Harem Investment System: Getting Money And Women

Vanessa shot him a glare, her toothbrush still in her mouth. "Mmffhmm!" Ethan tilted his head, pretending to ponder. "What's that? You're saying you like sleeping in my bed?" She spit out the toothpaste. "Ethan, I swear — " He grinned. "Hey, no need to get so defensive. If you wanna make this a habit, just say the word." Vanessa turned, grabbed a small cup of water, and splashed it directly at his face. Ethan spluttered, blinking as water dripped down his cheeks. "Really?" She smirked. "Oops. My hand slipped." He wiped his face with his forearm, muttering something about payback. But despite his words, there was nothing but amusement in his eyes. They finished brushing their teeth, Ethan occasionally bumping his shoulder against hers just to mess with her. Vanessa sighed, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was an absolute mess, her face still slightly flushed from the earlier encounter. "Ugh," she groaned. "I look like I just rolled out of bed." Ethan leaned against the sink, tilting his head as he took her in. "Because you did." She shot him a look. "You're not helping." He shrugged, reaching out to flick a stray strand of hair from her face. "I don't know, I think it's kinda cute." Her heart stumbled for a second. Vanessa turned away from the sink, rinsing her mouth one last time before setting her toothbrush aside. She let out a small sigh as she ran her fingers through her messy hair, her lips pressing into a thin line. She knew it was a disaster. After last night, she hadn't exactly slept peacefully — well, not until Ethan's warmth had lulled her into one of the deepest slumbers she'd had in a while. But the evidence of her tossing and turning was all too clear in the tangled strands of her dark hair. Ethan, still standing behind her, caught sight of the struggle. Without saying anything, he reached for a hairbrush sitting on the counter. Vanessa was too distracted by her thoughts to notice — until she felt the soft bristles running through her hair. Her body stiffened slightly. "What are you — " she started, turning her head slightly. "Relax," Ethan murmured, carefully untangling a particularly stubborn knot. "You're making it worse by fighting it." She hesitated, her hands instinctively twitching like she wanted to grab the brush from him. But she didn't. Instead, she sighed and let her shoulders drop. "Fine." A smirk tugged at Ethan's lips. "That's a good girl." Her head snapped up, eyes narrowing at him through the mirror. "Ethan — " "Shh," he cut her off, tugging the brush through another strand. "Let me work." Vanessa huffed but didn't argue further. She could feel his fingers occasionally graze her scalp as he carefully worked through her hair. His touch was gentle, almost soothing, and she hated how easily it made her body relax. He was too good at this. "…Do you do this often?" she finally asked, her voice quieter than before. Ethan let out a low chuckle. "You think this is my first time handling a woman's hair?" She frowned slightly. "I don't know, maybe." He shook his head. "My mom used to make me do this when I was younger. Said a man should know how to take care of his woman properly." Vanessa's heart did an odd little thump at that. She cleared her throat, trying to keep her voice casual. "I'm not your woman." Ethan hummed, dragging the brush down the length of her hair one last time. "Mmm. If you say so." Vanessa's eyes flickered toward his reflection in the mirror, searching his face. He was definitely messing with her. But what annoyed her the most… was how much she didn't mind. Ethan gave her hair one final smooth stroke before setting the brush down. "There," he said, satisfied. "Now you don't look like you just lost a fight with a tornado." Vanessa turned, crossing her arms. "Gee, thanks." He smirked. "Anytime." Before she could fire back with a sarcastic retort, his stomach let out a loud growl. Vanessa blinked. Then, a small grin tugged at her lips. "Wow. That was loud." Ethan rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, well, someone distracted me from going downstairs earlier." Her grin widened. "Right, because you weren't the one being a pain in the ass first thing in the morning." He held up his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. Let's go eat before Marianne starts scolding us." Vanessa rolled her eyes but followed him out of the bathroom nonetheless. As they walked down the grand staircase, the scent of breakfast drifted toward them — something warm, rich, and undeniably inviting. It smelled like butter, eggs, and freshly brewed coffee. Sure enough, Marianne was already waiting for them at the dining table, setting down a plate of steaming food. "Took you both long enough," she said, not even looking up as she adjusted a set of utensils. "Thought you might starve up there." Ethan chuckled, pulling out a chair. "We almost did." Vanessa sat down beside him, her stomach growling at the sight of the food. There were fluffy scrambled eggs, crispy toast, and sausages that glistened under the soft morning light. Marianne glanced between the two of them, her eyes sharp. "You both look… well-rested." Vanessa nearly choked on her first bite of toast. Ethan, however, remained completely unfazed. He simply smirked, sipping his coffee. "Best sleep I've had in a while." Vanessa shot him a glare, her face slightly pink. Marianne just shook her head, muttering something under her breath as she returned to the kitchen. As they ate, Vanessa found herself stealing glances at Ethan. There was something about this morning — something comfortable. Maybe it was the way their conversation flowed so naturally, or how easily they fell into place beside each other. Maybe it was the way he had brushed her hair, like it was the most normal thing in the world. Or maybe… it was the simple fact that she liked waking up next to him. She wasn't sure.