Chapter 5 - Spoiled

"Here's your toothbrush, brush your teeth now" Ethan handed Belle the new toothbrush and got his own from the rack. They both brushed their teeth while looking at each other in the mirror.

Something inside of Ethan felt a peculiar warmth while looking at their reflections doing something so intimate. It never crosses his mind he could do what he was doing now until Belle happened. He never allowed anyone to get close to him to the extent of sharing this simple act of brushing teeth, but with the girl he just met at the bar, it surprisingly felt so right. 

On the other hand, Belle is already wearing the pajama set from Ethan. It is a lot bigger for her small frame. She felt more secure wearing something, the man who has always helped her, owns. 

"You should eat a lot, you are so skinny" Ethan mumbled softly with his knotted brows when they returned to the bedroom. He knew it's improper to point out a lady's body but he is so concerned about Belle's almost scrawny figure. 

Belle looked down to check herself, yes indeed she is so skinny. Food is so limited for her and if not for Crizzy and Ram she constantly skips meals.

"I have eaten a lot during dinner though" Belle whispered while she tried to measure her wrist with her circled fingers, indeed it's so small.

"You have to eat a lot every meal" Ethan countered while he checked his phone for some emails.

"Can I do that? But you have a lot of people here, they should eat too" Belle was surprised. Her face reflects her excitement while she remained standing while Ethan was already on the bed.

"There is a lot of food in the kitchen, even if you eat a lot, there would still be plenty for others" Ethan explained while fully focused on his phone. It's been a while before noticing Belle still standing.

"Why are you still standing there, you lay down here and sleep" Ethan exclaimed upon seeing Belle standing at the foot of the bed.

Belle hesitated first but she did what she was told to do. She quietly lay down at the far side of the king-size bed. The moment her back hit the very soft cushion she instantly sighed with heavenly comfort. The kind of comfort unknown to her since she has been sleeping in a hard bed in her previous room. 

She never imagined she would experience such luxury from the man she just met a few times at the bar. She is taking a great risk of trusting Ethan. No matter where her relationship with the young CEO would bring her, she is ready and she would embrace everything.

Shaking his head and heaving a sigh, he watches Belle's frail back. She was at the end of the bed. Giving her space, he returned to what he was doing until he heard steady breathing. Listening to the soft breaths, he feels immensely satisfied. 

After finishing his emails for tomorrow, he went to sleep. Pulling the sleeping beauty in the center of the bed, he held her small body closer to his. 

Ethan took his time staring at Belle's sleeping face while gently caressing her smooth cheek with his thumb. 

"You will be well now, you will no longer worry for your next meal and you will have all you needed" Ethan whispers while he continues to caress Belle's pretty face. 

A tender smile grazed his face hearing the soft and steady breathing as he pecks her forehead. Tightening his hug around her frail body, a satisfied smile curved his lips. He fell asleep smiling.

****😊****

"Good day Mr. CEO, we are honored for your visit" the manager of a very well-known brand greeted Ethan who was holding Belle’s hand.

Just having her school uniform, the first thing the next morning, Ethan brought Belle to shop her things. 

Ethan just nodded at the store personnel welcoming their entourage before turning to Belle.

"Choose whatever you want"  Ethan softly said to the anxious girl who is looking around like a lost puppy.

"It is very expensive here, we can look for a bargain shop, I know one around here" Belle whisper near Ethan's ears in fear someone might hear but luck is not on her side. Everyone seemed to hear based on the suppressed chuckles around by the manager and the store attendants.

Chuckles, which abruptly stopped, after Ethan looked around with his serious and very intimidating gaze.

"It's okay, just choose whatever you want" Ethan tried to pacify the worried girl whose brows are already knotted with the obvious intimidation she feels.

"Mitch, help her choose all the clothes that would fit her" Ethan turned to one of his assistants and seriously instructed.

"Yes, Mr. CEO. Come on Miss Belle" Mitch immediately grabs and led Belle to the racks of clothes. She started to choose for her.

While Belle and Mitch become busy choosing clothes, Ethan was served snacks and drinks after he was seated on the couch. 

Mitch is pulling clothes after clothes she will let Belle try later, while Belle is busy checking the price tags. She would try to return almost everything at the rack but Mitch would pick them again after giving her a playful glare. 

