Chapter 691-700
In the afternoon, Anastasia made a call to Lori before she left for the restaurant where she had
made a reservation.
Lori was the first to arrive between the two, as she set off from thepany.
Around 11.50AM, a woman in business attire turned up by the entrance. She had her raven hair styled
in an updo. Her whole appearance set her off gracefully, giving her amorous vibes.
Lori had heard from her father that Anastasia had taken over Bourgeois. She always thought
Anastasia would be content with being a housewife, so Lori was surprised to see the woman
be a chairwoman of a jewelrypany right after marriage.
It was obvious that Anastasia was not a woman whocked motivation and only sought pleasure in her
life. Having her own career turned her into a morepetent woman.
A woman like her was more attractive than ordinary housewives, and it was hard for men to resist her
charm. Anastasia didn’t even need the help from Elliot to shine.
Lori couldn’t help but feel envious of her, as Anastasia got off on the right foot with a favorable
background of her husband’s family.
No matter how hard Lori tried and how determined she was for her goals, as long as her family
could not provide her with a better opportunity, she would still need to work for others. On the contrary,
Anastasia was managing a listed jewelrypany right after marriage, which had a market value of
more than 10 billion.
“Anastasia.” Lori stood with a smile as Anastasia made her way to the table.
“Long time no see.” With ease, Anastasia took a seat opposite her.
“I heard that you had taken over Bourgeois. You’re amazing.” Lori gave her a heartfeltpliment.
“You are thinking too highly of me. I am just trying to find something to pass time because I get bored at
home. Elliot wants me to have fun rather than trying to make a killing.” There was a hint of love in
Anastasia’s tone as she said that.
Lori had a smile on her face, but the smile did not reach her eyes. “That’s quite sweet of Elliot.”
Happiness was written all over Anastasia’s face. “You’re not wrong. Other than my dad, he is the
second man who spoils me rotten.”
“When are you going to have a second child? I remember that Jared is going to be seven soon, isn’t
he?” Lori was curious.
“We’re not making any ns at the moment. It wille naturally.” Anastasia smiled at the thought.
Just then, her phone rang, interrupting their conversation. “Excuse me for a moment.” She nodded at
Lori and picked up the call. “Hello?”
At the end of the call, Anastasia had already made a decision. “In the future, Bourgeois will never
consider the artist from thispany to act as our brand’s spokesperson.”
Throughout the call, Anastasia had remained a serious face and once she ended it, Lori could finally
express her curiosity.”What happened? Is something wrong?”
“It was just about an artist who overestimated her own boundaries,” Anastasia exined casually, but
her eyes seemed to bore into Lori’s soul. “She tried to seduce Elliot right under my nose in a
conference not long ago, but I happened to be aware of it.”
Lori’s smile stiffened slowly, and she hung her head low in shame. “That artist must be out of her
mind to mess with you.”
“I cut off her endorsement contract and gave her a warning. I am going to cklist her if she dares to
do it again the second time. At present, none of the artists from herpany will be given the
opportunity to be Bourgeois’ spokesperson.” Anastasia’s smile was gentle, but her eyes pierced
through Lori intensely.
Lori’s knuckles turned white as she held onto her cup tightly, unable to speak as a result. She was
aware that it was a warninging from Anastasia.
“Do you think I made the right choice?” Anastasia questioned with a hint of amusement. As if on cue,
Lori agreed with her statement. “Right, I thought so too. Nobody shall think about sabotaging your
marriage.”
“She is far from being a threat, more like an eyesore to get rid of.” Anastasia sipped her tea and
changed the topic. “Let’s not dwell on this matter. We shall talk about something else instead. Have you
found a job already?”
“I am currently working in a financial firm.” Lori nodded at her.
? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.
“Knowing you, I have no doubts you could find a great job. However, it is important to seek love too.”
Anastasia smiled.
“I am devoted to my work, and I don’t have any free time to pursue a rtionship.”
“I can introduce someone to you if I find them suitable.” Anastasia was enthusiastic about the topic.
“I’m good. You don’t have to.” Lori gave a dismissive wave at her suggestion hastily.
Anastasia didn’t insist on it as Lori declined. In the meantime, the food was served, so they had
steered their conversation to other topics. Anastasia believed that thetter could understand her
meaning, even though she had not spoken the obvious.
After finishing their lunch, they both got up to leave. Lori took out a suit and showed it to her. “This is
the suit Elliot wore yesterday. Do you need help to send it for dry cleaning service?”
“There’s no need to trouble you. I will do it myself,” Anastasia said as she took the suit from Lori.
Once they got out of the restaurant, they parted and Anastasia pointed at a car not far away. “My car is
over there. See you next time, then.”
“Goodbye.” Lori watched Anastasia as she got in the car, where a female bodyguard was waiting in
the driver’s seat. The car then sped away.
When the car was out of sight, Lori could finally let out a sigh of relief. Anastasia was not a woman
to mess with, as she insinuated her disapproval of Lori’s misbehavior.
On the other hand, Anastasia took out Elliot’s suit and ordered Adriana, “The suit is ruined. Deal with
it.”
“Alright, madam.”
