Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

"Simple. Just solve whatever's bothering Nessa and bring her back," Ethan said casually.

Sophia's eyes widened in disbelief.

What the hell did this guy just say? How is that any different from trying to fit an elephant into a fridge?

Seeing her expression, Ethan sighed and shrugged. "Look, for me, fixing Nessa's problem is easy. But whether she actually wants to come back and play in the band with you again—that's not something I can decide."

"Vanessa definitely wants to come back," Sophia insisted, but this time she wasn't just being wishful. She had evidence.

"Vanessa cried, okay? VibraMyst was one of her best memories. There's no way she doesn't want to come back."

"Huh?"

Ethan was momentarily stunned by her response.

How did she manage to come up with such an accurate analysis? Wasn't she supposed to be mad just because they played Shadows of Spring?

He glanced at the video comments and immediately saw the top comment—a long, detailed analysis.

Sophia had just copied it word for word.

As for why she accepted this explanation? Well, that was simple too. It was the one that worked best in her favor.

Vanessa cried because she couldn't go back to those good times, which meant deep down, she wanted to return to VibraMyst.

This thought warmed Sophia's heart, filling her with renewed determination and confidence.

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I'm fulfilling Vanessa's wish. I'm doing the right thing. Vanessa, your coldness doesn't scare me anymore. This time, I won't give up!

But just then, Ethan crossed his legs and leaned back, looking down at her with a smug expression. "So, now you know who Nessa's real best friend is, right?"

Sophia stared at him, utterly incredulous. Was this guy dreaming? Vanessa's best friend? As if there could be anyone else but her!

"Look at me, Sophia. Do you really have the guts to say you're Nessa's best friend?" Ethan pressed.

"I..."

Sophia hesitated. She was afraid that if she said yes, Ethan might refuse to help Vanessa.

But before she could respond, Ethan continued, "You don't even have the courage to deny it? With that kind of attitude, how can you call yourself her best friend?"

Sophia suddenly realized she had fallen into this jerk's trap. Her face darkened, and she snapped, "Go to hell!"

Ethan didn't seem bothered by her outburst. He stood up and said, "Come on, let's go to the living room. No need to hang out in my room all day."

"Huh?"

Sophia blinked, confused for a moment, but then a look of realization crossed her face. She didn't get up, though. Instead, she leaned back on her hands, propping herself up on the bed, and kicked her feet up, looking completely at ease.

"Oh, so you're that kind of guy, huh?"

After being on the losing end of their exchanges all night, Sophia was desperate to turn the tables and see Ethan squirm for once.

"Yeah, I guess I am," Ethan said, nodding thoughtfully. "I like to keep things clean."

Sophia almost lost it.

What the hell was that supposed to mean? Was he calling her dirty?

For a split second, she wanted to jump up and bite him.

But she held back, realizing something important: she couldn't let herself get worked up. Ethan always spoke to her with this casual, indifferent attitude, which was exactly why he kept getting under her skin.

So now, she decided to adopt the same approach. If he didn't want her to do something, then doing it would be the best way to annoy him.

Sure enough, just as she expected, Ethan frowned deeply.

"You're playing with fire, woman," Ethan said in a low voice.

Sophia had heard this line before, and honestly, the last time didn't seem to have much of a consequence.

She struck a pose, channeling her inner elegant Riverside High School queen, and looked at Ethan with a challenging glint in her eyes.

"Oh? And what are you gonna do about it?"

Ethan rolled his eyes, thinking to himself, Weird things happen every year, but today's just off the charts.

What was Sophia even trying to pull here?

Even with his sharp intellect, Ethan couldn't quite figure out what was going on in her head. Then again, any guy who thinks he can fully understand what a girl's thinking is already on the wrong track.

He casually replied, "You know, I am a guy. Aren't you worried I might actually do something to you?"

"I'm Blair's friend," Sophia said calmly. "Think about it. If you dared to force me into anything, how do you think Blair would react?"

What the hell?

Ethan was genuinely stunned. Was this some kind of next-level genius move?

She had actually hit on one of the few things he cared about.

Ethan sighed, thinking, I really didn't plan on messing with you anymore, but you're leaving me no choice.

He walked over to Sophia, leaned down, and said, "You're right. I won't do anything to you."

"But what you might not know is that I'm someone who believes in repaying favors. You gave me a massage earlier, right? Even though your technique was pretty awful, I still appreciate the gesture."

"What are you planning?" Sophia asked, suddenly feeling like she might've taken things too far.

Before she could react, Ethan gave her a gentle push, and she fell back onto the bed.

To her horror, Ethan climbed onto the bed as well.

"Let me show you what a real professional massage feels like," he said with a soft smile, flipping her over onto her stomach.

Sophia was about to say something, but then she felt it—a sudden, sharp pain that made her entire face freeze. A second later, the pain intensified, and she let out a scream.

"Ow, ow, ow! AHHHHHH!!!"

Sophia couldn't believe it. Was this supposed to be a massage? It felt more like torture!

What kind of pain was this?!

She couldn't do anything but scream. She couldn't even form the words to beg for mercy.

All she could do was endure as Ethan twisted her into various positions. Whether the poses were embarrassing or not didn't even cross her mind—she was too overwhelmed by the pain, which seemed to shoot straight through her entire body.

Lying face down on the bed, tears welled up in her eyes as she slapped the mattress with all her strength, as if trying to tap out like a wrestler admitting defeat.

But unfortunately for her, this wasn't a wrestling match. It was just a massage.

For what felt like an eternity, the sounds coming from Ethan's room could easily have been mistaken for something far more violent than a simple massage.