### **Evelyn's Forgotten Gift and Ivy's Curiosity**
Evelyn discreetly placed Ethan's birthday gift into her bag, hiding it from sight. However, in her hurry, she forgot the bouquet.
Ivy approached Evelyn's desk and immediately noticed the bouquet. She picked it up and asked, "Who gave this to you?"
Evelyn's eyes widened in realization. *Ah, how did I forget this!*
She cleared her throat and replied, "Ethan sir gave it to me as a birthday gift."
### **Ivy's Excitement and Revelation**
Ivy's face lit up with excitement. "Is that true, Evelyn? Ethan sir gave you this bouquet as a birthday gift? Then it's confirmed!"
Evelyn frowned, puzzled. "What do you mean 'confirmed'? I don't understand, Ivy."
Ivy smirked. "Of course, you don't understand. That's because you're a fool! Ethan sir loves you. Isn't this how a man proposes his love? But poor him—he doesn't realize he's in love with a fool."
Evelyn playfully threatened, "You're going to get bitten by me! Just because someone gives a bouquet, how does that mean love?"
### **Ivy's Logical Breakdown**
Ivy crossed her arms. "Wait—I'll make you understand. Have you ever told him your birth date?"
Evelyn thought for a moment and then shook her head. "No."
Ivy raised an eyebrow. "Then how did he know your birthday? None of us knew—not even me, your closest friend."
Evelyn replied, "He has my complete details. He probably saw it there."
Ivy grinned. "But why would he be interested in knowing your birthday? He doesn't know the birth dates of any of us. If someone tells him, he buys gifts casually during lunch and gives them to us. But in your case, he made sure to find out your birthday and prepared gifts for you ahead of time. Why?"
Evelyn hesitated. "You're saying… things. But I don't understand."
### **Evelyn's Internal Conflict**
Ivy sighed dramatically. "Fool Evelyn, think carefully about what I just said. Then you'll understand. I feel like you love him too, but you've put restrictions on yourself. You're adamant about not crossing those boundaries. And poor Ethan sir—he's stuck in this mess with you.
"Anyway, take your time and think about it. I'll head back to my desk."
Ivy left, leaving Evelyn alone with her thoughts.
She pondered, *Does Ethan sir truly love me, as Ivy said? Could it be real? No… no, he doesn't love me. He just helped me in return for my help to him. That's all.*
But Ivy's words echoed in her mind. *The only thing she said that was true… is that I love him.*
Frustrated, Evelyn muttered to herself, *Ivy, you made me—who was doing perfectly fine—start complaining about something.*
---
### **Ethan's Frustration and Call to Liam**
At the same time, Ethan called Liam.
Liam answered cheerfully, "Hi, Ethan! Did your proposal to Evelyn go well? What did you gift her?"
Ethan sighed heavily. "No… nothing went according to my plan. I'm worried. That's why I called—to ask what I should do next and whether what I did was right. But instead, you're making me angry. Do you even know what happened here?"
With frustration in his voice, Ethan explained everything that had unfolded—one detail at a time.
### **Liam's Surprised Admiration**
Liam listened attentively and then responded, "I'm sorry, Ethan. But honestly, if you think about it, I'm very proud of you.
"If you had wanted, you could have convinced Evelyn of your love, gotten married, bought her family's restaurant back, and made her yours.
"But instead, when you learned about her dreams, you respected them. To ensure she could fulfill her wishes, you set aside your love, bought back the restaurant, and placed it under her name.
"If I were in your place, I definitely wouldn't have thought about it this generously. But… there's one thing I don't understand. Why did you say she owes you money for a loan?"
### **Ethan's Thoughtful Strategy**
Ethan leaned back and replied, "It's simple—if I had just given it to her outright, she definitely wouldn't have accepted it. That's why I told her I was offering it as a loan, asking her to buy it back.
"That way, she believes she succeeded on her own merit. And honestly, I always felt that would be best for her. I have a lot of faith in her—she will become a successful businesswoman, just as she dreams.
"But until then… I admit, it's really hard to wait for her."
### **Liam's Encouragement**
Liam chuckled. "There's no other choice, Ethan. But when something good is worth it, we can wait as long as needed."
Ethan exhaled slowly. "Mm… let's see. After talking to you, I feel a little more confident that what I did was right."
Then, curiosity struck him. "Okay, what did Isla say?"
Liam smirked. "Why are you asking that now?" The two continued their conversation.
---
### **Evelyn Shares Ethan's Gift with Her Mother**
After work, Evelyn returned home and shared everything about Ethan's generous gift with her mother.
Her mother listened carefully, her emotions swelling. Then, she looked at Evelyn and said, "Call Ethan now. I need to speak to him."
