Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

"Don't worry about the other members. I'll take care of them," Ethan said, putting away the contract.

Sophia and Vanessa were both a little dazed at this point. Everything felt a bit surreal.

Especially for Sophia—she had only just decided to reform VibraMyst a few days ago, and now it was already happening?

Sure, her own efforts in all this were practically negligible. It was entirely thanks to Ethan that things had come together.

But that's life sometimes. What seems like an insurmountable problem for one person can be nothing for someone else.

Ethan's presence was like a game-changer for both girls.

They could understand why Ethan was doing this. It was mostly because of that animated series about them, and the fact that they had become friends. That's why he was helping them.

Of course, they still had to put in the effort themselves. Ethan was just giving them the opportunity.

But no matter how you looked at it, Sophia felt like this was something to be happy about. If it had been up to her alone, there was no way she could have convinced Vanessa.

Just as Vanessa was about to ask Ethan what they should do next, the apartment door suddenly swung open.

The three of them turned to see a middle-aged man in a suit.

Vanessa's face immediately changed when she saw him. It was her father.

She was shocked. Why was this deadbeat dad of hers wearing a suit? Had he finally pulled himself together?

But in the next second, she saw her father drop to his knees in front of her, without even taking off his shoes, like some kind of dramatic movie scene. It looked like he was begging for forgiveness.

"I'm sorry, Nessa! It's all my fault. I know I did some terrible things, but please forgive me!"

The suddenness of it all left the three of them stunned.

Vanessa was at a loss for words. "Wait—"

Did her dad not even notice the situation? Her friends were right here! And he just barges in and starts apologizing? What the hell!?

Meanwhile, Sophia and Ethan, in a rare moment of unspoken understanding, quietly moved to the side, leaving the stage to Vanessa.

Vanessa's father, seemingly oblivious to the fact that there were other people in the room, continued his apology. "I've managed to get back all the money I lost, and I even bought back our old house. Nessa, please forgive me. From now on, I'll love you ten times—no, a hundred times more. You're my precious princess."

Under the watchful eyes of Sophia and Ethan, Vanessa's face turned bright red.

"Okay, okay, I get it! Can you please just get up already!?" Vanessa was too overwhelmed to even think about all the awful things her dad had done in the past. Right now, she just wanted to escape this painfully awkward situation.

To her, this was the kind of moment that would haunt her forever.

But at that moment, Sophia, who was much more tactful than the amused Ethan, knew it was time to leave.

She didn't want to stick around and be a spectator in such an awkward scene, so she quickly grabbed Ethan and made their exit, despite Vanessa's half-hearted attempts to get them to stay.

Dragging a reluctant Ethan out the door, Sophia left Vanessa to deal with her father.

Vanessa, now alone, covered her face with her hand, feeling a massive headache coming on.

Later, she learned the full story from her father. She didn't understand all the details, but apparently, someone had helped him out.

But Vanessa knew right away. Some mysterious benefactor? Yeah, right. Who else could it be but Ethan?

That guy had said he'd take responsibility for her life, and it turned out he really meant it.

Meanwhile, Ethan and Sophia were walking back together.

Sophia was still basking in the joy of VibraMyst getting back together.

But then she realized something and turned to Ethan.

"Wait a second. If Vanessa's family is back to where they were financially, then she doesn't really need to form a new band anymore, right? And she wouldn't need to work for you either."

"The contract's already signed," Ethan reminded her.

"Can I have it back?" Sophia asked, blinking innocently at him.

"You're getting a little greedy," Ethan said with a shake of his head. "And do you really think Vanessa's dad just had a sudden change of heart on his own?"

Sophia froze, staring at him. "Wait, was that you?"

"Who else?" Ethan shrugged. "I mean, he's my future father-in-law. Gotta help him out a little, right?"

Sophia couldn't hold it in anymore. But considering how many times she'd already lost her composure today, she was honestly too tired to react.

"And one more thing—you should treat me a little better," Ethan reminded her.

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"Why should I?" Sophia retorted, stubborn as ever.

Ethan was momentarily thrown off by her response. "Because I'm your boss now."

"Uh..." Sophia hadn't even realized that.

But the idea of treating Ethan better? That felt like asking too much.

"Think about it," Ethan continued. "Your attitude toward me is entirely based on your own misunderstandings. This is all on you."

He explained further, "You should consider the fact that I've been putting up with your little tantrums all this time. You should be grateful."

"…"

Sophia gritted her teeth at his self-righteous tone. But maybe because he was technically her boss now, she held back and changed the subject. "So, about this whole debut thing—what exactly are we supposed to do?"

"That's up to you guys. If you don't perform well, I'll just disband you and form a new group."

Sophia's eyes widened. Was this guy a demon!?

After that, Sophia flagged down a taxi, intending to head straight home. Naturally, since she'd already called the cab, Ethan hopped in with her, sharing the ride.

The trip back to the apartment was silent. Once they got out of the elevator, Ethan noticed that Sophia had followed him all the way to his door.

"Sophia, your place is on the other side. Why are you coming to my apartment?" Ethan asked, confused.

"Are you saying I'm not welcome?" Sophia crossed her arms, glaring at him.

With that attitude? I'd have to be crazy to welcome you, Ethan thought.

Still, he was curious about what kind of trouble she was up to this time, so he let her in.

In the living room, Sophia looked at Ethan seriously and asked, "Are you really planning to date Vanessa?"

"And what if I am?" Ethan asked, intrigued by the hypothetical.

Sophia's expression was dead serious. "What kind of boss dates his artist? That would turn into a scandal!"

"I see," Ethan said, pretending to think deeply. "So what if I just, you know, use my position?"

Sophia froze. Isn't that still a scandal!?