As her words fell, the previously ambiguous atmosphere in the car froze instantly. Since she had already put it all out there, Elaine had no intention of arguing further. She gazed at him, her eyes fixed.Feeling her gaze, Aaron squinted slightly. His right hand moved to the back of her neck, his fingers playing with her long hair. "So, how do you plan to seduce me?"Elaine looked at him in astonishment. "Are you serious?""What do you think?" he evaded her question, lightly tapping the steering wheel. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, a smirk playing on his lips that was hard to read.Elaine's mind was in chaos. She did intend to snatch Aaron away, that was true. But she needed to figure out how she would actually do it. What should she do now?Suddenly, Aaron withdrew his hand. "Don't say things you can't follow through on. I don't need you tarnishing my reputation!""Who said I can't?" Elaine retorted.After a few seconds of silence, Aaron burst into hearty laughter. El
The car came to a stop, and Aaron gentlemanly walked around to her side and opened the car door. Elaine smiled and got out, and in the corner of her eye, she noticed flashing lights behind the bushes. She quickly stepped forward, blocking Aaron's line of sight."Are you sure there's food at home?" She looked up at him.Aaron smiled, "I'm sure."Elaine smiled back, and with light steps, she headed inside. Aaron followed behind, watching her graceful figure. He couldn't help but smile, feeling quite content."Oh!" Elaine missed a step on the staircase and stumbled.Aaron's eyes tightened, and he quickly reached out to catch her. They both fell to the ground – Aaron landing solidly on the grass while Elaine ended up on top of him. His hands were on her slender waist, and the position appeared quite ambiguous.Sniffing the faint fragrance that seemed to emanate from her, Aaron lost himself for a moment. Unbeknownst to him, he didn't notice the subtle curl of Elaine's lips. Yes, she had do
Elaine soaked in the bathtub for a couple of hours, finally feeling like she had washed away the stench. She stepped out of the bathroom, towel-drying her hair, and said, "Renee, thank you for letting me stay."Renee turned around and glanced at her. "Is the smell gone?""Yeah, I don't smell it anymore," Elaine nodded, hanging the towel on a hook. She picked up a glass of water from the nearby table and took a sip, not displaying any signs of anger.Seeing her composed demeanor, Renee asked, "Do you know who was behind this?""Who else could it be?" Elaine smiled. "It's that patient from the Garcia family."Just as she mentioned her, Elaine's phone received a text message. As expected, it was a provocative message from Sarah, admitting to orchestrating the egg-throwing incident.Elaine chuckled and casually set her phone aside. Feeling proud, are you? The higher you fly, the harder you fall!"Renee, the registration is done, but do you really think I'm good enough for this?" she asked
On that evening, under Bowie's authoritative intervention, Renee settled down at the Smith residence. The two of them sharing a room was certainly more intimate than being separated as they were before.Elaine sincerely hoped that the relationship between the two could improve. After all, her opinions didn't hold much weight in this matter. After dinner, she returned to her room early. Before long, she received a call from the competition organizers, informing her to report at 10 AM the next morning for the announcement of the rules for the second round.The scene was much grander than Elaine had imagined. The briefing hall was filled with participants who had advanced to the second round. On the stage, seven seats were arranged, each with the nameplates of the judges. The staff was bustling around, making final preparations.Elaine glanced around and estimated that there were around fifty participants. It seemed that no one really knew each other. Some were playing with their phones,
Elaine's heart felt suffocated. She walked quickly to the parking lot, desperate to leave the place. But as she was about to open the car door, someone called out to her, "Miss Smith."She turned back at the sound of the voice and saw Nahum standing a few meters away, looking at her with a hint of something he wanted to say."Mr. Scott," as a courtesy, Elaine responded to him.Nahum smiled and approached, a bit hesitant in his tone, "I wonder if Miss Smith has some time. I have something I'd like to discuss."Elaine couldn't immediately fathom what he was talking about. However, considering he was Renee's senior and had helped her, she naturally had no reason to refuse. It was also time for lunch. She said, "How about this? I'll treat you to a meal, and we can chat while eating."The location was Elaine's choice, a Chinese restaurant. They found a window seat and sat down. After Elaine placed her order and asked for two bottles of cola due to her thirst, she waited for him to speak.N
The phone buzzed. He picked it up, glanced at the message, and his gaze tightened suddenly. She said she would! His finger joints clenched one by one, a sense of unease settling over him. Elaine had always harbored hostility towards him; there was no doubt about that. So why the sudden change in attitude? What kind of game was this woman playing?"Mr. Brown, you mentioned wanting to come home earlier today. I've already rescheduled your appointments," Jason walked in and said."Mmm," Aaron absentmindedly replied.Seeing no further instructions were needed, Jason turned to leave but was stopped by Aaron's voice, "Let me ask you something. What kind of person do you think Elaine is?""Miss Smith?" Jason pictured that beautiful figure in his mind and recalled her various actions. Feeling a twinge of sorrow, he carefully chose his words, "She's a woman with a very strong personality.""Just that?" Aaron raised an eyebrow.Jason couldn't quite grasp his thoughts and cautiously probed, "Is
Mason didn't return overnight. Renee spent the night on the couch. She couldn't tell how much time had passed when she finally lifted the smoke-gray blanket off her body, stepped into the bathroom, and stared at the disheveled woman in the mirror. Her hair was a mess, her spirit was low; she almost looked down on herself in this state. Forcing a smile, she stepped into the shower. Come on, Renee, pull yourself together!Downstairs in the living room, Elaine had come downstairs early too. She hadn't slept well either, her mind buzzing with various thoughts that kept her awake. Several times, she took out her phone, but Sarah's defiant messages didn't arrive.This somewhat surprised her. Given Sarah's personality, once she and Aaron's wedding plans were confirmed, how could she not show off? Could it be... that something had changed?The butler sighed deeply, "Mr. Mason didn't return last night. He went to Charm Night.""Charm Night?" Elaine repeated, suddenly understanding. She looked
Aaron's expression soured immediately, and his eyes were filled with anger. "Don't go too far!"His warning was serious, and it left Elaine unable to keep smiling. Her own anger surged within her, threatening to consume her last shreds of reason. Flames seemed to ignite in her eyes, burning brightly.Aaron appeared to have reached his limit. "I have things to do. I'm leaving."He stood up, and Elaine followed him out of the café. The midday sun was still strong, and against the light, his silhouette seemed to block out all storms. She stood in the shadow he cast, squinting her eyes slightly as she looked up at him.It was as if Aaron suddenly realized something. He came to a sudden stop, his clenched fist exuding determination. "In two days, Sarah and I are going to register for marriage."Finally, she heard him say those words with her own ears. Elaine smiled. "Do you love her? How much? Would you die for her?"He abruptly turned around, his eyes locked onto hers with fury. "Enough!"