Chapter 31: Ethan Helmsworth

By the time Anna stepped out of Wilsmith’s office building, her chest was heavy with a swirl of emotions. The echo of her own words—Deal—still rang in her head. She had spoken with confidence, but now that the cool air hit her face, reality caught up with her nerves.

Her fingers clenched around her bag strap.

Anna, you wanted this. So don’t you dare let fear stop you now.

She had no other choice. If she wanted to survive on her own, if she truly wanted to find Kathrine, she needed money. Her dream of becoming an actress was no longer just a dream—it was her only escape from the cage her parents had built for her.

Anna drew a deep breath, steadying herself, when a sudden vibration in her pocket startled her.

Buzz—Buzz.

She stopped on the sidewalk, pulling out her phone. The screen lit up with a name that instantly eased her shoulders—Betty.

Without wasting a second, she swiped and answered. “Hello?”

“Big Sis!” Betty’s voice came through, unusually rushed, almost frantic. “Can you come now?”

Anna’s brows furrowed, her heart picking up speed. Betty had been the one to discover her secret—that she was hiding things from her husband. For her to call in such a tone…

Anna’s lips pressed into a thin line. “What happened, Betty? Why do you sound so anxious?”

On the other end, Betty hesitated, then whispered, “It’s about your sister. Senior Shawn… he found something.”

Anna froze in her tracks, her grip on the phone tightening until her knuckles whitened.

“I’m on my way,” Anna said quickly before ending the call.

Shoving her phone back into her pocket, she spun around to flag a cab—only to be greeted with a deserted curb.

Her shoulders slumped. “Of course. Not a single cab when I actually need one.”

Fumbling for her phone again, she pulled up the booking app, only to wince at the blinking digits of her bank balance. Barely anything left. The reminder hit her like a slap. She had been reckless with Shawn, transferring almost everything she had. Her paycheck hadn’t arrived yet, and she had another meeting tomorrow with Wilsmith that would need transport too.

“Argh! Anna Bennett, why is your life so damn difficult?” she groaned, rubbing her temple. “I can’t even afford to chase my own sister.”

Just then, the sharp screech of tires pulled her out of her misery. A sleek black car slowed to a stop right in front of her, its presence commanding attention.

Anna instinctively stumbled a step back, heart leaping into her throat. “Oh my goodness!” she blurted, eyes widening as she stared at the imposing vehicle.

The tinted window hummed down, and a face she recognized immediately came into view. A face she thought she’d only ever see on big screens, far removed from her world.

Ethan Helmsworth.

Anna’s breath caught, her expression hardening as memories clashed violently with reality. Her lashes fluttered, and she forced herself to compose, masking the storm inside.

“Get in.”

His voice was low, deep, carrying that same cold edge she remembered from before. “I’ll drop you.”

Anna froze, her mind scrambling. Her chest tightened as she stared at him—those piercing eyes, that unreadable expression. He looked every bit the star he had become, untouchable, intimidating… and yet right now, he was offering her a ride.

But why?

Initially, Anna’s first instinct was to snap back. To refuse outright.

Her lips even parted, ready to say no. She wasn’t about to owe Ethan Helmsworth of all people anything—not a ride, not even a glance.

But then, like a cruel reminder, her phone buzzed in her hand, flashing her pathetic bank balance again. The number stared back at her mockingly. Not enough for today and tomorrow.

Her defiance faltered. She bit her lip, jaw tightening. Pride was a luxury she couldn’t afford right now.

“Ugh, shameless Anna Bennett,” she muttered under her breath, before forcing a smile that looked more like defeat. Dropping her act to ignore him, she pulled open the car door and slid inside.

***

The leather seat was warm beneath her, and the faint scent of expensive cologne curled around her—calm, steady… him.

Ethan didn’t spare her a glance. His gaze was fixed ahead, sharp and unwavering on the road, though the slight twitch of his jaw betrayed he’d noticed her hesitation.

Anna crossed her arms and sank deeper into the seat, stubbornly staring out the window.

“I thought you didn’t recognize me,” she said slowly, sneaking a sideways glance at him.

It wasn’t anger that had lodged in her chest, but something heavier—the way he had looked right through her earlier, as if she didn’t exist, as if he’d never known her at all.

Ethan’s hands tightened imperceptibly on the steering wheel. “You could’ve done the same,” he replied evenly, his deep voice slicing through the quiet hum of the engine. “After all, you already owe me a thank you.”

Anna’s lips twitched. Direct. Blunt. Exactly like him. And yes, he wasn’t wrong. He had helped her once. And instead of gratitude, she’d bolted—like the coward she used to be.

’Ugh… don’t make me recall that day,’ she cursed inwardly, rolling her eyes before muttering under her breath, “Well… thank you now.”

The least sincere thank you in existence.

If he was offended, Ethan didn’t show it. He simply kept driving, his profile hard, composed—unshakably aloof.

Her gaze lingered on him longer than she wanted. Ethan had always been like this. Back in school, he had been the boy girls whispered about, the one they swooned over with his sharp jawline and eyes that made you feel seen even when he barely looked.

Even she—quiet, invisible Anna had once nursed a crush on him. But unlike the bold girls who brazenly confessed, she had only dared to steal glances from the safety of shadows.

’Ha… good old crush,’ she mused, biting back a bitter smile.

That had been before. Before the laughter. Before the whispers. Before the bullying made her shrink further into herself. Even when she begged her parents to let her change schools, they dismissed her as “too dramatic.” Too difficult. Too… Anna.

Her chest tightened, but she shook it off, dragging herself back to the present.

“So,” Ethan’s voice rumbled again, pulling her from the fog of memory, “where am I dropping you?”

She flinched, realizing she’d been so lost in thought she hadn’t even given him an address.

“Uh… Biscot Café,” she muttered hastily.

Ethan gave a curt nod. No questions. No probing. Just a simple acknowledgment. That was something she had always liked about him—he didn’t pry, didn’t press. He’d been like that even back then. Say what needed to be said, and nothing more.

Unlike someone else…

Her heart stilled for a beat as Daniel’s face suddenly crossed her mind. Those piercing eyes. That suffocating presence. Always questioning, always hovering, always—

“Achoo!”

Somewhere across the city, Daniel Clafford sneezed in his office, startling Henry so badly he nearly dropped a stack of files.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep