After securing the major deal with Tenward, the director had a few more drinks at noon and fell asleep as soon as he returned to the hotel. There was nothing scheduled for the afternoon, so Talia was free to do as she pleased. Sutherlyn, located along the coast, is a famous tourist city in the country. The hotel where Talia stayed was by the sea, offering a great view; a glance revealed the azure ocean and a pale golden beach. The afternoon temperature soared to thirty degrees. Talia nestled in the hotel, resting all afternoon. As sunset approached, she changed into a cool tank top and shorts, applied sunscreen, put on sunglasses, and headed to the beach. The beach in this area belonged to the hotel and was not open to the public, so there weren’t many people around. Talia sat down on a cool chair under a large sunshade, removed her sunglasses, and let her thoughts drift away while gazing at the endless sea. A red sun hung at the horizon where water met sky; the clouds were dyed a reddish-orange with gold edges, and the sea sparkled with flecks of light as if a bottle of orange soda had been tipped over and layered with scattered diamonds, bright and dreamlike. The sea breeze, carrying traces of saltiness, blew directly, dispersing the remaining heat. Leaning against the cool chair, Talia leisurely and comfortably admired the sunset over the sea, feeling refreshed and delighted. She had been busy to the point of exhaustion in recent days, and it had been a long time since she felt this relaxed. "Miss, are you here alone?" Talia had barely sat down before a man approached her with this line. Talia remained expressionless and didn’t even glance at him, "Married with two kids; my husband is in the hotel with them." Despite Talia’s words, the man didn’t leave; instead, he was more encouraged. He stepped forward, his gaze locked onto Talia, scrutinizing her from head to toe, and said lecherously, "Oh, a young mom, still in such great shape after two kids." The man took another step forward, getting very close to Talia’s lounger, "Since your husband isn’t here, can I play with you?" Talia’s eyes filled with disgust as they landed on the man, "Get lost." One word, concise and straightforward. "Wow, such a temper," the man continued his vulgar teasing, "I love a girl with a temper like yours." Talia was about to stand up and defend herself when suddenly the man was kicked to the ground, "Where did this lowlife come from?" Talia turned her head to look, her brow furrowing. Why was Ethan Grant here? The kicked man cursed as he got up, spitting out some profanity, and charged forward to fight. The scrawny, sleazy man, standing under 1.7 meters tall, was utterly powerless against Ethan Grant, who had a height of around 1.85 meters and a regular fitness routine. Realizing he couldn’t win the fight, the sleazy man fled in defeat. Ethan Grant dusted off his clothes, looking at Talia, "Talia, you alright?" Talia’s face was cold, "What are you doing here?" Ethan Grant sat down in the chair next to Talia. Of course, he had paid money to bribe a colleague at Talia’s law firm to learn about her whereabouts. Ethan Grant didn’t tell the truth, "Oakhaven was too cold recently, so I came to Sutherlyn on vacation. What a coincidence that we’re in the same hotel! Are you here to vacation too?" Talia didn’t want to ponder the truthfulness of Ethan Grant’s words, regardless of whether he came for vacation or followed her deliberately—it had nothing to do with her. Talia said coldly, "It’s none of your business." "Did you know Adrian Jennings is also in Sutherlyn? He came with that actress." Talia smirked, giving a cold laugh, "What are you trying to say?" "Talia, I told you, men are all the same. Don’t think Adrian Jennings is any better than me. Now, do you believe it?" "I saw the news about your cancellation of the engagement with him. You two have broken up, right? Now that you’re single, can I pursue you?" Talia got up, not wanting to stay there and listen to Ethan Grant’s nonsense any longer. Seeing Talia about to leave, Ethan Grant hurriedly grabbed her hand, but before he could speak, Talia twisted his wrist with a crack. "Ah—" Ethan Grant cried out in pain instinctively. Talia flung his hand away, her eyes openly showing disgust, "Ethan Grant, I made it clear last time. Don’t bother me again, understand?" Ethan Grant looked wounded, staring at Talia obsessively, "Talia, I can’t do that. I can’t let you go." "Ethan Grant, you make me sick." With that, Talia turned around and left without looking back. Ethan Grant caught up, "Adrian Jennings must have been involved with that actress while he was with you. You barely broke off the engagement, and his scandal with the actress exploded—isn’t it because you found out about his betrayal and then ended the engagement?" Talia pressed her lips together, maintaining a cold gaze as she quickened her pace, not answering Ethan Grant’s question. Ethan Grant followed closely, "Did you keep up with that entertainment industry gala event tonight? Adrian Jennings and the actress walked the red carpet together; they’re making it official now. Talia, you should give up." Hearing the words "making it official," Talia paused. Ethan Grant saw Talia finally stop and smirked, "Talia, I..." "Talia, don’t drive me away. I know you now..." In the hotel lobby, there were security personnel. Talia marched over and said to them, "Hello, I’m a guest here. This gentleman is harassing me, could you please help?" "Talia, Talia, hear me out." Ethan Grant followed. The security personnel reached out to hold Ethan Grant back, "Sir, please do not harass ladies here." ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by novel⚑fire.net Ethan Grant was red-faced and furious, "Harass? She’s my girlfriend! We’re just having a spat, let me go!" The security guard turned to Talia, seeking confirmation. Talia’s expression was cold, "I’m not in a relationship with him." With that, Talia turned and walked away. Ethan Grant was still shouting, "Talia, don’t go. Talia..." The security personnel firmly restrained Ethan Grant, "Sir, please refrain from bothering women or disrupting our hotel’s operations..." "Get your hands off me! Damn!" "Sir, if you continue, we’ll have to call the police." "I wasn’t harassing her. I said we’re a couple!" Talia returned to her room, shut the door, leaned back against it, and stared blankly at the floor. After a while, she numbly took out her phone and opened Weibo’s trending search. The photo of Adrian Jennings with Lana Larsen appeared prominently. "Snap—" the phone fell to the ground. The evening breeze swept in through the window, fluttering the white sheer curtains. Talia was struck as if by lightning; her blood turned to ice instantly, standing pale under the light.