As soon as she got in.
Jessica, sitting in the passenger seat, looked a little self-conscious and uneasy.
This was the first time she'd ever sat in such an expensive sports car.
Ethan glanced at her sideways.
Today she wore a simple blouse with a delicate lace camisole underneath, and her beautiful collarbone line was clearly visible.
She had her hair up in a refreshing bun, looking particularly energetic.
In the slightly dim light of the car, an enticing hint of cleavage was visible.
Her lower half wore a well-fitted short skirt that outlined her straight, shapely thighs.
Although she wasn't wearing heels today—just a pair of flats.
Her figure still looked tall and alluring.
The light makeup was just right, making her look both pure and cute without losing a touch of sexiness.
Ethan's gaze involuntarily lingered on her for a moment.
He had to admit that Jessica had serious "assets"—her body curves were perfect, and her headlights were very bright.
Especially those slender, well-proportioned legs—by the standards of connoisseurs from his previous life, they were definitely at the level of "could admire for a year."
Jessica keenly noticed Ethan's gaze and shyly lowered her head, but her body subconsciously leaned toward Ethan, and her legs angled slightly in his direction.
She was secretly pleased to attract his attention but also a little embarrassed, and couldn't help scolding:
"Have you seen enough? Watch the road!"
The corners of Ethan's mouth lifted slightly as he steadied the steering wheel with one hand:
"Don't worry, one hand is plenty for driving a Ferrari."
If Jack heard that, he'd definitely say: There goes Ethan the dog showing off again.
Jessica pursed her lips:
"I thought you were an upstanding, promising young man, but it turns out you're a 'player.'"
Ethan wasn't embarrassed but said calmly:
"Everyone appreciates beauty. Isn't it human nature to look at beautiful things with admiration?"
"Well... you can't keep staring! It's rush hour—how dangerous to drive like that!"
Jessica tried to find some logical argument.
Ethan raised his chin:
"Look ahead."
Jessica looked forward suspiciously.
She saw that although traffic was slow, Ethan's fiery red Ferrari always maintained relatively smooth space in front of it.
The surrounding vehicles seemed to have a tacit understanding, all maintaining a safe distance from the luxury car.
Jessica couldn't help but be dumbfounded, sighing inwardly: Sure enough, when you're rich, everything around you gets better. Everyone's so nice.
There was silence in the car for a moment.
Jessica found a topic:
"Did you buy this car?"
"Yeah, just bought it yesterday."
Ethan replied very casually.
Jessica asked, puzzled:
"Aren't you here to visit? You should be heading back home in a few days! Why would you buy a sports car here!"
Ethan said while watching the road ahead:
"School starts in a few days. I just got accepted to NYU in this year's SATs."
"What?"
Jessica was so shocked she almost bit her tongue, and suddenly turned to look at Ethan:
"You're just starting college? So... you just turned 18?!"
On the plane, Ethan had mentioned he was coming to New York for school, but she'd thought it was a joke at the time, or assumed he meant grad school. She never expected he was a freshman who'd just finished his SATs!
Although Ethan looked young, she'd always thought he was at most a year or two younger than her.
Ethan turned his head, revealing a sunny smile, his white teeth flashing in the light:
"I just turned 18 two months ago."
Jessica's composure instantly crumbled a bit.
She was 26 years old, had graduated from college a few years ago, and had been working as a flight attendant for several years.
Women were inherently sensitive about age.
She already felt a sense of crisis at her age—in a few years she'd be an older single woman.
This was also one of the reasons she hadn't refused when Ethan asked for her contact info on the plane.
They say dating a woman three years older brings fortune.
But she was 8 years older than Ethan! How much fortune could that possibly bring? By the time Ethan graduated from college, she'd be 30!
She used to hear her colleagues at the company joke about some passengers who were "cradle robbers," but she never expected that one day she'd become one herself...
A sense of retreat arose.
If her colleagues found out she was dating an 18-year-old... She couldn't imagine that scene.
She didn't know how she'd face her coworkers.
At first on the plane, she'd thought Ethan's family was well-off, but she didn't expect them to be THIS well-off!
Ethan was so young, so handsome, and casually buying a 100,000 of-dollar Ferrari—how terrifying was this family background?
Meanwhile, aside from a fairly pretty face and figure, her own family background was ordinary, and her job was just a flight attendant...
The huge gap made her instantly a little discouraged.
Ethan noticed her silence and hesitation:
"Does age really matter?"
Jessica asked back:
"Doesn't it?"
Ethan chuckled, his tone carrying a maturity beyond his years:
"Whether it matters or not depends on what you think. If you think it doesn't matter, then it really won't be an obstacle."
Jessica was silent for a while, feeling like Ethan's words actually made some sense.
She temporarily put aside her concerns and changed the subject:
"Where are we going to eat? Everywhere's crowded at this hour, right?"
Ethan said lightly:
"It's fine. Someone's treating, the reservation's already made. We'll just head straight there."
Jessica suddenly pouted with a resentful expression:
"Hmph, so you lied to me! Didn't you say YOU were taking me to dinner?"
Ethan explained:
"I didn't lie to you. There's just a business dinner I couldn't get out of, and I really wanted to have dinner with you, so we're doing both. I need a date to attend with me anyway, so I'm bringing you along."
This reason sounded reasonable enough.
Jessica didn't argue anymore, just pouted to express her dissatisfaction.
Ethan didn't care. He naturally reached out and gently rested his hand on her smooth thigh.
Jessica's body trembled slightly, her face instantly flushing red, and her small hand gently pushed at Ethan's:
"Don't... don't do that, we just met..."
Her tone was coquettish.
Ethan just smiled and gently rubbed his fingers on her leg, with no intention of pulling back.
This vibe... that's right.
A faint air of playing hard-to-get lingered around Jessica.
Hmm~ It was the fresh flavor of someone new to the game.
Just that her skill level was still shallow—she had the clarity of a novice, but hadn't yet developed the refined charm of a veteran player.
Ten minutes later.
The red Ferrari stopped smoothly at the entrance of The River Garden.
The valet parking was excellent.
Ethan naturally took Jessica's hand and walked toward the entrance of this standalone Chinese-style establishment.
The River Garden's exterior was elegant and grand, with traditional architecture revealing understated luxury.
Just then.
At the entrance of The River Garden stood a young woman wearing a crisp bank uniform.
She was pacing back and forth anxiously, looking down at her phone from time to time.
When Ethan approached with Jessica, she happened to look up, and a professional, enthusiastic smile immediately bloomed on her face as she quickly greeted them:
"Hello! Are you Mr. Ethan Miller?"
Ethan nodded and said:
"I am!"
"Hello Mr. Miller! I'm Mia, account manager at Chase Bank." The woman bowed slightly with a respectful posture. "President William specifically arranged for me to wait here for your arrival!"
Jessica, hearing "President William," couldn't help but feel shocked.
She'd just heard Ethan say someone was treating them to dinner, but she never expected the host to be a bank president!
Someone with that kind of status taking the initiative to arrange a banquet and wait for Ethan... What was his background?
Ethan's eyes also fell on Mia.
She was about 5'5", slightly shorter than Jessica and other tall flight attendants, but her figure was well-proportioned.
Her face was attractive and dignified, and her hair was meticulously pulled back, making her look very capable and professional.
Her skin was fair and delicate, giving off a youthful sense of freshness.
William had specifically sent someone to wait at the door—this level of respect was quite significant.
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