Upon hearing this, Kim let out a helpless laugh and gently laid Maria on the bed.
“Because it’s you, I can do anything for you unconditionally,” Kim said as his warm fingertips seeped into Maria’s skin and flowed into her heart along with every bone in her body. He loved Maria, so everything he did was sweet as honey.
Her heart beat lively in her chest but suddenly she felt a hint of confusion. She felt like Kim was weaving a gentle net around her, slowly trapping her within it.
“Kim, if I hadn’t met you…” Maria murmured softly. If she hadn’t met Kim, would she still be pining for Osborn? She had been following him quietly all this time while hiding her love behind awkward glances.
Kim looked surprised but then reached out to tuck the hair behind Maria’s ear tenderly. “Then I hope that I would have met you and fallen in love with you.”
Suddenly, a smile spread across Maria’s lips again as she kissed Kim once more. How could someone like herself deserve such gentle affection?
The two of them were locked in an embrace while their lips entwined passionately. It seemed like Maria had taken control as she sat on top of Kim and began unbuttoning his shirt.
However, when he caught hold of her hand tightly with an obscure look flashing through his eyes he asked, “Maria, have you thought about this?”
Maria curved her lips, but only emitted a faint, almost inaudible hum from her throat as she unbuttoned Kim’s shirt. Surprisingly, Kim showed no response and even displayed some signs of resistance.
“Maria, don’t do something you’ll regret,” Kim cautioned.
Observing Maria’s reaction and recalling the recent news on his phone, Kim had already made some speculations. Maria was acting impulsively, and he couldn’t allow it.
“Kim…” Maria cupped Kim’s face, intending to say something casual, but the words got stuck between her lips.
Silence enveloped the room, and the previously heated atmosphere began to gradually chill.
At that moment, a knocking sound shattered the delicate ambiance. Maria snapped back to reality and hurried to answer the door.
“Are you ready? We need to leave…”
The agent, standing at the door, raised her eyes to see Maria with slightly reddened eyes. Another glance revealed the disheveled clothes on the bed, and she fell silent.
“Ah… I’ll be right there,” Maria inwardly cursed. She had acted recklessly, forgetting about the ad shoot scheduled for the afternoon.
Noticing the agent’s gaze, Maria felt a bit embarrassed. Meanwhile, Kim had already tidied up his clothes, standing by Maria’s side.
“You go ahead and work. I’ll pick you up for a late-night snack,” Kim said, maintaining composure as if agent’s earlier glimpse had been an illusion.
Maria blushed instantly, giving Kim’s waist a push and nodding awkwardly. “Sure, you go ahead.”
Kim curved his lips and planted a kiss on Maria’s forehead. “I’ve always been here.”
With that, he politely nodded to the agent and left.
The agent, still standing in place, crossed her arms, and her cold gaze shifted to Maria’s face.
Maria, with trembling legs and a guilty conscience, rushed into the room to get ready. “Coming! I’ll be ready in a moment!”
In the car, Maria sat in the back seat, not daring to breathe. She discreetly glanced at the agent’s expression beside her.
The agent pursed her lips, seemingly helpless, closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them to look at Maria. “Have you lost your mind? Huh?”
“I’m sorry…” Maria regretted her impulsive actions.
“I beg you. Can you be a bit more restrained? Don’t you know it’s a sensitive time right now?”
The agent was truly speechless. She used to think Maria was a well-behaved woman, but how did she turn into this?
“I know, I know…” Maria grumbled in response.
“You know nothing! If you knew, couldn’t you avoid causing so much trouble?” The agent scolded in a maternal tone. “It’s fine for you and your lover to be affectionate, but can’t you choose a better time? Did you have to cancel the afternoon ad shoot?”
Maria remained silent under the agent’s lecture, hanging her head and listening quietly.
Seeing Maria’s subdued demeanor, the agent refrained from further comments. Before long, they arrived at the shooting location.
The afternoon shoot was for a previous endorsement, with a short commercial and a set of posters to be photographed. Originally, Maria had done the shoot alone, but this time they added a male model.
After changing into the outfit for the shoot, Maria followed the assistant to the set. A tall figure approached her in the next moment.
“Hello, I’m Warren.”
The man spoke with a straight posture, a handsome face with a faint smile that made him seem approachable. Maria politely shook hands with him.
“Hello, I’m Maria.”
After saying that, Maria tried to pull her hand back, but Warren surprisingly showed no intention of letting go. Smiling, he ran his gaze up and down Maria’s figure, a look that made her uncomfortable.
“You look beautiful in this dress,” Warren said, deeply examining Maria before finally releasing her hand.
Maria tightened her grip on her hand, but her smile did not fade.
The photographer was ready, and the two began the formal shoot. Warren, being a professional model, performed well, but the pairing with Maria felt awkward.
“Okay, Warren, put your hand on Maria’s waist,” the photographer directed, sliding his hands in the air to arrange the pose.
Warren smiled at Maria, reached out, and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her into his embrace.
Maria felt a moment of surprise but, seeing that the photographer didn’t intervene, she refrained from saying anything.
However, Warren became increasingly intrusive, closing the distance between them and letting his hand on her waist wander. Maria’s body tensed, but she continued to maintain a smile on her face.
“Maria, relax a bit, make your expression more natural,” the photographer instructed.
Upon hearing this, Maria took a deep breath, trying to ignore the person next to her and focused on the shoot.
“Warren, turn around, lower your head.”
Following the photographer’s instructions, Warren’s actions became more audacious. His hand slowly moved up Maria’s back, and his cheek approached her neck.
“Would you like to go out tonight? I’m quite interested in you.”
Hearing these words, Maria’s pupils contracted, and the smile on her face vanished.