"Come, come, a toast to our beloved Mr. Griffith." Charlotte raised her glass.Griffith didn't reciprocate the toast, so she lightly clinked her glass against his and then drank on her own."Ah," she let out a long and contented sigh.Griffith glanced at her and remarked, "Drinking too much again; no one is going to escort you home."Charlotte leaned against his shoulder and said, "With you around, why worry?"Griffith's heart skipped a beat, finding her words quite pleasing. He allowed her to lean on him and raised his glass, saying, "I won't be taking you home."Charlotte smiled and rested her chin on his shoulder."Take me home, please," she said playfully.Griffith, suspecting she was drunk, didn't respond.In reality, Charlotte was far from drunk. She was quite sober but feeling a bit conflicted about leaving without telling him, and she couldn't resist being a bit flirtatious given his presence and the pleasant atmosphere.Just then, there was a commotion in the distanc
Charlotte had drunk quite a lot, but most of the guys toasting Griffith were offering hard liquor to show respect. So despite drinking less, Griffith seemed more intoxicated than her. Feeling a light tug on her hair, Charlotte woke up. She found him misbehaving, so she pouted and tapped his hand.Griffith wasn't bothered and withdrew his hand, leaning back in the seat to observe her in her simple pure white dress. Suddenly, he recalled something."Don't pull my hair. My head hurts," Charlotte said."Don't be such a wuss," he casually remarked.Charlotte cast him a side glance. Their eyes met, and he silently stared at her. Feeling inexplicably guilty, Charlotte wondered if he remembered something. She cleared her throat and said, "Get out of the car."Griffith snorted lightly.They got out of the car one after the other. Not wanting to see Griffith every day, William had already gone to stay in a hotel, so the duo was alone tonight with Cracker and Clay wandering around the house
Griffith left the kitchen. Charlotte took a moment to compose herself before leaving the kitchen with a glass of tonic in her hand.In the living room, he sat on the sofa, and Charlotte chose the carpet. She liked sitting cross-legged on the rug, which allowed her to be close to the coffee table. After drinking half of the tonic, she pushed her glass toward Griffith."This is yours. Finish it, no leftovers," she said.Griffith picked up the glass, drank half of it, and then set it down.Charlotte leaned over, clicked her tongue, and said, "Didn't I tell you to finish it?"Griffith ignored her and started playing with a plate of dried fruits on the table. Charlotte reached out and pinched his ear. "Can't you hear me?"Griffith stopped and looked at her for a moment."Finish the rest," she said.Griffith obediently picked up the glass and finished the remaining tonic.Charlotte played with his ear and said, "You only behave after receiving a good scolding."Griffith retaliated
Charlotte had noticed earlier that Griffith had a sultry look in his eyes. As expected, her suspicions were confirmed.She thought for a moment, lifted her body, and supported herself on his shoulder. Then, she gave him a peck on the side of his face."Kissed you. Now tell me."He lowered his head to look at her, a smug expression evident on his face. The next moment, however, he leaned back and closed his eyes.Tsk.This scoundrel. Even when he was drunk, he still had the wits to play with her."Griffith.""I'm tired and need to rest."Gritting her teeth, she considered her options. Climbing onto the sofa, she pinched his ear."If you want to sleep, go take a shower first.""I have no energy.""Don't you mind being dirty?""I have no energy," he repeated.Charlotte's eyes flickered. "Show me some of the other photos you took, and I'll help you with your bath."He opened his eyes.Damn it, he had just been waiting for her to say this. Inwardly cursing him for his cunning
Charlotte swallowed, asking him, "So, when was it?""The day you hit me on the head."Charlotte took a sharp breath, sitting up from his embrace and leaning against the office desk. Griffith continued to gaze at her."You remember?" Charlotte couldn't believe it."Do you think hitting me made me lose my memory?"Charlotte was speechless. That was her third time meeting him, but in his memory, it might be the first.The first time she saw him was in the Scott family garden when they were all young. Her parents were still around, and he was one of many who came to the Scott family mansion to attend Madeline's birthday banquet. In passing, she only remembered that he was good-looking.The second time was in the Wilson family mansion, where she saw him in a destitute state late at night.The third time was the most thrilling. That year, she was a senior in high school, a time of anxiety and tension. During the break, she stayed in the small library in the Scott family. Coincidental
"Who said nothing happened?""Huh?""I threw up all night," he said softly.Charlotte suspected he was exaggerating and reached out to touch his head. "You weren’t bleeding.""I got a concussion."She looked skeptical, but thinking about how he remembered their 'first encounter,' she felt quite sentimental. She was about to continue talking when she noticed the desktop image on his computer.She focused her gaze and was surprised by what she saw. She widened her eyes and turned to stare at him.Griffith remained expressionless, not a hint of blush.Charlotte couldn't react for a while. On the screen was her, half-naked. She blinked and took another look, confirming her initial uncertainty.Her head was in a whirlwind. Her scalp tingled as she realized that this was probably from their first time. The photo had a pure white background; she remembered when this was.They hadn't consummated their marriage until way after the wedding, that night when she begged him to help. He ha
