Repairing A Broken Home With My Patriarch System

The following morning, Ethan woke up early and went through his usual exercise routine in the living room.

After finishing, he took a shower and prepared breakfast for the family. Evelyn joined him shortly afterward, helping arrange the dishes while Nora got ready for school.

Once breakfast was over, the three of them left the house together.

Ethan drove Nora to school first, with Evelyn sitting beside him. After dropping their daughter off, they headed toward Eve Refreshments.

When they arrived, Evelyn stepped out of the car and immediately went to inspect the smoothie shop.

Gilbert was behind the counter, preparing some fruit juices while Maya arranged the tables near the windows. The shop was clean, and the colorful drinks on display made the place look inviting.

Evelyn watched Gilbert for a moment as he carefully poured a freshly blended drink into a transparent cup.

”How’s business this morning?” She asked.

Gilbert looked up and smiled. ”Not bad. We’ve had a few orders already, and the social media account is still getting attention.”

”That’s good. Just make sure you maintain the quality.” She smiled.

”Don’t worry. I’m keeping an eye on everything,” He said reassuringly.

Evelyn nodded before turning toward Maya, who was wiping one of the tables.

”And how are things on your end?”

Maya straightened and smiled. ”Everything’s fine. I’ve also been responding to the messages from yesterday’s livestream. A few people asked about the menu, and some wanted to know whether we deliver.”

Evelyn’s expression brightened. ”Really? That’s wonderful. Make sure you respond to everyone properly.”

Maya responded with a confident thumbs-up. ”I will.”

After checking the shop, Evelyn walked into the main fruit store to see how Cassandra was doing.

Cassandra was arranging a few crates near the counter when she noticed her friend approaching.

”Evelyn, you’re here.”

”Yes.” Evelyn smiled as she glanced around. ”How’s everything going?”

”Pretty well. We’re having a steady stream of customers this morning,” She answered as she wiped her hands.

”Good. By the way, Ethan and I are going out for a while. We’ll be back later.”

Cassandra nodded. ”Alright. Don’t worry about anything here. I’ll take care of the shop.”

Evelyn smiled gratefully and hugged her. ”Thank you.”

Cassandra waved her off as she turned toward the entrance.

”Go on. Enjoy your day.”

Evelyn returned to the car, where Ethan was waiting patiently.

”Finished?” He asked when she opened the door.

She nodded and fastened her seat belt. ”Yep. We can go now.”

Ethan started the car and drove toward a men’s clothing store in one of the city’s shopping districts.

......

The store was considerably more luxurious than Ethan had expected.

Large glass windows displayed several elegant outfits, while the interior was decorated with polished floors, tasteful lighting, and neatly arranged clothing racks. Several customers browsed the collections, and the staff moved about efficiently, assisting anyone who needed help.

As soon as Ethan and Evelyn entered, a well-dressed staff member approached them with a welcoming smile.

”Good morning, sir and madam. Welcome to our store. Is there anything in particular you’re looking for today?”

Evelyn nodded. ”Um... we’d like to find a suit suitable for a wedding.”

”Certainly, madam. Please follow me. We have several excellent collections that might interest you.”

The staff member led them toward a section displaying luxurious suits in different colors and styles.

Evelyn immediately began inspecting them.

”This one looks nice,” She murmured, lifting the edge of a dark navy suit. ”But I’m not sure about the design.”

Ethan stood beside her with his hands in his pockets, watching her move from one suit to another.

After examining several options, Evelyn turned toward him.

”What do you think of this one?”

Ethan glanced at the suit she was holding. ”It looks fine.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. ”That’s not an answer. Does it look good or not?”

He blinked, then smiled. ”It looks good.”

Evelyn sighed and returned the suit to its rack. ”You’re not helping at all.”

Ethan chuckled. ”You’re the one who insisted on choosing my clothes. Why are you asking me?”

”Because you’re the one who’s going to wear them!” She rolled her eyes before continuing her search.

Ethan obediently followed behind her as she inspected the different collections, occasionally stopping to examine a suit more closely or ask the staff member about the material.

