Wed To The Richest Man

CH 6

[?]

Just a simple question mark, no other words. Grace Howard was stunned.

What did this mean?

She was about to send back a couple of question marks when she realized something was off—while eating noodles, she must have accidentally unlocked her phone in her jeans pocket and called him! And he had picked up, listening for over a minute before hanging up.

How embarrassing! What if he heard her sniffling and talking to her boss?

As Grace was wondering how to respond, Ethan Hugh called her directly.

Taking a deep breath, Grace gathered her courage and answered, "Hello?"

"Where are you?" Ethan's voice was calm, almost emotionless, yet it carried an undeniable authority that Grace couldn't quite understand.

It was strange. He was just a public relations guy, so why did he have such a commanding presence?

"I'm, I'm at Emperor City..." Grace replied in a hushed tone, feeling like she was sneaking around.

"Add me on this number's messaging app and send me your location," Ethan said before abruptly hanging up.

Grace stared at the disconnected call screen, feeling bewildered. Something about this felt off.

Wait, is this how he usually talks to rich women? Who's the one getting paid here anyway?

Despite her grumbling, Grace Howard obediently added Ethan Hugh on WeChat.

What popped up was an account with no profile picture, and the username was simply "Huo."

Is this male escort's last name Huo? Grace suddenly felt a bit curious about his full name.

The friend request was quickly accepted, and Grace, playing along, sent her location before Ethan could even ask, along with a sweating emoji.

It was confusing—why did he need her location? Was he going to fly over from Wen City?

As Grace grumbled to herself, she continued eating her noodles. Just as she was about to finish, a small commotion erupted outside the noodle shop.

"Wow, isn't that the super expensive Aston Martin model?" said someone who clearly knew cars.

"Such a great physique, is he a male celebrity? But wait, I've never seen him before..." said someone who was obviously a fan.

The door to the noodle shop opened, and Grace instinctively slurped her noodles and glanced up.

That one glance nearly made her choke on her noodles.

PR Ethan was here?! Wasn't he supposed to be in Wen City? When did he arrive in Emperor City?

Ethan Hugh, wearing sunglasses and a perfectly tailored dark suit, exuded an air of sophistication that elevated the humble noodle shop to new heights.

Only Grace Howard "knew" he was a male escort; those unaware might have mistaken him for an international star sampling local cuisine for a TV show. His striking appearance lit up the entire noodle shop, leaving others so mesmerized they forgot to eat their noodles.

"What brings you here?" Ethan asked Grace.

"I..." Grace hesitated, glancing at the onlookers around them, feeling a bit awkward.

"Get in the car," Ethan said, realizing this wasn't the place for a conversation. With those two words, he turned and walked away.

Grace, her head spinning, paid the bill and stepped outside to find Ethan's car.

She didn't know much about cars; to her, they were all just four-wheeled vehicles, much like she didn't understand the intricacies of Ethan's bespoke suit.

But she immediately sensed the car's luxury—not just from the unfamiliar terms whispered by the onlookers, but from the intense envy in their eyes.

Wow, a car like this must cost... tens of thousands, at least?

Years of living frugally had made Grace even cautious in her dreams.

Ethan Hugh politely opened the passenger door, gesturing for her to get in.

Grace Howard carefully climbed into the car, curling up as if afraid she might dirty or damage something.

Ethan pressed the gas pedal, leaving the crowd of curious onlookers behind.

Watching his nonchalant demeanor as he drove, Grace couldn't help but remark, "Being a male escort must pay well if you can afford such a nice car."

Ethan glanced at her, "You still haven't said why you're here."

Grace lowered her head and recounted the whole story, including details about her uncle, aunt, and grandmother's family that she had never shared with anyone before.

It was strange because, by nature, she wasn't someone who easily shared her pain with others. She usually endured it silently.

But at this moment, she found herself pouring out all her sadness and disappointment to Ethan, regardless of whether it was appropriate.

"When Uncle Morris and the others bullied me, I used to imagine my mom coming back to stand up for me... But now, I don't have a dad, and I've lost my mom too. It's like I'm a complete orphan," Grace said, her eyes welling up with tears.

Ethan Hugh drove steadily, his voice calm and even: "You'll get used to these trivial things."

Grace Howard rubbed her eyes. "Yeah, I'll get used to it."

It was strange. Ethan's tone was somewhat indifferent, and his expression showed little sympathy or pity, yet it somehow comforted Grace. She didn't feel as upset as she initially did.

Even though Ethan didn't talk about his own issues or say anything like "I've had it worse," his striking looks and demeanor suggested that something significant must have happened in his life for him to end up as a male escort. Perhaps there was an even more difficult past he had to endure.

Even if he was just performing and not selling himself, being a male escort wasn't exactly a respectable job. Some people with biases might assume the worst.

A man with such a past, having lost his good reputation, would find it hard to get married. He wouldn't be able to hold his head high in front of his mother-in-law or earn the respect of his father-in-law. So, unless it was absolutely necessary, why would someone so handsome choose to sell smiles? Wouldn't becoming a popular star be a better option?

As Grace was lost in her thoughts, Ethan stopped the car.

She finally noticed that he had driven them to a place resembling a tropical park, with a river flowing gently and vibrant flowers and trees all around. The scenery was beautiful, but it was quiet, with no one else around.

"This is..." Grace Howard was taken aback. In a bustling city like Emperor City, was there really such a quiet, deserted place? She remembered it wasn't too far from the city center.

"This is my backyard," Ethan Hugh said with a slight smile.

He left out one key word: one of. This grand estate was just one of his many residences.

Grace's jaw practically hit the floor.

Are you kidding me?!

This was Emperor City, where every inch of land was worth a fortune! And this vast, seemingly endless space was just a backyard?!

She had just taken a tour around the Su residence, and judging by the size and beauty of this place, Ethan's home was no less impressive. No, to be precise, it was even more so...

"You, you must be joking..." Grace stammered, her tongue feeling like it was newly installed and not quite working right. "How much does a place like this cost?"

"I have no idea. The properties are all bought by the housekeeper. I don't really bother with such things," Ethan replied nonchalantly.

Grace was completely blown away: "What?! You have a housekeeper too?!"