Anastasia thought it was a waste of the nice suit. However, it was now ruined by another woman’s
scent. She wouldn’t keep it, and wouldn’t let Elliot wear it either.
She would not be generous when it was concerning her rtionship, and she had no other hopes but
for Lori to behave and stop stirring up trouble for her.
Meanwhile, Sophia was doing household chores in Arthur’s vi.
She was alone in the vi. Emily had gone out shopping, while Arthur had some matters to attend to.
Sophia started with organizing his study table, followed by cleaning the dust on every surface.
A familiar signature caught her eyes when she was sorting out Arthur’s files on the table. The signature
pressed hard to the paper, showing a hint of grace from the owner’s personality, and it no doubt
belonged to Arthur.
Sophia crouched under the table for a better angle to clean. Just then, someone pushed the door open
and it startled her, so she hurried to stand.
Suddenly, a thump echoed in the room. As Sophia tried to stand up, she bumped her forehead into the
table.
Arthur stared at her with wide eyes from the doorway. He found her holding a cleaning rag in her hand,
while another hand was pressed to her forehead.
“What are you doing?” That was all he could manage to ask.
“I’m cleaning the table,” Sophia answered meekly.
Taking in mind her eagerness, Arthur walked toward her and took a close look at her forehead. There
was a bump on the spot where she hit hard on the table.
“You should use a coldpress.”
“I’m alright.” Sophia didn’t mind the pain. However, just when she was about to continue the chore,
Arthur put an arm around her waist. Shocked, she quickly leaned backward, but he seized the
opportunity and pressed her against the table.
“You just can’t wait to repay me?” he teased and closed in.
Before her were a pair of eyes as ck as night and cold as stone. They were clear but full of mystery.
Sophia felt pressure alone just by looking at Arthur.
Her lips slightly parted in disbelief because she had always thought that the man was cold and distant
from the moment she first met him. However, right this moment, he was standing so close to her
underneath the afternoon sun.
“I-I do think about repaying you…” Sophia spoke with hesitation.
“Then you shall do it as I prefer,” he demanded. There was a sudden urge building inside him to taste
her lips again. Since he kissed her out of the blue in the hotel yesterday, the thought had started to
linger on his mind. He had a need to confirm his thoughts, so he simply had to taste the sweetness on
her supple lips.
Without further hesitation, Arthur wasted no time and went in for a kiss on her lips.
W-What? His bold actions made Sophia’s mind go nk.
Did he just kiss me again?
Her lean body was soft under his touch. The feeling of their bodies pressed against each other on the
table sent a tremor through Arthur’s body, making him feel hot and bothered. The kisssted for a long
time, as he did it again and again, to prove he was right.
Passion filled the study room.
With her eyes shut, Sophia responded to him eagerly. He was forceful one moment and gentle the
next, and she was surprised to feel happy from his actions as if they were in love.
Finally, Arthur broke the kiss and pulled himself away. It was a cue to Sophia as she took to her heels
almost immediately. However, passion lingered in the study room, like a reminder to everyone that they
had just shared an intimate moment.
Sophia gasped as she returned to the room like a frightened white rabbit. As she covered her red lips,
all she could think of was the man’s cool yet domineering kisses, which was way beyond her
eptable limit.
The impression that Arthur gave her was one of abstinence—or was it her illusion? He even mentioned
earlier that he wanted to repay her through his own methods, so she suspected that he meant her
giving herself to him.
He stood in front of the window walls with one hand in his pocket. Dressed in a ck attire from head
to toe, he carried with him a tough posture while his gaze reflected the facial expression of his cold
handsome face. It also did not help that his breath had be a tad bit unstable. I’m having feelings
for Sophia? What the hell is going on?!
His thoughts were proven earlier when everything was spilled out on his desk.
Emily returned from her gallivanting outside as today was yet another shopping spree for her. Behind
her was a servant who entered with the items that Emily had purchased.
“All of you should head downstairs!”
The said servant left the items and departed while Emily raised her head to call, “Sophia.”
Sophia pushed open the door to make her presence known and responded from upstairs, “Miss
Jennings.”
“Come down and help me to tidy up,” Emily instructed as she sat with crossed legs.
After Sophia came downstairs, Emily asked her to remove the items from their bags to organize them.
Then, Emily announced the price of each item that Sophia took out.
“This is a limited edition pair of high heels with a value of a hundred and eighty. Please be careful with
it.”
“This pair of silk pajamas cost me ny thousand. Even a single thread cannot be damaged.”
“This purse has a purchase price of 1.8 million. You won’t be able topensate me if you damage it.”
Sophia was speechless upon hearing Emily’s words. She could never agree with Emily’s concept of
consumption. Obviously she was not jealous of Emily either because she was aware that Emily could
use shopping as a way to pass her time.
“Artie, do you think that the dress I bought would look good on me?” Emily took a skirt andpared it
to her physique.
Arthur’s hand was on the banister as he stared at the girl bending over to arrange the shopping haul.
When Sophia heard footsteps behind her, she was so frightened that she dropped the bag on the floor
and copsed.
Emily was shocked when she saw the scene before her and blurted out, “You had the nerve to drop the
most expensive bag?!”
