Melody pursed her lips even as the rain poured.She kept her eyes to herself, impassive, but she could still catch Christopher glancing at her from time to time.Her lips curling downward unhappily, she said, "Eyes on the road, please. I'd rather not get involved in a car accident.""No faith in my driving?" Christopher smiled—she was finally talking to him.He also drove slowly just to stay with her a little longer.Still, she was noncommittal whenever he tried to strike up a conversation and never started any of his own.In fact, despite the car heater being turned up to the maximum setting, it was cold as ice between them.Eventually, Melody simply turned away and ignored him, not even bothering to shoot him a dirty look.She took out her phone, and someone just happened to text her about work.As her fair, slender fingers tapped on the screen, it was the only audible sound in the silent car."You'd rather chat with someone else than talk to me?" Christopher asked, his smi
The butler brought a towel as soon as Melody entered, informing her quietly, "Ms. Nolan, Mr. Scott has just arrived. He said he brought some documents.""Yeah. Is he still here?" Melody asked, drying her hair."He is. He's moving the pots on the balcony with Ms. Amelia," the butler replied.Melody paused in turn.Philip knew that she was a perfumer, and that the plants she was growing at the balcony were fragrant plants.It would be a huge loss if those plants were left out in the pouring rain—she had actually forgotten about them after being forced to spend time with Christopher.She quickly put down the towel and headed upstairs, finding several servants moving around busily.Philip's tall frame certainly stood out in their midst, and she could see his shirt sticking against his skin as he moved in and out of the rain.The way he protected her plants with such solemnity left her gaze flickering.He turned just then and appeared taken aback to see her. "You're back?"Given
Once Melody poured Philip a bowl, she paused as she stared at the empty bowl in front of Christopher.He was a guest, even if invited.With that in mind, she poured him a bowl."At least you know I'm here," Christopher snorted.Melody could feel the jealousy in his words but pursed her lips without responding.She served herself a bowl of ginger soup, taking small sips—the warm fiery taste warmed her body considerably as soon as it reached her belly."Do you feel better?" Philip asked mildly beside her.She turned to smile at him. "Yeah. What about you?""Me too," Philip chuckled, his very presence tender. "I remember us getting wet in the rain before too, and you made me ginger soup back then as well, fussing around as you took care of me. Do you remember, Mel?"His eyes sparkled as he spoke off the old days with a warm smile.Melody stared at his kind face and recalled the days when they were dating thanks to his reminder.It had been a beautiful time for them, with a lot
The light was soft but bright—a completely different world from the cold, dark world outside.Christopher pursed his lips, wondering when he could rock her world.He stared for a while and turned to leave only when the rain became deafening. As he drove home, there were more cars than when he came, and the rain was pelting his window.Eventually, he clicked his tongue as he stepped on the brakes, slowing to a halt due to traffic with an impatient frown.Still, the silence in the car allowed his mind to wander—specifically the fragrant pots of plants.He remembered the scent clearly—it smelled just like a scented sachet Melody gave him before.At that thought, his dark eyes narrowed, his expression impassive as a suspicion he had before bloomed.He already had a hunch, but was Melody actually the performer she talked about?His eyes flashing, he whipped out his phone and dialed a number. "Give me details on Bayridge's top performer."Hanging up, he reclined against his seat
The air in the office stiffened, with Melody's heart skipping a beat as she remembered Jenson's look.She quickly reached for the pen again, but Philip did the same just then.She felt the warmness of his touch on the back of her palm and pursed her lips without knowing it. Taking the pen, she swiftly pulled her hand out of her grasp and straightened, her expression awkward even as she straightened her hair.Philip was still crouching, the tenderness of her touch nothing but a passing moment. He used his other hand to touch where Melody's skin brushed against his, his dark gaze narrowing to hide the raging desire inside him.Melody cleared her throat and smiled, intending to clear the awkwardness after that moment their eyes met and what Jenson said. "Jenson's always an idiot… So, where were we?"As she looked up at Philip, she recognized the emotion in his eyes.She became very familiar with it—it was the way Philip looked at her when they dated, and being stared fixedly again
"I admire your resilience, Mr. Bolton. I didn't expect you to come here just to find Melody." Albert put up a stiff smile, clearly mocking the man. Noticing how sarcastic he sounded, the corner of Christopher's mouth twitched, only to be interrupted by his phone ringing inside his pocket.This only served to make him frown deeper, as he took his phone out with an upset expression. It was Jasmine. Since Albert was right next to him, he was able to notice the name on Christopher's screen in an instant. Seeing this, he sneered. "I didn't expect Mr. Bolton to be such a multitasker too! I really should learn from you someday."Albert just could not help but feel enraged for Melody as he thought about how she and Christopher were once married. Despite being the most wonderful woman in the entire world, he just could not believe that she was wronged by a jerk like Christopher!Clenching his fists under the table, the veins around his arm were slightly visible as he hid his malice t
"I'll go take a look," Melody said and rushed off, her skirt flowing gently from the breeze.Seeing how panicked she seemed, Philip smiled sadly to himself. Initially, he had wanted to follow suit, but he heard Albert's voice behind him. "Are you upset about Mel being worried about Christopher?"Albert seemed to be staring at him, his eyes filled with doubt and suspicion. He was confused as to why he would just tell Melody that, especially when he knew exactly how Christopher felt toward her. This was basically just pushing her straight into that man's arms after all.Upon hearing this, Philip halted in his tracks, a wave of helplessness and panic arising within his chest.So what if he was upset about it? He and Melody were blood related! Their past relationship was already considered incestuous! They could never be together in this life.Philip's body stiffened up, the glimmer in his eyes fading right then. He smiled softly, realizing that his voice was somewhat strained as
Melody subconsciously bit down on her lips with concern, then looked to the fire behind her. Her eyes glimmered from the light illuminated by it.The two workers took a lot of strength to carry Christopher to the car, considering his tall and built figure. Wiping the sweat off of their foreheads, one of them panted softly and said, "We've placed Mr. Bolton in the backseat.""Thank you. This fire would be hard to extinguish with just fire extinguishers and water, so it's best to just ask your manager to call the fire department to handle this." Melody gave orders in Christopher's stead."Understood."Melody nodded to them one last time before getting into the car, starting the engine. With that, she drove off, leaving a trail of dust behind her. Now with Christopher in the backseat, Melody drove slightly slower than her usual speed.She took a glance at the man through the rearview mirror, mumbling with a blank expression, "Now we're even, Christopher."Soon, they arrived at the