Sophia Sullivan closed her eyes.
She cursed herself for being so careless.
Since she'd been discovered, hiding was pointless.
She slowly pushed open the wardrobe door.
An innocent smile played on her lips.
"Mr. Sullivan, what a coincidence."
Ethan Sullivan's icy expression melted the moment he saw her.
He stood frozen, completely unprepared for her presence here.
An awkward tension filled the air.
Coincidence?
They both knew that was impossible.
Sophia cleared her throat, breaking the silence first.
"I accidentally wandered in here. I wasn't trying to spy on you."
Her gaze remained transparently clear.
But Ethan wasn't a fool to believe such an excuse.
This was the Sullivan family's forbidden area, accessible only through hidden passages.
He didn't press her about trespassing.
Something more important demanded his attention now...
"Quite the coincidence indeed."
Ethan's eyes swept across the room's peculiar arrangements before returning to Sophia's face.
Any normal person would find this scene disgusting and flee.
He searched her expression for revulsion.
Instead, those clear eyes held only calm composure.
Deceptively transparent yet impossible to read.
His voice turned gravelly. "When did you come in?"
"Before you arrived."
Sophia didn't lie.
"Sorry, I meant to leave but felt awkward. Didn't expect you'd still find me."
Just now?
Ethan's face remained impassive, but his fingers tightened imperceptibly.
Sophia appeared completely unfazed, as if this situation was commonplace.
She adopted a teasing tone to downplay the incident.
"My apologies for intruding. Please don't overthink it. With your excellent physique, physical needs are natural. I got quite the eyeful—should be thanking you actually."
But Ethan wasn't letting this go.
He stared directly into her eyes.
"Sophia Sullivan, doesn't this disgust you?"
He gestured toward the specialized equipment.
His intense gaze tracked every microexpression.
Sophia merely arched an eyebrow.
No disgust in those clear eyes—just mild surprise.
"Why should it? Personal preferences aren't for outsiders to judge."
She didn't want to dwell on this, answering dismissively.
"Besides, with your looks, wealth and status, women would line up despite such tastes. Don't worry, I'll keep this strictly confidential—"
Ethan interrupted sharply.
His gaze darkened. "Apart from you...and Emma, no other women have been near me."
Sophia blinked in confusion.
She'd been assuring discretion—why was he refuting?
Their thoughts clearly traveled different wavelengths.
When she stayed silent, Ethan continued.
"And you're the only woman I've ever been intimate with."
Sophia's lashes fluttered. "How disciplined of you."
Such personal details required no explanation to her.
But Ethan seemed to misunderstand something, his brow furrowing.
"You misinterpret, Ms. Sullivan. These items aren't for female partners...but rather—"
He stopped abruptly mid-sentence.