A new plot of land was recently approved by the city, located in Utica New Town. It’s a bit remote and currently not very convenient in terms of transportation,” Mitchell family, the construction leader in Ithaca town, just acquired this land. Caleb set his sights on it as soon as the land was approved. However, the project was too vast for him to handle alone, so he naturally approached the heir of the wealthiest family in the small town, the Turner family.
“Don’t rush to refuse. At least take a look at the plan first, Andrew. You should trust my judgment; this piece of land has enormous potential,” Caleb said, trying to please Andrew, while handing him a cigarette.
“Your so-called ‘potential’ means that the city is planning to open a subway line in Utica New Town, right?” Andrew took the lighter, calmly lit the cigarette with deliberate movements, and let the smoke envelop him. His deep eyes hid behind the haze, making it hard to discern his true feelings.
Caleb’s face showed embarrassment; his tricks seemed childish in front of Andrew.
“Very few people know about this news right now, and the land in Utica New Town isn’t too hot yet. I can just hold onto this land and wait for its value to appreciate. There’s no need for me to get involved in your project,” Andrew said, slowly exhaling the smoke, his voice was cold, reflecting an inherent dominance and ruthlessness.
Caleb appeared more urgent. “Andrew, you’re not being fair!”
“Using Turner family’s wealth to gain benefits at no cost. Are you calling Mitchell family ‘fair’?” Andrew sneered coldly, and his cigarette was gently placed on a crystal ashtray, while his long fingers tapped the ashes.
Mitchell family’s careful planning had been easily exposed in front of Andrew, who was unyielding. Caleb felt not only embarrassed but also somewhat awkward.
But Andrew had always been accustomed to being in a dominant position and didn’t care about other people’s feelings.
He stood up, picked up his suit jacket from the side, and said, “Go back and tell your father that if you want to discuss cooperation, show some sincerity.”
After finishing his words, he walked out.
The door to the private room closed. Caleb picked up his phone, frustrated, and called his family’s patriarch.
Andrew’s thoughts were deep and unfathomable, far more difficult to deal with than his older brother, Thomas. In the future, Turner family’s benefits might not be so easy to claim.
Andrew left the cafe and subconsciously looked across the street. That delicate figure was still standing there, like a lost child without a home.
He felt like his legs had a mind of their own as he crossed the street and approached her.
Isabella was astonished to see Andrew approaching her under an umbrella. Her golden eyes displayed surprise.
He was wearing a well-fitted dark gray overcoat, and his tall and lean figure was distinct. He stopped in front of her, and the black umbrella covered her head.
She instinctively looked up at the sky, which had seemingly cleared up in an instant.
During their brief eye contact, his blue eyes were like an abyss without any discernible emotion.
She huddled her body and tilted her chin. Her voice, mingled with the rain’s noise, sounded somewhat pitiable. “I forgot my umbrella. Can you take me home, please?”
Andrew looked at her thoughtfully and extended his hand, still silent. In the silence, he held out his hand to her.
His hand was clean, long, and his knuckles were well defined. It was quite attractive.
She hesitated for a moment before placing her hand in his palm. Her fingertips were cold, while his palm was broad, warm, and comforting.
She let him lead her to the parking lot, and he stopped in front of a car, holding the electronic key in his hand. He pressed the unlock button, and the car’s lights flashed.
She looked at the car in front of her and almost dropped her jaw. It was a Porsche 911, a luxury car with a market price of a million dollars.
“Andrew, please don’t tell me this is your car!”
“A friend’s,” he replied with a straight face.
After hearing his response, she put her hand to her forehead, appearing somewhat exasperated. “You better return this car immediately! If anything happens to it, repairs would cost a fortune. Since you have little income, the money would come from my pocket, and I don’t want to be taken advantage of.”
He looked at her with a slight frown, responded with a barely audible “okay,” and then got into the car.
She was left standing there, infuriated by how he had pulled her.
She begrudgingly followed him into the car, and Andrew drove her back to her apartment.
As soon as they entered, he ordered, “Go take a shower.”
Isabella had just been out in the rain, and it was essential to prevent her from catching a cold.
She was quite displeased with his commanding tone, but she obediently walked into the bathroom.
Andrew went to his study for a while and, when he came out, she had already finished her shower and changed into clean clothes, holding Asher in her arms. They were snuggled up affectionately.
“Asher seems to have gained more weight,” Isabella remarked.
Asher was almost three months old, a chubby little bundle of joy. When he smiled, his eyes formed crescent shapes, making him exceptionally endearing.
“Yes, he’s already ten pounds,” Andrew replied in a deep, sexy voice, then glanced at her and noticed that her damp hair was still dripping. Turner family had never given birth to a Hybrid, and he wasn’t sure at what age the baby might begin to display their wolf traits. So, he had Beta Ryan investigate the history of werewolves.
Hybrids usually began to show their wolf characteristics between the ages of 3 and 8, depending on their parents’ genes. The stronger the genes of the parents, the more pronounced the wolf traits in the Hybrid baby. He was confident about his own genes and believed that his baby would transform into a wolf sooner. Before that happened, he needed to think about how to handle the human girl.
But now, he found himself growing fonder of her, and he wondered if it was the influence of the Mate bond.
“Why don’t you dry your hair?” he asked.
“Oh, I forgot,” Isabella replied, running her hand through her hair. She casually tied her wet hair with a hairband.
She had always been a straightforward person in her life.
His gaze moved from her hair to her neck, and he cleared his throat, feeling his fangs beginning to itch.
His inner wolf wanted to mark her.
“You…” Isabella seemed to sense something unusual and looked directly into his eyes. He had to turn away slightly.
Isabella had originally planned to leave after her shower, but Amelia had already cooked dinner and warmly invited her to stay for dinner.
She couldn’t refuse such a kind offer, so she decided to stay.
As the dishes were set on the table, she noticed that only she and Andrew were present.
“Isn’t Amelia eating with us?” she asked.
“Amelia has to feed Asher at this time; you don’t need to wait for her. Go ahead and eat,” he said, picking up his utensils.
He was wearing a light beige house suit and ate very elegantly. It reminded Isabella of the phrase ‘good enough to eat.’
However, the atmosphere during the meal was excessively silent, punctuated only by the occasional clinking of cutlery on the plates.
After a few such encounters, she realized that Andrew was a very profound and reserved man. Moreover, this jobless wanderer appeared to have many rules, like keeping his suits perfectly wrinkle-free. Amelia had mentioned that nobody was allowed to mess with his study.
She kept her head down, eating her meal, and Amelia was a skilled cook, even adding an extra plate of steak.
In return, after finishing her meal, Isabella dutifully stayed in the kitchen to wash the dishes.
She didn’t do housework often, so even though she was washing the dishes attentively, water was splashing everywhere.
She felt a little lost when she heard footsteps approaching from behind and, instinctively thinking it was Amelia, said, “Amelia, where should I put the dishes once I’m done…”
She turned around and was met with the sight of the tall man standing at the kitchen door. She swallowed the second part of her sentence.