Chapter 159: Ethan Prescott’s Explanation

Chapter 159: Chapter 159: Ethan Prescott’s Explanation

"What are you so upset about? All that splendor she’s enjoying is fake." Alice Cole chuckled, her tone confident. She leaned close to her daughter’s ear and slowly laid out her scheme.

"Do you really think the Prescott family would make her their goddaughter for no reason, just because they think highly of her? The way I see it, they had ulterior motives from the very start."

"Ulterior motives?" Brooke York was confused. ’Chloe York is nothing more than a top scholar. What could the Prescott Family possibly gain from her?’

"That’s where you’re wrong. Sophia Quinn was very fond of Chloe York even when she was a little girl. A family like the Prescotts values strategic marriages above all else. Making her their goddaughter is just to pave the way. Later on, the Prescotts will surely find another prominent family of equal standing, marry her off in grand style, and use her to secure whatever benefits they desire."

Her mother’s words left Brooke York stunned. The resentment on her face gradually faded, replaced by astonishment.

Seeing her daughter’s reaction, Alice Cole pressed her advantage. "Think about it. The Prescotts have such a massive enterprise. Why would they be genuinely kind to a goddaughter with no blood relation? They’re just treating her as a pawn for a strategic marriage. Right now, she seems to be basking in endless glory, and everyone envies her. But in the future, she’ll have no say in her own marriage. She’ll be completely at the mercy of the Prescott Family, forced to marry someone she might not even like and be trapped in a marriage of convenience for the rest of her life. How is that a blessing? It’s a life of complete helplessness."

"All this adoration, this limelight she’s enjoying now—it’s all temporary. It’s all bought at the price of her future freedom. But you’re different!"

Brooke York looked at Alice Cole, waiting for her to continue.

"You are our own daughter. Your father and I dote on you and love you. When it comes to your marriage, we will absolutely respect your wishes and find someone who truly cherishes you and whom you also love. You won’t have to please anyone or be manipulated by family politics. You’ll live a peaceful, stable life. That is a truly good life."

Alice Cole squeezed her daughter’s hand, her tone growing even more gentle and earnest. "But don’t you worry, your father and I will choose very carefully for you. We’d never let you marry a man with no money or power. He’ll have at least one of the two."

"So there’s absolutely no reason for you to be jealous of her, and certainly no reason to be unhappy because of her. The more she shines now, the heavier the shackles she’ll have to bear later. It’s fleeting, like a flash in the pan. All you need to do is take care of yourself, keep your spirits up, and focus on self-improvement. Your future will be much smoother and much freer than hers."

"Mom, what you’re saying... it’s all true, right?" Brooke York leaned against Alice Cole’s shoulder.

She could only hope what her mother said was true. It was the only way she would feel better. Otherwise, she would be absolutely furious.

"Just you wait and see. Before long, the Prescott family will start arranging her marriage. When that time comes, she won’t even have the right to refuse. She’ll be completely at their mercy. Everyone will see that she’s nothing more than a pawn for the Prescotts. What’s there to envy then? Getting upset with her now just makes us look petty. It’s better to just relax and watch how things unfold."

Brooke York listened quietly to her mother, the knot of frustration in her heart slowly unraveling. The gloom in her eyes faded, replaced by a sense of relief and even a hint of schadenfreude.

’So, Chloe York only seemed to have stumbled upon a great fortune; in reality, she was just a pawn. She appeared to be living a glamorous life, but in truth, she had no freedom.’

She let out a soft sigh, her expression finally relaxing. Looking at Alice Cole, she said, "Mom, when that day comes, I’ll be waiting to see her made a laughingstock."

"Of course." Alice Cole smiled and nodded, gently stroking her daughter’s hair. "You haven’t been back for long, so you don’t quite understand. There are so many schemes and intrigues within these wealthy families. A young girl like her could never see through them. So just relax. Don’t waste your energy getting upset over this. It’s not worth it. As long as you’re doing well, that’s better than anything."

Brooke York finally broke into a smile for the first time in a long while. The resentment and pent-up frustration in her heart vanished completely.

’That’s right. Chloe York is just a tool for the Prescott Family’s marriage alliances. Her current splendor is all a facade. She’s not worth my jealousy at all.’

She leaned into Alice Cole’s embrace, her heart filled with relief.

After a full day of classes, Chloe York packed her things and got ready to head home.

As she reached the stairwell, Ethan Prescott blocked her path.

His body completely blocked the way. His eyes swirled with a storm of complex emotions—urgency, bitterness, and above all, an overwhelming regret.

’Why was I so cruel to Chloe York back then? She was my fiancée. Why did I look down on her? What right did I possibly have to look down on her?’

’And it was precisely because he’d looked down on her then that things had come to this, making it so incredibly difficult to win her back now.’

Chloe York was not pleased to have her path blocked by Ethan Prescott. She stopped, her brow furrowing slightly. In a voice devoid of emotion, she said, "Move."

"I won’t." Ethan Prescott’s voice was hoarse, tinged with a long-suppressed obsession as he stared intently at her. "Chloe, we need to talk."

"We have nothing to talk about." Chloe York tried to step around him, but he blocked her again.

Ethan Prescott reached out as if to touch her arm, but froze under her cold gaze. He could only clench his fists, his voice hoarse. "I know my mom made you her goddaughter, and everyone thinks we’re brother and sister. But I’ve never thought of you that way, and I never will."

Chloe York lifted her eyes. Her gaze was perfectly calm as she watched him, waiting for him to continue.

"We shouldn’t be like this. We never should have been." Ethan Prescott’s voice trembled, the regret in his eyes nearly spilling over. "We were engaged. We were supposed to get married. How did things turn out like this? How did we become so-called ’siblings’?"

Whenever he thought about other people referring to Chloe York as the Prescott family’s goddaughter, calling the two of them brother and sister, he felt a sharp, needle-like pain in his chest.

This seemingly intimate relationship was, to him, the cruelest of shackles, completely stripping him of the right to pursue her openly. And all of it was his own doing.

"I regret it, Chloe. I really regret it." Ethan Prescott swallowed his pride, his voice thick with pleading. "I don’t want to be your brother. I never have. Can we please start over? I know I was wrong. I was an asshole before. Just give me one more chance."

Seeing his face contorted with regret and his subservient demeanor, Chloe York found it all incredibly ironic. ’If the original Chloe had heard these words, she probably would have been ecstatic.’

’But I’m not the original Chloe. Still, seeing Ethan Prescott like this now... I’m happy. Happy for her.’

She let out a soft laugh, a sound devoid of warmth, filled only with relief and finality. Each word landed on Ethan Prescott’s heart like a hammer blow.

"Ethan Prescott, you say you regret it now? That you don’t want to be my brother? Don’t you think it’s a bit too late for that?"