In the hospital, Rosie was casually scrolling through her phone when she showed Bowen a news article about an engagement. "Bowen, look," she said, biting her lower lip. Her gaze was a mix of innocence and tentativeness. "Do you think Leyla is really going to get engaged to Brice? They do look quite a match, don't they?"
Bowen glanced at the screen.
In the photo, I stood quietly beside Brice and looked almost annoyingly submissive.
Bowen's usually flirtatious eyes were full of disdain, though there was a subtle hint of unease in his expression.
He sneered, "He is a work-obsessed machine, and she is a dull puppet. How are they a match? She's just trying to annoy me. She'll be back to me within three days." Despite his confident words, he felt an inexplicable anxiety.
The feeling of losing control was unsettling.
He forced himself to stay calm and dialed Brice's number.
Meanwhile, in the master bedroom of the Cloud Mansion, the atmosphere was intimate.
Brice was leaning over me.
He glanced at his lit-up phone screen with mockery in his eyes.
He didn't hang up. Instead, he answered and put it on speaker.
Bowen's voice came through the speaker, as casual and nonchalant as ever. "Thanks for today, Brice. If you hadn't covered for me, Grandpa would have broken my legs. Don't worry about Leyla. Leave her be for a few days, and she'll come around."
My body became tense on hearing Bowen's words, and my eyelashes fluttered slightly.
My faint disappointment didn't escape Brice's notice.
His gaze darkened instantly.
Without a word, he propped himself up beside me, and his other hand slipped under my dress.
His palm was warm and slightly calloused, sending shivers wherever it touched.
I couldn't suppress a low moan.
Although it was low, it sounded intimate enough to stir Bowen's imagination in the quiet night.
The other end of the line fell silent instantly.
"Brice?" Bowen's voice changed, tinged with suspicion. "Is there a woman with you?"
Brice lowered his head and kissed me on the collarbone.
He placed a soft bite on me.
"Mm…" I couldn't hold back, and a breathy sound escaped my lips.
Bowen was in a panic. "Who is that woman?"
Brice still didn't respond.
His fingers moved slightly and made me squirm. Bowen heard my ragged breathing clearly over the phone.
He was thoroughly flustered and raised his voice sharply. "Brice, what are you doing? Say something!"
Brice let out a cold snort and hung up the call. Then he shut off his phone.
Back at the hospital, Bowen listened to the busy tone and became restless.
He jumped up and was ready to rush out. "I can't just sit here. I have to go back and check it."
But his sleeve was gently tugged.
Rosie's face was pale, and her eyes instantly turned red. She was like a fragile flower caught in a storm.
"Bowen, please don't leave…" She looked up, and tears glistened in her eyes. "I know I have no right to keep you here. I never dared to hope for a relationship with you, but I just wish to quietly stay by your side at a time like this. Is that okay?"
Bowen paused and looked at her pitiful appearance. His steps faltered, and he eventually stayed with her in the hospital.
At the Cloud Mansion, Brice looked at me, and his eyes were filled with a desire that was almost tangible.
But he stopped.
He withdrew his hand from under my dress and fixed my disheveled clothes.
"If you're unwilling, I won't force you." He got off the bed, grabbed a pillow, and headed for the door. "I'm going to the guest room."
At the door, he hesitated for a moment. "Leyla, I want you to be willing to be with me. I don't want to be a pawn in your revenge against Bowen."
The door closed.
I lay on the large bed, surrounded by Brice's scent, which oddly comforted me.
I had the most peaceful sleep I'd had in seven years that night.
