Chapter 135: Followed

At first, he paid little attention to it. They were travelling along a public road, and there was nothing particularly suspicious about another vehicle heading in the same direction. However, after taking a turn and continuing along the highway, he noticed that the sedan was still behind them, maintaining almost the same distance.

Ethan’s eyes narrowed slightly as he checked the mirror again.

’Coincidence?’

He kept his expression relaxed and continued driving, unwilling to alarm Evelyn or Nora over something that might amount to nothing.

Ethan glanced at the rearview mirror again, his eyes narrowing slightly as the dark sedan maintained its distance behind them. He had initially dismissed it as another vehicle heading in the same direction, but after several turns and lane changes, his suspicions had grown.

The driver seemed unusually persistent, and Ethan wasn’t particularly fond of being followed without knowing why.

’Let’s see how you handle this.’

He tightened his grip on the steering wheel and gradually increased his speed, smoothly overtaking a slower vehicle before slipping into the next lane.

The traffic was beginning to thin as they moved away from the busier parts of the highway, giving him more room to maneuver. He took advantage of the opening, accelerating past two cars before making a turn that led toward a different route.

The dark sedan followed.

Ethan’s expression remained calm, but his attention sharpened. He had caught a glimpse of its license plate earlier, and he made sure to commit the details he could remember to memory.

He wasn’t going to confront the driver in the middle of the road, especially with Evelyn and Nora in the car. Finding out who was behind this would be more useful than doing something reckless.

He increased his speed again, weaving through the available gaps in traffic without driving carelessly. After taking another turn and merging onto a different stretch of road, he checked the rearview mirror.

The sedan was gone.

Ethan continued driving for several minutes, checking the mirrors occasionally to make sure the vehicle hadn’t reappeared. When he was satisfied that they were no longer being followed, he eased off the accelerator and returned to a normal speed.

Behind him, Evelyn had been watching him for a while. She hadn’t said anything when he first sped up, but the repeated lane changes had finally caught her attention. Leaning forward, she studied his face with a faint frown.

"Ethan, is something wrong?" She asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You’ve been driving rather strangely for the past few minutes."

Ethan glanced at her before returning his attention to the road. "Nothing serious. I just wanted to get ahead of the traffic."

Evelyn wasn’t entirely convinced. She had known him long enough to recognize when he was deliberately avoiding a question, and his casual answer did little to reassure her.

However, she didn’t press him immediately, choosing instead to watch him for another moment.

"Are you sure?" She asked quietly. "You seemed distracted."

"I’m sure, sweetheart." Ethan gave her hand a gentle squeeze before returning both hands to the steering wheel. "I’m just tired after spending the entire day at the wedding. I want us to get home so everyone can rest."

Evelyn examined him for another second, then nodded reluctantly. "Alright, but don’t drive too fast. We aren’t in a hurry."

"Yes, ma’am," Ethan replied with a faint smile.

She rolled her eyes at his response, though the tension in her expression eased. Ethan was grateful that she hadn’t continued questioning him. He didn’t want to worry her over something he hadn’t confirmed yet. If the sedan had been following them deliberately, he would investigate it and deal with the matter accordingly.

For now, getting his family home safely was his priority.

The rest of the journey passed without incident. As they approached Arcane City, the familiar streets and buildings gradually came into view, and the traffic grew heavier again. Ethan navigated the roads patiently, resisting the temptation to rush, until they finally arrived at their residential compound.

He drove through the entrance and parked the BMW X5 in its designated space before switching off the engine. The quiet that followed was almost refreshing after the noise of the road.

Nora immediately stretched in the back seat, raising both arms above her head as she let out a long yawn.

"Finally! I’m so tired. I want to sleep," She announced, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand.

Ethan glanced at her through the rearview mirror and chuckled. "You spent half the day eating at the wedding, and now you’re exhausted?"

Nora gave him a sleepy glare. "Dad, do you want to start again?"

"Not at all. I’m just admiring your dedication to sleeping after your dedication to eating." He smiled.

"You’re annoying," She muttered as she unfastened her seat belt.

Evelyn laughed softly while opening her door. "Come on, Nora. Let’s go upstairs before your father finds another way to tease you."

Ethan stepped out of the car and locked it after making sure everyone had collected their belongings. He followed his wife and daughter toward the building, carrying the few things they had brought back from the wedding.

By the time they reached their apartment on the third floor, Nora looked as though she might fall asleep standing up.

The moment Evelyn unlocked the door, Nora slipped inside and headed straight for the bedroom. She didn’t even bother making another comment about her father’s teasing, which Ethan considered a sign of just how exhausted she really was.

"I think our daughter has officially run out of energy," He remarked as he entered the apartment behind Evelyn.

"She’s tired, Ethan. We all are," Evelyn replied with a small smile, slipping off her shoes near the entrance. "I just want to lie down for a while."

"Then go and rest. I’ll join you shortly."

Evelyn nodded and headed toward the bedroom, leaving Ethan to put away their belongings and make sure everything was in order. He took a few minutes to tidy up before following them.

Inside the bedroom, Nora had already settled comfortably on the bed, while Evelyn was preparing to change into something more comfortable. Ethan changed out of his clothes as well, then returned to the living room before heading toward the balcony.

He wanted a little time to himself.