Falling for the Goddess

Ethan Brown's Request

Along with the coffee, the mysterious order also included cake. Ella Duvall busied herself in the kitchen, half-bakin', and half-complaining. "I really should thank your Adrian. Dropping such a massive order on me? My hands will be useless by tonight."

Though her café was well-staffed for everyday operations, the sudden demand for two hundred cups of coffee left her team scrambling. It was their first time dealing with such a massive order.

Sara Hart offered to help, covering tasks like capping cups and packing boxes. Truthfully, she didn't know why Adrian would suddenly place such a large order. Perhaps it was for his employees?

"But judging by your tone," Ella teased while whisking batter, "things seem to be going well between you two lately?"

Sara didn't look up from her task. "These past two days have been... better."

---

When Adrian Blake came to pick Sara up, it was already 5 p.m. She had just finished helping Ella Duvall pack the order and called him once everything was taken care of.

When she got into the car, she noticed a small box on the passenger seat, momentarily stunned. Adrian leaned over, moved the bag aside to make room, and gestured for her to get in. "I passed by a dessert shop and picked up a small cake," he explained.

Once Sara was seated and had fastened her seatbelt, Adrian handed her the box. "If you're hungry, have this as a snack."

The clear box was tied with a pale blue ribbon, revealing a delicate Saint Honoré Mirror Glaze Cake inside. The cake had a soft yellow base, topped with white glaze and decorated with daisies and tiny green leaves—elegant and enticing.

Holding the box, Sara's fingers tightened slightly. She hadn't expected Adrian to buy her a cake. "Thank you."

"Mm," Adrian replied nonchalantly. He'd overheard the women in his office rave about this particular dessert shop while sipping their coffees, so he'd stopped by after leaving the company.

Of course, his secretary's reaction to his inquiry earlier that day had been... memorable.

---

The employees in the secretarial department had been deep in conversation about coffee and cakes when Adrian summoned his secretary. She had entered his office nervously, replaying all her recent actions to ensure she hadn't made a mistake.

Instead, the first question Adrian asked was: "Do you know of any good dessert shops nearby?"

She had stared at him blankly, utterly shocked. It took her three full seconds to process that her cold and aloof boss had just asked about desserts. Regaining her composure, she quickly showed him her go-to shop on her phone.

Adrian had nodded curtly, taken note of the name, and dismissed her in his usual businesslike tone. The moment she stepped out, however, she couldn't resist sharing her discovery with her colleagues.

"Adrian asking about dessert shops? It's definitely for someone special!"

The gossip spread like wildfire.

Adrian, unaware of the speculation, continued with his day, only briefly distracted by the thought of Sara as he purchased the cake.

---

During the drive home, traffic was slow due to rush hour. While waiting at a red light, Adrian noticed Sara rubbing her wrist absentmindedly.

"Did you hurt your hand?"

"Just a little sore," Sara admitted, glancing at her wrist. "I helped Ella pack the orders."

Adrian frowned. "She doesn't have staff to handle it?"

Sara chuckled. "Well, you did order two hundred cups of coffee all at once. The team couldn't keep up, so I helped."

Adrian pressed his lips into a thin line, realizing he hadn't considered the impact of his bulk order. He had simply wanted to thank Ella Duvall for sharing Sara's address and decided to support her café as a gesture of goodwill.

"Why such a large order? Was it for the employees?" Sara asked.

Adrian nodded, his eyes on the road. "The whole company's been working overtime lately. I wanted to treat them."

"Ah, I see." Sara smiled and let the topic drop.

When they arrived home, Adrian headed to the kitchen to prepare dinner while Sara placed the cake on the table. She couldn't resist taking a photo of it before carefully untying the ribbon. She then placed the ribbon in a special keepsake box in her room.

The box was filled with small tokens and souvenirs related to Adrian: the sticky notes he had once written, tickets he had given her, and even the candies he had bought for her earlier. Everything was preserved, including the ribbon from this first-ever cake he had given her.

---

After two days of rest, Sara returned to her lab work. Adrian had spent those two days at home with her, but now their lives returned to a steady routine.

With a new housekeeper, Mrs. Wong, preparing meals, mornings began with both of them leaving for work, and evenings ended with dinner together. Afterward, they would retreat to the study—Adrian handling business matters while Sara worked on her research.

Adrian even added a second desk to Sara's study. Their quiet companionship was marked only by the sounds of typing and the occasional paper rustling. Sara would sometimes sneak glances at him, cherishing these moments of shared space.

It was exactly the life she had dreamed of.

---

On Friday, Sara received a message from Ethan Brown while busy. By the time she saw it, more than an hour had passed.

Ethan Brown: "Free on Saturday?"

Sara Hart: "No plans at the moment."

Ethan Brown: "Remember you owe me a favor?"

Sara Hart: "Of course."

Ethan Brown: "There's a game on Saturday. Come watch!"

Sara hesitated before asking: "Your game?"

Ethan Brown: "Mm-hmm."

It seemed like an odd request—watching him play didn't benefit him in any way. Still, she had agreed to repay him.

Sara Hart: "Alright, send me the time and location."

Ethan Brown: "When are you home? I'll drop off the tickets."

That's when it clicked—he lived in the same neighborhood as her.

Sara Hart: "Around six."

Ethan Brown: "Got it. I'll call you then."

---

That evening, Adrian came to pick her up as usual. Sara packed up her lab equipment and grabbed her notes before heading to the campus gates. Adrian was already waiting.

"Sorry, I'm a bit late today," she said, slightly out of breath.

Adrian glanced at her and said calmly, "It's fine. I just got here."

As they drove home, Adrian mentioned, "Grandma wants us to visit the old house tomorrow."

Sara hesitated. "Could we go the day after? I already promised a friend I'd watch a game tomorrow."

"What kind of game?" Adrian asked.

"I'm not sure," Sara admitted sheepishly. "He said he'd bring me tickets later."

She added, "I think he lives in our neighborhood."

Adrian nodded, not pressing further. "I'll let Grandma know."

When they arrived at the villa, Adrian parked the car. Sara noticed a flashy Koenigsegg parked nearby. Leaning against the car was Ethan Brown, scrolling through his phone. His silver hair had been dyed a striking shade of milk-tea gold, glowing under the evening sun.