Ethan Laurent looked at her impassively, watched her climb over the railing, watched her continuously gasp for breath, and even saw her hand loosen its grip on the railing. His eyes, as calm and dark as the sea, remained entirely unperturbed.
Until, in the moment that Summer Ford's body was about to drop from the railing, something around her neck swayed with her movement, followed by a beam of light refracting out—
It was an exceptionally unique beam, intertwining black and white, as if alternating night and day, dazzling as though it carried the entire expanse of the starry sky!
Ethan Laurent was taken aback, his body moved like a swift leopard, rushing towards her, catching her hand just before her body fell.
Summer Ford was hanging entirely outside the railing, not expecting him to suddenly make such a move. Her head lifted stiffly, surprise marked in the gaze with which she looked at him.
Ethan stood inside the railing, holding her hand; the gesture seemed effortless, his face even devoid of expression.
"Name!" His eyes fixed upon her neck, he didn't seem intent to pull her up immediately.
A simple necklace hung around Summer's neck, the chain was a black cord, and the pendant was a ring.
A very beautiful ring, seemingly designed for men. Between two circles of rare, tiny black diamonds was embedded a dense row of white diamonds, pure and flawless in texture, crafted with exquisite cutting, it appeared priceless.
Stunned by his gaze, Summer couldn't comprehend the situation.
Her name, was it related to him saving her?
"Name!" Ethan, perhaps deliberately, loosened his grip on her hand.
"No!" Summer's face turned horrified, and she clutched onto him like a lifeline desperately, "Pull me up first!"
She had chosen to jump off with no other option, but now finally it seemed he might help her, anyone not clinging to him would be a fool.
"I have little patience!" Clearly, Ethan was unwilling to negotiate or bargain as he pried open one of her hands, loosening his grip on her wrist again.
Frightened, Summer's heart tightened and she blurted out, "Summer, Summer Ford!"
A promise of a stronghold, a lifetime of vibrant summers, a name as beautiful as poetry.
Ethan savored her name slowly, the cold and hard lines of his face subconsciously softened a bit.
Summer Ford...
Summer was still hanging outside the railing; the sensation was truly uncomfortable.
After waiting for an eternity without him pulling her up, she twitched her wrist in his hand for a slight effort, but Ethan suddenly exerted force—
Summer's body soared like a kite with its string cut, pulled by him into the balcony. Her body collided into his embrace, and they fell heavily onto the ground behind them together.
Summer yet hadn't recovered from what had just happened, lying on his chest, breathing rapidly.
The effects of the drug in her body were still there, making her breath even more erratic as her emotions fluctuated.
The warm breath lingered faintly around Ethan's neck, tickling, tingling, causing a rush of hot blood to surge down towards his lower abdomen, despite no initial reaction.
There was a pleasant scent on her, accompanied by a light and refreshing floral touch, though unsure what kind of flower, very faint, very faint.
Not resembling any artificial fragrance, it seemed more like entirely natural...