Under the soft, warm lighting, a broad-shouldered man was pressed over a woman—just that pose alone made Sarah McGregor instinctively raise her milk tea to block her eyes. But curiosity got the best of her. When she peeked again, the woman had already flipped on top with a flirty smile.

“Be good, it’s my turn now~”

That breathy whisper sent a jolt through Sarah, and she could only imagine what the guy underneath was feeling.

“Naughty,” the man replied in a low, teasing voice, breath slightly ragged—totally the kind of voice that would make any sound-lover melt…

Flawless skin, jaw-dropping curves, seductive movements, and an insanely convincing performance. The moans were getting way too steamy. As the camera panned down, Ethan Collins' face appeared on screen.

And just like that, Sarah’s milk tea slipped from her hand and crashed to the floor.

She immediately called him, but it was his assistant who picked up. Even with the background noise, she could tell—dude was in the middle of an interview.

“Mr. Collins, there's a rumor that ever since wrapping up ‘Sweet Temptation,’ you’ve been dating the popular actress Ms. Chloe Morgan. Any truth to that?”

Ethan, ever the gentleman, smiled and said, “Well, let’s just say I’m still trying. Chloe’s not the kind of girl who says yes easily.”

The crowd burst into applause.

On the street, strangers were gushing.

“Told you! Only someone as classy as Ethan could be a match for Chloe Morgan.”

“Right? I mean, they were sizzling in ‘Sweet Temptation.’ Maybe it’s just as hot in real life.”

Every word felt like a slap in Sarah’s face.

Her boyfriend, secretly took on a project full of steamy scenes with another woman and didn’t even tell her. She only found out now when it aired. And now he’s on live TV, admitting he’s chasing that woman?

Sure, Ethan, you’re amazing. But I’m not gonna let myself sink that low!

Sarah had already reached her limit. Watching him fool around on-screen was bad, but this? This was the final straw. No respect, no honesty—what’s the point of staying together?

She hung up, typed a text, and hit send in one go.

“We’re done. Goodbye.”

Seconds later, her phone rang. She didn’t even bother looking and just kept walking.

And the calls kept coming.

Finally fed up, she picked up and snapped, “Ethan, can’t we just break up like adults? You can hook up with whatever actress you want from now on. I couldn’t care less!”

“Sarah, calm down. Where are you right now?”

His voice was calm and soothing, like usual—Ethan always had that polished, gentleman vibe.

But for the first time, Sarah found that voice disgusting.

She fell for Ethan back then because of that voice, that perfect image. But now? She just felt like an idiot.

“Sarah, this is all just marketing stuff—don’t be mad over some PR fluff…”

“Ethan, I’m mad because you lied. It’s not just about the show. We’re not right. It’s over.”

She was crossing the street, still fuming and shouting into the phone. The green light had already started flashing, changing.

But she didn’t see it coming—

All she heard was a loud crash.Her brand-new phone went flying from her hand, smacking the pavement as she hit the ground hard, her world spinning into a blur.

“Miss? Miss, are you okay? I’ll take you to the hospital right now.” A sleek luxury car scratched to a halt, and a well-dressed man jumped out, full of panic.

“Hello? Hello?” Ethan Collins’s voice was still on the other end of the call, confused by the sudden chaos. “Sarah, I swear I’m not lying—”

But Sarah McGregor was already being rushed into a sleek, limited-edition luxury car, limp in someone’s arms.

Her broken phone was left behind, lying alone on the pavement. The screen blinked as it let out a lonely “beep—beep—beep—”.

Golden sunlight streamed in through the hospital window.

“Ow...”

Sarah rubbed her aching head and slowly sat up.

She looked around instinctively and realized—she was in a hospital room.

It took a moment, but the events came crashing back—she’d been on that awful call with Ethan, still reeling from the betrayal, and in the midst of it all, a car had hit her. Great.

Like getting your heart crushed wasn’t enough, now she literally got run over. Could her day get any worse?

“Miss, you’re awake?”

A nurse wheeled in a medical cart, smiled kindly, and handed her a note. “The gentleman who brought you in left this for you.”

Sarah thanked her and took the paper.

Just then, a segment flashed across the hospital TV.

The house. The street. And those familiar tulips outside...

As soon as she saw it, her mind went blank.

Then his voice came on—unmistakably him.

“I’m Ethan Collins. I’m sorry for hiding this all along. The tea house behind me—Sarah McGregor’s place. She’s my girlfriend…”

You’ve got to be kidding me.

Sarah’s hands clenched. He seriously went public with their relationship like this? On national TV?! Worse, he led the press to her doorstep?

Her mom probably still had no clue what was happening.

What now? Think, think!

They better not catch her mom on camera. If ‘he’ saw her, it’d be over.

Luckily, the footage moved on fast—just a wide shot of their storefront. After making his statement, Ethan bailed.

She breathed a shaky sigh of relief, but tension climbed right back up. She could already imagine the internet exploding. They’d dig through everything. Nothing would be private soon.

Looking down, she realized she was still holding that note. Bold handwriting sprawled across the page:

“Dear unnamed miss, sorry my driver knocked you out. Doc says you’ll be fine. I paid your hospital bill, but had to take care of something urgent. —Evan Carter.”

Sarah sat up straighter to check herself. Aside from a sore head and a few bruises, she seemed alright. Time to check out.

Her bag was still by the bed, but her phone was gone—likely destroyed in the accident. With things spiraling out of control, getting in touch with Mom became a top priority.

At the discharge desk, the nurse beamed as she handed her back the medical fees and... a credit card?

“There’s your refund, and here’s ¥300,000 compensation,” she said sweetly.

Sarah stared, stunned. Wait—what now?

She blinked at the luxurious black card edged in gold. Was this really happening?

After a second, she finally asked, “Uh... do you happen to have the contact info for the guy who brought me in?”

“Give me a moment...” The nurse turned to check the computer.

Later, standing near the road, Sarah held her new phone in shaking hands and pressed the number the nurse had given her.

“Hello…”