Chapter 109: All Dresses

Ethan said nothing, but while Evelyn was admiring the dress, he quietly called one of the staff members over and paid for it.

The same thing happened with the next dress, and each one she wore after that.

Evelyn tried on a light purple dress with a delicate floral pattern, a wine-colored dress that gave her a more mature and elegant appearance, and another cream-colored dress with a simple design that somehow made her look even more graceful.

Every time she stepped out, Ethan and Nora gave her their honest opinions, and every time she liked one, Ethan quietly bought it before she could notice.

At some point, Evelyn walked out wearing a pale pink dress with small embroidered flowers around the waist. She stood before the mirror for several seconds before turning around.

"This one is really pretty."

Ethan smiled. "Then take it."

Evelyn shook her head. "I can’t take everything I like. I’ll just choose a few."

Ethan simply hummed in response.

After trying on several more dresses, Evelyn finally returned to her original clothes and walked back toward Ethan. She looked slightly overwhelmed as she glanced at the collection she had selected. "Alright, I’ll take these three. I think that’s enough."

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Only three?"

Evelyn nodded firmly. "Yes. Three is more than enough."

The staff member suddenly smiled awkwardly.

Evelyn noticed it and looked confused. "What?"

Before she could ask anything else, Ethan stepped closer with a casual smile. "There’s just one problem."

"What problem?"

"I already bought all of them."

Evelyn froze.

Nora’s eyes widened before she burst into laughter. "Dad!"

Evelyn slowly turned toward Ethan. "You bought all of them?"

He nodded, wearing a casual smile on his face.

"When?" She asked in disbelief.

"While you were changing."

Her mouth fell open. "Ethan!"

He shrugged innocently. "You looked good in all of them. Why would I let you choose only three?"

Evelyn stared at him for several seconds before covering her face with one hand.

"Seriously, that wasn’t really necessary."

Nora giggled beside her. "Mom, you have a lot of dresses now!"

Evelyn sighed, but the smile forming on her lips made it obvious that she wasn’t actually angry.

"Fine. But you’re carrying all the shopping bags."

Ethan smiled.

"Deal."

The drive home was fairly peaceful. Nora spent most of the journey admiring the interior of the new BMW X5, occasionally touching something before quickly pulling her hand away as though she was afraid of breaking it.

Evelyn sat beside Ethan, still looking pleased with the purchase despite how much she had complained about getting a car in the first place.

"You really didn’t have to let Lucas pay for it," She said, glancing at Ethan.

Ethan kept his eyes on the road. "I didn’t let him. He did it before I could stop him."

Evelyn sighed, amused. "Still, you should return the money."

"I’ll find a way to repay him." He nodded.

Nora leaned forward from the back seat. "Maybe you can buy him a car too."

Ethan glanced at her through the rearview mirror and smiled. "That’s a terrible idea."

"Why?" She blinked, genuinely confused.

"Because he’ll probably buy me another one afterward."

Evelyn laughed softly, and Nora followed, apparently finding the idea amusing.

By the time they reached home, Lucas had already sent someone to return their motorcycle. Ethan spotted it parked inside the compound and smiled faintly. He pulled the BMW through the gates, drove it into the parking area, then stepped out with Evelyn and Nora.

"At least that’s one thing we don’t have to worry about," Ethan said, glancing at the motorcycle.

Evelyn nodded. "Let’s get inside. It’s getting late."

The three of them entered the house, and the rest of the evening passed quietly.

......

The next morning, Monday arrived.

Evelyn woke up very early, careful not to disturb anyone as she made her way downstairs. She headed into the kitchen and began preparing breakfast, but before long, she heard movement in the living room.

Curious, she left the kitchen to check.

Her eyes widened. Ethan was exercising vigorously.

He had already removed his shirt, revealing the well-defined muscles across his chest and abdomen. Sweat glistened on his skin as he continued his routine without paying attention to anything around him.

Evelyn stared for a few seconds longer than she intended. She swallowed, then smiled faintly.

"He’s really gotten in shape."

Ethan suddenly stopped and turned his head to her.

Their eyes met, and Evelyn froze.

Ethan smiled, amused.

Instead of looking away, she continued staring at him for another moment before realizing what she was doing. Her cheeks immediately turned red.

Ethan wiped the sweat from his forehead and walked toward her.

"Enjoying the view?"

Evelyn’s face became even warmer.

"I was just checking whether you were actually exercising."

"Of course."

She glanced at his abs again before quickly looking away.

"Well... keep exercising."

Ethan chuckled. "You don’t have to run away."

"I’m not running away."

She turned around and hurried toward the kitchen. Ethan watched her disappear with a grin.

"Definitely running away."

He shook his head, amused, then finished his exercise before heading to the bathroom.

After taking a bath, Ethan returned to the kitchen and found Evelyn still preparing breakfast.

"You’ve been at this for a while," He said, peeping into the pot.

"I wanted to make something nice," She answered.

Ethan walked over and took the knife from her.

"Then let me help."

Evelyn blinked. "You just finished exercising."

"That doesn’t stop me from helping you, no?"

She smiled, amused. "Fine."

While Ethan handled some of the cooking, Evelyn wiped her hands and headed to the room.

"I’ll go get Nora ready."

"Alright." He nodded.

A short while later, Ethan finished preparing the food and arranged everything on the dining table. He had barely finished when Evelyn returned with Nora.

Evelyn was wearing one of the dresses she had bought the previous day—the dark green one with long sleeves and a slightly wider skirt. The simple design made her look elegant without being excessive, and Ethan paused briefly when he saw her.

"You look good."

Evelyn smiled, pleased. "Thank you."

Nora was already dressed in her school uniform, her backpack hanging from one shoulder.

Ethan looked at her. "Ready for school, princess?"

She nodded. "I am."

"Good. Eat first."

They sat down and began breakfast.