Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

Chapter 403: Maybe… it wasn’t just a dream

Under Ethan’s guidance, the band VibraMyst had finally found its rhythm and was achieving impressive results.

It’s worth mentioning that Ethan didn’t give them any unfair advantages. After all, with his resources, he could have easily propelled the band to stardom, whether by throwing money at it or ghostwriting hit songs for them. But VibraMyst’s success was largely due to their own efforts.

The truth is, the girls already had what it took to make it big. Meeting someone like Ethan, who recognized their potential, just made their path to debut that much smoother.

Still, none of the girls had expected that they’d actually make it, let alone do so well.

You could say that each member of VibraMyst had found their own sense of purpose in the band.

Elise and Sophia had found a band they could see themselves playing in for life. Zara, thanks to the band’s success, no longer felt so insecure around her older sister.

Vanessa had found a solid career, one that meant she didn’t have to rely on her family anymore—and it was exactly what she wanted to do.

As for Kylie, well, the rest of the band wasn’t entirely sure what she thought about it all. But when they jokingly asked her if she was actually enjoying being in the band, for once, Kylie didn’t use her usual evasive way of speaking.

The band was fun, at least that’s what she thought.

Time flew by, and although a lot happened along the way, they managed to overcome every challenge.

If there was one thing that had changed the most, it was the relationship between the band members and Ethan.

Sophia no longer treated Ethan with hostility, but she was still incredibly stubborn—so much so that it left everyone feeling a bit helpless.

When Ethan opened his eyes, he was staring at a ceiling that felt both unfamiliar and familiar at the same time.

This was Lila’s house.

It had been a while since he and Lila had swapped bodies. He thought things had finally settled down, but here they were, swapped again.

After all, Ethan had started a company, and having just one band, VibraMyst, wasn’t enough to keep things going. So, he signed Lila, Avery, and Luna’s band to the label as well. He even managed to get Mrs. Julia to join the new band through Lila’s connections.

For Julia, nothing was more exciting than the chance to debut.

Honestly, the debut of the new band, Nexus, was much easier than VibraMyst’s had been. This was entirely due to Lila’s reputation as the “Guitar Queen.” After that legendary concert, Ethan had helped her manage her social media, and her follower count had shot past a million.

That was their biggest selling point.

However, Nexus wasn’t producing much original music, so Ethan just went ahead and “borrowed” a few famous songs for them.

Success was inevitable.

But none of that mattered to Ethan right now. He had just realized that he and Lila had physically swapped bodies again.

FUCK! He was completely naked!

Ethan was starting to panic, especially when, as he sat there in shock, Lila’s bedroom door opened, and Margaret, Lila’s mom, walked in. She found a young man lying in her daughter’s bed.

“Uh…”

Ethan, wrapped in the blanket, locked eyes with Lila’s mom. The atmosphere instantly became awkward.

Meanwhile, Lila, still half-asleep, was struggling to breathe, feeling like something was crushing her.

Groggily, she opened her eyes and realized she wasn’t in her own bedroom.

The first thing she saw was a familiar face.

Vanessa?

Lila’s brain short-circuited for a moment. Why was Vanessa in bed with her?

Wait, had she swapped bodies with Ethan again? So, Vanessa was in Ethan’s bed?

Were they… in that kind of relationship!?

Lila was still trying to process everything when Vanessa suddenly wrapped her arms around her, pulling her into a tight embrace. That’s when Lila realized—Vanessa wasn’t wearing any clothes.

In that instant, Lila’s face flushed bright red, though she wasn’t entirely sure why.

“Huh… something feels off,” Vanessa mumbled, noticing something strange. She opened her eyes and immediately realized something was very wrong.

“Huh? Lil Bunny?” Vanessa was just as confused, completely unable to understand why she was seeing Lila in front of her.

“What the hell is going on!?” Vanessa exclaimed, clearly shocked.

Lila, equally startled, tried to back away, but she didn’t get far—she bumped into something behind her.

