Winifred’s eyes reddened with panic, and she dared not move in his embrace.
She opened her mouth, trying to divert the man’s attention. “Have we met before?”
If they hadn’t met, why would he hold onto her so tightly? She had clearly forgotten that night when the man had blurted out “Winifred.”
It was like a computer triggering its safe mode; in moments of extreme fear, indeed, one tends to forget some essential things.
Leland’s face was too calm, his expression monotonous, making it impossible to read anything from it.
As Winifred posed the question, in the brief span of two or three seconds, Leland’s mind flashed through numerous images like a slideshow-scenes of their meeting, knowing, recognizing, and despising each other.
“We don’t know each other…” he flatly denied.
“If we don’t know each other, then why are you clinging to me?” Only enemies would do that, and Winifred wasn’t narcissistic enough to think he was infatuated with her. Her face wasn’t particularly beautiful, and a man of his status had seen all types of women. Rich, powerful, influential, a mere wave of his hand would bring a throng of women flocking to him.
Winifred was self-aware; her looks were at best plain, and physically, she was flawed. The night she spent with this man was far from wonderful, lacking any real compatibility. She didn’t believe she possessed any allure that could attract him to the extent of him chasing after her, cooking for her, bringing her medicine, and insisting he was smitten with her.
Yet, the man insisted, “I cling to you because I like you. Become my woman, and I can give you everything you want.”
“All I want is for you to stay away from me…”
As soon as she finished speaking, Leland’s gaze turned colder. Being arrogant and domineering was in his blood; he acted solely according to his own desires, unconcerned with the wishes of others.
Winifred spoke the truth, and he didn’t like it. His claim of being able to “give her everything she wanted” was utterly absurd.
Winifred stifled the rising agitation within her. “Since we don’t know each other and have no past grievances, why are you targeting me? Besides, you can’t force feelings, and I already have a fiance…”
She began to mention Garrison but was interrupted before she could finish.
“Don’t bring up your fiance, or I really won’t be able to control myself from doing something with you right here.”
Winifred’s face turned pale, even her lips losing some of their color. The hands wrapped around her waist tightened, as if to crush into her bones, her thick clothing notwithstanding, she still felt the searing heat of his palms.
Alone together, their close embrace created a kind of vibe, which wasn’t supposed to be there yet made them have inappropriate thoughts.
Winifred’s clothing caught Leland’s attention-long sleeves, high neck, thoroughly covering her. He had noticed when he entered.
As Winifred struggled in his embrace, her collar slipped slightly, revealing traces underneath.
Clearly, Winifred wore such clothes to hide the marks from Garrison.
“The injuries I caused on your body, Garrison hasn’t noticed them yet, has he?”
How could he say such a thing? Winifred’s eyes brimmed with tears, on the verge of crying.
“Do you really love him that much?” Leland asked mockingly.
Winifred’s tone was equally harsh. “If I don’t love him, who should I love? You?”
Leland ignored the sarcasm in Winifred’s voice: “You could try liking me; I would do better than him.”
He stared fixedly at Winifred’s face, and seeing her try to turn away, he reached out, pinched her chin, and forced her to look at him. Their gazes met.
People with superior looks even have a different gaze, viscous, softening slightly when serious and direct, especially heartfelt.
Winifred stiffened under his gaze, as if he deeply loved her, causing a sudden sharp pain in her brain.
The man’s sudden show of affection startled Winifred, and she refused, saying, “No need, I only love him. Let’s make a deal; how can you let me go and pretend that day never happened?”
He knew not to rush her, but his heart still twitched when he heard Winifred’s unwavering refusal, the pain lingering at the tip of his heart, not very painful but persistent.
This outcome was expected by Leland. If Winifred had agreed immediately, that would have been problematic. Fortunately, he was used to being rejected by her, which was not too hard to accept.
On his way here, he had anticipated this moment.
“Stay by my side for one hundred days, and after those one hundred days, I’ll let you go, and we’ll wipe the slate clean as if nothing happened,” he said, appearing amenable and sincere, genuinely wanting to negotiate with Winifred.
Winifred frowned deeply, her mouth slightly open, exhaling several breaths before pushing against Leland’s rigid chest to no avail. Frustrated and indignant but not daring to speak out, she said, “Listen to yourself, is that even human speech?”
What he said was nonsense. She wasn’t born yesterday. There’s no way she would believe his bullshit. Did he take her as a fool and think she was easy to bully? Easily persuaded into deceit?
“Why isn’t it human speech? I am serious.”
“One hundred days, not one week, not three days, not one night, but one hundred days, over three months. If I stay by your side that long and everyone knows, how can you pretend it never happened? If you want to deceive me, just say it directly; there’s nothing to discuss, we might as well go down fighting.”
“Go down fighting?” Leland laughed at her naivety, “You’ll lose completely, Miss Dawson. I sincerely want to negotiate with you. For one hundred days, I can give you enough freedom. You would come to work by my side, help me take care of two children. Don’t worry, I won’t let Garrison find out. Since I promised to keep this secret for you, I will keep my word.”
Leland looked utterly untrustworthy, and Winifred wanted to argue, but she knew it wasn’t the right time.
“How am I supposed to believe you?”
“If you want to protect yourself, you have to trust me. We can draft an agreement; for these one hundred days, you’ll just be a regular employee, taking care of the children. I won’t touch you, and I can keep it from Garrison, letting him remain oblivious during this period.”