Originally, there was a noticeable distance between them. Charlotte stood on the chair, making sure not to touch Griffith. Suddenly, he moved forward, supporting her waist, causing her feet to press against him in an awkward position. She quickly retreated.Their eyes met. She nervously swallowed and, after a while, licked her lips, raised her chin, and said, "It’s okay for you to like me."He looked at her.After all the hardships she had endured over the years, Charlotte finally had the chance for a comeback. She intentionally provoked him, saying, "Anyway, I don't have any feelings for you."As soon as she finished speaking, the man's expression noticeably shifted. She felt a bit nervous, fearing she had gone too far. After all, this guy wasn't one to be trifled with; he could play along when he chose to, but he could bite back anytime.Unexpectedly, Griffith only paused for a few seconds before returning to his usual expression. After contemplating for a moment, he looked up a
Charlotte lay on the office desk, watching as Griffith unbuttoned his shirt, feeling a bit dumbfounded. Subconsciously, she wanted to get up but he pressed down on her shoulder.A kiss followed.Griffith didn't even have time to unbutton all the buttons. He pulled her hand to his body, kissed her lips, gave her a chance to catch her breath, and then whispered in her ear, "It's your turn."Charlotte felt the firm muscles beneath his palm, and her mind went blank. Then, the man's hot palm wrapped around her waist, moving downward."Gri—" Her voice was cut off before she could even fully say his name. Instead of helping him unbutton, she had her skirt pushed up.The room was cool due to the air conditioning. With her legs hanging on his sides, exposed without the long skirt, a sudden rush of cool air entered the gaps between their closely pressed bodies. The contrast of cold and hot stimulated Charlotte, making her shiver like a bud trembling in the wind.He gently bit her neck, his
Tanya's previous full-length mirror was still usable, but because it was small, she had to walk a bit farther every time she used it. Eli had long wanted to replace it.Little did he know, she got rid of many things in the house to make room for the new large sofa for him, including that old full-length mirror."How do you like it? Surprised?" He patted the mirror.Tanya smiled wryly and pointed to the large sofa. "And you? Surprised?" Only then did Eli notice fewer small items in the living room and a large new sofa. He suddenly chuckled. It was quite nice.He thought of her, and she thought of him. This winter was truly warm.Tanya abandoned the egg tart and hugged him again. "Oh no, this mirror is so big. There's nowhere to put it."Eli carried her with one hand and moved the mirror to the corner with the other. Sitting on the sofa, he thought for a moment, then hugged her and said, "Tanya, let's move to a bigger place."Tanya knew he had been thinking about this all along.
Eli found it amusing. He pushed the head of the small money jar and couldn't help but say, "You gold digger! You love money so much, then why did you give the check I gave you to Soraya?"Tanya blinked and chuckled. "I only acquire wealth in the proper way. To be honest…" She pondered for a moment, then turned to look at him. "Probably because, at that time, I was just too fond of you like I am now."Hearing this, Eli felt a pang of heartache and leaned down to kiss her forehead. Tanya smiled, moved the gifts aside, and made some space for him.Just as they were about to talk, Eli's phone vibrated continuously. It turned out that Bridget was sending over the detailed preparation process for the wedding.Tanya scrolled through it and suddenly felt overwhelmed. Eli looked at it and also felt a headache coming. The two glanced at each other, sighed simultaneously, and leaned back.After they publicly disclosed their relationship, life continued as usual but became busier due to the w
Eli being married was shocking enough, but then his wife was hiding right in the office. In the next half hour, Tanya heard wailing from all around.The atmosphere in their office was quite good, and everyone got along well. After coming clean, everyone joked around and teased each other."Nia, don't forget Mr. Ted, he's been cursing at you all along!""Yeah, he's been calling you a fool!""I heard it, I can testify!"Ted was furious and rushed out to hit someone. Tanya followed with laughter.Before leaving work, Amy indeed brought the cake and candies, sharing them with everyone in the building. Thus, the entire group gave them their blessings.From the office to the parking lot, Tanya received blessings. When she got into Eli's car, her heart was still pounding.Eli was happily eating his candy, feeling good. Especially now that he didn't have to sneak around anymore, he even turned the steering wheel effortlessly.Tanya, holding the cake, asked him in surprise, "Were these