“I’m sorry,” Sophia apologized quickly.
His long legs walked toward Sophia and he ordered thereafter, “Come out with me.”
“Now?!” Shecked the courage to look Arthur in the eye.
“Yes!”
The man left first, after which she informed Emily, “Miss Jennings, let me head out with Young Master
Weiss first.”
“Artie, where are you going? Let me apany you there!” Emily said as she hurriedly followed.
Since Arthur did not allow his bodyguard to drive the car, he slid into the driver seat of an SUV and
informed the bodyguard not to tag along.
The bodyguard immediately replied, “Master, we need to ensure your safety.”
Arthur insisted, “You are not toe along.”
Sophia sat in the passenger seat as he drove away from the gates of the vi. “Young Master Weiss,
where are we going?” she asked in curiosity.
“Let’s go to a ce where we can clear our minds.”
“Clear our minds?” She thought about it and asked, “How about a church?”
He maintained his focus on the road ahead of him as he answered, “That works.”
After punching the address on his navigation system, she couldn’t help but feel restless. She couldn’t
ignore the fact that whatever happened between them earlier in the study was a fact! She secretly shot
a gander at the man who was behind the wheel and admired his pursed thin lips, his sexy and
handsome features while such an action had caused her heart to race.
It was so quiet in the vehicle that Sophia could hear the sound of her heart beating.
Arthur, on the other hand, remained reticent throughout the entire journey. It was already 3.00PM and
would take them more than an hour to arrive at the church. By the time they arrived, the mid-afternoon
prayer session would have been concluded and the parishioners leaving church grounds, thus the
surroundings would be quiet.
As the sun was starting to set, it illuminated the historical ce of worship with a kind of serene beauty.
He was dressed in all ck and had an aura of distance to him while Sophia went ahead to light up a
candle at the front of the altar. When she emerged, she saw him standing next to the door in his slim
and graceful height, which gave rise to a thrilling beauty.
Sophia was in her own world for a few seconds until the man’s deep gazended on her. It was only at
that moment when she regained herposure and approached him. Suddenly, she almost lost
bnce due to the slippery road beneath her.
“Ahhh…” she yelled as she lost her bnce and fell into his arms.
Arthur wrapped his arms around her to prevent her from falling, but he was a secondte. As Sophia
hugged the man, shended in a kneeling position in front of his legs and her face was exceptionally
close to a ce in which a man would regard as sensitive.
She wanted to die on the spot.
He lowered his head and sighed because in all his time of knowing her, this was the umpteenth time of
seeing her embarrassed.
Luckily for them, there was no one around them. So, he reached out and helped her to her feet, but her
face was redder than a shrimp. “S-Sorry.”
Arthur took her hand as his long, slender fingers gripped onto hers. It was evident that he was holding
Sophia in a posture that looked like they were about to kiss.
They passed the entrance and walked up the steps, which they estimated to be at a distance of 200
meters, to where the main church was.
It was halfway through the climb that Sophia regretted her decision as she panted. Of all the ces
that she could have suggested, why did she have to suggest a church on the hill?
On the contrary, the man next to her was rxed. He wasn’t panting and his face wasn’t flushed either.
As the wind gently blew his hair into a somewhat messy state, it made him look just as sexy.
“You can’t climb up anymore?” Arthur asked with a smile.
“I-I still can.” Now that she was under his gaze, she bravely replied, “I can even do it in one breath.”
Arthur continued his climb while Sophia forced herself to follow from behind as a film of cold sweat
coated her forehead.
Now that they were at the top of the hill, she felt that it was worth the hard work since the view from
where they were was breathtaking. The ancient church resembled a quiet ce with a vast history
behind it.
He was holding a bottle of water, which he brought from the car. Then, he walked toward her and
handed the bottle to her. “Drink it.”
When Sophia saw that the bottle was half full, she realized that he had already drunk half of it and left
the rest for her.
“What’s up? Do you have something against my saliva?” Arthur read her thoughts.
She shook her head and sincerely took it with a blushing face before she unscrewed the bottle cap.
Who am I to nder? We’ve already kissed, so what am I being picky about?
Both Sophia and Arthur went to the main area of the church where candles could be found for them to
use to offer their prayers.
Then, she took six candles and lit it before handing it to him. “Follow my actions and say your prayers.
They say that miracles ur if you offer your prayers here, so hopefully it will be granted.”
When he took it, he followed her suspiciously. Firstly, they left the bright candles at the candle holder at
one side of the church before they walked to the pews and knelt down.
Sophia was unaware that when she made a wish, the man beside her still had his eyes open as he
observed her beautiful yet serious face. It was as if she arduously tried to make a sincere prayer. Once
that was done, the corners of her lips curled up into a smile.
When this happened, it caused Arthur to subconsciously follow suit and when he saw her bright red
thick lips, his heart skipped a beat.
As he observed her dazzling and long eyshes, he hurriedly closed his eyes in aical manner, so
as to pretend that he was in the midst of offering his prayers.
Now that it was Sophia’s turn to admire him, she realized that he still had not offered his prayers.
