Billionaire's Match

Chapter 550 Ethan found himself momentarily at a loss for words. He met Charlotte's probing gaze and couldn't shake the feeling that she was deliberately provoking him. Ever since childhood, Clarice had punished him physically. Every punishment involved the whip, and to ensure he remembered the lesson, the wounds weren't treated immediately. He had to endure the pain for days. Over time, the scars had accumulated. Clarice actually liked the scars. She believed a man should carry a few marks to show his toughness and always despised any hint of fragility in Ethan.

"Are you going to treat my wounds or not? You talk too much." Ethan didn't want to answer, so Charlotte simply got to work. After Christopher brought over the hot water, he saw Charlotte carefully disinfecting Ethan's wounds and wisely decided to retreat to his room. Charlotte's hands were meticulous and gentle, her movements precise. Ethan barely felt any pain-what he felt instead was a surprising comfort. His gaze slowly drifted to her face. Her furrowed brows, so rare to see softening, carried an unusual tenderness. A faint twitch ---- tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Ethan," Charlotte said, "did your family send those attackers?" She had overheard Ethan earlier and suspected this much. It seemed related to him-but why had they targeted her as well? They hadn't been particularly polite to

Charlotte turned her head, staring at him with icy eyes. She had suspected as much all along, Lately, the only people she'd crossed were Ethan and Clarice. Noticing the shift in her gaze, Ethan quickly raised his hands. " Charlotte, don't be heartless! | just saved you both. You don't think I'm

| don't stoop to playing the victim!" ---- He spoke forcefully, tensing the muscles around his face, sending another sharp pang through his cheekbone. Seeing the genuine pain on his face, Charlotte said nothing further. Once she had finished tidying up, she thought of something else and asked, "Ethan... was Clarice this cruel to you when you were a child?" Ethan's eyes darkened. He hadn't expected her to notice-or to frame it so sharply, even calling it "cruelty." As a child, he had relied