Chapter 3Glitch in the System: The Erased Years

I looked at the face mere inches from mine.

Almond eyes, high nose bridge, thin lips, a sharp jawline.

There was a hint of rebelliousness in his features.

He gave off the vibe of an untamed boy from a comic book.

He was indeed very handsome.

But to say he was "perfectly sculpted to my aesthetic" was an exaggeration.

I could only say he fit my aesthetic.

He was a handsome guy.

But my taste in handsome guys wasn't limited to one type.

I like almond eyes, but I also like fox eyes.

Thick eyebrows and big eyes are nice, but there are plenty of handsome guys with monolids too.

Pale, sweet "golden retriever" boys are lovable, but rugged guys with a bronze tan have their own charm.

So, how could I have become his lapdog just because of his looks?

I was absolutely certain his physical appearance didn't hold that much attraction for me.

While I was lost in thought looking at his face, a coquettish female voice came from the doorway.

"What are you guys doing?"

Snapping back to reality, I saw Ethan immediately straighten up, take two steps back, and eagerly put distance between us.

He looked toward the door: "Mia, you're here!"

Saying that, he took the fruit basket from her hands and placed it on the small table next to the hospital bed.

"Look, Mia even specially bought fruit for you. Stop being so petty!"

The girl named Mia was wearing a floral dress, tall and slender.

Her wavy long hair fell to her waist, her makeup was flawless, and she wore rimless glasses.

She had an elegant, intellectual beauty.

"Chloe, I'm sorry. Everything yesterday was my fault for causing you to get hurt."

Wearing stiletto heels, she walked to my bedside in three quick steps.

Without giving me a chance to speak, she continued on her own.

"I really didn't mean it, I was just a little anxious."

"I didn't want to ruin your wedding either, but Auntie specifically told me I had to stop you."

"You have to be understanding of her. After all, the Vance family has a massive business empire, and there are too many people approaching with ulterior motives. It's only natural for Auntie to be afraid that you're only after Ethan for his money."

"I don't want you guys to get married right now either, but my reasons are different from Auntie's."

"In my opinion, marriage is a serious matter. At the very least, both sets of parents should meet, right?"

"You bypassing both families to get the license, isn't that too childish?"

"Also Chloe, even though Auntie refuses to see you, for Ethan's sake, you should work hard to get her approval."

"Lowering your stance for love and pleasing your future mother-in-law isn't shameful."

"How could you not even be willing to try, and just instigate Ethan to get the license directly?"

"One more thing, I need to make my stance clear. Although Auntie has tried to set me and Ethan up more than once, I only see him as a younger brother and have absolutely no other thoughts."

I swallowed hard.

Holy crap.

That's a lot of information to process.

I need a moment to digest this.