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73. Are You Refusing?
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2025-02-11 09:01:32The sky outside was bright. The rain had stopped, leaving droplets of water clinging to the plants and rooftops, glistening in the sunlight like scattered diamonds. The ground was still damp, but the sun's rays persisted, breaking through the gray clouds and forming a rainbow arching between them.
Sophia could only admire the scene from behind the fogged-up window, her breath creating condensation on the glass. Her hand felt cold as she pressed it against the surface, as if trying to reach for the world beyond.
It must be wonderful to take a stroll outside after the rain, she thought. The crisp, cool air would welcome her immediately. But even indoors, the petrichor still lingered, filling the space. She inhaled deeply, savoring the scent.
“Do you want to do it outside?” came a voice from behind her.
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HIDDEN DESIRE 74. Who Else
Since that day, Sophia would always go to the third floor whenever Albert called her there. She tried to avoid it, but over time, she realized that what she felt wasn't rejection but rather a pleasant sensation that excited her. However, that joy came with a great risk, so Sophia often looked for excuses not to go.But as Albert had said, he didn’t take no for an answer.Every day, usually in the evening after work, Albert would ask her to get ready. The man seemed tireless, even after working all day and conducting a two-hour painting session with Sophia.Sophia, on the other hand, always felt utterly drained by the time each session ended.Unlike in the beginning, Albert now used a much larger canvas. He truly looked like an artist in his element, exuding experti
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“If you’re not planning to answer, then don’t bother. I don’t like waiting for you to think first,” Sophia grumbled, her annoyance clear in her tone.Albert chuckled at her remark. His attention was entirely captivated by the beautiful figure on his canvas, he hadn’t been thinking about anything else. In fact, it took him a moment to recall Sophia’s earlier question.Then Albert replied, “It’s not a matter of ‘who’, but rather ‘what’.”“What do you mean?” Sophia asked, confused.“I use nature as a model for my landscape paintings. The rest… comes from my imagination.”Sophia was stunned, her jaw practically dropp
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"Mr. Raymond, you have several consecutive calls from Miss Cecilia."Albert dropped the pen in his hand in disgust, then looked at his subordinate coldly. "Maurice, you dare interrupt my work for such an insignificant reason?"Maurice, his secretary, bowed deeply. "I'm sorry, Sir, but as I mentioned, the calls have been coming in rapid succession for a while, so I thought there might be something important Miss Cecilia wanted to discuss.""Get out!" ordered Albert coldly."Yes, Sir." Maurice walked out of Albert's office.Albert took off his glasses, threw them on the table, and massaged the bridge of his nose, enduring the dizziness in his head and tiredness in eyes.He had just broken up with his girlfriend of five days. Five days that had meant absolutely nothing. Albert ended the relationship with the blonde haired woman as soon as she mentioned the seriousness of it.Albert didn't need her, nor did he want her.His relationships with women were never about anything beyond sex. A
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Sophia frowned. "Are you okay?""Yes. And if you have no business here, you'd better not bother me!" Albert snapped before his hand moved to close the door. But Sophia quickly stopped him with her foot."I brought you breakfast," Sophia said."Ah yes, tell Dana that I probably won't be coming down to eat today."Sophia was not easily deterred. As Albert was about to close the door again, she blocked his way. "Here's your breakfast!" Sophia insisted.Albert sighed, giving Sophia an exasperated look, then raised his hand to take the tray from her. But Sophia pushed it away. He clicked his tongue in increasing annoyance."Give me that-""Your hand," Sophia cut in, noticing Albert's hand was trembling. She knew he wouldn't be able to lift the tray without spilling the contents.Albert once again let out a resigned sigh and opened the door wider. "Bring it inside."Without being told twice, Sophia walked into Albert's room and gasped slightly at the man's scent that lingered through in the
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Sophia was jolted from her sleep, as if someone had awakened her out of a deep slumber, she immediately got up from her position and looked around.Albert was leaning against the headboard, looking at her with a calm. He looked better than before. Meanwhile, Sophia was lying beside him. The last thing she remembered was sitting on the floor and leaning against the edge of the bed. When did she fall asleep and move here?Sophia cleared her throat, she chose not to dwell on why she was on this bed, sleeping next to Albert.“Feeling better?” Sophia asked, lowering her legs to the floor and avoiding his gaze.Albert nodded briefly, staring at Sophia's every move with a flat expression."That's good," Sophia said, glancing at the empty tray on the nightstand. The food had clearly been eaten, presumably by Albert. As she glanced back, her gaze landed on the notebook resting on his lap and the pencil in his hand. He was sketching something that Sophia couldn't see clearly from her current pl
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“I already told you, this trick won’t work anymore. It’s pointless bringing me to these meetings just to avoid the temptations of those women. To them, I have no value left as your wife.”Sophia turned to Albert and found that he was staring at her. She quickly averted her gaze, looking at the passing vehicles through the car window.“Why?” Albert asked.Why what? Sophia thought bitterly, hiding her resentment.“Why would they think that?”Sophia looked back at Albert, her gaze cold. “Obviously because you cheat and sleep with a different woman every week. Do you think my dignity as a wife and a woman means anything to them now?” she scoffed.Albert’s eyes sharpened, and in one swift motion, he cornered Sophia against the window, pinning her in place.Sophia’s eyes widened in shock, her heart racing from their sudden proximity.“If you have a problem with it, why don’t you start fulfilling your duties as a wife?”Sophia refused to let herself tremble or feel intimidated, as Albert cle
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Latest chapter
HIDDEN DESIRE 75. Who Are You?
