Chapter 140: Be careful, I think⦠heâs dangerous
The car cruised along the city streets.
âActually, I think I can guess a bit,â Ethan said, his eyes gleaming with curiosity. âKatherine, are you and Miss Aria a couple?â
Katherine coughed lightly, her expression awkward.
Glancing at Ethan, she realized that although the young man was a psychic, he was quite naive. âItâs not what you think. I helped her with a case once,weâre just friends.â
âOh~â Ethanâs smile was loaded with implication.
Seeing this, Katherine didnât bother to explain further, feeling a bit more resentful towards Aria in her heart.
She and Aria were not a couple.
But she knew Aria harbored some unspoken feelings for her.
Aria usually hid it well.
It must have been because she brought Ethan home yesterday that Aria got the wrong idea.
âAh,â Katherine sighed internally, her hands full with a case already troubling enough without Ariaâs misunderstandings.
From the corner of her eye, Katherine caught a glimpse of Ethan in the carâs rearview mirror.
The boy was somewhat thin, but with handsome features that definitely made him stand out among his peers.
To Katherine, he was just a high school student, and Aria getting jealous over him was totally unreasonable.
The sedan sped along.
Katherine parked the car in front of a residential building as per the address on her file, unbuckled her seatbelt, and got out to knock on the door.
Ethan followed her.
An elderly man answered the door. After Katherine explained her purpose, the man was not very cooperative.
Katherine didnât have much of a solution, repeatedly assuring him that she only needed to take basic notes and wouldnât disrupt his life.
Ethan stood by quietly, observing.
After finishing her visit, Katherine quickly moved on to the next house, her morning passing in a blur of activity.
By noon, the two grabbed a quick lunch at an Olive Garden.
âIs it boring for you?â Katherine asked while twirling some spaghetti, looking at Ethan who had quietly followed her all morning without much fuss, behaving very well.
âNo, I really respect you, Katherine,â Ethan put down his fork, his eyes shining. âI always dreamed of becoming a police officer, to uphold justice.â
âUnfortunately, I was diagnosed with progressive muscular atrophy, so I ended up confined to a hospital bedâ¦â
He paused suddenly, realizing he might have said too much, and gave an apologetic smile, trying to lighten the mood: âIf thereâs anything I can help you with, Katherine, just let me know.â
Katherine had already looked into Ethanâs background the day before. After spending two days with him, she knew he wasnât very cunning, so she feigned surprise, âProgressive muscular atrophy? Shouldnât that condition keep you bedridden?â
Ethanâs eyes dimmed slightly, âYeah, but I can move around using my psychic abilities, though my condition hasnât actually improved.â
âIâm sorry,â Katherine said, her tone full of genuine regret.
âItâs okay.â He smiled, relieved. âI think it must be God who heard my prayers and gave me these abilities.â
âI hope to use this power to save up some money in my last days.â
Ethan then scooped up a big forkful of spaghetti, âLetâs not talk about that now, this place has really good pasta.â
âYeah,â Katherine nodded, managing a strained smile as she continued eating, her mind in turmoil.
So he was getting out of bed by controlling his so-called psychic abilities.
She understood Ethanâs motivesâto leave some money for his family after he was gone, which was why he took on these tasks.
Katherine looked at the young man eating quietly.
A maternal feeling welled up inside her.
At this moment, Ethanâs image in her heart shifted from a mysterious and deadly psychic to a frail young man.
âWant some chicken breast? I havenât started on it yet?â
Katherine suddenly moved her creamy chicken breast onto his plate.
She never doubted that Ethan would lie to her.
Because there was no point.
Why would Ethan lie to her? So Katherine took his words at face value.
âAh?â Ethan looked briefly surprised, then nodded awkwardly, âThank you.â
He noticed the change in Katherineâs expression.
Surprised that this ice queen, who seemed so aloof, actually had a heart full of contrasting warmth.
Not surprisingly.
After all, choosing to be a prosecutor naturally meant she was the type to value justice.
After their conversation.
The atmosphere between the two had noticeably improved.
After lunch.
Katherine wanted Ethan to rest in the car.
âItâs okay, Katherine.â Ethan looked up at the sky, his smile warm. âI donât want to just lie down.â
Katherine felt a pang in her heart, remembering his medical history of long periods bedridden: âAlright, but donât push yourself if you get tired later.â
âOkay.â Ethan was very cooperative, his handsome, boyish appearance making him seem deceptively robust.
In the afternoon, he was even more proactive.
It seemed he was genuinely happy to be able to help Katherine.
Katherine quickly grew fond of the boy who shared her sense of justice.
With Ethanâs help, she was much more efficient.
âThank you so much.â Katherine had just finished visiting a middle-aged man and as she stepped out, she noticed the fine beads of sweat on Ethanâs forehead.
A twinge of sympathy arose in her as she looked up at the hot sun: âEthan, letâs go rest in the car for a bit.â
âOh, itâs okay.â Ethan wiped the sweat from his forehead, his exhaustion not feignedâhis stamina probably on par with a young girlâs:
âI feel like Iâm becoming a police officer, fulfilling my dream.â
He looked up at Katherine, his eyes hopeful: âAm I contributing to the cause of justice?â
âYes, of course.â Katherine saw a reflection of her younger self in his eyes.
Just then.
Her phone suddenly rang.
Katherine saw it was Aria calling, her brow furrowing as she nodded to Ethan and turned to answer the call.
Ariaâs voice came through, low and tense: âKatherine, are you with him right now?â
âYes, whatâs up?â Katherine detected the hostility in her toneâAria had always shown animosity towards any man or woman who appeared close to her.
She had been subtly critical about it.
Her hostility towards Ethan this morning was particularly undisguised.
âBe careful, I think⦠heâs dangerous.â Ariaâs voice lowered, her mind distracted all day.
She was still preoccupied with what had happened the night before.
She knew exactly what had been injected into her, and the scale of it was not something a normal human possessed.
Especially later, when she was coerced.
She couldnât understand why someone who looked so refined could be so outrageously disproportionate.
And this boy, he had no morals in his actions.
Just the thought of him being with Katherine made Aria uneasy.
And now, with Katherineâs safety dependent on him and his mysterious abilities, Aria was wary, not daring to tell Katherine the truth.
âYou donât need to worry.â Katherineâs tone was icy, picking up on Ariaâs hostility.
It was one thing for her to be hostile towards men who pursued her.
But to be this way towards a high school student was really too much.