“Uh…”
Holden’s question was so random, like asking who she’d save if her mom and he fell into the water.
It caught Sarah off guard, and she didn’t know how to respond. If it were someone else, of course not. She didn’t even know why she felt this way only when it came to Holden.
Was it because he was incredibly handsome?
Sarah thought about it quietly. Ronald wasn’t bad-looking either. But if Ronald had gone through something as pitiful as Holden, she’d probably think he was a little crazy from a rough childhood and would keep her distance.
Holden had his moody moments, but most of the time, he shone brightly. Even without his good looks, his charm and grace were still captivating.
Holden’s big hand pinched Sarah’s tiny waist, causing her a bit of pain. “Don’t squeeze me,” she said.
After all, she was a beauty. If it weren’t Holden but some other guy, she’d definitely feel like he was taking advantage of her.
But there wasn’t much she could do. Sarah’s waist was slender, and she’d lost quite a bit of weight from all the hard work she’d been doing lately. With Holden being more than six-foot-three, his frame was naturally much larger than hers, and his two hands could easily wrap around her waist.
With his grip like that, it felt like he might break her back.
Still, Holden didn’t let go. “Beg me.”
Sarah understood the ways of the world; a strong woman had to know when to bend and when to be thick-skinned to succeed.
To protect her little waist, Sarah quickly said, “Please.”
Holden smiled, but it wasn’t sincere. “Not sincere enough.”
Sarah tried to look pitiful, “Please, our great Mr. Holden.”
Holden’s voice turned a bit husky. “Still not enough sincerity.”
Sarah’s eyelashes fluttered slightly. “Honey, I’m begging you.”
Holden closed his eyes and silently loosened his grip.
Finally free from his evil grip, Sarah wrapped herself in the blanket and curled up like a caterpillar, heading to the corner of the bed to sleep.
Holden, on the other hand, had no intention of sleeping.
He threw on some clothes and headed out to the yard, finally lighting a cigarette.
The day before, City N had been hit by heavy snowfall, and the servants at the Smith family estate had only cleared the snow from the bluestone steps. On either side, winter roses were planted, blooming brightly in the snow. The big, beautiful glacier roses stood out against the winter white, looking fiery and vibrant.
The stars filled the night sky; there were so many, so close together, but the starry night felt so lonely.
No one knew what Holden was thinking, just like the experiences he had gone through over the years-some secret, dark past, filled with cruel and obscure thoughts, forever buried under the snow.
******
The next morning, Linda showed up at the Smith family.
She looked completely different from the last time they had met. Gone was the weak, delicate appearance; she had transformed into someone vibrant and confident, and it was hard to believe she had a heart condition.
When she saw Sarah, Linda even gave her a cheerful hug.
Sarah was taken aback. Miss Linda finally didn’t her as anything other than a thorn in her side? Would she stop using her heart condition to get sympathy?
Clearly, Sarah was overthinking it.
An hour later, she sat expressionless on the couch.
Linda was scrolling through her phone, catching up on the news, when she suddenly looked up at Sarah and said, “So, are you in the entertainment industry now? I heard the women in that world are really savvy and have all sorts of hidden rules to climb up the ladder.”
Ever since Nicola said that the delicate, sickly damsel persona wouldn’t attract Holden, Linda had completely changed her style and become bold and eye-catching.
Nicola couldn’t help but frown. “You’re acting now? None of the women in the Smith family have ever done that.”
Sarah really didn’t want to engage with the aunt-niece duo. They were like two nitpickers, always looking for a fight. No matter what Sarah said, they could turn it into an argument.
But when she stayed silent, Nicola just kept going, ramping up the criticism. “If you’re off acting, who’s going to take care of Holden? If you don’t want to be a good wife, there are plenty of people who will.”
Sarah replied, “Holden has hired nannies; they’re way more attentive than I am. If I start doing the nanny’s job, they’ll be out of work.”
Nicola was still unhappy. “How much do you think you’ll make as an actress? It’d be better to just take care of your man.”
Sarah was really getting fed up.
Nicola wasn’t exactly old-fashioned; she knew exactly what she was doing, intentionally picking at Sarah to make her uncomfortable.
With a smile, Sarah said, “I’m just worried that if I ever divorce Holden and don’t have any income, I’ll need to have a job, right?”
This time, both Nicola and Linda didn’t look too pleased, especially Linda.
The Lewis family wasn’t exactly wealthy; they were pretty average. But thanks to Nicola hitting the jackpot and marrying into the Smith family, she’d had two sons with Old Mr. Smith.
The Lewis family had gained their current status, and Linda had turned into a rich young lady, all thanks to the resources from the Smith family.
Linda still remembered when she was younger, living in a not-so-big house while her parents constantly fought over their meager wages. Then somehow, they started a business, and her dad became a big boss, with people bowing to him. She turned into a princess, getting as many pretty dresses as she wanted.
Her aunt had brought her into the glamorous Smith family, where she had met some of the most unforgettable people of her life.
The Lewis family was a classic example of one person rising and dragging everyone else along with them. All their wealth and status depended on Nicola. The only reason they could hold their own in high society was that Nicola had married Old Mr. Smith.
But over the past few months, Linda had started to sense that things were shifting. Holden had already won over the top executives in the group. But now, just winning them over wasn’t enough. He had kicked out some people who were loyal to Old Mr. Smith.
Once those people were gone, the Lewis family’s business connections instantly fell apart. Without the Smith family to rely on, the Lewis family felt like a rootless piece of floating duckweed in the wind.
Over the years, Linda’s parents hadn’t built up enough connections and resources, whether in personal relationships or business. They liked to hear flattering things and avoided dealing with hardworking people. They figured they had the Smith family to catch them if they fell, and two nephews with the last name Smith to back them up.
But now, even those two nephews couldn’t save themselves, let alone worry about their uncle.
Linda’s biggest villa had already started being mortgaged.
Once Old Mr. Smith passed away-
Linda thought back to some moments from her childhood. Of course, they wouldn’t end up as down-and-out as before. But it would be tough to maintain their current glory. Her haute couture clothes and jewelry, along with their big house, could disappear overnight.
Sarah could go to the entertainment industry, where the money came in quickly. But Linda’s studies had been repeatedly delayed, and she couldn’t even get a high-paying job-of course, there was no way she could work; her friends would definitely laugh at her for that.
Sarah didn’t even realize that her words had struck a nerve with Linda and Nicola.
After Sarah went to her room, Linda couldn’t help but cry. “Aunt, back when Uncle was still a man of influence, you should’ve made him push Holden to marry me.”
Nicola felt a bit anxious. She had tried to arrange that before. But Holden always refused, insisting on treating Linda like an elder.
Sure, Linda was older than him in terms of family hierarchy, but she was younger than him in age!
If he didn’t want to marry her, Nicola and Old Mr. Smith couldn’t force Holden to get a marriage certificate and move in with Linda.
Over the years, Nicola and Linda had tried countless times to manipulate food to get Holden to sleep with Linda and then marry her. This made Holden wary of them, almost like he was guarding against wolves.
Once he became an adult, he hardly ever came back, making it even less likely for Nicola and Linda to succeed.
Then, when Old Mr. Smith pressured Holden to get married, he brought home Sarah. With Sarah in the picture, Linda’s hopes dwindled even more.
Nicola’s eyes darted around for a moment, and then she warmly went to find Sarah, asking her to accompany her to the mall.