He looked even more handsome now that his eyes were closed. His facial features seemed to have
been meticulously carved by the angels above with perfect proportions.
She softly swallowed and harbored inexplicable thoughts while watching him.
What’s going on? Is it because he kissed me? Her heart started to race as she thought of this. Wait!
This isn’t going ording to n! I’m the one who seduced him to make him fall for me, after which I’ll
beg for his forgiveness. So, why am I having second thoughts about him?
Although Arthur’s eyes were closed, he was a sensitive man and knew that Sophia was sizing him up.
As a result, he purposely took his time to open his eyes.
After emerging from the main area of the church, they arrived at themunity center where she
couldn’t help but say, “Young Master Weiss, this is where the young single people meet up to socialize
with each other. Do you want to head in and get to know a few girls? Who knows you might be able to
meet your Ms. Right?”
Arthur retorted, “Why would you want me to head in? What about you?”
Sophia gave a smile. “I don’t have to since I won’t be married before age thirty, anyway.”
He didn’t enter themunity center to mingle around because he never intended to settle down
either.
At this moment, there was a sudden downpour that trapped the both of them inside the church on the
hilltop. The security guards had already knocked off work at this stage and forgot that Arthur and
Sophia were still inside before they proceeded to lock the doors.
It was raining cats and dogs and did not look like it would stop for a long time.
When she looked at the time, she couldn’t resist informing him, “I think their staff has knocked off work
and would lock us here if we don’t leave soon.”
“It’s raining cats and dogs, so how are we going to leave?” Arthur felt at ease as he asked.
“I think it won’t stop until night time!” She cupped her face while she answered.
Not long after that, she felt that the raindrops were beautiful and reached out to y in the rain. The
sky gradually darkened over in the distance, which meant that nightfall was about to arrive. The
mountain behind the church had also started to be deserted.
“Otherwise, let’s try to make our way down,” Sophia said to Arthur. “If we’re drenched, so be it!”
He nodded in agreement, after which they walked into the rain. As they were heading down the steps,
he reached out with his hand and exined, “I’ll hold you.”
“You don’t have to…” She waved her hand in rejection.
“I’m worried that you’ll fall down,” a concerned Arthur exined. This woman had been repeatedly too
reckless for her safety, so he could predict the kind of dangers that would befall her in advance.
A helpless Sophia then took his hand before they held hands in the rain and created the impression
that they were romantic lovers.
When they finally arrived at the bottom of the steps, she looked left and right as she yelled without
receiving any response. She cursed as she pped her own mouth. “I really have a crow’s mouth
because what I said turned out to be true. They have indeed knocked off work.”
Hearing this, Arthur, who was next to her, puffed in amusement because she was scolding herself.
“You are stillughing! See, we are stuck here,” she growled as she blinked.
He surveyed his surroundings and noticed a wall measuring about two meters in height next to him
before pointing at it. “We’ll get out here.”
Sophia panicked when she heard his words and looked around. “How can you climb up the wall without
adder?!”
Just as she threw her question at him, she saw him approaching the wall and raising his arms to hold
the top of the wall. Then, he easily climbed up before stretching out with his hand while saying, “Come,
I’ll pull you up.”
A surprised Sophia did as instructed, after which he yanked her up with his full strength.
“Stay here and don’t move,” Arthur warned before he jumped to the ground and reached out to break
her fall. “We’ll jump down together since I’ll be catching you.”
“I can’t because I’ll end up injuring you. Stand aside; I’ll jump down on my own.” She was petrified
when she saw the distance of about two meters.
“Jump.” He did not mind breaking her fall by carrying her.
As she nervously moved on the wall in preparation to make the jump, she suddenly screamed,
“Ahhhh…”
Was she behaving like she was an ant in hot water? She should be making the jump with Arthur’s safe
hands around her.
Fortunately for Sophia, he had already anticipated her reaction and when they made the fall, he tightly
hugged her. As she was in shock, she grabbed onto his neck and buried her small face in his
corbone.
They were drenched as a result of being in the rain and now that they were in a tight embrace, it was
exceptionally easy for them to create misunderstandings.
“How did you manage to grow up without injuring yourself?” an irritated Arthur asked her.
Sophia felt aggrieved because she had a peaceful upbringing that was devoid of mishaps and injuries!
Yet, after running into Arthur, she seemed to bending herself in all kinds of troubles.
As she sat in the SUV, she noticed that the sky waspletely dark by now. He switched on the heater
in the car, but he was nowhere in a better shape than her. His hair was glued to his forehead and under
the headlights, it was evident that his soaked shirt was so glued to him that it restricted the movement
of his muscles.
Yet, in such an embarrassing situation, the moment he pushed his hair to the back, it revealed a
different kind of attraction—one that was full of humility.
As Arthur and Sophia had just climbed off the wall, their clothes were stained with dirt.
“Let’s find a hotel nearby and take a shower there.” He turned his head to Sophia and suggested. It
would take about another hour to get back to the vi, but he could not endure the journey any longer
without first refreshing himself.
Without any objection, they arrived at a five-star hotel twenty minutester. However, he could not get
the suite like he expected to as they were all reserved by foreign visitors who came for the newlyrge
enterprise nearby.
