Chapter 6: Eavesdropping

The receptionist glanced at Iris. A beauty like Iris was hard to forget; she had indeed seen her at the wedding banquet.

"Please provide your personal information for registration," the receptionist said with a smile.

Iris gave her personal information.

Seeing that she wasn't lying, the receptionist completed the registration and handed Iris the room key.

Iris took the room key and entered the elevator.

...

In the new room.

Clara clung tightly to Ethan. His grip was strong, and she could only hold onto him, seeking support.

She looked at Ethan, the heat in his eyes making her heart race with fear.

"Ethan..." Clara called his name softly, her voice tinged with tears.

Earlier, Ethan had made her cry.

She had thought that if she cried, Ethan would let her go, but she was naive.

She didn't dare to call him brother-in-law anymore.

She had hoped that calling him brother-in-law might remind Ethan that she was his former fiancée's sister and he would let her go... but he didn't. Later, Clara called him brother-in-law, hoping he would be gentler... but again, she was naive.

Clara couldn't help but wonder if calling him brother-in-law made him think of her sister's betrayal and take out his anger on her.

"Hmm?" Ethan's voice was hoarse. He turned Clara over and changed positions.

Clara lay there, despairing and on the verge of tears again.

Was it still early?

Was there still half the night left?

She felt like she might actually die.

"...I'm very tired," Clara said pitifully, hoping Ethan would take pity on her and let her go.

"Tired of what?" Ethan said. "You don't have to exert any effort."

Clara had no response to that.

Even if she wanted to respond, she didn't have the energy.

He started again...

---

Iris crouched by the wall, pressing her ear against it to listen to the sounds from the next room. Her beautiful face twisted with anger, making her look ugly, and the hatred in her eyes was terrifying.

Clara, that liar, had promised their mother not to seduce Ethan. But as soon as their mother left, Clara couldn't wait to climb into Ethan's bed.

Shameless!

Even though Iris couldn't see it, she could tell from the sounds.

Iris didn't want to listen anymore; the more she listened, the angrier she got. But she couldn't help herself. She was furious and couldn't stop thinking: What did Ethan mean by this?

When they were dating, he never showed any interest in this aspect. She had thought Ethan was a man of restraint and even suspected he had a problem with his sexual function. Otherwise, why hadn't he ever shown any desire for her during their year-long engagement?

They held hands at most during their dates and rarely kissed.

In today's open society, men and women often went to hotels on their first date. Couples like them, who had been engaged for a year and frequently met for meals and dates without having a physical relationship, were almost nonexistent.

How could she not suspect Ethan's sexual function?

But now, hearing the sounds from inside, she understood that Ethan had no problem with his sexual function; he just wasn't interested in her!

Iris suddenly stood up and walked to the middle of the room. She didn't want to listen to the sounds from next door anymore. She frowned and glared at the wall angrily, telling herself: It's not that I'm not attractive or that Ethan isn't interested in me; he must respect and love me so much that he wants to save our first time for our wedding night.

Yes, that's it. It must be that.

Iris stared at the wall for a long time before she couldn't help but walk back and press her ear against it again to listen to the sounds from next door.

She didn't want to listen, but she couldn't control herself.

She wanted to hear how long Clara could keep calling out and how long Ethan could make Clara call out.

...

Clara slept until evening. The setting sun's rays shone through the floor-to-ceiling windows, warm and beautiful.

Clara woke up groggily and struggled to get out of bed. Her whole body ached as if she'd been run over by a truck. Ethan had tormented her until dawn before finally letting her go.

Ethan wasn't there.

Clara breathed a sigh of relief; she really didn't know how to face Ethan.

Her mouth was dry. Clara endured her discomfort and got out of bed. She found a bathrobe in the wardrobe and put it on. She grabbed a bottle of mineral water from the bedside table and drank more than half of it in one go; her throat was almost hoarse.

After drinking the water, she felt much better and went to the bathroom to freshen up.

She brushed her teeth, washed her face, then filled the bathtub with hot water and soaked in it.

Lying in the bathtub, Clara looked at the bruises covering her once fair skin. She felt both ashamed and annoyed. Ethan appeared to be a cold and noble gentleman, but in bed, he was like a wild beast.

After soaking for a while, Clara felt much better. She put on her bathrobe and walked out, ready to call the housekeeper to bring some clothes. Just then, she heard footsteps and looked up to see Ethan.

For some reason, Clara's face turned red in an instant.

Seeing Ethan made her think of last night and all those shameful scenes.

Under Ethan's gaze, her face flushed, her heart raced, and she felt at a loss.

"Awake?" Ethan asked calmly.

Clara forced herself to nod calmly, but only she knew how fast her heart was beating and how stiff her body was.

"There are clothes on the sofa," Ethan said.

Clara glanced over and guessed that Ethan meant there were clothes for her. She responded with an "oh" and walked towards him.

She needed to get dressed. There were no clothes on the bedroom sofa, so they must be in the outer room.

Ethan stood at the bedroom door, blocking almost the entire doorway with his tall figure.

As Clara walked towards him, he showed no intention of moving aside.

Her face turned even redder as she looked at Ethan, unsure of his intentions.

Ethan looked at Clara and asked, "Are you feeling unwell?"

Clara wanted to say yes, but those discomforts were too embarrassing to mention. She could only shake her head with a red face.

Ethan gave her a meaningful look before nodding and stepping aside.