Sarah explained, “Um, I have someone in my heart.”
Holden’s narrow eyes stared coldly at her, revealing nothing of his thoughts.
Sarah continued, “You know, I love Ronald very much… I could never fall for someone else, so don’t worry about me clinging to you. Um, I don’t have pajamas. It’s not good to sleep without clothes. Can I wear your pajamas?”
“Sure, go ahead.”
His wardrobe was filled with black clothes, even his underwear was black.
With a nod from him, Sarah grabbed some clothes and headed to the bathroom.
His bathroom was bigger than any bedroom Sarah had ever stayed in. She took a quick shower, dried her hair, and stepped out.
Holden’s shirt fit her more like a nightgown.
He was sitting on the bed with a laptop, probably handling some emails.
Sarah hadn’t slept well the previous night and had had a long, tiring day, so she was exhausted. Without even glancing at Holden, she fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.
The next morning, after a full night’s sleep, Sarah felt refreshed and just wanted to roll around in bed. With her eyes still closed, she tried to turn over but couldn’t move.
She opened her eyes to find herself facing Holden’s well-defined jawline. His jawline, down to his neck, was sharp and sexy, with a prominent Adam’s apple. He had more sex appeal than the male models in the magazines she often flipped through.
Sarah recalled a director once telling her that movie actors needed to have better bone structure than skin texture to convey more depth on camera. Not only was Holden’s skin impeccable, but his bone structure was flawless. His tall nose, deep-set eyes, and overall mysterious aura were captivating.
She thought if Holden were in her world, acting as a movie star, his looks alone would make him wildly popular, even without any acting skills.
But right now, what mattered was why they were lying together, barely dressed, early in the morning.
Her eyes showed a hint of panic. Although Holden was undeniably a top-tier handsome guy, she was also a beauty. In this situation, she felt like she was the one taken advantage of.
Twenty million wasn’t an unfair price, right?
Holden’s strong arm was wrapped around her waist. Sarah tried to discreetly lift his arm and slip out of bed without waking him.
But as soon as she touched his arm, Holden opened his eyes.
“Uh…” Sarah began.
Holden let go of her arm, his tone indifferent, “Explain.”
“I wasn’t trying to seduce you or get close to you. Look, you were the one holding me,” Sarah said, feeling guilty.
Holden raised an eyebrow.
The more Sarah spoke, the guiltier she felt, knowing she slept restlessly, often kicking off the covers and tossing around.
Although the bed was large, it was possible she had rolled over to Holden’s side and ended up hugging him in her sleep.
Then Sarah realized it wasn’t her who rolled over to Holden’s side. It was Holden who had pushed her to the edge of the bed, leaving himself plenty of space.
Clearly, Holden realized this too.
Sarah, now feeling justified, regained her confidence and stood on the moral high ground, “Explain.”
Holden, completely unfazed, said, “This is my bed, Miss Sarah. Allowing you a corner to sleep in is already generous.”
Sarah, “…”
No wonder he was a wildly successful CEO; he could twist the truth in his favor.
Capitalists really do have hearts of stone.
Sarah got out of bed and went to the bathroom.
Holden watched her retreating figure, deep in thought.
He unscrewed a bottle of water on the bedside table, opened a drawer, took out a bottle of pills, and shook out two tablets. Then he called one of the housekeepers.
Not long after, Sarah heard a knock on the door and went to answer it.
Linda stood there with red, swollen eyes, holding a set of clothes and glaring at Sarah with hostility. She had seen the housekeeper retrieving a set of clothes to bring upstairs.
Every season, luxury brands sent their latest collections to the Smith family. These clothes still had their tags on, and as per Mr. Holden’s instructions, the housekeeper had selected the smallest size dress to bring to Sarah.
Linda had grabbed the clothes from the housekeeper, deciding to deliver them herself to see what was going on. She bit her lip as she looked at Sarah.
Sarah was clearly wearing a man’s shirt, her long hair lazily draped over her shoulders, with one button undone at the collar. The shirt’s hem reached just above her knees, revealing her snow-white, slender, straight legs.
Linda felt a sharp pain in her heart and, right in front of Sarah, fainted on the spot.
Sarah, “…”
Sarah panicked and looked at Holden.
Holden was adjusting his tie, dressed in a suit as he headed to the office today.
His expression didn’t change; he remained as calm and warm as ever. “Don’t worry. She has a severe heart condition. Fainting suddenly is normal.”
Sarah, “…”
She suddenly felt grateful that she hadn’t had a direct confrontation with Linda the day before. Otherwise, whether Linda fainted for real or faked it, Sarah would have been in serious trouble.
The Smith family’s staff quickly noticed the situation, called for a private doctor, and took Linda away.
Holden had seen Linda faint many times since they were kids.
Sometimes, she fainted on purpose to take advantage of him, and other times, she fainted from anger when he ignored her.
Many in the Smith family whispered behind his back, calling him cold and heartless, saying that despite Linda’s genuine affection for him, he remained indifferent, not even sparing her a glance.
Holden found it ridiculous.
Did her desire for him mean he had to reciprocate?
He hadn’t forgotten his late father and only disdained the Lewis family.
When it came to women, Holden had only one rule: Don’t love him, stay away from him, and keep your distance.
Holden looked at Sarah’s expression with mild sarcasm. “What? My dear wife, do you feel sorry for her? Pity her?”
Sarah replied, “No. If anyone is to be pitied, I think it’s you. Facing such a pursuer, whether you reject or avoid her, people will morally criticize you.”
Holden was taken aback.
Sarah sighed. “Honestly, I’m someone who’s making money off a marriage because I don’t have a decent job. What right do I have to pity you, high-society people? Mr. Holden, if you gave me a little more money, maybe I would pity you a bit more.”
Holden chuckled and, as he walked past her, said something sweet and gentle.
“Don’t even think about it.”
Sarah felt that, indeed, it wasn’t easy to get money from a powerful CEO.
After Linda’s episode, Sarah was called over by Nicola and got a thorough scolding.
“Linda has been pampered and spoiled since she was a child, and you had her get clothes for you? Are there no servants in this house?”
Sarah responded, “She took the clothes from the housekeeper. I didn’t ask her to bring them.”
“You dare talk back to me?” Nicola sneered. “No manners at all. Do you even know the rules of marrying into a top-tier family like ours? When an elder speaks to you, you don’t talk back. If you argue with me again, I’ll have Holden divorce you immediately.”
Sarah kept thinking to herself, “Twenty million… For twenty million, just endure it,” as she listened to her twist things around and keep berating her.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
Sarah looked up and saw Holden, who had said he was going to a meeting at the company, standing in the doorway with a cold expression.