Ethan remained silent.
Behind him, the elderly butler looked utterly shocked.
"This necklace is the only heirloom left by Madam Sullivan." The butler's voice trembled. "She specifically said it should go to her future daughter-in-law as the Sullivan family heirloom."
Sophia narrowed her eyes.
She hadn't expected such a coincidence.
The late Mrs. Sullivan's keepsake bore an uncanny resemblance to the bracelet left by her own mother.
"It does belong to my mother," Ethan finally spoke.
He reached up to remove the necklace.
His deep voice resonated in the air.
"If Miss Sullivan would honor us by becoming the lady of this house, this necklace would look exquisite on you."
The butler's eyes widened.
He wondered if he was still dreaming.
His heart couldn't handle these successive shocks.
How many years had it been since he'd seen the young master joke so lightly?
Ever since that accident years ago.
Ethan had lost fragments of his memory.
The scars left behind never fully healed.
Since then, no one had seen him this relaxed.
Especially in recent years.
Ethan always carried himself with tense vigilance.
As if bearing the weight of the world.
But today with Sophia.
Not only was he at ease.
He even cracked jokes.
"The young master never spared a glance for those women before," the butler murmured. "Why would he offer his mother's necklace to Miss Sullivan today..."
He looked up at the sky.
Though the sun shone brightly.
Something felt profoundly different.
Ethan's expression remained calm.
"Because Miss Sullivan is important to both Emma and me."
His tone gave no indication whether this was jest or sincerity.
Sophia couldn't read his thoughts.
Nor did she notice the butler's astonishment.
Her gaze remained fixed on the necklace.
Her heart churned with turmoil.
Both the design and craftsmanship.
Mirrored her mother's bracelet exactly.
After years of searching through dark networks.
She knew this technique was unique.
Could Ethan's deceased mother...
Actually be her...
The thought terrified her.
Sophia forcibly severed that line of thinking.
"Such a precious gift is beyond my worth." She averted her eyes. "I'll give serious consideration to the perfume collaboration."
Ethan didn't press further.
His expression remained neutral as he pocketed the necklace.
Yet a flicker of regret passed through him.
"Let me walk you out."
Sophia's mind whirled with confusion.
She departed swiftly after entering the car.
Ethan watched until the vehicle disappeared from sight.
Only then did he turn back.
Meeting the butler's knowing smile.
That look seemed to say "the boy's finally come to his senses."
Ethan: "..."
He rarely offered explanations.
But now he felt compelled.
"We've known each other for years. It was just a joke. Don't read too much into it."
—What's there to read into?
The butler's smile widened.
One offering a family heirloom.
The other refusing to accept.
Even if something existed between them.
That was their business.
What concern was it of an old man's?
"No need for explanations, young master. I understand perfectly." The butler's eyes twinkled knowingly. "Young love always follows this pattern."
He nodded approvingly.
"Miss Sullivan is indeed remarkable. But she's cautious with matters of the heart. You'll need to put in more effort to win her over."
Ethan's voice dropped lower.
"We're truly just friends."
As he spoke.
Images from that night flashed through his mind.
The woman straddling his waist.
Looking down at him with those mesmerizing eyes.
Their passionate entanglement.
That addictive sensation.
Even he couldn't explain.
What exactly Sophia meant to him.
Only that his heartbeat always spiraled out of control around her.