Chapter 290 Her Mother-inw


    Maria''s jaw hung open. She understood what James was trying to imply. "I never knew you were


    here to begin with, so I walked in by myself."


    "In any case, the fact remains that you entered this room. Now that you''re here, you might as well


    take a shower. We''d better get to bed early." James took off his coat and loosened his tie.


    Maria didn''t want to give in so easily, but there wasn''t much else she could do. Cooper had


    effectively sealed her inside with this man, and she knew he wasn''t going to open the door anytime


    soon.


    She looked at the stain on her clothes and stomped into the bathroom in a huff.


    She had slept with James many times before anyway, so it wasn''t as if she had anything to be


    afraid of at this point.


    She was in the process of taking off her ruined sweater when the bathroom door suddenly opened


    and James sauntered inside.


    Maria gaped at him with wide, rmed eyes. "What are you doing here?" she demanded, resisting


    the urge to throw her sweater at his face.


    "I''m taking a shower."


    "Can''t you see that I''m in here, about to do my own business?" "Of course. Just soak in the bath,


    and I''ll take the shower. It should be fine."


    Maria took a deep, fortifying breath. The bathroom was indeedrge, amodating both a bath


    tub and a shower room on top of other necessary faculties.


    Still, James was acting like an incorrigible rascal! She red at him with contempt. "I don''t want to


    take a bath, I want a shower! Now, get out!"


    "Well, we can just take a shower together."


    Maria sputtered, her eyes wide with outrage. "James Xi, are you forgetting what you said a year


    ago?" she asked slowly through gritted teeth.


    "I say a lot of words; what are you referring to, exactly?"


    "Before we broke up, you told me I would have a hard timeing back to you. It seems to me,


    however, that the total opposite is happening at the present. Why do I feel you''re actually trying to


    cling to me?"


    James'' expression remained unaffected as he discarded thest of his clothing. "Just take it as me


    clinging to you then!"


    Maria had nothing to reply to that. They hadn''t seen each other for a considerable amount of time,


    and it appeared that James'' capacity to be shameless had grown exponentially over that period.


    He stepped into the shower room and turned on the knob, then unceremoniously pulled her inside.


    Jets of warm water washed over them, soaking their bodiespletely.


    "Are you insane?" Maria asked, shivering slightly.


    "You can just take that I''m insane, too."


    This was getting ridiculous. He was brushing her remarks off so casually, she wanted to beat him to


    death right there and then.


    "You and your brother likely nned this and set me up, " she muttered under her breath and flung


    her now wet clothes aside. All things considered, it was much too suspicious how Cooper had


    suddenly spilled the wine on her just as James had decided to stay in the vi for the night.


    "Oh please," James scoffed. "I''m not that bored." He didn''t know if Cooper was that bored, though.


    Maria had resigned herself to having to take a shower with him, but she discovered toote that she


    had thought too highly of the bastard.


    She had raised her head to wet her face, but before she could open her eyes, a warm mouth cover


    her lips.


    Her eyes shot wide open then, unheeding of the water streaming down her head, and she gave


    James a piercing re.


    How many times did this make? Twice! This was the second time he had forced himself on her after


    her return to town.


    Maria became sullen. Even if she was reluctant, she couldn''t bring herself to protest. This man had


    the ability to tame her.


    The next morning, Maria woke up to hear that breakfast was ready downstairs. James had


    personally asked her to dine with him, and handed her a set of new clothes.


    Momentster, she was seated for breakfast with her chin cupped in her hands as she stared at the


    Xi brothers across the table. There was some enjoyment to be derived from watching two


    handsome men eating well.


    Noticing her gaze, James frowned and asked, "Maria, do you have a death wish?" Not that he cared


    that she ogled him, but her eyes was also glued on Cooper''s face from time to time.


    Maria snorted. "Maybe I do. Why, would you like to give me a ride?"


    "Why not? We might as well do it right here, right now." James'' tone was thick and heavy with


    innuendo, causing Cooper to cough in surprise. ''What the hell is this?'' he grumbled to himself. He


    never signed up to be the audience to their lewd disys of affection. "Stop! James, please. I want


    to eat my meal in peace."