Therefore, there were only double rooms avable for the time being. Sophia was not picky about their
limited choice, but she was worried that Arthur would not be happy with the oue.
“Give me a double room then.” Having no other choices, Arthur could onlypromise.
While checking them in and distributing the key card, the receptionist stole a nce at him. Even
though he was soaking wet, the receptionist still found him fairly handsome despite his state.
After checking in, they entered the elevator.
As she saw her reflection in the mirror, Sophia crossed her arms around her chest immediately. Oh,
god! She was surprised to see her white t-shirt drenched against her body, which revealed her curves
to everyone.
After entering the room, she could see that the double room only came with a bathroom. Therefore, she
suggested, “Mr. Weiss, you may go first. I might take a long time to wash my hair.”
Arthur was not bothered by the fact that he needed to wait and instead, he offered with courtesy.
“Ladies first.”
Touched by his generosity, Sophia kindly epted his suggestion. “Alright, I will make it fast then.”
After that, she walked into the bathroom and took a shower to clean herself thoroughly from head to
toe.
Reality hit and stunned her as soon as she finished showering. She slowly remembered that there were
only towels prepared in the bathroom. If she needed a bathrobe, she would need to get it from the
cab outside the bathroom.
Having no other options, she wrapped the towel around her body and began to dry her hair. Her silky
hair cast down her back as she attended to them.
Besides, she had an average height of five feet five and fair skin which could reflect light; such a
combination gave her a perfect appearance. Before she walked out of the bathroom, she took a deep
breath and hoped that Arthur had left the room to not see her current state.
Once she pushed the door open, the first thing she saw was Arthur waiting on the couch with his bare
chest. He was wearing only his pants right now and his hip bone was shown as he lounged casually on
the couch.
“I-I have finished. It’s your turn to shower.” Pulling the towel close to her body, she walked out of the
bathroom and informed him in a meek tone.
When Arthur heard Sophia’s words, he raised his head and took the view in. A glint shed across his
eyes at the sight in front of him.
He had been living smoothly without any obstacles or hindrances, so this was the first time he felt
charmed as the woman stood before him.
There was no calmness and rity in his eyes like usual. Instead, his eyes were bright as if they could
scorch into her soul.
As he rose to his feet, Arthur’s height enveloped her like a. Sophia looked up immediately to
prevent him from making any sudden moves. Just as she thought he was going to do something when
he walked toward her shirtless, hisment rang in the room. “Not bad, you have nice curves.”
After being caught off guard by him, she was speechless and could not make a snarkyeback
against his remark. However, needless for him to say, she was always aware of her fit body and had
confidence about it.
Before she could remind him to take the bathrobe with him, Arthur had already entered the bathroom
and shut the door.
Letting out a frustrated sigh, she half expected to see him with a towel around his waistter, even
though that was not in her n.
She took the bathrobe from the cab and changed into the attire. It was a brand new experience for
her to only wear a bathrobe.
Twenty minutester, Arthur pulled open the bathroom door to reveal himself. Water was still dripping
from his hair and he was in his towel as Sophia had expected.
From what she could see, he had fair skin, but it did not mean that his body was not kept in shape. He
had a toned body with visible muscles, which was proof that he spent a lot of time on maintaining it.
“Mr. Weiss, are we heading hometer?” She waited for him to settle before she asked.
“I already asked my bodyguard to send us some clothes. He is on his way.” Using the towel she left on
the bed to dry his hair, Arthur answered her.
As the space was limited in the room, they were looking at each other at close range.
Suddenly, a malicious thought urred to him as he observed her.
She is probably only wearing a bathrobe, isn’t she?
At the same time, Sophia was wondering about the same thing. Arthur was probably wearing nothing
underneath the bath towel.
Having that thought in mind, she reminded him, “The robe is in the cab.”
Walking toward the cab, he took out a bathrobe and wore it. Right after that, he yanked the towel
from his waist.
As her eyes were glued on him from the beginning, her breath came to a sudden stop as he undressed
before her. Did he forget I’m here too?
Since he was changing into the robe in front of her, it left Sophia to her own imagination.
Fixing the sash on his robe, Arthur brushed his hair aside as he turned to look at her. As soon as their
eyes met, there was an indescribable tension brewing between them.
“Have you had a boyfriend before?” Feeling bored as he was waiting for clean clothes, Arthur popped a
question at her.
Sophia was already twenty-three years old, but somehow she felt like a loser if she answered honestly,
so she lied instead.
“Of course.” As she answered his question, she pretended to be calm.
“How many boyfriends did you have?” he asked intensively.
“Just one.”
“How far did you make it?”
“Pardon?”
“Holding hands, embracing, kissing, or sleeping with each other… At which stage were you guys at?”
Arthur’s eyes stared intensely into hers and his voice sounded like he was interrogating her.
Taken aback by the explicitness in his question, Sophia stuttered, “C-Can I not answer this question?”
“We can exchange our secrets. You can ask me the same questionter.” His eyes did not waver as if
they were locked onto hers.
Her eyes blinked a few times at the suggestion and considered it. In her opinion, it would not be a bad
bargain, though.
