Ernest wrapped around her shoulder and let her head press his chest.
He said dotingly, “You said you want a gift that you can’t resist. How will I tell you where the button is?”
It turned out it was still because of her requirements for the gift.
Florence was surprised and joyful. Looking at the bracelet, she felt sweeter.
With a smile, she said, “Let me study where it is myself.”
Ernest looked at her head in his arms dotingly. He had made her such a bracelet because he wanted her to study the design so that she wouldn’t have much time and energy to make wild guesses when he was away.
He patted her on her shoulder and said in a tender and doting voice, “Good girl, let’s go to bed. You can study it tomorrow.”
It was so hard for Florence to see Ernest again, and she was quite interested in this bracelet, so she wasn’t sleepy at all. However, when she heard Ernest’s exhausted voice, her heart was softened.
He hadn’t slept well in the past few days, and he couldn’t only sleep soundly after coming over here.
How could she have the heart to disturb him?
Florence nodded obediently and nestled her head at the coziest position on his chest. “Okay. Good night.”
“Good night,” said Ernest in a gentle tone.
Then he raised his hand and turned off the lamp.
It was dark in the room instantly. The breath of the two was mingling with each other, warming up their hearts.
Florence closed her eyes, listened to Ernest’s powerful heartbeat, and enjoyed his warm embrace. Her heart was fulfilled.
She didn’t ask for too much, as long as he belonged to her.
The next morning, before the dawn, Ernest got up.
He moved in silence. He got off the bed quietly, put on clothes, and was about to leave from the window when it was still dark.
Right then, he heard Florence whisper, “Are you leaving now?”
Ernest paused. Then he turned around and walked to the bed.
He bent over and kissed her on her forehead in the dark.
He said gently, “Yeah. Go back to your sleep.”
Florence couldn’t see his face clearly, but she was reluctant when feeling his scent.
Subconsciously, she grabbed his arm. Her sleepy voice sounded quite coquettish and adorable.
“Will you come here tonight?”
Her carefully asked question was full of expectation.
Ernest pressed his thin lips, reaching out to rub her hair.
“Probably not. Don’t wait for me. You should go to bed early.”
Florence was a bit disappointed, tugging his sleeve, reluctant to let him go.
Last time, they were almost three days apart. She wondered when he would come over again. Three days? Or, probably longer?
Ernest felt her hand pull him, his eyes darkened, full of affection as well as helplessness.
He wanted to stay with her every day more, but…
He asked in a deep voice, “As soon as I’m free, I’m come here to see you, all right?”
“All right,” Florence answered in a light tone.
She had got his words, but she still didn’t know when he would come here next time.
All she could do was to expect.
Reluctantly, Florence released Ernest’s sleeve. She whispered, “If anything happens, please do tell me. Don’t try to hide anything from me just because you think it’s for my good.”
Otherwise, she would make a lot of wild guesses.
Ernest nodded seriously. “Okay, I will. Go back to your sleep.”
Then he lowered his head, kissed her hair, and tucked her into the quilt. He turned around and walked to the window, hopping out.
Then, he closed the window quietly. His figure disappeared in the dark.
Florence looked at the darkness outside the window. As soon as Ernest left, her heart was gone with him.
How she wished that she was not grounded in this villa. Then she could go with him.
–
In the following two days, Ernest didn’t come to her again. During the daytime, he was still too busy to reply to her messages.
Feeling bored and to kill time, Florence studied how she could get out of the villa.
After all, Ernest could sneak in without noticing anyone at midnight, which meant that there must be some loophole in the Fraser family’s security. It would also be possible if she could sneak out in the same way as Ernest sneaked in.
However, she asked Ernest about it, but he refused to tell her. He said that was not suitable for her.
It was just a way to sneak out. Florence wondered why he said it was not suitable for her to take.
She was confused but didn’t give up. When she was free, she wandered around the villa, trying to find a way out.
This day, when Florence was wandering, she met Stanford, who was in a hurry.
From afar, she noticed there were two or three tall and strong men following Stanford. They rushed into the villa.
All of them looked solemn.
Florence was shocked, wondering what happened.
She rushed over in a hurry and blocked Stanford’s way.
“Hey, Stanford.”
Seeing Florence, Stanford paused his pace, putting on a smile on his handsome face as usual.
“Hi, Florence. Are you having a walk?”
Florence nodded. She was about Stanford what he was busy with in the past few days, but surprisingly, she found the extremely dark circles under his eyes, which were bloodshot as well.
His face was pale. He looked as if he had been stayed up at night for a long time.
Florence couldn’t help but frown. She recalled that Ernest also looked the same way in that evening when he came over.
She wondered why both of them started staying up whole nights so coincidentally.
Did it mean that men always risk their lives when they were busy?
In confusion, Florence asked, “Stanford, how long haven’t you slept?”
“Just one or two days,” Stanford answered casually.
He said in a relaxed tone, “I’m quite healthy and I always stay up at night. Flory, don’t worry about me.”
Did he mean that he had used to staying up for one or two nights when getting busy? Judging from his look, Florence didn’t believe that he only stayed up for one or two nights.
Florence frowned. “What are you busy with?”
Stanford looked hesitated, a touch of embarrassment flashing through his eyes.
Then, he reached out and put his arm on Florence’s shoulder, taking her towards the living room.
As he walked, he said, “I’m almost done. After a few days, let me take you out for fun. Where do you want to go?”
It was obvious that he was changing the subject, unwilling to answer her question.
Florence had become used to this situation when talking with her mother, so she didn’t care that Stanford wasn’t willing to answer her.
She had noticed another implication in Stanford’s words.
He said he would take her out in a few days. It meant that she wouldn’t be grounded in a few days.
Florence was overjoyed. She asked happily, “For real? Don’t you keep locking me up?”
Stanford looked quite guilty, rubbing her hair dotingly.
“You are grounded these days because we did it for your own good. I promise that I will never do it again.”
She wouldn’t be grounded again in the future, would she?
Florence was quite delighted, but she sensed something wrong.
She was grounded because her family didn’t want her to be in touch with Ernest. After a few days, if she could go out, she still could contact Ernest, couldn’t she? She hadn’t given up on him yet.
Judging from Victoria’s and Stanford’s attitude, Florence didn’t think they would agree with her to be with Ernest.
In that case, they must know that she wouldn’t be able to meet Ernest even if she would go out again.
At the thought of it, Florence stiffed. In a hurry, she reached out and grabbed Stanford’s arm.
“Stanford, you’ve done something to Ernest, haven’t you? Are you forcing him to leave here?”