Tanya walked out of the room with her guard down and came face to face with Ted's sneaky expression. She paused.Ted gasped, his brain instantly turning blank.He looked at Tanya, covered his mouth with his left hand, and placed his right hand over the left with his eyes gradually widening.God! This was insane!Tanya regained her composure and glanced in Eli's direction. Eli remained calm, glanced at the fruit plate on the table, and said, "Should we take some down to share with your colleagues?"Tanya nodded. She glanced at the still-disheveled Ted and kindly handed him a tangerine."Sir?"Ted swallowed, looked at Tanya, then at Eli. Finally, he settled his gaze on the tangerine in her hand, mechanically accepting it.Tanya turned to look at Eli. 'Look, you've scared my superior.'Eli shrugged."I'm leaving," she said.Eli nodded and escorted her to the door.Ted followed them out and was sent into the elevator by his boss. As the elevator doors closed, he let out a long
The deep blue bedsheet was neatly spread out. But the two pillows lacked pillowcases, exposed in a sorry state.Eli placed his hands on his belt and turned to look at Tanya. "Is this also your doing?"Tanya leaned against the door frame, only poking her head in, smiling sheepishly."I accidentally drooled while sleeping that day and dirtied the pillowcase. Knowing that you're a neat freak, I took them all off to wash," she said. She raised her hand and swore, "The pillowcases have been washed and are in the cabinet at home."Eli wasn't interested in the pillowcases' whereabouts. He remembered when Amy called him, saying Tanya missed him and wanted to touch the sheets and pillows after waking up.Nonsense!He took a deep breath, then turned his head to Tanya with a frightening smile. Tanya realized the danger and tried to run, but he grabbed her by the waist."Hey, what are you doing?" she said.Eli tossed her onto the bed and followed suit."What are you doing?!""Collecting
Tanya sat upright in the office. Eli stood before her with his hands behind his back. "Come on, explain."Tanya's eyes darted around. "Do you believe me? It's because I missed you too much. When I came to your place, I couldn't help but take away everything related to you." Eli scoffed. "Including the toilet paper?"Tanya pondered seriously.Eli tapped the coffee machine and pointed to the plug that had been pulled out, saying, "If the coffee machine wasn't too heavy, would you have taken that too?"'This brat has no conscience at all. Does she even understand what a cold shoulder is?'While he was reminiscing in her room, she made a fortune in his office!Tanya blinked and gave him an embarrassed smile. "If you think about it from another angle, I love you deeply. If we couldn't reconcile and you came back to see all this, you would hate me. Hate represents love, and love means you can't forget me. My obsession is so deep; I want to stay in your heart forever."Eli fell silen
"You should buy something while visiting. Do you have enough money in your account? If not, I will transfer some to you," Mrs. Moran said on the phone.Tanya didn't want money; she just wanted to hear some advice. She knew her parents' financial situation wasn't good. Due to illness, her stepfather had retired from his position as a butler of the Sterling family. Although the Sterlings provided a retirement package, Mr. Moran was getting old, and he had a son. She heard that his son's business had lost a considerable amount of money in recent years. As a stepdaughter, she had already received enough help from them, so how could she ask for more money?During her university days, she didn't ask her family for money. If she could find a part-time job, she would, and if not, she would endure it just to avoid causing her mother trouble."Mom, I don't need money. I have enough."When Mrs. Moran heard this, she felt even more sorry for her.Since her ex-husband was useless, Tanya suffer
After breakfast, Eli called Bridget."Why did you send her a check? Do you have nothing better to do?"Bridget had just arrived home and begun playing poker with a few old friends.She threw out a card, rolled her eyes, and said, "It's the first time I've met my daughter-in-law! What's wrong with giving her some money!"Eli was speechless."Madam, you came up and threw 500,000 dollars just like that. Aren't you afraid of scaring people?""What should I do? Throw 50,000 dollars instead? That's too stingy."Eli was speechless. Holding onto the railing, he glanced downstairs and saw Tanya ironing her coat in the living room."I almost got dumped because you caused a scene," he joked.Bridget threw the cards while chuckling. "It's good to be dumped. With your unruly behavior, someone should make you suffer a bit.""Are you really my mother?""If you still want to be a good son, hurry up and go through the procedures, live a proper life with Tanya, and try to give me a grandson n
"What did Her Majesty tell you?"Tanya nearly lost her composure, fighting back laughter.Bridget said nothing more as she left with Benjamin, leaving Tanya and Eli to return to the apartment. The journey back was silent, with Tanya deep in thought. Upon entering, Eli halted her at the entrance.Exhaling deeply, Tanya reached into her pocket and withdrew a check. Eli's gaze fell upon it, noting it was only for $500,000. As he moved to take it, Tanya tucked it back into her pocket. On the bar, a spread of breakfast awaited them - fried eggs, sausages, fruits, and vegetables. Despite the inviting display, Tanya's attention was on Eli."Don't you want breakfast?"With the situation still unclear, Eli's appetite waned. Nonetheless, knowing Bridget's nature, he remained calm. Seating himself opposite Tanya, he nibbled at a sausage, noticing her lack of interest."Is everything alright?" he asked, concerned.Tanya shook her head.The oversized sandwich Bridget had ordered had already