“All we did was… hold hands. ” Sophia decided to give in to the temptation with a lie. She was aware
that the most intimate thing she had ever done with a man was sharing a kiss and that happened to be
with Arthur. To get the snowball rolling, she would now need to tell more lies to cover up for the first.
He raised his eyebrow with a hint of satisfaction when he heard her answers. “Really?”
“Yeah, I won’t lie.” She kept a straight face even though she was certainly not telling the truth.
Remembering her promised right, she tested the waters. “Can I ask you the same question now?”
“Sure.” Sitting down at the bedside, Arthur leaned backward with his elbows on the bed. He then lifted
his chin and fixed his gaze on her.
“How many girlfriends have you had before?”
“None at all,” he answered honestly.
However, Sophia did not find it credible and spoke her mind, “I don’t believe any of your words! You
must have had many girlfriends before. Isn’t Miss Jennings one of them?”
“I never lie.” His eyes lit up like a torch as unquestionable authorityy underneath them.
She choked on his words with thoughts running through her mind. If he thinks he can fool me…
“Then… How far did you ever go with a woman?” Learning what she wanted to know, she decided to
change the topic. Arthur might never have had any serious rtionship, but could he say the same
about those women whom he had been sleeping with?
“We kissed!” His answer was a surprise to Sophia.
As she was dubious with him, she shot him another question. “With who?”
“You.” Her mind froze as she heard him answer without hesitation. With a shocked expression, she
stared at him while having a hard time believing his words. She could feel the burning sensation on her
cheeks as well.
Up until now, he had been only kissing one woman, which was her.
“Stop lying. I have a hard time believing it because you were so good at kissingst time.” Sophia
intended to lift the mood by teasing him.
“There are a few things thate naturally to man and one of them is kissing.” However, Arthur was
serious with an exnation. A smug smile slowly formed on his face as he exined, “Are you trying to
imply I have good kissing skills?”
Warmness crept onto her face as she shook her head hard. “I’m not!” I am not going to stroke his ego!
He squinted at her denial with displeasure. Is she trying to say Ick skill? he wondered.
Suddenly, he rose from the bed with determination and walked toward her. “Why don’t you tell me how I
am doing at kissing exactly? I want to know your opinion.”
When she saw him closing their distance, her whole body tensed as she wondered about the reason
why he was so bothered by her opinions.
“How can I—” How can I give out opinions regarding this matter? He is only trying to take advantage of
me!
Before she could finish her words, Arthur had already closed the distance between them. With his face
staying dangerously close to her, his hands cupped her face. “Why don’t you try it again and tell me
how you think?”
Right at that moment, he pressed his lips onto hers and began to kiss her.
At first, Sophia was so mad at him, thinking that he was only looking for excuses to kiss her. But soon
enough, the woody scent of cedar filled her mind and it became all she could think of.
Sophia’s arms wrapped around his neck reflexively. The thought of Arthur had been on her mindtely
and she found herself attracted to him.
She wondered when she had fallen for him. Was it that time when he risked himself to save her at the
beach; or the moment he tried to rescue her but ended up rolling down the hill with her; or when he
settled her father’s debt?
For her whole life, never had someone sacrificed himself for her like he did aside from her family.
As time passed, the kiss between them became more intense. She could not help but panic as
everything was going out of her control. Right now, he was giving off a dangerous vibe as though he
could devour her with the kiss.
Sensing that Sophia’s body was tensing under his touch, Arthur let go of her promptly. Emotions were
surging in his eyes and his face showed a trace of him restraining himself. Moreover, he felt like his
body was burning in a fire and the fire was slowly making its way up to his brain, eating away all his
reasons.
The more he tried his moves on her, the more he was confused by the results. At the same time, even
if he wanted to trigger a reaction out of her to explore her effect on him, he still did not want to scare
her away by making one wrong move.
As the stalemate grew heavier between them, someone rang the bell.
Assuming it was his bodyguard outside with the clean clothes, he turned to open the door. As he
expected, standing out there was one of his bodyguards, but Emily stepped into the room with a click of
the high heels before the bodyguard could.
As soon as she took in the scene in the bedroom where the upants were wearing only bathrobes,
she turned to Sophia with gritted teeth and Emily’s body shook uncontrobly as she turned green with
envy.
How dare Sophia bring Arthur to mess around in a hotel room!
“Emily? Why’re you here?” Even though Arthur directed the question to her, his eyes were shooting
daggers toward the bodyguard.
The man’s stomach churned at the sight. In no position to reject Emily’s demand, the bodyguard let her
follow along without a second choice.
When Sophia’s eyes met Emily’s gaze, she noted instantly that Emily had misunderstood the situation
and was now mad at her.
Even more, it was a huge misunderstanding.
“Wait outside, we’re changing.” With a deep voice, Arthur instructed Emily.
Emily was full of resentment as she eyed Sophia onest time before exiting.
Atst, Sophia swapped her attire with clean clothes. They even brought me the underclothes, she
thought. It must be Emily’s servant who prepared for me.
After changing, they made their way back to the vi.
In the car, Sophia took the passenger seat while Emily and Arthur sat at the back seats. As they did not
bother to make any conversation along the trip, there was a heavy silence hanging in the air.