While the two were busy with shopping, Ethan is just watching while waiting for Pete who arrived later with some documents for review and to is signed.

For the first time, Ethan was away from his office. He was supposed to be busy with office work. In the middle of Belle's shopping, Ethan and Pete occupied the lounge area of the boutique to do the review of another business collaboration abroad. 

Even if Ethan got so engrossed with the documents in his hands, he would constantly glance at Belle who is already trying different outfits with Mitch's persistence. 

"I like that, get it" Ethan suddenly announce while Belle and Mitch were arguing in front of the mirror outside of the fitting room. 

"See...told you, you look good in it" Mitch exclaimed triumphantly, which made Belle stick her tongue out on Mitch.

The two instantly developed rapport during their fights over several clothes and it satisfied Ethan. 

"It's expensive" Belle whispered to Mitch while looking so anxious. 

"Don't worry, it will not make the CEO bankrupt. It's just loose coins for Mr. DelValle" Mitch assured Belle while giving her another set of clothes to try. 

Belle and Mitch continued the ordeal of choosing clothes with constant bantering and ramblings while Ethan just watched and approved almost all the clothes Belle had tried. 

The manager is closely assisting the CEO's shopping entourage and almost all store assistants are with Belle and Mitch. It's the first time the CEO personally visited shops to do some shopping. Most of the time, he has a personal shopper, or his assistants and secretaries would usually do the shopping. It would just be delivered to him. He is too busy to waste his time looking for clothes but today the CEO is very hands-on in choosing the girl's clothes and her other personal things. 

So after he had reviewed the contract, Ethan stood from his seat and walked around the shop to do his shopping. 

Ethan saw several knick-knacks for girls, like hair ties, hair clips, some fancy combs and brushes, bedroom slippers, night robes and even sleeping lingeries, belts, handkerchiefs, and bags. 

They have spent hours in just one shop before they have finished shopping. Belle's legs were sore from all the walking and trying of different clothes.

Ethan even made Belle pay at the counter with the same black card he gave, making Belle all the more nervous. She would constantly look back at Ethan who is just comfortably sitting on the couch at the lounge, ignoring Belle's awkward predicament. 

Sweat is already forming on Belle's forehead while waiting and grasping the black card in her hand. Even after waiting for a while, she got no help from Ethan who wanted Belle to overcome her fear of using the black card. 

The cashier politely told Belle of the total amount to be paid and Belle paled when she heard the exact amount. 

"Huh...that much? It could already buy a house!" she exclaimed in disbelief. Looking so conflicted, she turns towards him, but he just stares at her. His expression was unreadable. 

Not getting any help from him, she turns around faces the cashier. Taking several deep breaths, she gave the black card. 

The cashier processed the transaction and gave her the small pad to be signed, which she just intently stared at. She looked back at Ethan, looking so conflicted. 

"You sign it" he casually told her, which made Belle more nervous. She gulps hard while staring at Ethan. 

Upon realizing Ethan was serious with what he wanted her to do, she heaves a sigh. She turns to the cashier, hesitantly got the pad and the stylus pen. With a trembling hand and pounding chest, she slowly affixed her signature on the pad. 

"This is the copy of your transaction Miss Belle, thank you for shopping, and come again" the cashier politely and cheerfully handed Belle the bank slip and the receipt. 

She stares at the slip and caresses the signature reflected on it, her signature, in a bank slip. She felt something heavy in her chest instead of being happy with all the expensive things they bought today. 

It's more of a sad reality that made her sad not because she didn't appreciate what Ethan bought for her. Yesterday, no one believed she didn't steal the card. Today, her signature was honored to pay a great amount. An amount enough to build several homes for the unfortunate. 

"Hey what's wrong?"  Ethan, seeing her sad face, rushed to her side. She continues to stare at the long receipt in her hand.

"Ahm...I could already build a home for uncle Ram and aunt Crizzy with this amount" Belle mumbled softly, surprising Ethan.

Inhaling deep, he pulled her in his chest, wrapping his arms around her small body. 

"You want a good home for them?"  he softly asks. 

"Yes," Belle instantly whispers  

"I can do something with it" Ethan assured the sad girl while inhaling her sweet scent. 

