Obedience No More He's the One I Deserved novel Chapter 236

Ethan let out a helpless laugh. He rubbed his brow, then picked up a fork and handed her a piece of barbecue ribs.

"I thought you'd seen all that stuff online."

He had meant to ask the moment he came home. But when he saw she didn't seem affected, he figured she'd already calmed herself down.

Dawn looked up at him, then, after a moment, gave a soft reply.

So that's what he was talking about.

"At first ... I was upset." She lowered her head, nibbling on food, her voice quiet. "But you sent Sunny back to keep me company. And you posted on X to make our relationship official. After that, I felt better."

Being protected so seriously made Dawn feel more than satisfied.

The insults didn't matter. The lies didn't matter. After all, those were their fault, not hers.

Ethan suddenly smiled, his face relaxed. He leaned close and ruffled her hair, his deep voice warm and smooth. "Yes. You've been a good girl."

After dinner, Ethan got up to wash the dishes.

Dawn sat on the couch, took a deep breath, and opened X on her phone.

The online chatter was different from the flood of curses she'd seen earlier that afternoon. Now there were even blessings mixed in. What shocked her most was that Austin had posted, too.

"Kindness never needs repayment. Besides, Dawn is married, and I'm engaged. Please stop with the wild comments."

Dawn stared at the screen for a long time, then slowly typed in the comment section.

Some people accused Austin of faking it. Others comforted him or praised him.

He hadn't replied to any of them.

So ... he must have posted this before he came to see me?

As she spaced out, a shadow fell over her. Dawn turned her head to find Ethan's gaze drifting across her phone. "You're scrolling X?"

"Yeah." She scooted aside, letting him sit. Feeling the warmth of his chest against her back, she lifted her phone for him to see. "I just found out Austin even made a clarification post."

Ethan raised a brow, then swiped down on her screen twice.

His face stayed calm. "That's the least he should do."

Dawn didn't answer.

So the two of them sat there reading seriously, even pointing out some sharp comments from strangers. Dawn admitted a few were pretty funny.

Right then, Dawn's phone rang. It was someone from the Forest Service, the ones she had stationed to watch the surveillance feeds.

"Ms. Porter, we saw two people sneaking into the mountain. Should we stop them?"

Ethan's grip tightened slightly on Dawn's hand. "You're sure they aren't just hikers?"

"No." Liam shook his head. "Real hikers always carry gear. These two didn't bring anything except flashlights. They kept stopping and looking around. Didn't look like good guys ... "

He coughed, realizing how that sounded. "Er ... Ms. Porter, what do you want us to do?"

Dawn pressed her lips together, then said, "Let's check the surveillance first."

They had set up a small cabin nearby for convenience. From the outside, it looked like a simple woodshed, so it didn't draw attention.

The space was cramped, but the moment Dawn and Ethan walked in, it felt heavier, sharper.

Another worker inside jumped nervously to his feet.

Liam brushed off a chair and smiled. "Ms. Porter, conditions aren't great here. Please make do."

Dawn shook her head, her eyes fixed on the monitors.

The trail up the mountain was lined with hidden cameras, almost impossible to spot unless someone was really searching. Her gaze swept across the screens until she caught the two men.

They carried almost nothing. Just flashlights. But one of them had a hatchet and a short pick strapped to his back.

That look ...