Ethan nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Of course," he said coolly. "The whole world thinks you married me and that means you got the better deal. So technically, you're the one taking advantage of me."
Hailey Tang took a deep breath, fighting down the urge to smack him right then and there.
"Ethan," she said, voice steady but sharp as a blade, "I'm serious about the divorce. Can you please stop toying with me?"
Ethan's expression matched her seriousness, dark and unwavering. "I'm not toying with you. You really are the best woman to be my wife. I'm telling you the truth."
Hailey scoffed, bitterness tingling on her tongue. "You didn't think that before. Did someone kick you in the head? Or—God forbid—have you really fallen in love with me?"
Ethan didn't answer. Instead, his gaze darkened, intense enough to swallow the light around them.
His eyes were like a black hole—dangerous, mysterious, almost terrifying.
Hailey found it hard to meet that gaze.
It was like the Ethan she thought she knew had been replaced by someone else.
"What are you looking at?" she asked, uneasy.
"Maybe you're right," Ethan said lowly, then opened the car door and stepped out.
They had arrived at the villa.
Hailey froze, her mind racing.
Right about what?
Had he really lost his mind? Or… had he actually fallen for her?
The next morning, Hailey barely had time to settle downstairs before Zhang, the housekeeper, handed her a sleek black card.
"Miss, this is a black card from your husband," Zhang said, beaming.
Hailey blinked, confused. "For me?"
"Yes, Master Ethan told me to make sure you get it before he left."
"Why would he give this to me?" Hailey didn't reach out to take it.
Zhang smiled knowingly. "Of course, it's for you to spend however you like. Swipe it, withdraw cash—use it as much as you want."
Hailey's relationship with Ethan had always been complicated, and Zhang had watched it unfold silently for months.
But this was the first time she'd seen Ethan show such generosity to Hailey.
Zhang's eyes glistened with a little excitement. "Miss, Master Ethan is finally treating you well. He gave you this card because there's something for you in his heart now."
But Hailey felt nothing.
"I don't want it. Give it back to him," she said flatly.
"Why?" Zhang asked, puzzled.
Hailey didn't explain. Without another word, she walked straight to the dining room for breakfast.
She still remembered the vow she made last night—if she ever took a single cent of Ethan's money, may her whole family perish.
And now, here he was, literally handing her a black card.
How was this not intentional?
The thought made her stomach churn all day.
When Ethan returned that afternoon, Zhang handed the card back to him with a sigh.
"Master Ethan, Miss refused to take it."
Ethan frowned slightly. "She refused?"
"Yes, she wouldn't accept it no matter what."
Without a word, Ethan took the card and walked upstairs.
Hailey was in the study, quietly browsing online university information for City C.
She still planned to go back to school—even if it meant relying on connections to get in.
When she heard Ethan enter, she didn't look up.
He came behind her, and his sharp eyes immediately caught what she was searching.
Placing the black card on the desk near her, he said in a quiet, almost casual tone, "Why won't you take it? It's for you—to support the family, and for your own use."
Hailey kept her eyes on the screen, not sparing him a glance. "Don't test me. I told you I won't spend your money."
Ethan crossed his arms, amused. "You're still my wife, you should spend my money."
"No way," Hailey snapped without hesitation. "I'm afraid my whole family will die."
Ethan's expression flickered—he immediately caught the hint of her childish stubbornness.
The room fell silent for a moment.
Ethan's voice softened slightly, his tone laced with teasing patience.
"Hailey, are you seriously going to let that curse keep you from accepting help? You think I want you struggling?"
Hailey's fingers hovered over the keyboard, but she didn't type. Instead, she whispered, "I'm serious. If I take your money, something bad will happen to my family."
Ethan chuckled, a deep, almost warm sound.
"Is that how you see me? As some kind of bad luck?"
"I don't see you like that," she said quickly, "but your money comes with strings attached, and I'm not ready to be a puppet on your leash."
His eyes softened with understanding, but the challenge didn't leave them.
"You think marriage's about money?" he asked.
"No. It's about trust and respect."
Ethan leaned in closer, voice low, "Then prove you trust me."
Hailey finally turned to meet his gaze, her heart pounding like thunder.
And in that moment, all the walls she'd built around herself trembled.
Could she trust the man who'd once wanted to divorce her?
Could she believe the man who was now offering her everything?
Ethan's hand reached out, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face.
"No matter what," he said quietly, "I'm here. I'm yours—whether you want me or not."
Hailey's breath hitched.
One year.
One whole year to see if love could bloom from the ashes of bitterness and pain.
One year to decide whether to stay—or finally say goodbye.
And somewhere deep down, where fear and hope intertwined, Hailey realized she wasn't just afraid of losing him.
She was afraid of losing herself without him...