Mia curled her lips slightly, revealing a sincere and professional smile: "Ethan, you're too kind. My job is to make sure every business decision you make gets the most efficient and professional follow-through. That's my responsibility, and honestly, my honor."
Sunlight streamed through the car window, illuminating the confident light in her eyes that belonged to a top financial professional.
The engine let out a deep roar as the bright orange McLaren P1 carried the two of them and a heavy business blueprint, leaving the underground space of the Meridian Tower and merging into the relentless traffic of the city.
The engine hum created a deep background noise inside the cabin.
Ethan gripped the steering wheel, his gaze fixed on the traffic ahead, and casually asked, "Speaking of which, you got transferred here because of me. I wonder if you've settled in okay? New York and the West Coast are pretty different in terms of climate, food, all of that, right?"
Mia turned her head, looked at Ethan's smooth, well-defined profile, and smiled, "Thanks for asking. Honestly, I adapted pretty quickly. The bank's workflow is similar everywhere, and life wasn't too hard to adjust to."
She paused, her tone carrying a rare hint of ease: "And thanks to you, I've actually been a lot more relaxed lately than I was before the move. There aren't that many big accounts here that need my personal attention day to day — it's a bit slower-paced."
This was half teasing, half true.
Ethan chuckled softly at her words: "Hearing you say that puts my mind at ease. Otherwise, getting pulled out to a new city, away from everything familiar, you might end up resenting me for it deep down."
Mia quickly said seriously, her tone sincere: "How could that be! If anything, Ethan, it's precisely because of serving you that I got the chance to transfer to this branch. That's not just a vote of confidence, it's a step up. Whether it's the pay, the platform, or the pace of the work..." She glanced at Ethan, with a hint of humor, "It's all a real upgrade compared to before. I'm plenty grateful — why would I complain?"
"I owe you a thank you, honestly. I never would've gotten an opportunity like this otherwise."
Ethan's smile deepened, tinged with teasing: "Oh? So does that make me your 'benefactor'?"
Mia nodded calmly, her gaze clear: "You could put it that way."
Ethan's tone suddenly took on an undeniable edge: "Then your 'benefactor' has a small request."
"Go ahead." Mia immediately sat up a bit straighter.
Ethan glanced at her and said calmly, "Just stop calling me 'Ethan' so formally every time — actually, just drop the 'Mr.' bit. It sounds stiff. Just use my first name. I already said on the way here, we're not that far apart in age, so let's just be friends about it."
A trace of hesitation flashed across Mia's face: "This... Wouldn't that come off as too casual?"
Her deeply ingrained professional habits made her instinctively resist this kind of "crossing the line."
Ethan glanced at her: "I don't mind, so what are you worried about? We're going to be seeing a lot of each other going forward. Keeping it that formal would just make things harder."
His attitude was clear: this wasn't a negotiation, it was a request.
Mia sensed his persistence and had no choice but to compromise, her voice a bit softer: "Then... alright. If you're really okay with it."
"That's right." Ethan nodded in satisfaction, glanced at the time in the car, and said, "It's almost noon, let's grab a meal together. You've been out here a while now, and I still haven't properly treated you. Consider it a thank you for all your hard work lately."
Mia instinctively tried to politely decline: "No need, Eth—Ethan. This is all just part of my job."
"Don't turn it down so fast. After lunch, I've got something important to take care of this afternoon and I need you to come along."
"Serious business?" Mia asked curiously.
"Yeah, buying a house!"
"Buy a house?" Mia was a bit surprised, but quickly it clicked.
Given Ethan's wealth and how he planned things out, buying property made perfect sense.
Ethan nodded, "That's right."
He'd already been planning this. He hadn't bought any property of his own yet. The last time he took Diana house-hunting, that had mostly been for her — he still didn't have a place of his own.
Some time back, in the dorm, he'd pulled out a map and marked areas with huge potential for future appreciation. Back then he'd planned to buy a few properties, but kept putting it off.
So taking advantage of this trip, he wanted to go take a good look at a few places and pick some up, while also making sure Vanessa, Sophie, and Jessica could all have somewhere to stay.
As for Mia, as a Chase employee, she had access to a wealth of high-quality property listings and developer connections, which made her the ideal guide for this.
So Ethan didn't need to go through the whole process himself. She just needed to pull a shortlist through the bank first, then pick out a few locations he remembered from before and go take a look.
Mia sighed inwardly.
Even though she was used to Ethan spending money at the bank, his speed and boldness — dropping over eight hundred thousand on a top-tier office lease that morning and heading out to look at houses by noon — still quietly amazed her.
However, as Ethan's personal secretary, her top priority was serving all his needs and saying as little as possible about things that didn't need saying.
"Alright, I'll call the bank now and have my colleagues help screen some properties that match what you're looking for." Mia took out her phone, ready to make a call.
"No rush!" But Ethan suddenly interrupted, turning the steering wheel and steadily stopping the car in front of a grand building.
Mia was a bit puzzled.
Had they already arrived? That fast?
Mia looked up and saw a huge sign come into view.
The Riverside Plaza Hotel.
She was instantly stunned!
Weren't they supposed to be going to lunch? Why did they suddenly end up at a hotel?
This... wasn't that a little too direct?
Could it be... could what he'd just said about "being friends" have meant something else?
All sorts of chaotic thoughts flooded her mind uncontrollably, making her heart race abruptly. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and her fingers unconsciously tightened around the strap of her bag.
She was completely unprepared for this kind of "development"!
Ethan's usual gentle yet distant demeanor flashed through her mind, along with his candor earlier about sports cars attracting attention... This contrast left her thoughts in utter chaos.
"Let's go!" Ethan didn't bother to explain, unbuckled his seatbelt, pushed open the car door, and moved naturally and smoothly.
His expression was calm.
Mia took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in her heart, unbuckled her seatbelt, and got out of the car.
She tried hard to maintain a calm appearance, but her slightly tense shoulders and slightly hurried steps still revealed her inner unease.
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