcohol for him.”


    The bartender smiled—with just a hint of something knowing behind it. Lydia’s brows drew together. What was with that look? It almost seemed like he thought she was making a move on Ethan.


    Lydia stole a nce at Ethan before snapping her gaze away, exhaling sharply. Even if she had nerves of steel and twice the nerve she actually possessed, she wouldn’t dare try anything with him. And honestly—someone like him? He’d never see her that way. Not in a million years.


    Lifting her ss, Lydia took a sip,pletely unaware of the gaze pinned on her. Had she turned even slightly, she might have caught the way Ethan was watching her—intensely, and not at all indifferent.


    Lydia hadn’t felt this alive in months, maybe longer. The pulse of the music and the swirl of lights wrapped around her like a second skin, and she slipped right into the rhythm of the night.


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    Two sses of wer, she drifted to the dance floor, her body swaying to the beat like it was second nature.


    All eyes naturally found her. There was something in the way she moved—unbothered, confident, and striking from every angle.


    Though Ethan wasn’t built for loud music and shing lights, he stayed put, leaning quietly against the wall, his eyes never leaving Lydia.


    She glowed under the strobe lights, unmistakable in a sea of strangers. Even without trying, she owned the space around her.


    Ethan hated these kinds of ces, but he kept his difort hidden. That changed the moment a guy swaggered over to Lydia, thinking he had a shot.


    “Hey, gorgeous. Are you new here?” the guy asked, grinning like he owned the room. “Flying solo tonight? Why don’t you join us?”


    Before Lydia could say a word, a low voice answered for her.


    Without warning, Ethan stepped up behind her. “She’s not alone.”


    The guy stiffened. Towering at six-three with the presence of someone who didn’t flinch under threat, Ethan didn’t need to raise his voice. One look, and the guy backed off.


    Lydia turned slightly, lifting a brow with a smirk. “Wow. So, you handle bar pests, too, now? Is that in the job description?”


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