Andrew returned to Ethan's private room with a cold and distant look, as if he was carrying a wave of frost with him.
He walked straight to the table, picked up a glass of liquor without a second thought, and drank it all in one go. But the sharp burn of the alcohol couldn't wash away the irritation in his heart.
Ethan stared at Andrew, his gaze locked on him, finding something odd with each passing second.
He slowly stood up, walked over with calm steps, and sat beside Andrew. "Andrew, what's going on? You didn't find Joshua?"
His voice carried concern and confusion, trying to read Andrew's face for any clues.
But Andrew's heart was in turmoil, not something that could be seen easily by others.
He didn't go looking for Joshua. What he really wanted was to find Katherine—the woman who stirred up endless emotions inside him.
Andrew ignored Ethan's question completely, as if he hadn't heard it. He picked up another glass and downed it.
Ethan grew more curious and worried watching Andrew act like this.
He frowned slightly, waved Assistant Ryan over, and studied him for a moment. "What's wrong with your boss? Why has he been like this the last two times I saw him?"
"He used to never be into women."
There was a hint of probing in Ethan's tone, hoping to get something out of Assistant Ryan.
Assistant Ryan stood to the side, secretly groaning in his heart.
He knew exactly why his boss was acting this way, but how could he dare tell the truth?
If he said Andrew was upset because he was afraid Dr. Katherine was with Joshua, Andrew would probably explode on the spot and eat him alive.
He lowered his head a little, eyes dodging, and after thinking for a moment, he said:
"Mr. Ethan, I don't really know either. Maybe he just didn't find who he was looking for and is feeling bad."
His voice was a bit dry as he tried to keep a calm surface.
Ethan didn't believe him. The doubts in his heart grew deeper.
He narrowed his eyes and thought to himself: Andrew and Joshua had some kind of issue?
But he had never heard about that.
Just then, Andrew seemed to pick up on Ethan's probing. He looked up a little, irritation flashing in his eyes. "Ethan, since when did you get so nosy? Why are you asking so many questions?"
His voice was cold, clearly trying to shut Ethan up.
Then he lifted a glass and offered it to Ethan. "Drink with me."
"Alright, alright, drink." Ethan clinked glasses with him and tilted his head back, finishing it.
…
Katherine and Joshua walked out of the restaurant together.
"Senior, thank you so much today. You must be tired. Go home and rest now," Katherine said, tilting her head slightly to look at him, her eyes full of sincere gratitude.
Joshua had a faint smile at the corners of his mouth. His eyes stayed on Katherine for a moment, then he teased her lightly, "You're not heading home now?"
"I am. I'll catch a ride to your company and drive back from there," Katherine replied softly.
Joshua chuckled. "Why bother calling a car when there's a free driver right here?"
He tilted his head slightly, eyes firm and not open to argument. "Come on, I'll drive you."
His voice was gentle, but it carried a kind of natural steadiness. Like it was nothing out of the ordinary—but full of care and thoughtfulness.
Katherine felt a warm feeling rise inside her, but she was a little embarrassed.
She lowered her head slightly, her cheeks turning pink. "It's really too much trouble for you."
"No need to be polite with me. Let's go," Joshua said, gently patting her shoulder, the gesture soft and natural.
He took the lead, walking toward the parked car with calm and steady steps.
Katherine looked up, watching his back. She pressed her lips together gently, then quickly caught up to him and walked beside him.
Joshua smoothly pulled his car up beside Katherine's. With a gentle sound of brakes, the vehicle came to a quiet stop.
Inside the car, the atmosphere was calm and warm. Katherine unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to face Joshua, her eyes filled with gratitude.
"Senior, thank you so much for today. I'll head home now. I'll treat you to a meal another day."
Joshua's lips curled into a slight smile, and there was a hopeful look in his eyes. "Alright, I'll be waiting."
"Then I'll go now. Goodbye, Senior." Katherine finished speaking and opened the door to get out.
Joshua's gaze followed her through the window, watching her until she got into her own car and slowly drove away, disappearing from his sight.
He turned his head slightly toward the passenger seat, where she had just been. Now, only silence remained.
A trace of loneliness flashed through his eyes. Then he softly muttered, "Looking forward to the next time we meet."
Katherine returned home without pausing. She went straight to the study.
She turned on the light. The soft glow filled the room but couldn't reach the weariness and worry in her eyes.
She sat at her desk, carefully organizing all the evidence she had collected today. One by one, she made backup copies.
She knew clearly that in this silent war, evidence was her strongest weapon. She couldn't afford any mistakes.
It's better to be overprepared than to be caught off guard.
After finishing everything, she leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, letting out a long breath.
That breath seemed to carry away days of exhaustion and pressure. But in her heart, she knew this was only a temporary break.
She had already decided. Once this matter was settled, she would leave the country, far away from all this chaos and noise.
More importantly, she didn't want to hear anything about Andrew anymore.
Even though they had never truly started, Katherine didn't want her emotions to be affected by him again.
She slowly opened her eyes, and a spark of determination returned to her gaze.
She shut down her computer and dragged her tired body into the bathroom.
…
In the private room, the light flickered through the clinking of glasses. Andrew's figure appeared especially lonely in the shifting shadows.
Tonight, it was like something invisible was driving him. He kept drinking one glass after another. Even though he was clearly already drunk, he didn't stop.
Assistant Ryan was getting anxious.
He carefully moved closer to Andrew and gently reminded him, "Sir, please don't drink anymore. Let me take you home to rest."
He reached out, trying to take the glass from Andrew's hand.
But Andrew reacted as if someone had touched a nerve. He suddenly pulled away from Assistant Ryan, his arm swinging in the air with a bit of drunken stubbornness.
"Don't touch me. I'm not drunk yet."
His eyes were hazy and defiant. It was as if in this world of alcohol, only by continuing to drink could he forget the troubles in his heart.
Ethan watched Andrew closely, his brows furrowed in confusion.
He had known Andrew for a long time but had never seen him like this before.
"Assistant Ryan, help me get him to the car."
"We can't let him drink any more. I'm seriously afraid he'll end up with a stomach bleed," Ethan said firmly.
"Yes, Mr. Ethan," Assistant Ryan replied quickly.
Then the two of them each took one side and helped the unsteady Andrew up from the sofa. His body was heavy and weak, his steps unsteady as they slowly led him out.
Andrew's consciousness was already starting to fade under the influence of alcohol. His head drooped, and his mouth kept mumbling something unclear.
As they neared the car, Andrew suddenly muttered a name in his drunken haze.
"Kather…ine…"
"Andrew, who are you talking about? What Katherine?" Ethan's curiosity and confusion ignited at once. He couldn't help but ask urgently.