Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

Chapter 93: Auntie…

“So, that’s the situation.” Jessica sat at the bar, her fingers cradling a glass of wine. She wasn’t in her usual police uniform but in a casual shirt and jeans, still looking sharp and composed.

Scarlett sat next to her, staring at the video on her phone, her other hand covering her mouth, her eyes wide with disbelief.

“Honestly, I’m kinda jealous of you,” Jessica confessed, taking a big sip of her wine before coughing lightly and setting the glass down. “Actually, not just kinda. Super jealous. To have a guy like that into you, and here I am, single as a pringle. Just thinking about it drives me crazy!”

Scarlett wasn’t really listening to her best friend’s complaints anymore. Her eyes were glued to the screen, watching the boy on the stage.

Watching him say, “I want to share her burden.”

Tears started to well up in her eyes, and finally, she couldn’t hold back her emotions any longer. Tears streamed down her face.

Over the years, she had raised Blair alone, and then there was Ethan’s hospitalization.

She had endured so much and had longed for someone to lean on.

And now, this man had appeared, but he was her nephew.

Her emotions were a tangled mess.

The skinny boy on the screen, at that moment, seemed to grow taller, no longer the little boy she remembered.

He… had really grown up.

Scarlett put down her phone, covering her eyes with her hands, the last bit of her dignity holding back the tears from falling in public.

“Hey,” Jessica sighed softly, understanding her best friend all too well.

She knew how hard these years had been for her.

She also knew that Scarlett had always seen Ethan as family, as her nephew, and that had never changed.

But from this moment on.

In her heart, Ethan might have truly become a man.

“Just cry if you want to,” Jessica said, offering her shoulder. “You can lean on me.”

“I don’t need to,” Scarlett replied, looking at her best friend’s shoulder, a tearful smile on her face.

She pulled out a wet wipe and dabbed at her tears.

“I want to go see him,” she said, standing up and grabbing her bag as she headed out.

She had no idea how much her nephew had done for her.

“Hey, so I’m just tossed aside when I’m no longer useful, huh?” Jessica pouted, finishing her drink in one gulp and then getting up to follow Scarlett.

She, too, had developed strong feelings for the boy.

Honestly, no woman could resist a guy who went to such lengths for her.

Jessica thought, not even if he was her nephew with no blood relation, or even if he was her son, it wasn’t out of the question.

At the hospital.

Ethan lay on the bed, legs crossed, a brand-new top-of-the-line Apple laptop resting on his feet.

Blair sat on another bed, fiddling with a newly purchased camera.

Compared to the second-hand gear they started with, this was a major upgrade.

This time, the profits were huge.

Just from the rewards directly from the Dream Chaser Show, they had made over $60,000.

$30,000 of that was the appearance fee Isabella had promised.

The other $30,000 was extra, given by Isabella to foster a good relationship due to the explosive impact of his performance.

All he had to do was post a thank-you message.

The Dream Chaser Show got a boost in reputation, and he got a tangible benefit. It was a win-win.

“My followers actually hit a million,” Ethan noted, looking at the latest data on his computer. Since the last episode aired.

His follower count had skyrocketed, now officially breaking the one million mark.

“Are you planning to keep running the account?” Blair asked.

“Nope.” Ethan shook his head. “I’ll just post updates occasionally from now on.”

He was clear about his own limits.

Writing songs was out of the question now.

And those quirky performances needed to be kept in check to avoid unnecessary attention and trouble.

Being an internet sensation was a means to an end, not the goal itself.

Now that he’d achieved his purpose, he was ready to drop it.

He had even scrapped his plans to write a book.

With his fame exceeding his expectations, it was time to keep a low profile.

“There sure are a lot of people asking for donations.” Ethan opened his account to find a slew of bizarre messages—talent agencies, clout-chasing influencers, and companies wanting to collaborate.

He deleted all these messages.

Ethan started drafting a new post, fulfilling the promise to Isabella to publish a thank-you note.

“Thank you all for your concern. Many friends have offered to donate, and I’d like to address this collectively.”

“Thanks to the staff at Dream Chaser Show, who have donated medical funds. This is already more than enough for my needs.”

“There are many in this city who need help far more than I do. I just happened to be in the spotlight. Instead of donating to me, please consider helping those in greater need.”

“I will be focusing on my treatment and might not be seen for a while…”

Ethan wrote quite a bit.

He deliberately kept his words straightforward and free of flowery language to appear more sincere.

Of course, he wanted donations.

But accepting them would also mean facing scrutiny that could affect his current life.

After weighing his options, he chose to forgo the donations and earn a good reputation instead.

He had found a more suitable and discreet way to make money.

Ethan opened his messaging app and found Abigaile’s contact, which she had given him when he was leaving.

Abigaile, always in her A-line dress, looked innocent and cute, and had been very kind to him.

But Ethan knew she was just trying to ride his coattails.

He typed into the messenger: “Abigaile, I’m a fan of yours!”

After finishing up, he closed his laptop. Now, it was just a matter of waiting.

To make money, of course, it was best to target the wealthy.

“How much do we have in total now?” Ethan asked Blair.

“After all expenses, and once the video creation bonus comes through, we should have about $60,000,” Blair checked his phone.

“Good, let’s take out $40,000.” Ethan had the $60,000 from the show, and with this $40,000, he would reach his $100,000 goal.

He could already picture handing over the $100,000 to his aunt.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the hospital room.

Scarlett appeared at the doorway, her gaze complex as she looked at Ethan on the bed.

“I’m going to step out for a bit.” Blair, holding his new camera, got off the bed and walked past Scarlett, closing the door behind him as he left.

The room was left with just the two of them, and the atmosphere suddenly turned awkward.

“Auntie…” Ethan started tentatively, noticing the redness around her eyes as she walked in, clearly having cried.

“Coach Biggie from Dream Chaser Show—that was you, wasn’t it?” Scarlett stood by the bed.

Her mind was full of things to say.

But now that they were face to face, she didn’t know where to start.

“Yeah, that was me,” Ethan replied, not denying it as he looked up at his aunt’s poised figure.

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