Obedience No More He's the One I Deserved novel Chapter 197

Two seconds later, Ethan asked casually, "Ever had a younger brother?"

"No." Dawn shook her head. "My mom's health wasn't good. After having me, she didn't plan on more kids."

Noticing something off in his expression, she tilted her head. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Ethan brushed it off, gesturing at the food in front of her. "Eat up. I'll take you to work today."

He was supposed to have a meeting at Dreammaker Studios, but just as he reached downstairs, a call pulled him away. In the end, Dawn went up alone.

As she waited for the elevator, a water deliveryman bumped into her.

"Sorry."

The man, wearing a cap pulled low, apologized quickly before hurrying off. Dawn only caught a glimpse of a sharp jawline as he walked away.

Something felt off, but she could not place it.

Once in the office, she opened her bag to grab her phone.

A folded slip of paper fell from the side pocket.

Frowning, Dawn bent down to pick it up. The words scrawled across it made her freeze. "I know the truth about that fire. If you want answers, you must not marry Ethan Jackson."

Not "can't." Not "don't."

But must not.

The phrasing was so domineering that it made her uneasy.

She stared at the note for a long time, but could not think of who would send it. The only thing she knew for sure was that the water delivery guy was not someone she recognized.

The truth about the fire?

The nightmare from last night still haunted her. Dawn tightened her grip on the paper, her face draining of color.

Back then, it was Austin who helped look into the investigation. The official report said faulty wiring had caused an accident.

Later, though, they found her mom's letter in the ashes, revealing the "wiring issue" was a cover-up for a planned double suicide.

Looking back now, Dawn could recall the way her mom had sent her out that day.

She had done it on purpose.

But could there have been more to it?

Dawn shook her head, her thoughts tangled like a mess of string.

One note wasn't enough to prove anything. She pressed her lips together, snapped a picture of it, and locked the original away in her desk drawer.

The whole day, she could not focus. By the time Ethan came to pick her up from work, he immediately noticed something was off.

"Something happened today?"

"Huh?" She turned toward him. "What makes you say that?"

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