This made her freeze. Wait, what? There’s someone else behind me? How many people are in this bed!?

Lila turned her head in disbelief, only to see a brunette girl lying there.

She recognized her immediately. After all, they were all part of the same company, and this was Ethan’s neighbor, Sophia.

Lila’s brain short-circuited. Why is Sophia in Ethan’s bed too!?

She suddenly felt like she had stumbled upon some huge secret. Could this be… some kind of casting couch situation!?

“Huh?”

Sophia, now awake, blinked at Lila in surprise. But then, as if a lightbulb went off, she quickly pieced together what had happened. Seeing Lila in the bed, she immediately understood.

But instead of focusing on the body swap, she grumbled, “Damn it, Ethan! Why is he in the middle? I wanted to sleep next to Nessa! Ugh, that jerk!”

“Sophia, you seem to know something,” Vanessa said, narrowing her eyes at her.

Sophia, realizing there was no point in hiding it anymore, explained, “Ethan and Lil Bunny have been swapping bodies for a while now. Sometimes they even swap places.”

What!?

Vanessa was stunned. How does Sophia know about this, and I didn’t!?

She quickly recalled all the strange behavior she’d noticed between Lila and Ethan in the past. Now, it all made sense.

And then, she got a little angry.

“Yeah, this is all Ethan’s fault!” Sophia added, fanning the flames. After all, Ethan had been teasing her all night, and she was eager to see Vanessa give him a good beating.

“No, no, no, this has nothing to do with the boss! It’s just… something beyond his control!” Lila, ever the honest one, quickly jumped to Ethan’s defense.

“…”

Vanessa just sighed, then looked at Lila, whose face had turned an even deeper shade of red. Stammering, Vanessa said, “It’s not what you think.”

“Vanessa, come on, there’s no need to deny it at this point,” Sophia said bluntly, giving Lila a pat on the back.

“Yeah, a lot has happened, but we’re dating. Please keep it a secret.”

Lila nodded vigorously. There was no way she’d ever tell anyone about this, even if her life depended on it.

Just then, Vanessa noticed Ethan’s phone buzzing with a new message. She picked it up and saw that it was from Lila’s account.

“SOS!!!”

Sophia leaned over to take a look, then exchanged a glance with Vanessa. In unison, they both said, “Serves him right!”

The two of them burst into laughter, the tension in the room dissolving into a lighthearted atmosphere.

Suddenly, Ethan felt a powerful jolt, as if time itself had come to a standstill.

The world around him began to warp and distort, and several figures in uniforms appeared. Each of them wore a prominent badge on their chest—the emblem of the Time Management Bureau.

“Ethan, you’ve violated Article 13 of the Time Interference Act,” the leader said sternly.

“I was just trying to help them achieve their dreams. What’s wrong with that?” Ethan protested.

“In reality, you were supposed to be in a car accident on your way to school, which would have left you paralyzed. But by swapping bodies with Lila Harper, you avoided your fate. Your actions have severely disrupted the timeline, and it must be corrected immediately,” another agent added.

Before Ethan could say anything else, an overwhelming force swept over him. His vision went black, and he lost consciousness.

“Ethan! Ethan! Are you okay? Did I go too hard just now?” Scarlett, completely naked, beads of sweat tracing down her perfect curves, shook Ethan’s body in a panic.

Ethan slowly opened his eyes again, finding himself lying in a familiar bed.

In front of him was the ever-familiar Scarlett, her ample chest swaying right in front of his face.

The room looked exactly as it always had, as if he had never left.

He sat up, trying to piece together what had just happened, but his memories were hazy and unclear.

“Was it all just a dream?” he muttered to himself.

His eyes then landed on a poster on the wall—five girls holding their instruments, with the words “VibraMyst” emblazoned across the top.

Ethan stared at the poster, a strange mix of confusion and familiarity washing over him.

Scarlett followed his gaze to the poster. “Something wrong?” she asked.

Ethan shook his head. “No, it’s nothing.”

But deep down, he couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe… it wasn’t just a dream.