Sitting in Jay’s Rolls-Royce, Rose’s emotions were complicated.It was once her dream to go to Tourmaline Estate.She had asked Jay countless times, “Jaybie, I know you don’t like trouble, so let’s not get married. You could just take me to Tourmaline Estate and we’d be just like husband and wife. Is that okay?Jay had always replied with the same excuse, “Any woman who enters Tourmaline Estate has to be an official wife of an Ares. There’s no other way around that.”Tears welled up in Rose’s eyes.Feelings of sadness due to her previous rejection rippled through Rose’s heart.When the Rolls-Royce arrived at Tourmaline Estate, the front gate was crowded with people. Guests were all holding invitation cards. It was more crowded than any tourist attraction.Rose looked at Jay, feeling depressed. “Didn’t you say Grand Old Master Ares rejected the idea of having a large ceremony?”Jay replied, “This is considered small-scale.”“What would a large ceremony even look like then?” Ros
Jay felt wronged as well. He had finally gotten the woman he yearned so long for back to Tourmaline Estate. Perhaps he had indeed been a tad overexcited. Gently, Jay helped her into her clothes. The fire within Rose quelled at the action. However, a beeping sound came from her body right after she was clothed. Finding the offending device at the end of her sleeves, Rose stared questionably at Jay. “What’s this?” “A timer! It records how long you’ve been with me.” It was no ordinary timer, for it came with a special sensor. Its counterpart on Jay was in a diamond wristwatch. The closer the timer to Jay, the faster the hand ticked by. The further she was from him, the slower time would pass. Having found out its mechanics, Rose stared despondently at him. “So, what’s the effective distance for the timer to work?” “50!” Jay exclaimed. Rose was displeased. “50 meters? Isn’t that too short?” Jay corrected her and said, “50 centimeters.” Rose wanted to leave! “Why
“Robbie… Come save Mommy!” Instantly, Baby Robbie raised his fists. “Who’s taking advantage of you, Mommy? I’ll avenge you.” Rose instantly eyed in the direction of Jay Ares. Baby Robbie’s anger instantly shifted into elation. “Is it Daddy? “When will you be giving birth to our younger siblings, then?” Rose was rendered speechless. “...” What ungrateful rascal had she raised? Hanging up the call, Jay’s gaze fell on Rose. “What a childish signal!” Rose was embarrassed, for she had not expected Jay to see through her attempt at signaling her son for help. “You don’t like me having my way with you?” Rose muttered under her breath, “I’m not a masochist.” “Yet you seem to enjoy it…” At his remark, her cheeks immediately flushed. Elated, Jay turned to walk out of the house. Giving up, Rose lazed on the bed. This man was definitely going to oppress her at every given moment the next three days. Nope. She had to think of a way to get rid of this demon! … Walking
It was at that moment Rose understood why cultured rogues were harder to deal with than uncultured ones! … After lunch, Jay suggested that they go golfing. Rose gladly agreed, for she did not know if he would revert to his monstrous ways if she declined. Tourmaline’s golf course was quite a few times larger than ordinary ones. Greenery filled the large landscape. John Ares was currently participating in some rather indecent sports activity with a young lady on the court at that moment. “Don’t look.” Jay lifted a hand to shield Rose’s eyes. “Why not?” She promptly pulled his hand down. “It’s free action in high definition. It’ll be a waste not to watch.” The two heard Rose’s wonderful commentary just as they began to get heated on the grassland. As if they had just been doused with ice water, the duo immediately pulled on their clothes. John Ares looked like he was just forced to eat poop. “Can’t you tell that I’m busy, Jay Ares? Leave us alone!” John looked desponde
Jay carried Rose back to the Fragrant Vessel Court where the family doctor quickly arrived with his medicinal case. After a quick check-up, he concluded, “Miss Rose has what’s called nutritional-deficiency anemia.” Jay frowned as he stared at the check-up report filled densely with arrows. After the doctor left, Jay sat blankly by the bed. His heart clenched as his eyes traced over Rose’s hollowed cheeks. What life had she been living for the past seven years? Under her care, their children had grown healthily while she herself was a mess. Perhaps it was time for him to take extraordinary measures. After having awoken, Rose was met with the sight of Jay’s thoroughly striking features staring back at herself depressingly. Having gotten used to his dignified expression, Rose could not help the itching feeling that something was wrong.Fearfully, she grabbed Jay’s hand. “Sir Ares, am I going to die?” Amusement flashed in his eyes. “Any last words?” he asked calmly.
Unable to hold them back in the end, Rose’s tears fell freely like rain through a torn canopy. It wet the pillow beneath. Could she still believe in him? Her gaze was empty as the void. Finally, she set her eyes on the white marbled tiles and the carved mahogany handrails. The handrail led to the quiet floor upstairs, where it was abnormally dark. “A crazy woman is hiding in Daddy’s bed!” Jenson’s shaky voice suddenly echoed in Rose’s head. Unable to sleep, Rose got up and dressed herself. Then, she tiptoed up the stairs. Jenson was not the only one panicking about the secret behind the attic, for it agitated her as well. Who was the woman in the attic? … As the Fragrant Vessel Court was built following the characteristics of classical overlapping architectures, its rooms were built intricately and were naturally dim. Pushing open the door in front of the handrail, Rose entered the room and closed the door behind her. She found herself in a small living room
Rose dashed toward it, only for the wall around the hole to move just as she reached it, blocking the hole. Then, the room’s lights switched on. Rose turned around to see Jay with a dark look on his face. His hand was pressing on a knob on the wall. Rose stared at the knob, then turned around to stare at the blocked hole. Did he close the hole? “Sir Ares, I… I think I’m lost. I wanted to go to the bathroom…” Rose spoke slowly. Her eyes stared at the ground as she made the subconscious decision to hide what just happened from him. Jay reached out his hand. Stunned by the gesture, Rose placed her hand in his larger one. “Come on. Let’s get you out.” The scrunch between his brows from realizing that Rose was no longer beside him when he woke finally relaxed now that he had found her. Rose’s gaze was fixed on the knob as if it was an enormous black hole that threatened to swallow her whole. What was the secret behind this place? Was Jay hiding something from her? “Wha
Despite having never paid attention to his own looks, praise from this woman somehow turned his negative mood around. Rose murmured under her breath, “Don’t you know? The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.” Jay shot her a death glare. “What other men do you want?” Rose shut her mouth and shook her head. Moving his arm from her shoulder to her waist, Jay squeezed her tightly against himself to the point where Rose felt as if the air from her abdomen to her lungs had been squeezed out. For a split moment, she felt suffocated. “Since you’ve slept with me once, Rose, you’ve signed yourself off to a lifetime of sleeping with me. You’re well aware of me being a clean freak, yes? I’ll throw you into the furnace should you have the slightest thought toward another man.” Rose nodded and bowed in a puppy-like manner. “There’s not a second of which I don’t remind myself that I’m yours, Sir Ares.” “Good.” Then, he said, “Grandfather wants me to entertain the gu