Chapter 31


    About his n


    About his n


    His stare at me was an unmistakable order to submit to him. It sent my heart into a wild race. I wanted


    him so badly that my whole body inwardly whimpered, begging him to let me feel his lips on my skin


    again. Surprisingly, he didn’t push any further. He just held me in his embrace with his eyes locked on


    me.


    “T-thank you…” I mumbled, cing my trembling hands on Aren’s chest and trying to push him away.


    He smirked and stepped back, releasing me before I would lose thest ounce of control I had. I exhaled


    in relief when he walked to the kitchen to get a ss of water.


    “Hope you’re hungry. I ordered steaks and a sd from Coeur de Romarin. As I remembered, you


    enjoyed itst time,” he said, shrugging out his suit jacket.


    “Um… yes… I’ll dly eat it again…” I muttered, still a bit dazed from his kiss.


    He chuckled and took a few steps toward me. “I’m going to change. I’ll be back before the food gets


    here. Pick a wine from the fringe, OK?” He ced a soft kiss on my forehead before stepping up the


    stairs. I nodded, painting a superficial mask of serenity even though I was in the middle of panic mode


    inside. It annoyed me that Aren was the one in control while I wasn’t. He acted of his own will and did


    whatever he wanted, and I simply surrendered like some brainless doll. This was beyond frustrating!


    Perhaps I should be grateful that he didn’t try to push it too far. He was well aware of the way my body


    reacted to him. Was he trying to be considerate toward me, taking one step at a time so I wouldn’t feel


    ufortable? I had to admit that, aside from being a calctive bastard, he had his kind and warm


    side, and that one could mess me up the most.


    I took a few deep breaths and went to pick the wine. I chose a nice-looking bottle of Zinfandel, then set


    the table for two. Somehow, preparing to dine with him alone didn’t feel strange. I found myself more


    comfortable in his presence… that is, if he wasn’t too close. As soon as I put the wine sses on the


    table, he walked down to join me. He was wearing casual jeans and a ck, fitted V-neckline T-shirt, and


    he made it look as incredibly hot as when he wore a suit. His T-shirt perfectly embraced his fine-built


    curves of muscles, making them visible even through the fabric. He must have done it on purpose,


    knowing that I couldn’t resist the urge to admire his chest.


    “Excellent,” hemented, as he nced at the bottle I’d chosen for our dinner.


    A secondter, the delivery man brought our food. Aren insisted that I sit down and let him serve dinner.


    It surely was an offer I couldn’t reject. I observed Aren’s movements while he ced the perfectly


    prepared tes on our table, mesmerized. He knew how to pamper a woman. He opened the wine with


    the professional sommelier’s elegance and poured a little wine into my ss so I could taste it. He stood


    close to me, too close. His perfume wildly attacked my nostrils, and I couldn’t focus on anything but him.


    I chuckled nervously, raising the ss to my mouth as he waited for me to approve the wine. I took a sip,


    trying to avoid his seductive gaze, and nodded hurriedly in eptance before my tastebuds could even


    feel what


    About his n


    I’d drunk. He snorted, but then mercifully filled our sses and took his seat in front of me. “I hope that


    Miranda didn’t bother you too much. I apologize if she did,” he said, suddenly. “No… it was fine.” I


    laughed softly, surprised that he cared. “She was very… straightforward, which startled me at first, but


    then we ate lunch and she even told me a bit about you…”


    He smirked. “She told you good things or bad things about me?”


    I took a big gulp of wine and looked straight into his eyes. “She told me that you immediately cut off


    women you slept with and that she was the only exception since you and she are friends.”


    His lips formed a mischievous grin. “That is so like Miranda. But you don’t need to worry about what she


    said… it won’t apply to you.”


    An instant wave of heat covered my cheeks, yet I couldn’t let him win that easily. “I know it won’t. First,


    I’m not nning to sleep with you, and second, it would be hard to cut me off while I live in your


    penthouse for two years.” I smirked.


