The Paper Wife’s Empire novel Chapter 136

“Ramona.”

“Hmm?”

She turned, and before she could react, Ethan leaned in. His cheek brushed against hers, and his lips landed right at the corner of her mouth.

Ramona froze, startled. She instinctively tried to pull away, but Ethan held her gently in place. His voice, low and almost rough, brushed warm against her ear. “What am I supposed to do? I think I might be falling for you—hard.”

“Ethan…” Ramona swallowed, feeling her nerves fray under the intensity of his presence. He was nothing like his usual self tonight; something about his nearness set her entire body alight, as if an electric current hummed just beneath her skin. She was both flustered and utterly powerless to resist.

Luckily, just then, the bakery owner came in with a delivery of ingredients.

Ramona quickly pushed Ethan away and turned toward the door.

The owner caught a glimpse of their obvious awkwardness and just grinned. “Don’t mind me. Let me know if you need anything, I’ll be right out front.”

As soon as the door shut, Ramona hurried to the other side of the table, putting some much-needed distance between them. “We should probably get this cake finished. I scheduled something else for us after this, so we’re on a bit of a clock.”

She tried to sound casual, but her heart was pounding so violently she was sure he could hear it.

Was that… Was that a confession? Did Ethan just say he liked her?

Why was he always so straightforward? He was going to be the death of her.

Ethan caught her flustered expression and, fighting back a smile, simply nodded. “Alright.”

Ramona had chosen a three-tiered heart-shaped cake; not the most complicated design, but still a risky choice for beginners. Luckily, she was nimble and precise, turning out near-perfect layers.

Ethan tried to help, but his first attempt with the knife nearly destroyed all her hard work.

Ramona quickly swapped the knife out for a piping bag and set him to decorating the borders instead.

“Not bad! You’re improving fast. These look way better than before.”

Together they shaped the decorative edges. Ramona watched as Ethan went from fumbling to steady-handed in no time, and couldn’t help but praise him.

He had an incredible knack for picking up new things, and whatever he did, he did with single-minded focus. You’d never guess he was a CEO—he didn’t carry an ounce of arrogance.

“It’s because you’re a good teacher,” Ethan said quietly, then hesitated before asking, “Did you ever… make cakes for anyone else before?”

It took her a moment to process what he was getting at.

“I’ve only ever made cakes for myself. Other than me, you’re the first person I’ve actually wanted to bake for.”

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