Obedience No More He's the One I Deserved novel Chapter 480

Chapter 480 Proud

Chapter 480 Proud

“No.”

“What?”

“I’m proud of you.”

His voice came out low and steady, carrying a kind of authority that filled the air.

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Dawn paused, then lifted her face and brushed a quick kiss against his chin. “Now that’s more like it.”

“So, Gina’s already made our partnership public. What’s your company planning to do then? Are you looking for another brand to team up with?”

“Yeah.” Ethan toyed with her fingers like they were something fragile and expensive. He didn’t even notice what he was saying. “There are tons of cycling companies tied to Ithelia. Finding another won’t be a problem, so stop worrying.”

Dawn said nothing.

Worry didn’t even cross her mind.

But she hated the idea of anyone close to her being connected to Marshall, no matter the

reason.

Which meant Ethan might not know about her conflict with him.

Has he signed the deal with Marshall?

She thought of how easily they’d talked earlier. Then she spoke, her tone light. “At the gala, I spotted someone who looked just like you. Turns out it really was you. Who was that person you were talking to? Another partner?”

The question made Ethan stop cold. He lifted his head and stared at her.

His eyes were dark and unreadable like wet ink.

He said quietly, “So you did see that.”

Dawn froze for a moment, then smiled. “You make it sound like it was something I shouldn’t have noticed. I saw it because it was there.”

10:53 Mon, Jan 5

Chapter 480 Proud

“That’s not what I meant.”

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Ethan’s fingers stayed around hers. His gaze shifted away, focusing somewhere distant.

“Just a business contact. Nothing important.”

The humor drained from Dawn’s eyes. Her voice was soft but sharp. “Right. Got it.

Neither of them said another word.

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Ithelia wasn’t large. The main commercial blocks sat close together, and when they arrived, she noticed the place was only a few streets from her hotel.

Ethan helped her out of the car and started walking her inside like it was already decided.

“Hold on.”

Dawn stopped short. “I think I’ll just go back. I have work in the morning.”

His stare grew darker, heavy like smoke curling in the air, though something bright flickered behind it. “You mean you don’t miss me at all?

“What are you trying to pull?”

She leaned closer, rising on her toes until her lips brushed his ear. “Even if I do miss you, it doesn’t mean we have to do that.”

His breath slid against her ear, warm and heavy, and Ethan felt heat surge through his core like fire catching dry leaves.

He clenched his jaw and swept her into his arms.

“I know. But tonight, I just want you in my arms when I fall asleep.”

Dawn didn’t buy it at first.

But after her shower, when she came upstairs, he really did only hold her.

It was almost unnatural how much control he had. He stayed still, restrained, not once taking it further.

A man and a woman, alone in a hotel room. What else could they do?

A touch. A kiss. The kind of warmth that blurred every boundary.

10:53 Mon, Jan 5

Chapter 480 Proud

And the longer it went on, the more intoxicating it became.

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“Stop.” Ethan caught her hand and tugged it away from his shirt. A quiet laugh slipped from. him as he kissed her forehead. “If you keep teasing me, I won’t be able to stop myself.”

Dawn froze and rolled onto her back, eyes fixed on the ceiling.

Her chest rose and fell too fast.

She didn’t understand herself anymore.

The more secrets hung between them, the heavier everything felt.

She wanted to ask, but the words refused to come out.

“What’s bothering you?” His voice was low and steady, the same tone he always used when he sensed her mood shift. “Something happened, didn’t it?”

She turned her head toward him. Her reflection shimmered in his eyes, calm and steady, filled with concern. They looked like any normal couple, lying close with their hearts tangled in the same quiet.

She pressed her lips together and said, “You already know Marshall is moving against Stonewarden Group.”

Although that wasn’t exactly it.

Marshall had already left the company. He was building something new, something that could rival them.

The clients and assets Stonewarden once owned could become his stepping stones to rise faster. When that happened, Stonewarden would be the one in danger, ready to be pushed out of the Ithelia market.

If Ethan knew all this and still wanted to work with him, then she wasn’t sure where that left

her.

Does he even care about me?

She kept telling herself it didn’t matter. Yet deep down, it did.

Ethan brushed his thumb along her cheek. His tone was calm, almost detached. “Does that really matter so much?”

“It does!”

Chapter 480 Proud

Dawn leaned back, meeting his gaze head–on.

She let out a sharp, humorless laugh.

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“Ethan, tell me the truth. You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you? You don’t care about my work. You don’t care how I feel.”

Her voice flared with anger, catching him off guard.

It was the first time she’d ever lost control in front of him.

The first time she’d let him see her fury, unfiltered and real.

A ghost of a smile flickered in his eyes. He pulled her back into his arms and pressed a hard kiss to her forehead. “I’m not doing it on purpose. And don’t ever think your job or your feelings don’t matter to me.”

She glared at him, refusing to answer.

“I swear.”

He raised one hand, looking far too sincere for someone teasing. “I can’t wait for the day Ms. Dawn becomes filthy rich and decides to keep me. I’ll stay home, take care of the house, and be the perfect trophy husband.”

Dawn was quiet.

10:53 Mon, Jan 5

Chapter 481 Promise