After several minutes, Evelyn finally settled on a dark charcoal suit with a refined cut and subtle detailing along the lapels.

”This one,” She declared, holding it up against Ethan’s body.

He glanced down at it. ”Are you sure?”

”Yes. Go and try it on.”

She handed the suit to him before pointing toward the fitting rooms.

Ethan shook his head, amused, but obediently took it and walked away.

While waiting, Evelyn continued examining the other outfits nearby. She was so absorbed in comparing two different ties that she almost didn’t notice when Ethan returned.

”How does it look?”

His voice made her turn around, and then she froze.

Ethan stood in front of her wearing the charcoal suit, the jacket fitting his shoulders perfectly while the trousers complemented his figure. The simple design made him look mature and elegant, and the way he carried himself only enhanced the overall appearance.

For a moment, Evelyn simply stared.

’He looks... handsome.’

Her cheeks warmed slightly as she continued looking at him. She had always known Ethan wasn’t bad-looking, but seeing him dressed so neatly made her realize just how much his appearance had changed in her eyes lately. Perhaps it was the way he had been treating her.

Perhaps it was the fact that he had started taking better care of himself, or perhaps she was simply beginning to notice things she had once stopped paying attention to.

Whatever the reason, she found herself staring at him in a daze.

Ethan raised an eyebrow. ”Evelyn?”

She didn’t respond, still in a daze. He tilted his head, amused. ”Dear?”

Still nothing.

A playful smile appeared on his face as he stepped closer and gently pinched her nose.

”Ouch!” She jolted, immediately snapping out of her daze. She rubbed her nose and glared at him. ”What are you doing?”

Ethan laughed. ”I’ve been calling you for a while. Were you planning to stare at me all day?”

Evelyn’s cheeks turned red. ”W-Who was staring at you?”

”Really?” He crossed his arms, looking at her with amusement. ”Then why didn’t you answer when I called you?”

She opened her mouth, then closed it again. For a moment, she couldn’t think of a convincing response.

Finally, she turned away with a pout. ”Just shut up.”

Ethan laughed even harder. ”All right, all right. So, how do I look?”

Evelyn glanced at him from the corner of her eyes before quickly looking away again.

”...Not bad.”

”Not bad?” Ethan repeated, feigning disappointment. ”I thought I looked handsome.”

”Who told you that?” She asked, shooting him a sidelong glance.

”You did. With your eyes,” He teased.

”Ethan!”

He burst into laughter, thoroughly enjoying her reaction. The staff member standing nearby politely concealed his amusement, pretending to examine a nearby rack of clothing.

Evelyn took a deep breath before turning toward him.

”Excuse me. How much is this suit?”

The staff member immediately stepped forward with a professional smile.

”Madam, this particular suit is one of our premium collections. The price is—”

He stated the amount, causing Evelyn’s eyes to widen.

”...What?”

She stared at him, wondering whether she had misheard. The staff member repeated the price politely.

For several seconds, Evelyn remained speechless.

’That’s... that much for a single suit?’

She looked at the outfit Ethan was wearing, then back at the staff member. Although she had expected the store to be expensive, she hadn’t imagined that one suit could cost so much.

Her gaze slowly shifted toward Ethan.

He was still wearing the suit, looking perfectly comfortable as though nothing unusual had happened. Evelyn swallowed.

’Should we really spend this much on clothes?’

She had no problem buying something nice for her husband, but the price was far beyond what she had anticipated. Even if they could afford it, she wasn’t the kind of person who enjoyed spending money carelessly.

”Ethan, perhaps we should look at—”

Before she could finish speaking, a familiar female voice suddenly came from behind them.

”Evelyn?”

Blinking, she turned around in surprise. Standing a short distance away was a woman she hadn’t expected to see there.

”Melinda?”

The woman smiled as she approached, her eyes moving briefly toward Ethan before returning to Evelyn.

”It’s been a while!”

Evelyn’s surprise quickly turned into delight.

”Melinda! What are you doing here?”