Suddenly, the car came to a hard stop and Emily seized the opportunity to fall into Arthur’s arms. “Ah!”
Just as Sophia turned to check on them, Emily’s upper body was already leaning feebly into Arthur’s
chest.
“Sit tight.” Arthur helped her into a sitting position.
“But I’m feeling dizzy! Artie, let me lean on you, please!” Emily refused to wait for his reply and clung to
him with great force.
Fixing her gaze on the road, Sophia tried her best not to check on themotion at the backseats.
It was an obvious fact that Emily liked Arthur. Other than that, they came from a simr family
background, which added to the possibility of Emily bing Arthur’s future wife.
Sophia was aware that she should keep her hopes down, but when she heard Emily ying coquetry
on him, her heart felt tangled.
At this very moment, she began to feel her mind turning cloudy. She wondered whether she was
suffering from carsickness, or if it was because she was drenched in the rain this afternoon.
Sensing the warmness enveloping her cheeks, she ced a hand on her face. Feeling the burning
sensation under her touch, she finally realized that she was running a temperature.
“Sir, please let me off here.” Sophia turned to the side and asked the bodyguard in the driver’s seat.
The bodyguard stopped the car at the roadside ording to her words. Before she left the car, she
turned to the back and told Arthur, “Mr. Weiss, I can’t apany you back to the vi. I have some
matters to attend to tonight.”
Finishing her sentence, Sophia pushed the door open and alighted from the car.
Seeing that Emily made no remark about her departure while Arthur was silent, the bodyguard
continued to drive on.
He made it about a hundred meters before Arthur directed an order at him. “Reverse now.”
The bodyguard was confused only for a second before he reversed the car just as the man had
ordered.
Meanwhile, after alighting from the car, Sophia was feeling worse than before. As she stood under the
streetlights, she waved helplessly at the passing cars, in the hopes of someone stopping to send her to
the hospital.
However, her effort was fruitless as she was standing in the middle of the roadside, which was not
suitable for a cab to stop.
At this moment, a ck SUV rolled to a stop about ten meters away from her. The beaming light
enveloped the person who alighted from the car. Arthur, who was wearing a dress shirt with
embroidery, caught her in his sight and noticed her difort immediately.
He strode to where she stood.
Feelings of queasiness were coursing through her bloodstream. As she saw a silhouette nearing
toward her, she wearingly let out a deep breath and raised her gaze at that person.
The sight made her pupils dte.
Didn’t he leave by car?
Why did hee back to find her?
“What’s wrong?” Arthur asked in a low voice. At the same time, he saw her face flushing red, so he
realized something and ced his big palm on her forehead.
The burning sensation took him aback. After wrapping her in his arms, he cursed, “Are you an idiot?”
Sophia was scolded, but why did she feel loved? “I didn’t want to trouble you guys.”
The next second, Arthur carried her in his arms and walked quickly toward the off-road vehicle.
When Emily looked back from the rearview mirror, her fingernails were about to pierce the car’s leather
seat. What on earth had Sophia done to make Arthur hold her in his arms?!
Once the door opened, Arthur said to Emily, “Take the passenger seat.”
“Why?”
“She’s sick. We’re going to the hospital,” he answered in a low voice.
She gritted her teeth with hatred in her heart. What did she have to do with Sophia’s being ill?! Why
should she switch seats with Sophia?
Since Arthur’s words sounded like amand, Emily reluctantly moved to the passenger seat. Once
she turned her head around, she could see Arthur holding Sophia like she was someone precious to
him.
After looking for a nearby hospital, the bodyguard drove there immediately.
In the emergency room of the hospital, Arthur carried Sophia, who was suffering from a high fever. It
was so bad that her body temperature soared to 104 degrees.
The doctor immediately took emergency measures to reduce her fever. On the hospital bed, Sophia
was attached to a drip, which made her delicate skin even hotter and drier to touch.
While Emily waited in the car, she started to be annoyed. She wished that she would suffer from a
sudden illness so that Arthur would feel bad and take care of her too.
At that moment, the bodyguard returned to the car and said to her, “Young Master Weiss wants me to
take you home first.”
“What? Is he going to stay and take care of her? Why should I let Artie take care of that brat?” Emily
cursed in anger.
Naturally, the man did not dare to speak, so he started the car and drove away from the hospital.
In the ward, Sophia, who was receiving a drip to reduce her fever, looked extremely fragile. Her ck
hair was spread out on the pillow and her skin paled red from the fever, but she was now fast asleep.
Arthur sat on the chair by the edge of the bed and rested his chin on his folded hands. His gazended
on the sleeping Sophia, but no one knew what was going on in his mind.
Under the incandescentmp, it seemed as if his usual aloofness was covered with ayer of warmth
and tenderness. He had never shown this side of him to any outsider except for his family.
If Sophia woke up, she would see the difference in his temperament.
However, she was too exhausted and the ingredients in the IV drip were also making her drowsy.
At this moment, his phone rang, which startled him, but he quickly picked up the phone and muted it.
When he nced at the caller ID, he walked out to the corridor and answered the phone. “Grandma!”
