Rosalind was startled and sobered up a bit.
She had been so preoccupied with her sadness that she forgot she was in Northville City, where she could run into people who knew her.
“I have some business here. I’ll leave tomorrow.”
Lion’s voice grew louder. “I’m not asking when you’re leaving. Who was the man you went into the hotel with?”
His tone now sounded as if he’d caught a cheating wife.
Rosalind frowned slightly. She didn’t need to explain herself to him, but she also didn’t have time to argue. “I had some drinks, and a friend’s brother brought me back to the hotel.”
“Really?”
“Why would I lie to you? You’re my boss, and I’m on vacation.”
Lion was at a loss for words. “I’m concerned about you! Don’t trouble your friend’s brother anymore. I have a friend in Northville City who can take care of you. She’s a woman, which is more convenient.”
“No need.”
Her refusal was so blunt that it made Lion feel embarrassed.
But Rosalind wasn’t in the mood to care about his feelings right now.
“Rosalind, I’m trying to look out for you! You said yourself that you don’t want to think about relationships right now. I haven’t pressured you, but then you go into a hotel with another man. Don’t I have the right to ask about it?”
He thought he meant something different to Rosalind.
After pursuing her for so long and doing so much for her, wasn’t she even a little moved?
“You asked, and I explained. The rest is my personal business. Lion, don’t cross the line.”
The words “cross the line” made Rosalind’s heart ache again.
Here she was telling someone else not to cross the line, but what about herself?
She couldn’t control herself either.
“Fine, I won’t cross the line. Pretend I never made this call.” Lion hung up abruptly, clearly angry.
But Rosalind didn’t have the energy to worry about his feelings.
She was still feeling miserable herself.
After a while, Malcolm returned with not only alcohol but also hangover medicine and a thin blanket.
“It’s chilly late at night. Cover yourself.”
“Thank you.”
“Rosalind, from now on, consider me like an older brother just like Tilda does. Don’t think about anything else; we’re siblings by blood.”
Rosalind looked up at him and nodded slightly.
When she had been crying earlier, Malcolm suddenly saw things clearly.
Rather than getting entangled in romantic feelings and potentially ruining their relationship, it was better to maintain a familial bond.
That way, he could stay by her side for a long time.
At least when she was sad or upset, she could think of him.
…
After seeing Rosalind, Johnny called Ulric.
But no one answered, so he told Lion instead.
It wasn’t until morning when they arrived at the W Group building that he got a response from Ulric.
“What were you doing? I called so many times before you answered!”
“Hmm, I was drunk.”
Johnny laughed. “You can’t handle it either! I threw up when I got home and sobered up quickly. A girl asked me out afterward, and I went.”
Ulric’s voice was still hoarse from just waking up.
“Haven’t drunk in a while; my tolerance has dropped.”
“I can see that! Hey, guess who I ran into last night?”
“Just tell me.” Ulric didn’t like guessing games.
“I saw Rosalind! She and Malcolm went into a hotel together. I saw it with my own eyes; they were very close!”