“If you’re not planning to answer, then don’t bother. I don’t like waiting for you to think first,” Sophia grumbled, her annoyance clear in her tone.Albert chuckled at her remark. His attention was entirely captivated by the beautiful figure on his canvas, he hadn’t been thinking about anything else. In fact, it took him a moment to recall Sophia’s earlier question.Then Albert replied, “It’s not a matter of ‘who’, but rather ‘what’.”“What do you mean?” Sophia asked, confused.“I use nature as a model for my landscape paintings. The rest… comes from my imagination.”Sophia was stunned, her jaw practically dropp
HIDDEN DESIRE 74. Who Else
Since that day, Sophia would always go to the third floor whenever Albert called her there. She tried to avoid it, but over time, she realized that what she felt wasn't rejection but rather a pleasant sensation that excited her. However, that joy came with a great risk, so Sophia often looked for excuses not to go.But as Albert had said, he didn’t take no for an answer.Every day, usually in the evening after work, Albert would ask her to get ready. The man seemed tireless, even after working all day and conducting a two-hour painting session with Sophia.Sophia, on the other hand, always felt utterly drained by the time each session ended.Unlike in the beginning, Albert now used a much larger canvas. He truly looked like an artist in his element, exuding experti
HIDDEN DESIRE 73. Are You Refusing?
The sky outside was bright. The rain had stopped, leaving droplets of water clinging to the plants and rooftops, glistening in the sunlight like scattered diamonds. The ground was still damp, but the sun's rays persisted, breaking through the gray clouds and forming a rainbow arching between them.Sophia could only admire the scene from behind the fogged-up window, her breath creating condensation on the glass. Her hand felt cold as she pressed it against the surface, as if trying to reach for the world beyond.It must be wonderful to take a stroll outside after the rain, she thought. The crisp, cool air would welcome her immediately. But even indoors, the petrichor still lingered, filling the space. She inhaled deeply, savoring the scent.“Do you want to do it outside?” came a voice from behind her.
HIDDEN DESIRE 72. Your Personal Model
Albert almost choked on his tea at the woman’s words. He placed the cup back on the table and fixed Sophia with a stern look. The expression on his face had turned serious."I already told you earlier that I wanted to discuss something," Albert said firmly.Sophia tensed up. Is this about him getting drunk last night? Or something about Millie? Or what? Sophia couldn’t figure out what Albert wanted to say that required such seriousness.She cleared her throat softly. "I also have something I want to say to you," she said.One of Albert’s thick eyebrows arched. "What is it?""You first," Sophia replied quickly."No, you go first," Albert said, his gaze demanding.
HIDDEN DESIRE 71. Luxurious Room
Dana swung the frying spoon in front of Sophia’s face, snapping her out of her thoughts."Your drool is about to drip," Dana whispered teasingly.Sophia instinctively wiped her mouth, only to realize Dana was joking. The middle-aged woman chuckled in amusement."Sophie? Did you cook something?" Albert’s voice broke the silence, his tone laced with surprise.Sophia shook her head, denying it. Albert’s horrified tone stung her a little, so she made him a cup of warm tea to help ease his hangover from the night before."How are you feeling?" Sophia asked, placing the tea cup in front of him.Albert smiled and muttered a thank you. "I’m fine," he replied.
HIDDEN DESIRE 70. His Past and His Future
Long, slender fingers with painted red nails tapped the screen of the smartphone, which lit up to reveal a message that made its owner frown.[He’s fine.]It was a short reply that she didn’t expect at all. Millie kept tapping the screen, hoping the nails on her perfect hands would crack the screen. She couldn’t fathom the sender."How can you be so indifferent?" she muttered in disbelief, her irritation apparent. It was as though she couldn’t accept such an answer after the message she had sent earlier.But text messages have no tone. Millie would never know how the sender felt unless she heard her voice.Sophia Abraham was skilled at controlling her emotions and always remained cold, Millie thought.
HIDDEN DESIRE 69. Caring Wife
After Albert left the Raymond residence, he didn't go straight home and decided to stop by a luxurious bar. He invited Maurice to join him for drinks, but his personal assistant declined and simply kept him company while working in the VIP room.Albert couldn't go home until his emotions settled. He was so angry with Millie and the wasted time agreeing to that meeting."Should I call her?" Albert muttered repeatedly, staring at the screen of his phone.Maurice, hearing this, responded briefly at first but stopped paying attention as his boss seemed to be getting drunk."You should go home, Sir. Your wife is probably waiting for you," Maurice finally said.Albert shook his head, taking another sip of his drink. "My beautiful w
HIDDEN DESIRE 68. Past Betrayal
Albert stared at the grand, palace-like building before him and let out a sigh. It had been a long time since he last visited the Raymond residence—or more accurately, his father’s residence. Every visit to this place inevitably ended poorly. He only came when absolutely necessary, just like now.Millie Matthew, or Millie Raymond, his stepmother—whatever one chose to call her—had refused to attend the business meeting scheduled for today. Adrian Raymond, Albert’s father, had entrusted his young wife with starting her own business under the Raymond Group’s umbrella.Normally, everything was handled by Millie’s secretary. However, when it came to meetings, Millie always made it a point to attend in person. Today, she was supposed to attend the meeting at the office, but instead, she whined like a child to have the meeting
HIDDEN DESIRE 67. Cactus
"Oh Dear, there’s no need to be embarrassed. What you did yesterday is something normal for couples to do. Why feel ashamed? You’re married, aren’t you? Believe me, I was young once, and I’ve been in love just like you two."Sophia choked on the tomato she had just bitten into. "I-in love?!" she exclaimed in a muffled voice. "Dana, please don’t misunderstand. We’re not like that."Well, at least not for Albert.Dana’s comparison was far too exaggerated for Sophia.Dana shook her head, unable to comprehend her employer’s reaction. "Then what would you call your relationship if not that?" Dana asked as she washed the dishes.Sophia slowly spun her glass of water. She wasn’t
