Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

"I already talked to Elise."

Sophia flashed a confident smile, like she had everything under control.

"Elise is also on board with the idea of getting VibraMyst back together. And I don't know what's gotten into her, but she's so determined that she said she'd drag you back, Vanessa, even if it meant breaking your legs."

"…"

Vanessa gave her a look that screamed, You've got to be kidding me. How could she be thinking something so extreme?

"Of course, that's just her way of showing how serious she is," Sophia continued with a laugh. "But Elise, Zara, and Kylie—I've already talked to them. Elise just isn't great at expressing herself, but she's agreed to the reunion too. Now, it's just you, Nessa."

"You say VibraMyst is over, but it's just you saying that. There are four of us here, and we all think the band isn't done yet. Doesn't that make our argument a little stronger than yours?"

Vanessa hadn't expected them to go this far. Is VibraMyst really that unforgettable?

Right now, Vanessa was in a fragile state, not as strong as she used to be when she could easily cut ties with the past. So, she found herself stuck in a dilemma.

In the end, she sighed and said to Sophia, "I'm sorry, Sophia. I can't give you the answer you want."

"It's okay."

Sophia shook her head gently, not too bothered by Vanessa's initial refusal.

She thought Elise had a point. If Naruto could chase Sasuke for so long, why can't I do the same? Our bond is just as strong as theirs!

Vanessa could sense Sophia's unyielding determination, and it gave her a headache.

She quickly stood up and walked away from Sophia, feeling like she needed to escape. Sophia in this state was a little terrifying.

Vanessa made her way over to Ethan and asked, "Is Sophia acting like this because of you?"

"How did you know?" Ethan asked, surprised.

"Why would you do that?" Vanessa sighed, clearly exasperated. "You know my situation. Why are you helping her?"

Without Ethan's influence, Vanessa was sure Sophia wouldn't be this hard to deal with.

"Well…" Ethan explained, "I did mention before that I'm a fan of VibraMyst."

"Uh…" Vanessa froze for a moment, clearly having forgotten that little detail. Now it made sense why Ethan would be helping Sophia.

"But I get what you're going through," Ethan said, looking at her. "And I've got a solution."

"Huh?" Vanessa looked at him, confused.

Suddenly, Ethan stood up, took both of her hands in his, and said, "Let's get married. I'll protect you from everything from now on."

"Huh?" Vanessa was completely caught off guard. She never would've expected him to propose out of nowhere. She didn't even know if she should take him seriously.

"Wait, what?!"

Sophia, overhearing this, couldn't stay calm anymore. Her composed demeanor vanished, and she rushed over, trying to pull Ethan away from Vanessa.

"Isn't this a bit much? Why are you suddenly proposing out of nowhere?!"

"Because I realized it's the best solution," Ethan explained, completely serious. "Honestly, I like Nessa a lot. I wouldn't mind marrying her at all. Nessa, do you like me?"

Vanessa was at a loss for words. After a moment of hesitation, she said, "Well, I do like you, but jumping straight to marriage seems a bit…"

"I see," Ethan nodded. "Then let's start by dating. Nessa, would you be my girlfriend?"

Vanessa was stunned again. After being hit with a proposal first, the idea of just dating didn't seem so hard to accept.

"This is getting way too weird!" Sophia couldn't hold it in anymore. She quickly turned to Vanessa and said, "Vanessa, don't listen to him! You've barely known each other! First, he proposes, and now he's asking you to date him? He's way too impulsive!"

"I don't like what you're implying," Ethan shot back, defending himself. "I'm actually a certified 'Commitment Expert' on eHarmony. If Nessa dates me, she'll be the only one in my heart."

"Shut up! What are you even talking about?" Sophia was on the verge of losing it. She was terrified that Vanessa might actually say yes, and then everything would be over.

"Ethan, can't you see I'm actually helping you here?" He glanced at Sophia with a smirk.

"What?" Sophia looked completely baffled.

"Think about it. Nessa likes me, and I like Nessa. If we start dating, that's a win."

"I have the ability and the commitment to support Nessa, letting her pursue what she really wants. That's win number two."

"And if there are no external pressures, what Nessa really wants is to come back to you guys and reform VibraMyst. That's win number three."

"So, if Nessa and I start dating, everyone gets what they want. No one's left with regrets. Isn't that a huge win for everyone? It's like Alexander the Great discovering Wi-Fi—total domination!"

"Are you just making this up as you go?" Sophia snapped, clearly frustrated.

Meanwhile, Vanessa's brain was still trying to catch up. When she finally managed to process everything, she shook her head and said, "No, I can't start dating you for a reason like that."

Ethan nodded, as if he expected that response. "That just shows you're seriously thinking about us, Nessa."

"No, Vanessa's just being kind! Can you stop twisting everything to fit your narrative?" Sophia glared at Ethan.

"How about we all just sit down and calm down?" Ethan suggested.

Since the floor wasn't exactly comfortable, the three of them moved to sit on the bed.

Ethan looked completely at ease, while Sophia was still fuming from nearly losing her grip on the situation. Vanessa, on the other hand, was still a bit dazed. Everything was happening way too fast for her to keep up.

"How about we play a game of cards?" Ethan proposed. "If we can't figure things out, we might as well let the cards decide."

"What's the game?" Sophia asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

Ethan explained, "If you win, Sophia, Nessa will agree to reform VibraMyst. If I win, Nessa will start dating me. And if Nessa wins, you'll have to agree to do something for her."

"Wait a second, something feels off here," Sophia frowned, staring at Ethan. "Why does it seem like no matter what happens, you don't lose anything?"