Chapter 29: Felicia and Cindy! Silk, the Other Spider-Woman!
The clock hands clicked and pointed to the upper left.
Seeing that it was almost time for dinner, Ethan Lee put down his brush and announced, "Alright, that's enough for today. Class dismissed!"
"Huh?" Skye, who was assisting as a teaching aide, leaned in and whispered, "Ethan, class isn't over yet."
Technically speaking, there was still some time left before dismissal.
Surprisingly, the students weren't pleased about the early dismissal. They had grown fond of Ethan's lessons.
A strikingly beautiful student with snow-white hair boldly spoke up. "Teacher, your explanation was really good. Can we continue a bit longer?"
"No, no, no."
Ethan raised a finger and shook it. Not even a beautiful woman could convince him to give up his slacking-off time.
"I remember you, though," he said. "You did an excellent job drawing the crown jewels. Next time, if there's a chance, I'll teach you more."
He grabbed his coat, ready to head out for lunch.
Once Ethan dismissed the class, most of the students dispersed. However, the white-haired beauty who had spoken earlier stood up, revealing her full figure.
Compared to Skye and the others, who had well-proportioned, graceful physiques, this woman had an undeniably curvaceous, eye-catching figure.
Ethan was just about to leave the studio when he noticed her approaching him quickly, accompanied by another girl.
She flashed a dazzling smile. "Teacher, my name is Felicia Hardy. Can I have your contact information? I'd love to take private lessons from you."
Ethan smiled knowingly, his eyes gleaming with amusement. Private lessons, huh? Are you sure you're only interested in painting? I have a feeling you're after something else.
Since he didn't respond immediately, Felicia gestured toward the girl beside her. "This is my friend, Cindy Moon. She also wants to learn from you."
Cindy Moon, a young woman of East Asian descent, was just as beautiful as Felicia—though in an entirely different way.
Where Felicia was strikingly seductive, Cindy had an air of quiet elegance. Her simple brown hair and soft pink lips gave her a refreshing, graceful presence.
As if to sweeten the deal, Felicia leaned in slightly, her alluring gaze fixed on Ethan. "How about we take lessons together?"
Together, huh?
Of course, she meant painting. Probably.
Cindy, however, seemed much more reserved. At her friend's forwardness, she pouted slightly. "Felicia, what are you talking about?"
Ethan had already taken note of Cindy in class—not just for her pretty face but for the peculiar nature of her artwork.
Her drawings…
They were all spiderwebs. Intricate, layered webs that gave off a strange sense of oppression and unease.
What was she thinking about while drawing these?
Compared to Felicia's dazzling depiction of a crown, Cindy's artwork left a completely different impression.
Looking at the two stunning women—each with their own unique charm—Ethan found himself intrigued.
He extended his hand toward them. "For two beautiful ladies, I'd be honored to be your instructor. Let's set up a time. I work at the gallery on Fifth Street, or you can visit Sunnyvale Manor."
Yeah… I definitely can't invite them back to my place in the Lower East Side. If Jessica finds out, she'll bring Gwen over to interrogate me.
Skye, who had been observing nearby, crossed her arms and pouted. "Here we go again. You better hope Gwen and the others don't find out."
Felicia grinned and exchanged contact details with Ethan before happily shaking his hand.
But when it was Cindy's turn, something unexpected happened.
The moment she took Ethan's hand, a strange sensation coursed through both of them.
Spider-Sense.
Cindy's reaction was much stronger than Gwen's had ever been. Her entire body trembled.
"You…"
Ethan opened his mouth, about to say something.
Cindy looked up, her eyes hazy with an emotion she didn't fully understand. She stared at Ethan's lips, an overwhelming urge washing over her.
Felicia, noticing her friend's unusual behavior, asked, "Cindy, what's wrong?"
She was puzzled. Could it be that Cindy was so captivated by Ethan's looks that she couldn't move?
But it was just a handshake…
And then, in the next moment—
Cindy clasped Ethan's hand tightly, stood on her tiptoes…
And kissed him.
Skye and Felicia were utterly stunned.
Ethan was just as shocked. The sudden, almost aggressive move left him momentarily speechless.
Had he underestimated American girls?
She seemed so quiet and reserved, yet now she was practically pressed up against him…
If it had been Skye or Gwen, he wouldn't have been surprised. But this was Cindy—someone he had barely spoken to before.
It made no sense.
They hadn't even exchanged a single meaningful conversation.
Cindy's warm breath hit his lips, lingering for several moments before she finally seemed to regain control of herself.
The desire in her eyes faded—if only slightly.
But for everyone else?
Felicia blinked, feeling like she had been completely outplayed. Was I too reserved? Did I just get overtaken by my quiet little friend?
She narrowed her eyes at Cindy. "Wow. I totally underestimated you."
Then, with a teasing smirk, she added, "That was… pretty intense. Was it really that good?"
Ethan licked his lips, as if savoring the moment. He wasn't exactly experienced in these kinds of surprise attacks, but Cindy's enthusiasm more than made up for any lack of technique.
Cindy, finally coming back to her senses, touched her lips in disbelief. What the hell just happened?
Her face turned bright red.
She spun around and bolted.
But after a few steps, she suddenly turned back and grabbed Ethan's wrist.
"Come with me!"
Ethan felt a surprising amount of strength pulling him forward. Without much resistance, he allowed Cindy to drag him away.
At the same time, a thought crossed his mind. What exactly is she planning to do with me?
Behind them, Skye and Felicia finally snapped out of their daze.
"Wait! Cindy!"
The two of them hurriedly chased after her.
Skye, in particular, was fuming.
"Did you just steal my man?!" she yelled.
From her perspective, Ethan was just a harmless, artistic guy. What if Cindy was too strong for him?
Under U.S. law, women weren't allowed to take advantage of men!
Even if they were beautiful!
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the city—
Peter Parker was completely oblivious to the chaos.
He had just received a text from Dr. Connors.
[Peter, I feel amazing! My strength has increased, my body heals almost instantly… even my lost arm has grown back! This is the future of human evolution!]
Peter read the message, excitement bubbling inside him.
"Dr. Connors… can I try it too?"
Connors responded almost immediately.
[Of course, Peter. You helped me, so I'll share this with you. And not just you—I want all of humanity to experience evolution! I have a plan…]
Peter didn't bother reading the rest.
His mind was already racing.
Just wait, Thompson. Your days as king of the school are numbered.
Then, out of nowhere—
Two people dashed past him.
A girl dragging a guy.
And then—
Two more girls sprinted by, chasing after them.
"Let go of me!"
"Cindy, stop! This is school—you'll get in trouble for kidnapping the teacher!"
Peter barely processed the scene.
But he did have one thought:
Man… that guy must be really popular.