When Isabella was ready to go out, she passed through the living room and noticed Andrew sitting on the sofa reading the newspaper.
“Why aren’t you going out today?” she asked subconsciously.
He looked up upon hearing her question. He originally had a video conference this morning, but it was canceled due to an emergency at the branch office. It was rare for him to have some free time.
His deep, calm gaze fell on her as she stood there, her lustrous black hair cascading over her snow-white dress, like a blooming lily bathed in sunlight, standing gracefully.
A faint smile touched his lips as he gently inquired, “Do you have work today?”
For a moment, she didn’t know how to respond. She struggled internally, whether to tell the truth or not.
Actually, there was a fleeting moment when Isabella wanted to lie to him, casually saying, “Yes, I have work today,” just to leave without any trouble.
But that thought was quickly dismissed. If they aimed to trust and rely on each other, honesty was the fundamental premise.
Isabella instinctively tugged at her skirt, feeling inexplicably guilty and uneasy.
In truth, she was often quite afraid of him, although she didn’t know exactly what she feared. But there was an undeniable dominance about Andrew.
She remained silent for a while, and his gaze turned deeper, raising an eyebrow coolly, ‘A date?’
“Yes, I’ve made plans with James,” she confessed truthfully.
This time, it was Andrew who fell silent.
He set aside the newspaper and fixed his intense gaze on her. His silence only made her feel more suffocated.
“I’m just going to have a meal with James, nothing else,” she murmured with her head down, thinking, “He’s being too sensitive.”
“What else do you plan to do?” Andrew’s voice turned slightly colder.
Isabella felt that if this stalemate continued, she probably wouldn’t be able to leave today. So, she softened her attitude, smiling as she moved closer and sat beside him.
Extending her right hand, she raised three fingers, swearing to the sky, “I promise I won’t do anything foolish or seduce James.”
He remained stern, evidently not entirely trusting her promise.
Helpless, she resorted to her charm. Her arm wound around his neck, and she ended up sitting in his lap. Blinking her watery eyes, “Andrew, can’t you be more confident? You’re more handsome than James, have a better physique, and, most importantly, you’re not as flirtatious as he is. How could I ignore such a great man like you and mess around with James?”
Her words were obviously meant to appease him, and he seemed quite pleased.
Andrew, being a savvy man, naturally knew there wouldn’t be anything between Isabella and James anymore. If they had wanted intimacy, they would have done so when they were engaged. He simply disliked them meeting.
However, Andrew was well aware that Eleanor’s death was a thorn in Isabella’s heart. If she didn’t remove that thorn herself, she’d never live in peace.
James was a bridge for Isabella on her path to revenge, and she was inevitably going to interact with him. Even though Andrew was displeased, he still respected her decision.
When a man loves a woman, besides trust, he needs to give her respect.
“Shall I take you there?” Andrew’s tone held a touch of resignation.
She wouldn’t dare to let him take her, just in case she encountered James, and they got into a fight. She wasn’t worried about Andrew being at a disadvantage; she was concerned that if James got seriously hurt, it wouldn’t end well.
“I’ll drive over. Let Amelia make a pot of old duck soup. I’ll come back tonight to have dinner with you and Asher,” Isabella said, quickly pecking his cheek.
After she finished kissing him, just as she was about to leave, the arm around her waist suddenly tightened, rendering her immobile.
With a face full of grievance, she thought to herself, ‘Is he regretting it again? I’m really busy, I don’t have time to deal with his sulking.’
She was thinking when her lips were sealed shut. Andrew’s lips and tongue forcefully invaded hers. After a passionate kiss, he reluctantly let her go.
His slender fingertips rubbed her reddened lips a few times before letting go. “Go on.”
She practically fled the apartment. If he continued kissing her, she felt like she wouldn’t want to face anyone today.
…
Meanwhile, at the Harris family mansion:
Emily was lying weakly on the large bed in the bedroom, her face slightly pale, appearing somewhat listless.
This wasn’t her first pregnancy. Perhaps due to the different father of the child, this time the early pregnancy symptoms were somewhat severe. She had been vomiting continuously for three days, feeling dizzy and lightheaded.
However, thinking about having James’ child in her belly made Emily somewhat happy again. This child gave her confidence, confidence in getting back together with James.
After vomiting all morning, her stomach was already empty. She seemed lazy, but her voice was loud, “Lily, where’s my bird’s nest porridge?”
“Coming,” Lily’s voice came from outside the door, and then the door opened, and she swiftly entered with the bird’s nest porridge in hand.
“Where have you been? Making bird’s nest porridge took you forever. Are you trying to starve me to death!” Emily glared at her discontentedly.
Lily also felt wronged. Yesterday, when she cooked porridge for Emily, she was criticized either for it being too hot or too cold. Finally, today she had learned her lesson, waiting until the bird’s nest porridge reached a suitable temperature before bringing it in. Yet, the difficult Miss still complained about her being slow.