Outside the Cole family's private villa, Samantha Smith stood frozen for a long time before finally mustering the courage to unlock the door.
"Creak—" Just as she did, the villa's main door swung open.
Alfred Cooper, the old butler, on his way out for errands, had just taken a step when he almost collided with the slender figure of a girl in a blue and white plaid school uniform standing in front of him.
"Samantha? Why... why are you back?"
At this hour, she should have been at school.
Feeling a bit guilty, Samantha replied, "Alfred, I have something to talk about with Ethan Cole…"
The butler hesitated, looking as though he wanted to say something but stopped himself, which left Samantha puzzled. "Isn't he home?"
"Oh, he's home, but..." The butler's words reassured her a little, but his tone was still uncertain.
"Samantha, wait, but—"
Before he could finish, Samantha was already walking through the entrance, her bag in hand.
Her gaze immediately fell on a pair of bright red stiletto heels placed neatly in the hallway.
A woman's shoes? That was Samantha's first thought.
Ascending the spiral staircase, she slowed her pace as she neared the third floor, faintly hearing the sound of a woman's suggestive, breathy voice.
Samantha froze, standing stiffly outside the bedroom door. Peeking through the small gap, she saw everything unfold before her in vivid detail—nothing was left to the imagination.
She stood there, listening for what felt like twenty agonizing minutes. A bitter taste crept into her throat.
It was the first time her uncle, Ethan, had brought a woman home.
"Ah!!" At that moment, the woman seemed to catch sight of the slender, delicate figure standing just outside the door. Completely unprepared, she screamed, "Who are you?!"
Flustered, the woman hurriedly grabbed the bed sheet to cover herself. Meanwhile, Ethan, caught off guard, halted his movements and turned around. His eyes met Samantha's, and in an instant, the affection he had displayed vanished, replaced by an intense, chilling gaze. His eyes scanned her from head to toe, making her feel uneasy under the weight of his scrutiny.
"I-I didn't mean to..." Samantha's voice trembled as she stammered out her words, a nervous glint flashing in her eyes.
If Ethan knew she had stood there watching their intimate moment for what seemed like endless rounds, he might very well strangle her out of sheer rage!
"What are you doing back here at this hour?" Ethan's quick reflexes kicked in. He slid out of bed and casually grabbed a bathrobe from the sofa, loosely wrapping it around his lean body as he approached her. "It's Wednesday. Shouldn't you be at school? Why did you come back? Hmm? No classes today?"
He acted as if nothing had happened, casually reaching out to stroke her hair.
But in that moment, all Samantha could think was how dirty that hand was. Moments ago, those same hands had been roaming over another woman's body.
A shiver ran down her spine as she instinctively flinched away, causing Ethan's hand to hover in the air, missed. His expression darkened noticeably.
Just then, a slender hand slipped into the crook of his arm. The young, beautiful woman from earlier leaned in, her gaze filled with amusement as she began to piece things together. "Ethan, she wouldn't happen to be your little pet, kept hidden away, would she?"
There was a mocking glint in the woman's eyes as she looked Samantha up and down. A smile curled her bright red lips—it was beautiful, like a poppy in bloom, but it stirred a strong sense of disgust in Samantha.