"Really? But they don't have enough money to rent a better space" Belle got excited but remembers their predicament.

"Don't worry, just leave it to me"  Ethan whispered while burying his face in Belle's hair. 

Belle looked up and stared at Ethan, trying to gauge the truthfulness in his words. 

"I promise you, I will, now smile...please don't be sad"  he whispered ignoring the curious stares of people around them. It's not every day they would see their CEO to be this soft towards someone. He was known to be strict and distant. 

Belle smiled at Ethan shyly. 

"Thank you" Belle whispered while Ethan nodded and gave her a warm smile. 

"Come on let's have our lunch, what do you want?"  Ethan smiled tenderly and caressed Belle's skinny but pretty face. 

"Ice cream?" Belle abruptly exclaimed, which made Ethan chuckle. 

"That is not lunch, it's a dessert"  Ethan playfully reminded her while gently pinching Belle's nose. 

"Anything for lunch, then can I have an ice cream?" Belle said and asked excitedly with her sparkling eyes. 

"You will have every ice cream you want as long as you will eat a lot at lunch,"  Ethan said seriously, which made Belle nod fervently with her sweet smile. 

Indeed Belle ate a lot during lunch. She loves the taste of different gourmet dishes ordered for her. It's all new to her taste buds so she ate whatever was served. 

After their sumptuous lunch, Ethan indeed fulfilled his promise. Belle could have any ice cream she wanted. They visited a gelato store, which made Belle's eyes grow wide and her mouth water. 

Ethan and Pete together with Mitch chuckled watching Belle in a panic about what flavor to choose among the several choices displayed. 

Belle ordered three flavored gelatos and in no time she had consumed all of it. 

"I'm so full but I still want all of them" Belle mumbled softly while looking at the display counter sadly. 

Ethan smiled at Belle's face while Pete and Mitch were also smiling but not for Belle. They both smile seeing the rarest smile coming from the very serious CEO. Ethan DelValle is smitten and happy. 

No one had ever expected the CEO is capable of spoiling someone like he is doing with Belle. 

They are about to leave the store but Belle's eyes are still looking back at the display freezer with longingness. 

"Please arrange to deliver that whole freezer with a different flavor of gelato at home today" Ethan turned to Pete and held Belle's hand to go out. 

"Yes, Ethan" Pete immediately responded and turned to the manager beside them to give some details of the delivery. 

"Really, we will have that whole gelato freezer at home?" Belle heard it clear which made her so excited. She tugged on Ethan's hand excitedly like a small child. 

"Yes Belle, you will have all of that at home later"  Ethan smiled tenderly to the bright face of the happy girl. 

"Thank you, thank you!" she exclaimed happily unaware of the curious look of other people around while Ethan remains smiling.

She was so happy having a lot of gelatos. The last time she ate ice cream was when her parents were still alive. She doesn't even have the luxury of having an iced popsicle, how much more of a gelato. Her money is only intended for food and her school requirements. Ice cream is never on the list but she loved ice cream so much, it will always remind her of her birthday. Her father will always buy ice cream and her mother will buy her a birthday cake. She has none of it again when they died. She was only eleven. 

"You are like my father, he will always buy me ice cream on my birthday" Belle exclaimed happily to Ethan who paused and stared at her with a frown. 

"Belle I'm too young to be your father and I don't want you to see me as your father"  exasperatedly exclaimed while glaring at her. 

"Of course, I know that! You are not my father, you are too young for that, you are such a silly old man" Belle smiled teasingly at Ethan, unaware of the dreadful faces of Pete and Mitch together with Ethan's security. For several years they have been with the CEO, no one has dared to call him silly, even his best friend Pete. 

"I'm just eleven years older than you, I'm not an old man, silly skinny girl"  Ethan teased back and gently pinched Belle's nose, which made Belle laugh out loud while swinging her hand that is being held by the CEO. 

The two are having fun while unaware of the anxious and nervous state of Pete and Mitch who slumped on each other when the CEO seemed to not mind what Belle called him. 

"I will have a heart attack with these two…" Mitch mumbled softly while holding her thundering chest. 

Everyone behind Ethan and Belle stopped in their tracks while they compose themselves from previous tension. They also took time to watch the two happy figures walking ahead of them while contently holding each other's hands. 

****😊😉****