    He chuckled and stared at me, more intense than before. “Your stubbornness turns me on. It makes me


    want to work harder to break your resistance.”


    I swallowed and squeezed my thighs. My body throbbed violently just because of the way he said it. I


    prayed that he didn’t see through me and realize that the resistance he mentioned had be nothing


    but a weak fa?ade. I finished the wine to cool off.


    “I also have something to celebrate,” he said, refilling my ss. “The articles from our date caused the


    response I was hoping for.” “Oh?” I gave him a curious stare. “And what kind of response was that?” He


    leaned forward on the table. “I caught the old Winton’s attention.”


    “Your… grandfather?” I asked hesitantly.


    “Yes. The fucker celebrates his eightieth birthday tomorrow and wants to invite us.”


    Chills ran down my spine. I knew that I would have to meet his family at some point, but I didn’t expect it


    to be so soon. I barely started to handle Aren alone, and now I was going to meet his family?! Not to


    mention that I was told that they weren’t exactly the nicest kinds of people… “I get that he invited you,


    but why me?” I smiled nervously. “Meeting you is the sole reason for his invitation,” Aren smirked coldly


    and leaned back on his chair. “He knows that if I marry, I will get the Lan Wang Corporation’s shares, and


    he is getting restless. He knows that with Lans’ support, I will be able to crush him and all the Wintons.”Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    I gulped. “So… he wants to test me and see whether our rtionship is real and estimate your chances


    of getting the inheritance?” “Precisely.” “But… you want us to go to his party… Why?” My confusion rose


    as I tried toprehend the situation.


    About his n


    “I need us to pretend that we are willing to y nice. If we do, Augustus Winton will surely invite us to


    stay at the Wintons’ mansion, and that is what I am counting on,” Aren exined.


    “So… you want me to suck up to him and ask for his blessing?” I asked, forcing a thin, soaked in


    annoyance smile.


    Aren shook his head. “I would never allow you to belittle yourself in front of him. You are going to walk


    into that party as a future Mrs. Lan, someone far more powerful than he would ever be. Besides, if he


    tries to do anything that would insult you or make you feel ufortable, you will have me take care of


    it. Remember that.” I felt warmth filling my body from the inside. I wanted to smile and cry at the same


    time. The man sitting in front of me wanted to build my confidence. As pathetic as it might sound, no one


    except Grandma did that for me. It caught me off guard. Even if Aren was merely talking about my role in


    our fake rtionship, I felt grateful. Nheless, if I were to y my part well, I needed toprehend


    the aspects of his that didn’t seem to make sense to me. “Let me get this straight… You want me to walk


    there beside you and prove to everyone that we love each other. Then you want me to keep my


    confidence on the verge of arrogance while meeting your grandfather, just to make him curious enough


    to invite us to the mansion where you grew up in?” I gazed at him in disbelief. He smiled wryly. “Saying


    that my rtionship with my father and stepmother is bad is like calling a hurricane a light summer


    breeze. I need a reasonable excuse to get back there, and you are going to be my excuse.” I narrowed


    my eyes at him. “Why is it so important for you to go back there?”


    He chuckled and leaned forward, dangerously locking his eyes on me. “It’s a secret.”


    His words felt like a cold shower. “You still don’t trust me…” I muttered.


    He grabbed my hand and lowered his head, cing a soft kiss on the back of my palm. Then he raised


    his head and looked at me with a faint smile. “I don’t want to put pressure on you. I will tell you once the


    old man invites us.”


    I looked back at him but couldn’t hide the fact that it hurt me.


    “Trust me,” he said, as his expression became serious and confident. “Please, Cora, just trust me.”


    I didn’t know why, but I felt that he must have a reason to keep this from me. Maybe he thought that I


    would be more confident without knowing everything? I wasn’tfortable with it, and yet I sighed,


    surrendering. “Fine. Let’s go to that birthday party.”