Chapter 69: Chapter 69: Door-in-the-Face Technique

“No worries, Aunt Sofia, go ahead,” Ethan said, glancing down as his excitement embarrassingly made itself apparent again.

He wasn’t just some guy ruled by his lower half.

It was purely a normal physiological reaction triggered by the touch of a beautiful, mature woman’s slender fingers.

Plus, his ‘Hard as a rock’ skill just made it all the more noticeable.

Even after Sofia had finished and dressed, the suggestive look hadn’t faded from her eyes, acting like the most potent aphrodisiac to any man.

…

Sofia looked hesitant.

“This is the last time,” she told herself silently, then lowered her head.

Ethan was still pondering where to find a man who would meet Ryan’s expectations when he suddenly felt an enveloping warmth and moisture, sending sensations up his spine.

Sofia kept her head down, avoiding the young man’s eyes to spare herself some embarrassment.

She wasn’t sure why, but knowing this was the last time, she felt a sudden urge to try.

Seeing this, Ethan watched the mature woman’s efforts with a complex expression. It seemed Sofia really liked Ethan’s ‘Pecker,’ or maybe he was just irresistible to mature women.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Whatever he thought, the whole process lasted about 15 minutes.

Ethan watched as she swallowed hard, then turned away, her hands moving skillfully to tidy up the bed.

“This is the last time,” Sofia added as she left.

…

When Ryan saw his mother return, her cheeks unusually flushed, his heart clenched.

Then a sharp pain followed.

“Ryan, what’s wrong?” Sofia noticed her son’s pale face and rushed over. “Are you feeling ill? Should I call a doctor?”

“I…” Ryan felt overwhelmed by jealousy, his hand clutching his chest, unable to speak, only managing a whimper.

Cold sweat dripped from his forehead.

“Doctor!” Sofia panicked and pressed the emergency button.

Ethan heard about Ryan’s sudden heart attack from Blair, just as he was being resuscitated.

“What?! Resuscitated?” Ethan’s mind buzzed. “Quick, take me to Ryan!”

He was wheeled to Ryan’s hospital room by Blair.

The doctor was talking to Sofia with a grave expression,the situation seemed grim.

Ethan waited until they finished talking, then anxiously asked, “How’s Ryan?”

Sofia looked at him, her expression complex.

Seeing the urgency in his eyes, matching her own, even surpassing it as if the one lying in the hospital bed was his own flesh and blood.

…

Sofia felt a mix of emotions.

“What’s really going on?” Ethan pressed, seeing Sofia’s silence. He had grown fond of Ryan over the past few days.

Plus, there were a thousand points on the line, not to mention his own well-being.

How could he not be anxious?

“Emotional upheaval due to stress, compounded by lack of sleep…” Sofia’s voice trailed off, her face turning even paler.

The doctor, seeing this, gave some more advice on taking care of the patient’s emotions before leaving.

From the doorway of the hospital room, Ethan saw Ryan lying flat on the bed, looking no different than usual.

“Ryan’s worried about your boyfriend, isn’t he, Sofia…”

Sofia’s lips twitched, her gaze filled with a resentful sorrow. It all circled back to you, didn’t it?

“It looks like we can’t delay any longer, or things might get worse,” Ethan whispered, his voice low.

He was genuinely scared.

If his meddling not only failed to fulfill Ryan’s wishes but also led to his premature demise, he’d be absolutely devastated.

“Stop messing around,” Sofia’s eyes struggled with emotion. “I plan to spend the next while just being there for Ryan.”

She had hoped to make Ryan happy.

Instead, things had inexplicably gotten worse, and as a mother, the psychological pressure was unimaginable.

She feared another incident,if Ryan really left them, she’d spend the rest of her life drowning in guilt.

Ethan looked up at Sofia, understanding the mother’s decision.

He shook his head. “It’s useless. Ryan will think he’s burdening you. If we don’t solve the problem at its root, it’ll only cause him more pain.”

Ethan’s words pierced Sofia like a spike to the heart.

Sofia’s expression fluctuated. “You should go back for now. Don’t come to see Ryan for a while.”

She was effectively showing him the door.

From her perspective, everything had changed since Ethan arrived, even though it was she who had invited him in the first place.

“Alright.” Ethan wasn’t upset. He looked at Sofia sincerely and earnestly. “Aunt Sofia, if you need help, you can come to me anytime.”

After saying this, he nodded to Blair behind him: “Let’s go.”

Blair had been silent from the start, now pushing him away from the hospital room.

Sofia watched their retreating figures, her hand covering her face as tears streamed through her fingers.

Ethan returned to his room and stood up from his wheelchair.

“Aren’t you angry?” Blair leaned against the wall.

Ethan shook his head. “You can’t expect a mother, who might lose her child at any moment, to stay calm. It’s just not humane.”

He lay down on the bed and closed his eyes, thinking calmly about the situation at hand.

He needed to find someone who could make Ryan believe that after he was gone, this person would always be there to take care of his mother and make her happy. And this person had to be someone from the hospital.

“It’s really putting me in a tough spot.”

Two days passed.

Ethan saw Sofia enter the hospital room. The beautiful, mature woman looked unwell.

These days, after being “nourished,” her complexion had visibly improved.

But now, her face had returned to a state of worry and distress.

“Aunt Sofia, you don’t look well. Is it because of Ryan?” Ethan’s expression was sincere, filled with concern.

Sofia saw the genuine care in his eyes. As a mother, she knew this kind of look came from the heart.

Because every time she looked at Ryan, it was with the same expression.

This boy, even though he was the source of it all, she really couldn’t bring herself to hate him.

“Yes.” Sofia took a deep breath. “Ryan’s mood has been very bad, worse than before, and he’s also suffering from insomnia. The doctor said he might become depressed if this continues.”

Ethan’s mouth twitched,he actually understood Ryan.

His mature and beautiful mother, because of him, ended up with a middle-aged, greasy doctor—at least that’s how he saw it.

What a painfully familiar betrayal scenario.

As the person who had pushed his mother into this, it would be strange if Ryan felt okay.

“Aunt Sofia, please trust me,” Ethan lowered his voice. “You start by deliberately talking to my attending physician, let Ryan see, and make him think he’s your boyfriend.”

“Your attending physician?” Sofia frowned. “Is he a good man?”

“No, he’s ugly enough,” Ethan shook his head. “It’s called the Door-in-the-Face Technique.”