The black Bentley pulls into the yard of Villa Moon Lake Road and parks on the lawn.
Salvino gets out of the car and opens the door.
Severo Laris carefully lifted the person in his arms, not straddling her, but holding her directly against his chest like a child, a kangaroo hug that probably wouldn’t wake her.
She had not slept for too long and was a very heavy sleeper.
Severo Laris carried her home, upstairs and into her bedroom.
But she sleeps in wet clothes and tends to catch a cold.
Severo Laris immediately took off all his clothes, pushed the quilt aside and covered himself.
And then he watched her for a long time.
…
Severo Laris leaves the bedroom and slows down his movements to take the bedroom door with him.
Salvino is still waiting downstairs.
Severo Laris removed his cufflinks from his shirt, unbuttoned them, and nonchalantly rolled up one sleeve as he said, “Did you find out what I asked you to find out?”
Salvino was there a moment ago and kept calling, saying, “I found out. I found out that there was a second-row traffic guy on the set named Li Weize who kept making moves on Ms. Fu … and then he got into a group, and when he was playing a water game on top, Ms. Fu fell into the pool and choked pretty badly.”
Severo Laris’ gaze, a bit frozen, drops ice crystals.
Salvino knew the boss must be furious.
Salvino asked, “What does the boss plan to do with him?”
Severo Laris spoke with an expressionless face, “Seal the deal.”
The three feeble words sent shivers down Salvino’s spine.
“Yes, boss, I’m going to inform Sky Entertainment to terminate Li Weize’s contract and order all entertainment agencies not to sign with him.”
Severo Laris asks, “Who else on the set bullied the wife?”
“I sent to ask a couple of venue managers about some gossipy performers, but nothing nasty was said, is that something to be taken care of?”
Severo Laris was not so far-fetched and said, “No need, those people don’t matter, don’t make believe that the lady is a bully.”
“… is.”
The corners of Salvino’s mouth twitched, wasn’t this now a case of bullying?
Salvino asked, “Is the boss still coming into the office today?”
Severo Laris poured himself a glass of water, took a sip and said, “He’s not going. Let’s cancel the afternoon meeting all together.”
“Yes.”
Severo Laris said, “This variety show, who gave the wife the job?”
Salvino reported truthfully, “It’s the wife’s agent, Velazquez Moral, and I hear it’s also an agreement from her Universal Group, which is to let the wife develop multifacetedly and enter the entertainment industry.”
The corners of Severo Laris’ lips, sinking slightly, were clearly displeased.
It’s too exhausting to enter the entertainment industry, so many rivalries, not for her.
Salvino added, “Because his wife has been a bit burned out on her career for years, Universal executives have long been unhappy with her and have disguised many ads for her before, and her representative, Velazquez Moral, has partnered with the group to sign many ads that she is unaware of.”
Severo Laris’ eyes sparkled as he said, “How long is the contract with Universal Group?”
“A year or so.”
“It’s been too long, offer to cancel your contract.”
Salvino had some doubts and said, “The lady’s conditions and qualifications are excellent and I am concerned that even after paying a hefty compensation for breach of contract, the other party will not release her.”
Severo Laris touched his hard, protruding wrist bones as if reflecting, his eyes deep in thought, and after a long moment, he said, “If you insist on not releasing him, let’s take the case to court.”
Severo Laris could have had Universal on the ropes for not informing its artists of their contracts, and Universal’s reputation would have been tarnished as a result.
Universal would not have bet heavily on Severo Laris if they weren’t stupid.
It wasn’t fear of them that led to the high contract default payment, it was that Severo Laris didn’t want to make a big deal and saddle Paula Rouco with negative publicity.
“Yes, boss, I’ll get right on it. But what if Mrs. … doesn’t agree?”
Severo Laris turned to go upstairs and let out a swoon, “I’ll convince her.
…
As Severo Laris guarded her, Costillas ran up from the floor below and jumped up to brush against Severo Laris’ leg.
Severo Laris reached down and grabbed Costillas in his lap and rubbed him.
Costillas cried out, “Meow.”
Severo Laris immediately looked at the sleeping person in the bed and then silently gestured to Costillas, “Shhh, your mother is sleeping.”
Costillas was a good, abject ball of meat. Bola, lying on Severo Laris’ lap, eyes open, accompanying his father in bed with his mother.
Severo Laris is a quiet and solitary person. He does not like to deal with strangers in his life, and since he has just returned to China, he and Costillas are the only ones in Villa Moon Lake Road.
Like today, the bellboy has not come to the villa to clean it.
Severo Laris sat Costillas on a chair and whispered, “Don’t be naughty, I’m going to make a meal and if you wake her up, I’ll stew you for dinner, eh?”.
Costillas frowns in embarrassment, not daring to move: “…”
It’s so innocent to say.
Severo Laris glared back at her, then walked out of the bedroom, down the stairs and washed his hands of the house.
In New York, with a busy schedule at Group headquarters, he has spent much of the last seven years on airplanes, flying back and forth around the world.
Time to cook for yourself is scarce.
I’ve just returned to China and have a lot going on in the branch office, and I have to monitor projects at the head office by video across the ocean at any given time, so I’m very busy.
I haven’t cooked for a long time and I don’t know if my skills are rusty.
Didn’t cook any rice, just made some well digestible porridge.
Then she made a soup of Yam Ribs.
In a few moments, the kitchen was filled with the aroma of the soup.
Severo Laris was a little rusty in his trade and his eyes were a little irritated by the heat.
…
Inside the bedroom, Paula Rouco opened her eyes and saw Costillas bent over in a chair, looking at her with embarrassment.
Paula Rouco: “…”
Costillas saw that she was awake and jumped up, putting himself in the crook of her arm.
As soon as Paula Rouco got up, she realized that something was wrong, and that she was … naked under the sheets, apparently. Naked.
She lifted the sheets and looked unconsciously, and sure enough.
“…”
Ears, burning.
How could she sleep so soundly and not know she had been undressed by Severo Laris?
The door, with a click, opens.
As soon as Severo Laris entered, Paula Rouco’s eyes met his.
In his hands, Severo Laris holds a woman’s cotton housecoat.
Paula Rouco’s lily-white hands, grasping the bedspread, unconsciously pulled it upward and wrapped it tightly around her.
“Why are you taking my clothes off, did you ask my permission?”
Severo Laris looked at her calmly and said, “It was wrong of me to undress you without your consent, but you were asleep and I couldn’t bear to wake you, you would catch cold sleeping in wet clothes.”
She explained it in a gentlemanly, polite and cheerful way, slyly.
It was as if she had wronged his good intentions.
Severo Laris handed her the clothes, “When you wake up, go take a hot bath.”
“…”
She was a bit defensive, but took the clothes anyway.
The clothes look new.
But how can a man who lives alone have women’s clothes in his house.