Chapter 195 Seeing is Believing
Lauren heard a familiar voice behind her. She spun around, and there he was—Ethan.
She ran over, playfully smacking his arm. "Ethan, how dare you trick me!"
Ethan, seeing the woman he'd been dreaming about, pulled her into a hug. "Lauren, don't be mad! I wanted to surprise you."
Lauren, a bit flustered, tried to push him away, but he was too strong. "This isn't a surprise. It's a shock! Let go of me, Ethan."
Ethan's grip loosened, and he said seriously, "Just give me two more minutes."
His voice sounded exhausted. Lauren realized he must have taken a red-eye flight to see her. She felt a pang of guilt, knowing he was pushing himself for her.
In the distance, Quentin saw them embracing. His heart sank. He hadn't expected to find Lauren in Ethan's arms. The veins on his forehead bulged. If this was her choice, he'd let her have it.
Quentin walked away, stepping on fallen leaves, his figure looking desolate.
Neither Lauren nor Ethan noticed Quentin. Lauren finally pushed Ethan away, a sorrowful smile on her face. "Sorry, Ethan, I need more time."
Ethan smiled gently. "It's okay. I won't force you. I came here to tell you something."
"What is it?" Lauren asked.
"I'm transferring the house design company to my brother. If all goes well, I can come here next week," Ethan said with a calm smile.
Lauren was shocked. "What? Ethan, you're coming to Pariz? Why?"
Ethan looked at her happily. "I was worried about you. Plus, the architecture in Pariz is unique. I want to expand my business here, and my brother supports me."
"You've put so much into that company. How can you just give it up?" Lauren knew how much the company meant to Ethan.
Ethan saw her concern and held her shoulders. "I'm not giving it up. I will just learn here for a while. My brother will handle things temporarily. He'll give it back once I'm done."
Lauren frowned. No matter how he explained, she was still doubtful. Ethan had sacrificed too much for her, and she didn't want him to give up his own dreams.
"Ethan, your decision is too hasty," Lauren said.
"Don't worry, Lauren. I'm not being rash. I've thought this through. The construction industry back home is stalled. I hope to bring back new ideas," Ethan said.
Ethan kept talking until he saw Lauren start to relax. Everyone knew Ethan as a carefree playboy, so no one could believe he’d make such a big decision for work. But his real motive was Lauren. After years of waiting and hoping, now that she was giving him a chance, he couldn't stand being apart from her.
Ethan was ready to give up everything to be with Lauren. He convinced his family to let him move to Pariz. He then brought this "good news" to her in a hurry.
Lauren didn't see it as good news. She had just escaped a constrained life and didn't want to fall into another one. But faced with Ethan's deep affection, she couldn't refuse.
"Alright, since you've decided, I'll support you," Lauren said with a reluctant smile.
Ethan, lost in his dreams of their future, didn't notice the reluctance in her voice. With her approval, he rushed back to City A to handle the company's transfer. Within a week, everything was set, and he flew to Pariz, eager to see Lauren.
Meanwhile, Quentin was crushed. He hadn't fully believed Sophia, but seeing Lauren and Ethan together shattered his last hope. He despised himself for caring. He drank, trying to convince himself, "I never loved her! Forget Lauren, the past anger, and her clear eyes."
Self-deception was easy. Quentin got drunk and passed out on the floor. The next day, he woke up with a colder gaze, the sadness from the night before gone.
Noah walked in, tiptoeing around the room filled with empty bottles. "Quentin, did you go to a distillery? It reeks in here!"
Quentin ripped off his shirt and threw it on the floor. "Get to the point."
Noah stopped joking. "Ethan transferred his company to his brother and went to Pariz. So, Lauren might be there too. If you want to find her, follow Ethan."
"It has nothing to do with me," Quentin said coldly.
"Haven't you been looking for Lauren everywhere?" Noah asked, confused by Quentin's sudden change.
"The foolish me from before is dead. It has nothing to do with me," Quentin said indifferently.
He had been naive to believe Lauren was sincere. That was in the past, and Quentin vowed never to make the same mistake again.
