Upon seeing her, that piercing heartache struck again.
His hands clenched in anger.
He seemed to be shrouded in an icy frost, exuding a chilling aura.
As Samantha approached, she noticed his unusual demeanor and asked with concern, "What's wrong? Did something happen?"
Ethan took out his phone, found the photos, and handed them to her.
At the moment she saw the photos, Samantha's face turned instantly pale, her lips unconsciously pursed.
"Where did you get these photos?"
Her reaction, in Ethan's eyes, was a sign of guilt.
A hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes.
"Are you childhood sweethearts with him?"
This was a fact that Samantha couldn't deny.
"Yes, we grew up together as childhood sweethearts."
Ethan continued, "You got engaged at seventeen?"
Another fact that Samantha couldn't deny.
"Yes, on my seventeenth birthday, I promised to be his girlfriend."
Her candid response fueled Ethan's growing anger, and his tone unintentionally intensified, "After he went abroad for studies, you couldn't endure the loneliness and fooled around with other men, giving birth to an illegitimate child?"
Samantha's expression darkened, displeased. "My child is not illegitimate. She is my precious baby born after nine months of pregnancy."
This answer, to Ethan, was an indirect admission.
So, everything that Suzy said was true, not intentionally fabricated to slander her?
And while she was with him, she was still with her childhood sweetheart?
Perhaps it wasn't just one childhood sweetheart.
Maybe there were other men involved?
The boundless fury surged through him at the thought.
Unable to endure it any longer, he grabbed Samantha's jaw, forcing her to tilt her head up, staring at him in an eerie manner.
"Samantha, you're truly despicable. How could someone like me, be interested in such a despicable woman like you..."
Her chest felt ice-cold, and her clean, immaculate face turned as cold as transparent glass.
"Yes, I'm despicable. But Ethan, you seem to like someone like me. Doesn't that mean you and I are similar?"
Her words struck him like a whip across the heart.
Ethan was consumed by rage, flames burning in his pupils as if wanting to devour her.
"Do you even know what loyalty is? In a relationship, there should be at least basic loyalty."
He had been loyal.
But Samantha hadn't.
Samantha raised an eyebrow, "Loyalty in a relationship?"
Is that how couples behave?
Saying words that hurt so deeply.
Even holding the other's jaw like this?
No.
In her mind, couples shouldn't be like this.
Couples should love and respect each other, without such evident power dynamics.
Suddenly, Samantha laughed, her expression appearing strangely eerie due to the grip on her jaw. "You and me?"
Ethan's breath hitched. "Isn't it?"
At least, based on her performance today, he believed they were a couple.
The kind that could get married.
This unspoken understanding didn't need to be expressed verbally; they both understood it.
Samantha burst into laughter until tears streamed down her face.
"Everyone is an adult, playing around is normal. Don't think that just because we slept together, I want to marry you. If that's the case, with so many men I've been with, who should I marry? Mr. Ethan Steele, don't break the rules of the game! We agreed from the beginning, each taking what they need. If you act like this, I have to reconsider our relationship. I don't like men who can't handle the game."
All the affection he had for her vanished in an instant as her words fell.
Ethan's heart was wounded, bleeding fresh blood.
"Samantha, you disgust me! From now on, don't let me see you again, or... I will make you disappear from this world completely..."
Leaving behind a cold remark, he released the grip on her jaw, turned around indifferently, and walked away without looking back.
Watching his figure disappear into the night, Samantha felt her strength draining away, collapsing to the ground. Hugging her knees, tears poured from her eyes.
Why did she say such hurtful words?
Thinking of Ethan's disappointed expression when he left, her heart felt blocked, unbearable pain gripping her.
Those words didn't reflect her true feelings.
She was clouded by Ethan's words, and that's why she spoke like that.
It wasn't her genuine opinion.
Although she didn't love him, she didn't look down on him either.
Even though there was an element of using him when they were intimate, she didn't consider him just a bed partner.
For over twenty years, apart from Charlotte's biological father, he was her only man.
Her feelings for him were different.
But she didn't have a chance to explain.
Ethan had already left.
Her words had no chance of reaching him.
Samantha remained immersed in sorrow, unaware that Karen was hiding behind a nearby pillar, secretly recording everything and sending the video to Suzy.
Receiving the message from Karen, Suzy's angry emotions were finally alleviated.
Watching the video of the two arguing, Suzy narrowed her eyes. The pent-up frustration from the past few days had finally been released. Trying to snatch her man? No way. Just like four years ago when Samantha couldn't compete with her, it was the same now.
...
Noah noticed that after Samantha came back from her outing, her eyes were red and swollen, as if she had just cried. He immediately walked over, anxiously asking, "Mommy, what happened? Who bullied you? I'll take revenge for you."
Samantha shook her head, listlessly saying, "It's late. I'll take a shower and then go to sleep with you guys."
After saying that, she sluggishly went into the bathroom.
Noah suspiciously watched her. Unable to get any information from her at the moment, he waited until late at night. When Samantha was asleep, he secretly took her phone and sent a message to Ethan.
[Are you asleep?]
The message couldn't be sent.
He tried it on Line, but the red mark appeared.
Noah was baffled. The chat window with Samantha was still there, but the message couldn't be sent. It meant that Samantha didn't delete him; instead, he blocked Samantha.
How could this be?
Just a while ago, weren't they reluctant to part, expressing deep affection for each other?
How, in a short time, did his father block Samantha?
To figure out the situation, Noah immediately applied to add his father as a friend on Facebook.
However, the message sent was met with silence.
Noah felt something was not right, a foreboding sense of unease settling in his heart that wouldn't go away.
Refusing to give up, he added again.
Still, no response.
This time, Noah was certain. His father was truly angry.
He immediately logged into Skype and left a message for Alexander.
"Tomorrow, find out if Father had a fight with Miss Samantha. I'll be waiting for your message at any time."
***