After hearing Natalie's suggestion, Claire finally gave in.
More than anything, she was starving.
Just the memory of the photos Ethan had sent her—steak, lobster, fresh fruit—made her mouth flood with saliva.
Whatever dignity she had left could wait. Right now, she needed food.
She picked up her phone, opened her chat with Ethan Cross, and recorded a voice message with the sweetest tone she could muster.
Ethan was lounging on his imported leather sofa, watching a classic sitcom rerun.Most TV channels had long gone dark, but he'd downloaded entire hard drives full of shows, movies, and documentaries—enough entertainment to outlast the apocalypse.
"Ding."
A new message.
He glanced at his phone and smirked when he saw the name: Claire.
The Ice Queen had cracked.
He tapped the voice message and played it through the speakers.
"You big dummy! It's been days and you didn't even text me once. So mean!"
"I only teased you a little last time, but I regretted it right away, okay?"
"Besides, I'm a girl… I can't just text you first. You're supposed to care about me!"
The sugary tone. The fake pout.
Classic Claire.
Ethan had to admit, her voice still had a certain effect.That soft, teasing lilt had once wrapped him around her finger.
He clenched his teeth.If he didn't already know how twisted she was underneath the charm, he might've really fallen again.
He sent back a simple reply:"Not feeling well lately. Probably caught something. Didn't really check my messages."
Claire responded immediately:"You're sick? Did you catch a cold? Oh my god, are you okay? It's freezing!"
Ethan's next message made her stare in disbelief.
"Not a cold. I think it's heat exhaustion."
Claire blinked at her screen. Heat exhaustion?
She and Natalie had been shivering under layers of blankets for ten days. Their breath froze in the air. Their toes were numb.
And he said he was too hot?
"You're joking, right? It's literally freezing outside!"
Then Ethan sent her another message.
"Cold? Huh. Not really. I've got a fireplace going. Honestly, it's a bit too warm in here."
He attached a photo.
In the image, flames crackled in a built-in fireplace. Ethan's bare legs rested on an ottoman in front of the hearth.On the coffee table were a pile of snacks, some half-eaten lamb chops, a roasted drumstick, and a half-empty bottle of soda.
Claire's vision blurred.
The fireplace alone made her want to scream.
She and Natalie had spent the last ten days huddled in bed like penguins.Last week, they'd broken a chair and burned it in the living room just for fifteen minutes of warmth.Claire had cried when she felt that brief burst of heat on her skin.
Now Ethan was… lounging? Bare-legged? In front of a roaring fire?
In Bayview?
This city barely even needed winter coats in normal years. Who the hell had a fireplace in their apartment?
Claire's envy surged into something vicious.
The food on the table didn't help either. She couldn't even remember what real meat tasted like.
Beside her, Natalie peeked over and gasped."Is that real?! This can't be real. Did he Photoshop this?"
Claire didn't answer. She just kept staring.
"This isn't fair," she finally hissed. "We're starving and freezing. And he's in there living like it's paradise?"
She scowled."He probably faked this too. All the photos—he must've edited them."
Her thumb jabbed at the screen."I'm calling him. If he's lying, I'm going to rip him apart."
Natalie leaned in close, eyes wide.
Ethan saw the incoming video call and smiled.Time to see the Ice Queen beg.
He answered.
The video connected.
Ethan was shirtless, reclining lazily on his couch, skin flushed from exercise. The room behind him was lit and warm.A row of premium fitness equipment stood near the window. The kitchen in the background had visible stacks of food—dried scallops, jars of caviar, truffle pasta kits, and more.
Claire's breath caught in her throat.
Natalie made a choked sound beside her.
Compared to Ethan's glowing comfort, they looked like ghosts—hollow-eyed, cheeks sunken, wrapped in thick blankets.They hadn't touched makeup in days, and it showed.
Ethan looked at Claire for a long moment, then slowly raised an eyebrow.
The woman he used to worship, the one he once begged to love him back, now looked like that?
He nearly laughed. All that simping… for this?
Meanwhile, Claire and Natalie were fixated.Not on Ethan's abs.Not even on the glow of the fire.
But on the food.
The glorious, glorious food.
Compared to their diet of stale crackers and frozen instant noodles, Ethan's kitchen looked like a gourmet buffet.
Their eyes gleamed.
Their stomachs roared.
And Ethan… just leaned back, watching them squirm.