Chapter 17 Help Me Check.

Emily's voice was sweet and confident, yet filled with vitality. Ethan looked at her exquisite profile. This side of her face was unblemished, pure, and flawless, just like the impression she gave now. For a brief moment, he couldn't help but be lost in thought. ***** After lunch, Aldrich asked Emily to push Ethan around the garden, familiarizing her with the layout of the mansion. The garden was quiet and deserted. Emily grew tired from pushing and stopped to rest. "Mr. Thomas, let me rest for a moment." She wiped the sweat from her forehead and took a few breaths. At that moment, Ethan's cold voice sounded, "Your performance today was acceptable." This reluctant praise made Emily somewhat displeased. "Mr. Thomas, it was more than just acceptable! I believe my performance today was excellent. Even Aldrich agreed to our marriage." Ethan's face immediately darkened, his voice becoming somber. "Are you doing all this just to gain his approval?" Emily faltered and thought, ‘Do I seem that calculating?’ "Of course not! Mr. Thomas, now that we are a couple, if anyone dares to bully you, I will definitely stand up for you. When it's time to act, I will act!" Emily replied with a determined air. Ethan remained silent. Emily secretly rolled her eyes and thought, ‘Perhaps this is an opportunity to get closer to Ethan. Once we are more familiar, maybe I can find out from him about the whereabouts of the medical book. Otherwise, searching on my own poses too much risk.’ Emily pursed her lips and decided to take the initiative. "Mr. Thomas, have you always been treated like this before? William and his son really don't regard you highly. That's why I couldn't bear it and personally took care of Bob for you. Did you feel relieved today?" "If you're doing this to please me, there's no need to continue in the future. Offending William’s family is far more serious than offending the Parker family," Ethan said, his eyes narrowing slightly, his voice cold. Emily blinked her clear eyes innocently. "Why would I please you? What benefit is there for me in offending William?" Ethan was momentarily speechless. Emily quickly changed the subject. "Alright, let's drop this topic. It's meaningless. Let's keep going." She pushed him forward. The atmosphere became oddly tense, and neither of them spoke again. Suddenly, Ethan's calm voice broke the silence. "Technically, you should go back and visit your own family. Are you planning to go back?" Emily thought, ‘Right, I have to make a trip back to the Parker family. There are still some remnants of my mother's possessions in the hands of the Parker family.’ Biting her lip, Emily replied promptly, "I will go back, of course. Mr. Thomas, I can go back by myself. Since we have a marriage of convenience, there's no need for you to accompany me. You should do whatever you need to do tomorrow," she added hastily. The words Ethan was about to say died in his throat, his face growing even darker. His silence was consent in Emily's eyes. ***** Emily and Ethan stayed at the mansion for the entire afternoon. It wasn't until they finished dinner with Aldrich that they prepared to head back home. At this moment, Aldrich stopped Emily. "Emily, this is one of the Thomas family's heirlooms. I'm entrusting it to you from now on." Aldrich handed a delicate wooden box to Emily. Emily hesitated, her gaze immediately turning towards Ethan in the wheelchair. Ethan nodded slightly, prompting Emily to accept the wooden box. Upon opening it, she saw a high-quality jadeite bracelet. She quickly declined, "Mr. Aldrich, this bracelet is too precious. I'd rather not." She tried to return the bracelet to Aldrich, who stared at her with widened eyes and said sternly, "Since you've taken it, there's no reason to give it back." Emily pursed her lips, feeling awkward. Ethan coldly interjected, "Since he has given it to you, just accept it." Caught in a dilemma, Emily could only nod, "Thank you, Mr. Aldrich." This was one of the Thomas family's heirlooms, and since she wasn't truly Ethan's wife, accepting the bracelet made her uneasy. After leaving the mansion later, she planned to return the bracelet to Ethan and let him keep it for his future wife. After bidding farewell to Aldrich, Emily and Ethan rode back to The Hall in the car. The two sat quietly in the back seat. Emily held the wooden box and handed it to Ethan, saying, "Here, take this back." Ethan looked down at the wooden box, his brows furrowing tightly, but he remained silent. Seeing him not taking it, Emily pushed it towards him again, "Mr. Thomas, please take it. Since we're not a real couple, I shouldn't keep it for you..." Before she could finish her sentence, her slender wrist was suddenly grasped forcefully by a large hand. Startled, Emily let go of the box. Coincidentally, the box landed squarely on a sensitive area of Ethan's body, bouncing a few times before coming to rest on the seat. Emily was dumbstruck, feeling like she had done something terribly wrong. She nervously glanced at Ethan's face, which had turned livid. Avoiding eye contact, she cautiously asked, "Mr. Thomas, I didn't mean to... Are you okay?" Through the rearview mirror, Byron could see the anger on Ethan's face. Emily seemed genuinely innocent, not like she had done it on purpose. He had heard about Emily's deeds at the mansion today and admired her actions, shedding his previous prejudices. "Mr. Thomas, Mrs. Thomas didn't mean it. How are you feeling? Do you need to go to the hospital?" Byron asked immediately. Ethan's face darkened even more. "Go back immediately!" His tone was cold as if he was a wrathful deity of hell. Byron shuddered all over, knowing that Ethan was truly angry. He dared not say more, pressing harder on the accelerator. Emily silently shrunk to the edge of her seat, trying her best to keep a distance from Ethan to avoid his wrath affecting her. Before long, they arrived back at The Hall. Byron and Emily worked together to escort Ethan back to his bedroom. Emily placed the wooden box on the coffee table and turned to leave, trying to make a quick exit in such a situation. "Emily." Ethan's voice suddenly rang out. Emily's body froze immediately. She forced a smile and asked awkwardly, "Mr. Thomas, is there something you need? I left the bracelet on the coffee table." "I remember you were a medical student," Ethan's dark eyes flashed with obscure and unreadable light. "Yes," Emily nodded. Before her imprisonment, she was indeed a medical student at Ashwood University. "Stay and help me do an examination," Ethan said softly.