“I missed you so much, so I decided to bring your grandpa’s ashes back in advance. My flight will arrive
tomorrow afternoon.”
“What? Tomorrow afternoon?”
“Why? Why do you sound so surprised? Don’t you miss me?” the olddy asked with a smile.
“Of course I missed you too.”
“See you at the airport tomorrow afternoon then! Come and take your grandpa back home.”
“Sure!”
After hanging up the phone, Arthur raised his brows slightly as if he suddenly recalled something
embarrassing.
Sophia slept until the early morning and her fever had subsided. Apart from the drowsiness that came
as a result of the high fever, she felt a little better.
The nurse who came to change her drip greeted her with a smile. “You’re awake, Miss. Your boyfriend
has just left, but he will be back soon.”
After speaking, she couldn’t help looking at Sophia with envy. “Your boyfriend is really handsome.”
Sophia knew who the nurse was talking about, so she exined, “He’s not my boyfriend.”
“Oh? Does he have a girlfriend?” The nurse blurted out with extreme curiosity before realizing that it
was an inappropriate question and quickly apologized, “I’m sorry for mistaking him as your boyfriend.”
In fact, the nurse also thought that thedy resting on the hospital bed with fair skin and delicate facial
features was a rare beauty!
Sophia sat up and asked the nurse, “Did he stay the night?”
The nurse was the one who worked the night shift, so of course, she knew who was with her in the
wardst night.
“Yes. That’s why I thought he was your boyfriend!” replied the nurse with a smile.
Sophia looked at the chair by the edge of the bed, and there was a hint of distress in her eyes. How
could she make him stay up all night to take care of her?!
At this moment, footsteps could be heard from outside the door, and Arthur came in with boxes of food
in his hands. It was breakfast, specially delivered by his bodyguard from a luxurious restaurant.
“You’re awake. Have something to eat.” After Arthur finished speaking, he opened a box of food and
handed her a fork.
“Thank you, Young Master Weiss,” Sophia thanked him from the bottom of her heart.
Arthur’s hand fell on her forehead. As if he had done this action too many timesst night, it seemed
natural.
Once his warm and big hand was ced on her forehead, Sophia felt warmth reaching the bottom of
her heart. Blinking her longshes and having her head lowered bashfully, she waited for him to check
her body temperature.
It seemed that overnight, her rtionship with this man had broken through another dimension.
“Once you’re done with breakfast, I’ll send my bodyguard to take you home to rest,” Arthur uttered
while taking a seat. His deep and clear eyes were now bloodshot, and he looked kind of fatigued, which
was visible to the naked eye.
“Why don’t you tell your bodyguard to take you home instead? I will call my dad’s driver toe and
pick me up,” Sophia suggested, feeling bad for him.
Arthur nodded and responded, “Sure!”
After she made the call, the driver said that he woulde half an hourter, but Arthur did not leave
immediately. Sophia took a bite of the pancake, which was fluffy and melted instantly in her mouth. It
also had a smooth buttery scent.
After taking the first bite, she immediately turned to look at Arthur, inquiring, “You haven’t eaten, have
you?”
“I’m not hungry,” Arthur replied.
Hearing that, Sophia hurriedly ate her portion of the pancake and forked another piece, shoving it at
Arthur. “It’s delicious. Try it.”
Arthur was slightly stunned. After that, he leaned over and opened his mouth to eat the pancake she
offered.
“Is it good?” Sophia asked expectantly, as if eager to get his feedback.
“Yeah!” Arthur nodded.
Sophia grinned at his response. After sharing the food, they finished the pancake in no time.
There were two more boxes of breakfast, but Sophia was too full to eat them. Since her fever had just
subsided, she didn’t have much appetite.
Arthur then said to her, “You don’t have to stay by my side during this time. I’ll call you if I need you.”
Hearing that, Sophia guessed, “Are you leaving?”
“No. My grandma came back with my grandpa’s urn, so I’m going with her to bury my grandpa’s
ashes,” Arthur answered truthfully.
Although Sophia was a little clumsy sometimes, she could still make sense of some matters. Nodding
sensibly, she replied, “Sure! You should get that done first.”
When her driver was about to arrive, Arthur left, leaving Sophia lying in bed. Suddenly, she fell deep
into thought while looking pure and beautiful.
In Arthur’s mansion, Emily stayed uptest night waiting for him toe home, but she couldn’t hold
her sleepiness, so she fell asleep. It was not until the morning that he returned.
“Artie, why did you onlye back now?! Is Sophia Goodwin worth your night spent in the hospital?”
Emily failed to hide her jealousy in her tone.
“Emily, my grandma will be here this afternoon. Don’t mention Sophia in front of her.” Arthur told her
with a serious expression.
Emily was startled upon hearing that, because she had already told Martha! She secretly reported it to
Marthast time.
“I’m sorry… I identally mentioned Sophia’s name on a call with your grandmast time.”
Arthur’s handsome face suddenly turned gloomy as he questioned, “What did you tell her?”
“Nothing. I only said that you hired a young maid,” Emily exined in a soft voice, not daring to infuriate
Arthur.