“You really are pushing your luck,” Aaron muttered against her lips, his hand gripping her waist as if he wanted to pin her down on the dining table right then and there.Selena's breath was uneven, and it took a moment after he released her for her to catch her breath. "So, does that mean you agree?" she asked, still a bit breathless.Aaron lazily curled his lips into a smile. "Alright, girlfriend."Selena smiled back, getting up from his lap and settling back into the seat across from him. She pushed her plate of steak towards him and said, "Cut this for me."Her spoiled demeanor made Aaron's heart itch. His Adam's apple bobbed again.He had almost no experience with relationships, while she acted like a seasoned expert. It only made him feel more frustrated. If he didn’t know that her first time had been with him, he might have felt even more conflicted right now.Selena watched him cut the steak, amusement dancing in her eyes. The recent kiss had smudged her lipstick a little, mak
Aveline replied, "Couldn't sleep, so I just kept watching movies."Selena moved closer, sat beside her, hugged her arm, and rested her head on her shoulder. "Ave, I'm dating Aaron now," she announced."What?" Aveline looked at her in shock.Selena then recounted what had happened, finishing with a light laugh, "I didn't expect him to agree so readily."Aveline frowned. "Have you really thought this through?"Selena shrugged. "What choice do I have if I haven’t? I can't really afford to piss him off; if I do, I’ll be the one facing the consequences. If I can enjoy myself instead, why should I suffer?"Aveline pondered for a moment and nodded. "You have a point."Selena noticed Aveline’s serious expression and chuckled, "Oh, come on, don't worry about me. I know what I'm doing. Who knows, maybe in three months, we’ll actually develop feelings for each other. If Aaron ends up insisting on marrying me, wouldn’t I be the winner then?"Aveline was silent for a moment before saying, "I hope
“What’s wrong?” Aveline looked at him, puzzled.Sidney pressed his lips together, then released her hand and said, "Aveline, my mom's condition is not very stable. She gets confused sometimes, so if she says anything, please don't take it to heart."Aveline’s brow furrowed. “Is her condition that serious? Have you discussed it with the doctor?”Sidney gave a helpless smile. “Her health wasn’t great to begin with. After everything she’s been through, it’s only gotten worse. The fact that she’s still holding on is thanks to the hospital care here.”His voice was slightly hoarse, his eyes filled with deep, unshakable sadness.Aveline could feel that sadness as well.She nodded. “I understand.”Sidney tried to force a smile. "Thank you, Aveline."She responded, "Let's go in."“Alright.”The door to the hospital room opened.A voice came from inside, “Is that you, Sid?”“Yes, it’s me,” Sidney replied, opening a bag he held and taking out some of his mother's favorite fruits.“Mom, I bought
Sidney’s face showed a hint of helplessness. “My mom’s just joking, and you’re joining in?”Aveline raised an eyebrow, “Aren’t you younger than me?”Sidney looked at her seriously. “Only by a year.”Aveline smiled. “Still younger.”Sidney was speechless.He stopped arguing and thought he would let it go as long as it made her happy.Ruth watched them with a cheerful smile, though a faint sadness lingered in her eyes. However, with Aveline there, chatting with her for a while, her mood visibly improved.It wasn’t until Ruth grew tired that Aveline stood up to leave.Outside the hospital room, Sidney looked at her intently. “Aveline, really, thank you.”Aveline gave a reassuring smile. "There's no need for such formality between us. Your mother's health should be your priority right now. Why don't you let Maria know that you don't have to be chained to the studio? You could easily work on your designs here at the hospital too."Sidney nodded. “Yeah, I’ll do that.”He escorted her to the
Lucas called out her name."Yes?" Aveline replied, confused.Lucas asked, "Did you miss me?"Aveline was speechless.She hung up the phone, her face expressionless. What was wrong with this man?How could she possibly miss him?Moments later, her phone vibrated. She looked at it.Lucas texted, “I miss you, a lot, very much.”Aveline's eyelid twitched. She quickly put away her phone, her heart inexplicably racing out of control. She took several deep breaths to calm herself, suppressing the strange emotions rising within her. Only after regaining her composure did she exhale with relief.What on earth was that about?…Three days passed quickly.Aveline dialed Lucas' number again, "Are you back?"There was silence."Lucas?" Aveline called out his name again, glancing at her phone.“Yeah,” Lucas finally replied, “I’m at the Tudor estate. Come here.”Then he hung up the phone immediately.What was that about?Why did she have to go to the Tudor estate? Couldn’t they just meet at the vill
Aveline's eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at him.Did he really just say that? Was he possessed or something?"You don't have to look at me like that," Lucas said, almost as if he could read her thoughts. A faint smile tugged at his thin lips. "In the past, I only thought about how much I liked your scent, your body, and having you by my side. Even if you were reluctant, as long as you were with me, I felt at ease. So, I never cared about your feelings or whether you wanted to be here or not—I just kept you by force."He continued, "Of course, I still feel the same way. But I think maybe if I try a different approach, I might have a chance to keep you here… to save this marriage of ours that’s on the brink of collapse."As Lucas spoke, he kept his gaze on her, his deep, dark eyes holding a hint of tenderness.A wave of bitterness rose in Aveline's heart. She couldn't quite describe how she felt.If he had done this sooner, would things have turned out differently?Aveline lowe
The others were nowhere to be seen, and Aveline had no idea where they had all gone. She glanced suspiciously in the direction of the office; at this time, Maria should have been there."Hmm..."Just as she was about to walk over, another sound reached her ears. She paused, stopped in her tracks, and left directly.Inside the office.Maria was gripping Sidney’s tie, looking at his furrowed brows. She teased, "What's wrong, little Sidney? Did you have too much to drink at lunch? Want me to help you?"Her eyes were sultry, her soft body brushing lightly against his.Sidney’s body tensed instantly, the veins on his forehead standing out, his refined, handsome face showing a hint of restraint. His breathing became heavy as he abruptly pushed Maria away."What... are you doing?"Seeing him trying to keep his composure while also holding on to his self-control, Maria couldn't help but look at him with newfound interest."Can't you see?" Maria's eyes seemed to draw him in, staring straight at
Aveline was downstairs, sipping her coffee. When she casually glanced up, she caught sight of Maria and Sidney leaving together. A trace of doubt flickered in her eyes.They were heading out again?She didn’t think much of it and waited for a while before finally heading back to the office. After finalizing the contract, she received word from the finance department that the final payment had been settled. She let out a big sigh of relief.Taking out her phone, she contacted Myron. After explaining the situation, he assured her that he would inform her once the date was set.Sitting in front of her computer, Aveline felt a weight lift off her chest, like a string that had finally come loosened....Nearly a week later, Juliet's subordinate came to her with the results of their investigation. Juliet was shopping in the mall, and upon hearing the news, her expression shifted dramatically.She never would have guessed that Lucas' wife was Aveline!Whatever thoughts crossed her mind, she q