Now Sarah understood why readers hated the “villainous trio” in the original story. They weren’t just mean; they were all obsessed with their love lives.
“Sweetie, we’re not like David,” Sarah said, putting an arm around Merry. “We need to meet some decent guys. Once you’ve met normal men, you won’t want guys like him.”
Merry didn’t quite get it and looked confused.
“Basically, you’re the one with the money. You should be in charge. Don’t let this freeloading wannabe walk all over you. If he wants to give you the cold shoulder, delete his contact and ignore him for a few months.”
Sarah couldn’t believe that Merry, with her looks and money, was being played by a guy.
Ronald’s birthday party had turned into a love advice session for the villainous trio.
After finishing dinner, Sarah got into her Lamborghini, Merry got into her Ferrari with her bag, and David opened the door to his Maybach. They all went their separate ways home.
On the way, Sarah saw a cake shop that was still open despite the late hour.
For some reason, thinking about Ronald’s lively birthday party tonight made her thoughts drift to Holden. She had a feeling that Holden was actually quite lonely. Standing at the top, he was powerful and immensely wealthy, seemingly invincible. But even the strongest people have moments of sadness.
She parked her car by the side of the road and went into the cake shop, choosing a small pink cake about the size of her palm. The tiny cake was decorated with strawberries, cranberries, and chocolate, looking very cute.
After all, he was her “sugar daddy” who gave her twenty million every month. It wouldn’t be right to have any gesture for his birthday.
Sarah stared at the mouth-watering cake for a while.
Well, if Holden didn’t appreciate it, she’d just have it for breakfast tomorrow.
That was settled.
******
Sarah pushed open the door to the house.
The living room was empty; it seemed the busy boss wasn’t home yet.
She looked at the cake in her hand. Through the transparent packaging, it seemed to be calling out to her, begging to be eaten.
She decided to put it in the fridge in the kitchen.
Just then, she heard footsteps.
Holden in a black bathrobe with wet, un-dried hair was coming downstairs. He probably didn’t expect Sarah to be home tonight; his bathrobe was loose, revealing quite a bit of his chest.
Sarah glanced, then awkwardly tried to cover her eyes with her fingers.
Holden’s tone was indifferent, “Does covering your eyes like that even work?”
It didn’t, as she was carrying something and only used one hand.
Sarah coughed, “It’s to show that I’m not interested in your perfect body.”
Holden looked tall and slender in clothes, and Sarah hadn’t expected his physique to be so impressive without them. If he ever unfortunately went bankrupt, he could easily become a top model with that body.
Holden gave a cold smile.
Sarah noticed he seemed to be in a bad mood.
“Uh,” Sarah said, taking out the cake, “everyone left, and I was worried you might get hungry tonight. Since it was Ronald’s birthday, I cut a piece of cake for you.”
“Oh.” Holden glanced at the cake in Sarah’s hand. “My dear wife, you cut it so perfectly!!!”
Sarah looked down at the cake too.
“…”
She had bought a four-inch whole cake, not a slice.
Sarah was worried he might misunderstand and think she bought it just for him. “I was actually planning to have it for breakfast. If you don’t want it, I’ll just-”
Before she could finish, Holden took the cake from her. “Thank you for the snack, my dear wife.”
Sarah watched as he sat on the living room sofa, elegantly cutting the small cake.
Holden had a unique aura that set him apart from others. Even when doing something as simple as this, his presence was impossible to ignore.
He probably intended to come across as gentle and kind, but there were moments when his inherent arrogance and aloofness as a powerful figure showed through.
Sarah regretted not buying an eight-inch cake. Watching him eat and getting nothing herself made her quite envious.
Holden cut a piece and placed it on a plate in front of himself, then pushed the rest towards Sarah.
Sarah asked, “For me?”
Holden replied with a faint smile, “Who else?”
Sarah took a bite. It was delicious, not too sweet, and perfectly balanced with the fresh taste of the fruits. No wonder such a small cake cost her $588.
Holden didn’t actually like eating such things. He’d never celebrated his birthday. To him, it wasn’t something worth celebrating.
He wasn’t sure how Sarah knew it was his birthday, but her actions today made it clear she did. She chose not to mention it directly, instead using subtle gestures, which Holden found quite novel.
If it were the old Sarah, she wouldn’t touch sweets this late for fear of morning puffiness, not even drinking a sip of water.
But now, this girl was eating happily, her pure and beautiful face contrasting with her slightly clumsy demeanor, taking big bites of the cake.
Holden’s gaze lingered on her.
Sarah noticed him staring and felt uneasy. Being watched by someone as powerful as Holden usually didn’t bode well.
“Wh-what’s wrong?” she stammered.
Holden pointed to her nose.
Sarah touched it and realized she had gotten cream on it while eating.
She felt embarrassed. “It’s really good. Don’t you think so?”
“Why did you come back tonight?” Holden asked, with a strange undertone. “Did your beloved Ronald not let you stay?”
Sarah, “…”
Couldn’t he just avoid mentioning Ronald?
Thinking about Ronald always gave her a headache. Hearing Holden describe her as being madly in love with Ronald made her feel even worse.
It felt like being in high school, where the popular bad boy was someone you liked, and then the handsome top student mocked your taste in front of everyone.
Despite her discomfort, Sarah knew how to act, having done so for many years.
She lowered her eyelashes, covered her misty eyes, and said, “He has a girlfriend. There’s no way he’d let me stay. I can only wait until they break up.”
Holden, looking at her, found himself inexplicably thinking Ronald was a fool. Men like Ronald never impressed him; they were from different worlds.
“I know you love him,” Holden said, his tone suddenly colder. “But remember, to the public, you’re my wife. Don’t get too close to him.”
Sarah nodded, “Mr. Holden, don’t worry. I know my boundaries. I won’t bring shame to the Smith family.”
She quickly finished the cake in front of her and, still craving more, sipped some lemon water.
Feeling too full to move, Sarah curled up on the sofa and turned on the TV to watch a variety show.
The noise from the TV show was a bit loud. Holden never watched those kinds of shows, and he continued to eat his cake slowly. When he finished and was ready to head to his room, he was surprised to find Sarah already asleep on the couch.
Her long golden hair was spread across her chest, making her small face look even more delicate and almost innocent.
When choosing a spouse, it was Butler Ted who helped screen candidates. Butler Ted said Sarah was the most beautiful among them.
Holden knew Sarah was a beauty, but he had never been affected by her looks.
Now, as he looked closely while she was asleep, he realized Sarah was indeed quite pretty. Just a bit blind in her choices.
That night, when the cold air turned into warm air, he knew it was Sarah.
Holden, unlike some gentlemen who would carry a woman to bed, simply placed his own jacket over her to keep her warm.