Chapter 5 Hidden Thoughts

"Mr. Levington, we've checked everything and found nothing unusual."

Nothing unusual? She seemed to know nothing. Then why had her attitude suddenly changed?

"Ethan."

Lost in thought, he looked up to see Kate bouncing down the stairs and pouncing on him like a koala. Ethan quickly ended the call.

He frowned. "Let go of me."

When had she become so clingy? Was she like this with Blake too? At that thought, Ethan's eyes darkened with displeasure.

Kate noticed his annoyed expression, but something felt off. She had just verified her theory—she could hear Ethan's thoughts whenever she touched him. So why wasn't it working now?

Confused, Kate tried to press herself even closer. Seeing her ignore his command and move closer, Ethan grabbed her by the collar and firmly pushed her aside.

Kate pouted.

Why was he so cold to her? In her previous life, he hadn't been like this.

Then again, that was her previous life. In this timeline, Ethan clearly had feelings for her, but hadn't fully opened his heart yet.

She couldn't expect him to be passionate and warm.

"Are you done venting your anger? Aren't you going back to the Jennings house? Do you really plan to cut ties with your family?" Ethan's tone was flat and unreadable.

Kate tilted her head and answered without hesitation, "Yes, I absolutely intend to cut ties with them."

Ethan felt confused.

He grew even more confused. The investigation had revealed nothing—Kate seemed unaware of the dirty deal between her father Richard and Blake.

But why? Was she deliberately getting close to him? What could she possibly hope to gain that would be worth such a sacrifice?

"Kate, I'll give you one more chance to tell the truth. What are you trying to accomplish by helping Blake? If you're honest, I might be able to give you what you want. If not..."

Kate was genuinely angry now and interrupted him, "I'm not doing this for him! I'm telling the truth—I love you, and I want to be with you!"

With that, she turned and stormed away.

At the doorway, she paused and looked back. "I don't care what you think. I'm not going back to the Jennings house. Whether you acknowledge it or not, I'm staying here. After all, you are my fiancé." She slammed the guest room door shut and stomped into the room, fuming.

Ethan stood there, perplexed.

How did she know where the guest room was? Why was she angry? If she was using him, shouldn't he be the one who was angry?

Was this reverse psychology?

Fine, he'd see how long she could keep this up.

Today's events had pushed his mental capacity to its limit. He returned to his bedroom, planning to take a shower and clear his thoughts.

Meanwhile, in the guest room.

Kate sat on the bed, staring at the door with a pout, growing increasingly frustrated by the lack of movement outside.

That cold-hearted man! Ignoring her! Not believing her!

She considered a plan to enter his room and seduce him. Once they slept together, he'd have to believe her.

Kate stood up and boldly walked toward Ethan's door, but when she reached it, her courage faltered.

Well... actually... she...

She muttered to herself, "Kate, what are you hesitating for? You touched him earlier today, now go all in! Okay? All in... but maybe sneakily. What if he catches me again and kicks me out?"

Kate decided to approach stealthily, quietly opening the door. Ethan's bedroom was dark, but light shone from the bathroom, accompanied by the sound of running water.

He was showering?

Kate blinked, tiptoeing closer, but before she could reach the bathroom door, Ethan suddenly appeared, pinning her against the wall.

With only a towel around his waist, he dominantly pressed his hand against her throat, his gaze fierce.

When he realized it was Kate, his expression returned to its usual calmness.

"Why are you in my bedroom?"

He released her and turned away, drying his hair with a towel. Kate, however, caught his arm, her gaze fixed on his perfectly sculpted muscles and defined abs.

In her previous life, she had never been obsessed with handsome men.

But now? She absolutely was.

Ethan's physique was truly incredible—perfect enough to make her unable to resist touching him. And she did just that.

She stroked his abs, her voice soft and enticing, "Ethan, want to kiss?"

Ethan narrowed his eyes, smiling almost in disbelief.

He thought, "Again? The same trick. Doesn't she ever get tired of this?"

What? Trick?

She heard it again.

But at that moment, she couldn't focus on that. She pouted and moved closer to Ethan, who remained motionless, curious to see what she would do next.

In the next second, Kate pushed hard, and he fell back onto the bed, his eyes burning with desire.

Ethan saw her intention. He smiled coldly, frowned, and suddenly got up, grabbing her and flipping their positions so she was beneath him. "So eager to sleep with me?"

"Yes, once we sleep together, you'll be mine," Kate answered with a seductive smile, leaning forward to kiss him, parting his lips with her own.

Kate's kiss was passionate and impulsive, like a reckless flame crashing into Ethan's cool breath.

Her tongue carried a hint of sweetness. Ethan's hands braced beside her, initially intending to push her away, but when his fingertips touched the delicate skin at the nape of her neck, he inexplicably hesitated.

That warmth was like an electric current, flowing through his veins, silently creeping into his heart, making his heartbeat intensify.

"Kate," his voice was hoarse, filled with ignited desire, "you'd better not regret this."

She didn't answer, just tilted her neck back, meeting his increasingly urgent kisses. Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, falling on the two of them.

Half-removed clothes, kisses trailing downward, Kate's soft moans, Ethan's large hands igniting desire on her skin inch by inch.

Her eyes were full of passion, and in that hazy moment, her soft "I love you."

Made Ethan abruptly stop.

Love?

Didn't she love Blake?

She was lying again!

Ethan suddenly came to his senses, feeling inexplicably irritated. He picked Kate up in one motion and carried her back to the guest room. The movement was so sudden that by the time Kate realized what was happening, the door had already closed.

With her passion still unresolved, Kate felt something clawing at her heart, but she mostly felt helpless.

She couldn't rush this.

She had heard his thoughts just now.

Love Blake—she had said those words herself. No wonder he didn't believe she loved him.

But his thoughts—this time she seemed to hear them more clearly. Could it be that the more intimate they were, the clearer she could hear?

Kate pondered this question as she walked into the bathroom, preparing to shower and calm herself down. When she emerged, exhaustion overtook her, and she collapsed onto the bed.

She closed her eyes, planning to continue pursuing Ethan tomorrow, then suddenly opened them again.

While focused on expressing her feelings, she had forgotten something important.

How would she explain her relationship with Ethan to the public tomorrow?

In her previous life, Ethan was a public figure, and everyone said he and Sophia were childhood sweethearts, a perfect match.

But they forgot that she and Ethan were also childhood friends. This time, she had to change people's perception.

Kate gradually fell asleep, her mind still working on her plan.