Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

"Huh?"

Ethan reached out and pinched Sophia's cheek, flashing her a mischievous grin. "Girl, you're playing with fire."

That ridiculous line made Sophia's eyes widen in disbelief.

But Sophia was a smart girl. She knew Blair's brother wouldn't actually do anything to her. She had that kind of confidence, the kind that comes from knowing you're pushing around someone who's too nice to retaliate.

What she didn't realize, though, was that while her virtue might not be in danger, Ethan had plenty of other ways to deal with her.

Like tickling.

As soon as Ethan's hand brushed against her side—one of her most ticklish spots—her eyes flew open, and she immediately sensed trouble.

"Wait—"

She was about to beg for mercy, but the next second, her words were drowned out by uncontrollable laughter.

"No, stop, hahaha... I was wrong!"

But the best time to beg for mercy is before you're in too deep. Once you're halfway through, it's already too late.

Ethan had no intention of letting her off the hook.

By the time he finally stopped, Sophia was laughing so hard she was on the verge of tears.

Even though she looked completely embarrassed, her hands were still pinned, so she couldn't cover her face. All she could do was stubbornly turn her head to the side, trying to maintain some dignity.

"Now you know not to mess with me, huh, little Sophia?" Ethan teased, watching her closely. Seeing that she was about to say something, he added, "If you want to keep going, I don't mind. Honestly, this is kind of fun."

"…"

Sophia swallowed her words. Fine, you win. I'll let it go.

"Let me go," she demanded.

Ethan didn't rush to agree. Instead, he said, "Hold on."

He pulled out his phone and, before Sophia could react, snapped another picture.

Only then did he release her and sit back down in his chair, leaving Sophia lying on the bed, too exhausted to move. She looked like she'd been completely worn out.

But soon, she noticed Ethan looking at his phone, and a bad feeling crept up on her.

"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice tinged with suspicion.

Without looking up, Ethan replied, "I just took a funny picture. Thought I'd send it to Nessa."

"No, don't!" Sophia shot up like someone had just poured cold water on her.

If Vanessa saw such an embarrassing photo—especially if it came from Ethan—how would she ever face her again?

"Relax, I'm kidding. I didn't send it to Nessa," Ethan said with a laugh, trying to calm her down.

Just as Sophia breathed a sigh of relief, Ethan added, "But I did send it to Blair."

"…"

Sophia wasn't sure that was much better.

And then, to her horror, Ethan turned the phone screen toward her, and she saw Blair on a video call.

"Huh? Is that Sophia?" Blair, dressed in a hospital gown, looked surprised. It was late at night, and she hadn't expected her brother to call, let alone with a girl in the frame. And not just any girl—her old friend. She recognized her immediately.

"Bl... Blair, long time no see," Sophia said awkwardly, forcing a smile.

But Blair quickly sensed something was off. "Wait, Sophia, why are you in my brother's room? Are you guys... together?"

Blair was shocked. Was she about to get a sister-in-law? And not just any sister-in-law, but her old friend? The whole situation felt so weird!

"Don't get the wrong idea," Ethan cut in without hesitation. "My ex was someone like Kristen. No offense, but little Sophia here isn't exactly my type."

That quick denial stung a bit. It made Sophia feel like she wasn't attractive at all.

"But little Sophia is still our new neighbor," Ethan added with a grin.

"Really?" Blair's face lit up with excitement, but it quickly darkened again as she pressed on, "But you still haven't told me why Sophia is in your room, big brother."

"Uh..."

Ethan wasn't quite sure how to explain, so he turned to Sophia. "Why don't you explain it to Blair? If I remember correctly, you were the one insisting on coming over in the first place."

"..." Sophia fell silent.

She thought back to all the nonsense she'd been through in such a short time, and it made her grit her teeth. With a forced smile, she looked at Blair on the screen and said, "Blair, your brother... is a total jerk!"

With that, she manually ended the call.

Then, she turned to Ethan, glaring at him like she was ready to bite his head off.

"How about we get Nessa back and reform VibraMyst?" Ethan suddenly suggested.

The idea immediately caught Sophia's attention, but she quickly scoffed. "What does that have to do with you? I'll do it on my own."

"Hmm..." Ethan looked at her, hesitating. "You mean by begging Nessa on your knees?"

"You..." Sophia was momentarily speechless.

She already knew that what she had seen earlier was something that would happen in the future. Even though she hadn't experienced it firsthand yet, it still stung.

"If you don't mind, I can help you," Ethan offered.

But to Sophia, his words sounded completely untrustworthy.

"You? Help me?" Sophia shot back, not bothering to hide her skepticism.

"Why are you always so rude when someone offers you help?"

Ethan sighed, then said seriously, "I was trying to just be a normal guy around you, but all I got in return was your disdain. Fine, I won't pretend anymore."

"In my spare time, I've worked for over a hundred companies, providing all kinds of assistance. The people who hired me are some of the most influential figures in this city. The most notable of them is the Langston family. I was the personal tutor for the Langston family's eldest daughter, and I recently helped her rise to the top in a brutal family power struggle. What do you think of that track record?"

"Oh, and this apartment you're in right now? I bought it with my own money."

"So, what do you think now, Miss Sophia? Do you still doubt whether I'm capable of handling someone else's life?"

Sophia was completely stunned by this impressive résumé.

She wanted to question the truth of it, but she remembered that Blair's family really did consist of just the two siblings, and it was her brother who had raised her alone.

And did he really have any reason to lie to her about this?

Especially with that calm, "go ahead and doubt me" attitude he had.

Sophia had a feeling that if she actually questioned him, she'd end up getting humiliated.

So, instead of doubting him, she looked at Ethan and said, "Alright, let's hear what you've got."