Evelyn nodded, dialed Ethan's number, and handed the phone to her mother.
### **A Mother's Gratitude**
Ethan answered, "Yes, Evelyn, tell me."
But it wasn't Evelyn's voice that responded. Instead, her mother spoke, filled with emotion. "Ethan, this is Evelyn's mom. She told me everything that happened. You helped us like a god during our worst times.
"You don't know how hard Evelyn's father worked to build our restaurant. I've carried so much regret ever since I sold it. We had no choice—it was for my son's heart surgery. But even knowing that, I could never find peace. Every night, I struggled to sleep, wondering why things had to turn out this way.
"I had lost hope that we'd ever get it back. But today, I feel like God has come to help us—through you. Thank you so much for trusting Evelyn and giving us this loan."
### **Ethan's Reassurance**
Ethan's voice was calm and reassuring. "Aunt, please don't cry. I didn't do anything extraordinary. Evelyn helped me in a difficult situation, and in return, I helped her in whatever way I could. That's all.
"But I do have faith in her. She will undoubtedly become a successful businesswoman, just like her father."
Evelyn's mother smiled, her voice softer now. "Ethan, I would be truly happy if everything turns out the way you say. Alright, I won't take up more of your time."
With that, she ended the call, feeling a newfound hope for her family's future.
---
### **Evelyn's Restaurant Flourishes**
Days passed, and Evelyn successfully renovated her family's restaurant, reopening it with a fresh start. Her mother took charge, managing it with care, and soon, the restaurant was running smoothly.
Meanwhile, at the office, Evelyn and Ethan continued their playful interactions—unknowingly showing their affection for each other—while Ivy constantly teased them about it.
### **Ethan's Parents Wonder About Evelyn**
One day, Ethan's mother asked, "Why hasn't Evelyn come home lately?"
Ethan's father chimed in, "Yes, I was thinking the same thing. Did something happen between you two?"
Ethan shook his head. "There's nothing going on. You're imagining things. Evelyn and her family bought back their restaurant and reopened it. She's spending most of her free time there, but she still comes to the office. She often asks about you both."
Ethan's mother sighed. "She's too busy to even call? Fine, you call her now—I want to speak with her."
Ethan rolled his eyes. "Maria, don't you have anything else to do? I'm not calling her for you. You have her number—call her yourself."
With that, he swiftly escaped from his mother's interrogation.
### **Ethan's Parents Plan to Speak to Her**
Later that night, Ethan's mother turned to her husband and said, "Dear, this isn't right. Tomorrow, we need to speak with Evelyn."
Ethan's father nodded. "Alright, Maria. We'll talk to her tomorrow."
### **Ethan's Request to Evelyn**
The next day at the office, Ethan called Evelyn and said, "Please come to my room."
Evelyn walked over and knocked on the door.
"Yes, come in," Ethan said.
Stepping inside, Evelyn handed him some files, then looked at him expectantly.
Ethan sighed. "Evelyn, my parents asked why you haven't come home. I haven't told them about our contract yet, so just this once, I need you to visit. I'll explain everything to them soon."
Evelyn smiled gently. "No problem, sir. I'll come tomorrow after work to meet them."
Ethan exhaled in relief. "Thanks, Evelyn."
As she left his office, he muttered to himself, *Oh my god, we've finally escaped this situation.*
### **Evelyn Visits Ethan's Home**
The next day, after finishing work, Evelyn arrived at Ethan's house.
Ethan's parents welcomed her warmly, and his father said, "We were about to call you. You came on your own! We asked Ethan why you haven't visited—did he tell you?"
Evelyn nodded. "Yes, Uncle. I've missed seeing you both, so I decided to come. I brought something for you—a collection of songs by your favorite singers. And Aunt, this is for you."
She handed Ethan's mother a book by her favorite author—one she had once mentioned wanting to read.
### **Evelyn's Reassurance**
Ethan's mother smiled but admitted, "Evelyn, I was a little worried when you stopped coming. I feared something had happened between you and Ethan."
Evelyn reassured her, "Nothing like that, Aunt. We reopened our restaurant, and I've been overseeing it, which is why I haven't been able to visit. But that won't happen again. Even if I can't come in person, I'll make sure to stay in touch over the phone. So don't worry."
She spent time with them, chatting and laughing, before finally taking her leave.
### **A Growing Bond**
Evelyn had unknowingly become a true daughter-in-law in the eyes of Ethan's parents. They no longer saw her as someone —they saw her as family.
### **Will Evelyn Officially Become Ethan's Wife?**
Evelyn's relationship with Ethan's parents deepened, but the question remained—would she truly become part of their family as Ethan's wife?
---
Endless Love continues...