    Maria shot James onest re before concentrating on her own breakfast.


    When they finished eating, Cooper walked to Maria and pressed something against her palm. "It''s


    for you. I didn''t have a chance to give it to you yesterday."


    She looked down to see the sky blue bracelet sitting on her hand. "The turquoise?"


    "Yeah. The turquoise represents victory. You can say it''s the stone of sess." And to him, Maria


    had indeed gone a long way in seeding her goals.


    Unnoticed by both Maria and Cooper, jealousy hung heavy in the air around them. "Cooper," James


    interjected with a scowl. "Howe I''m not getting any gift?"


    Cooper threw up his hands and looked at his brother in exasperation. "You don''t wear a bracelet, do


    you?" He had bought two bracelets and sent them both out already. Even if James asked him for it,


    he had none.


    James said nothing, no longer in the mood for conversation. Without warning, he grabbed Maria''s


    hand. "Let''s go," he muttered in a grumpy voice.


    Maria hurriedly waved at Cooper. "I''ll call you again when I''m free. We''re leaving now, bye."


    "Bye, drive safely."


    They walked to the Harkim and Maria settled in the passenger seat. She didn''t want to talk to


    James, so she pretended to do something important on her phone throughout the drive.


    But when a pharmacy came to view, she suddenly perked up. "Hang on a second!" They hadn''t


    used any contraceptivesst night.


    James pulled over before turning to her in confusion. "What''s wrong?"


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Maria ignored him and got out of the car.


    When he saw her sprint toward the pharmacy, James realized what she was up to. His face


    instantly darkened.


    When Maria came back, she was holding a box of birth control pills. She opened a bottle of water


    and swallowed a pill in front of him.


    James'' hands instinctively clenched around the steering wheel. "Maria Song!"


    "Why, what''s wrong?" she asked, a curious look on her face.


    He gritted his teeth. Without another word, James started the engine and the car was soon


    speeding into the road.


    They separated once they got back downtown. Maria thanked him when he dropped her off. Then


    she walked into herpany without a backward nce.


    Unbeknownst to her, he didn''t drive away immediately after she disappeared inside.


    Instead, he turned off the engine, rolled down the window, and lit a cigarette. James sat there,


    looking at this tiny, weak business bearing the name DS Group, lost in his thoughts.


    He wondered if he should just take over thepany andy his im on her.


    At Miracle Cafe


    Ady entered the cafe, and Kent greeted her


    cheerfully.


    Her long, ck hair was coiled on the top of her head, and her face was delicately made up. She


    wore mauve red on her lips. The woman was sporting a ck overcoat and an expensive handbag


    hanging by her wrist.


    Kent approached her and she said lightly, "Please take me to the private room booked by James


    Xi."


    Kent had been in a daze since he hadid eyes on her face, but her voice instantly jolted him back


    to his senses. "Ah, yes. Of course, Ms. Zhong. This way, please."


    "Do you know me?" That piqued Gabri''s interest. After all, she had seldom appeared in public in


    recent years.


    Kent smiled. "I was lucky enough to meet you at the Shen family''s banquet two years ago."


    Gabri nodded slightly and said nothing more, and he guided her to a private room.


    Kent returned to the bar counter and leaned close to Maria, who was in the middle of making some


    coffee. "Your mother-inw is here. Have you seen her yet?"


    ''My mother-inw?'' Maria was confused. "What is Judy doing here? More importantly, she''s not my


    mother-inw anymore."


    "No, not her. Your real mother-inw, you''re husband''s biological mother." Kent''s family used to be


    rich, and he knew a handful of important figures in the society.


    Maria looked stunned as well. "You mean Gabri Zhong is here?" She had never seen her


    biological mother-inw before, much less met her. Gabri hadn''t shown up at her and James''


    wedding either. That woman was quite an enigma.


    "That''s right, and she ordered a cup of freshly brewed coffee. Why don’t you go and bring it to her


    yourself?"


    Maria hesitated for a moment, but she finally prepared a cup of the beverage and walked toward the


    private room.


    She knocked on the door and walked inside.


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