Chapter 442 Ethan Gets Blacklisted and Trends
Ethan awoke in his private suite in the royal hospital ward, immediately irritated by the familiar surroundings. Over the years, he'd become a regular visitor—collapsing from either dizziness or hunger, always waking up in this specially prepared room.
He stared at the ceiling as the IV drip fed nutrients into his veins. The memory of his behavior in the restaurant bathroom left him questioning his own character. How could he have acted like such a predator?
Could it possibly be... love at first sight?
His heart raced at the thought, but his pride and reason quickly countered: how could someone of his noble standing fall for a middle-aged woman he'd just met?
"Ethan." The door opened as Garrett entered the hospital room. Though Ethan had adopted "Totti" as his name since moving to Ferndale, old habits died hard.
Garrett sat down beside the bed. "How are you feeling? Any better?"
"I'm fine, Father," Ethan replied hoarsely. "You're too busy to be visiting me."
"Don't be ridiculous," Garrett's face creased with worry. "How long has it been since you've eaten properly? Was this collapse from malnutrition again?"
"About a year, I suppose," Ethan said, deliberately omitting the bathroom incident. "The last time I managed to eat was at a street vendor's stall. Something about the food seemed strangely familiar. I devoured about a dozen dishes and miraculously kept everything down."
He continued, "Afterward, I tried to hire the chef at any price, but he was just a temporary worker with no contact information. The trail went cold."
Ethan had forgotten what food actually tasted like. He survived on nutritional supplements while doctors warned his stomach would permanently fail without proper nutrition. But he couldn't keep anything down, no matter what he tried.
Garrett sighed. "This can't continue, Ethan. I'll issue a reward announcement throughout the Gold Valley District—whoever can prepare food you can eat without vomiting will be hired at an exceptional salary."
Ethan nodded. "Worth a try."
Garrett hesitated, appearing to struggle with something unsaid.
Oblivious to his father's discomfort, Ethan asked, "Dad, may I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"I have this... friend... who met a woman for the first time and inexplicably kissed her rather forcefully. What would you make of that?"
Garrett raised an eyebrow knowingly. "Well, either your friend is a lecherous cad, or he's fallen in love at first sight and lost control of himself."
Ethan fell silent.
He couldn't possibly be some common lecher. He'd turned away countless noble ladies who had tried to seduce their way into his bed!
It must be love at first sight then. But why? He'd been surrounded by the most beautiful aristocratic women in the country. Why would he fall for a woman with children?
He felt like he was losing his mind.
Seeing Ethan's complicated expression, Garrett realized "the friend" was clearly his son. He'd considered telling Ethan about seeing Ashley but hesitated, noticing Ethan seemed to be genuinely infatuated.
Why complicate matters? Ashley appeared to have built a new life. Better to leave them undisturbed.
Garrett swallowed his words. "Ethan, get some rest. I should be going."
Ethan nodded. "All right."
He barely noticed when his father left. His mind was consumed with Ashley—her face, her mannerisms, her smile. His heart raced uncontrollably.
Remembering their passionate encounter in the bathroom, his body responded in ways it hadn't in years. Ethan buried his face in his pillow, mortified by his physical reaction. Sleep proved impossible as his thoughts continued tormenting him all night.
Later that night, after his mother and younger brother had fallen asleep, Andy quietly slipped out of bed.
He harbored a secret talent—a prodigious gift for all things electronic. His mother had no idea that her young son was already an accomplished hacker, capable of accessing virtually any information he desired.
Andy's fingers flew across the keyboard, rapidly entering code until he penetrated the national archives.
Totti, male, 36, only son of Garrett, heir to the Ferndale throne, betrothed to Lady Mary, daughter of the Earl of Kate...
After extensive searching, Andy found no record indicating Angela was Prince Totti's daughter.
Stroking his chin thoughtfully, Andy recalled Angela's features, which did resemble Totti's. If not father and daughter, what else could explain the similarity? The records must have been deliberately expunged.
Andy snorted derisively. Remembering how Totti had manhandled his mother, his eyes blazed with the desire for revenge.
His fingers resumed their dance across the keyboard, entering a complex sequence of code. Within moments, a post titled #Prince Totti Is A Monster began trending across social media.
Just as Ethan was finally drifting off, his assistant burst into the hospital room. "Your Highness! We have a situation! Someone has posted damaging allegations about you online. You're trending everywhere, and our PR team can't suppress it. I'm afraid you'll need to address this personally!"
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