\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 12\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 12\u00a0<\/p>\n
Niall\u2019s mother wasn\u2019t nearly strong enough to lift a grown man, let alone hang William over a pool.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou Coopers think you can just bully everyone because you have money! I\u2019m calling the police! I\u2019ll have them arrest you-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
she shrieked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A sharp, loud slap cut her off mid-sentence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShut up!\u201d Brett barked. \u201cYou have the nerve to call the police? This is your fault for spoiling him! He does nothing but cause trouble!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The woman stood frozen, clutching her cheek, before collapsing onto the ground in a fit of hysterics. \u201cI can\u2019t live like this! Are you taking the side of a stranger over me? I must have been cursed the day I met you!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
John waved his hand in disgust. Andrea and Priscilla stepped forward and tried to lead the wailing mother and son away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Brett was drowning in regret, thinking that he never should have brought his brainless wife and bratty son to the Thompsons \u2018party. His company was desperate for a loan from Heritage Bank to stay afloat. Now that he had offended the Coopers, he\u00a0<\/p>\n
was finished.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Brett plastered a fawning smile on his face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. and Mrs. Cooper, I\u2019m so incredibly sorry. It\u2019s my fault the boy wasn\u2019t raised right. Please, don\u2019t hold it against us. I promise I\u2019ll give him a proper thrashing when we get home.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s fine. He\u2019s just a child,\u201d Scarlet said, her tone much more polite than William\u2019s. She handed the water gun back to Brett.\u201d Don\u2019t go too hard on him. Just good lecturing should be enough.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Brett didn\u2019t know what to say.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The drama by the pool finally came to an end. The family left, and the crowd of onlookers began to disperse.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Justine shot William a look of annoyance. \u201cYou\u2019re a grown man, and yet you\u2019re perfectly fine with bullying a child in front of\u00a0<\/p>\n
everyone.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy wouldn\u2019t I be?\u201d A lazy, mocking smile played on William\u2019s lips. \u201cIt\u2019s not like it\u2019s my first time being the bad guy.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Justine opened her mouth to lecture Scarlet since the whole mess had started because of her, but William cut her off. He signaled a housekeeper. \u201cGrab Scarlet\u2019s coat.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlet\u2019s blanket was soaked through. Given how cold it was, it would feel as if she had jumped into the pool herself. The housekeeper quickly returned with her heavy coat and a pair of mittens.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Justine sighed, deciding to drop it. \u201cFine. You two should just head home.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlet naturally had cold hands and feet. Even wrapped in her cashmere coat and having her hands in mittens in the heated car, it took a long time for her to stop shivering. But it wasn\u2019t enough. The moment they stepped out of the car at home, the wind from the short walk to the front door made her hands chilly again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Inside, William took her coat. As his fingers brushed hers, he frowned. \u201cWhy are you still this cold?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before Scarlet could react, he took her hand, enveloping her icy fingers in his warm, dry palm. She looked down at his hand but didn\u2019t pull away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
William looked over his shoulder and ordered Ruth to prepare a hot bath and some hot tea. Once he finished giving instructions, he turned back to her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGive me your other hand.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlet looked up at him, dazed. When she didn\u2019t move, William reached out and grabbed her other hand, pulling both of\u00a0<\/p>\n
X CLOSE\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 12\u00a0<\/p>\n
them into his grip to warm them up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you just not know how to fight back?\u201d he asked, his gaze drifting over her lazily. \u201cIf I hadn\u2019t been there today, were you just going to let him walk all over you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlet lowered her eyes. \u201cIf you hadn\u2019t been there, I would have pushed him into the pool long before you arrived.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
William scoffed. To him, her idea sounded like some brawl at the playground. It wasn\u2019t strategic at all.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd then what? When his parents came looking for trouble, how were you going to get out of it?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI would have pushed him in, then started screaming for help,\u201d Scarlet said calmly. \u201cOnce people arrived, I\u2019d pretend to be the hero and dive in to save him. They wouldn\u2019t scream at the woman who saved their son\u2019s life, would they?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
William chuckled. \u201cYou\u2019re sacrificing yourself just to land one hit? That kid is a lot tougher than you are. You would have ended up worse off than him.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat else was I supposed to do?\u201d Scarlet asked. \u201cHang him upside down as you did? I\u2019m not strong enough to lift him.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you can\u2019t handle it yourself, don\u2019t you know how to call for help? I\u2019m not going to let anyone push you around as long as I\u2019m alive,\u201d William said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlet knew better than anyone that he was a silver-tongued charmer, but her heart couldn\u2019t help skipping a beat when she heard those words.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She went back to her room and soaked in a hot bath. By the time she came out, Ruth had a cup of hot tea waiting for her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The tea had a very sharp scent, and Scarlet turned away immediately.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cJust a few sips,\u201d Ruth pleaded. \u201cIt\u2019ll keep the flu away.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlet didn\u2019t want any of it. \u201cI already had a hot bath. I\u2019m fine.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
William walked in, his jacket and tie already gone. With his top buttons undone, he looked completely relaxed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s the matter?\u201d he asked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI made her tea, but she won\u2019t touch it,\u201d Ruth complained.\u00a0<\/p>\n
William glanced at Scarlet. She reluctantly took a few sips, looking like she was swallowing poison.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIs it really that bad?\u201d William asked. \u201cLet me try.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll get you a fresh cup,\u201d Ruth offered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t bother.\u201d William leaned down and took a sip directly from Scarlet\u2019s spoon. \u201cIt\u2019s just tea. It\u2019s not that bad.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlet couldn\u2019t understand how he could be so casual about it. She hated the taste.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThen you finish it,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s made for you. I can\u2019t build up your immune system for you,\u201d William replied, pinching her cheek.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlet was still flushed from her bath, so her skin felt soft and warm. William\u2019s hand lingered on her face, and she froze. It had been a long time since they had been this close. She looked up at him, and in the warm light, his gaze seemed almost gentle.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWilliam\u2026\u201d she whispered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
William\u2019s hand lingered on her face. His knuckles grazed her jawline and slid slowly down her neck. She was in her pajamas, leaving her slender neck and collarbones exposed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah?\u201d he murmured,\u00a0<\/p>\n
His eyes followed his fingers as they traced her skin, the slow movement making her shiver. The air in the room suddenly\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 12\u00a0<\/p>\n
felt heavy and charged. He was so close that she could smell the cool, woody scent of his cologne.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It reminded her of those feverish, messy nights, and of the wild man hidden beneath his expensive suits.\u00a0<\/p>\n
3\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
William was usually casual and indifferent, but in bed, he was aggressive. He would lock her in his arms, pulling her so close there wasn\u2019t an inch of space between them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He would whisper her name seductively and tease her until she broke.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He would say, \u201cBe good. Call me honey, and I\u2019ll satisfy you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
But as Scarlet looked into his deep eyes now, she felt distant. He hadn\u2019t touched her like that in a long time. Only she knew how much she missed that intimacy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
William brushed a damp strand of hair behind her ear, his eyes half-lidded. \u201cWhat was it that you wanted to say?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
a\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Chapter 12\u00a0 1\/3\u00a0 Chapter 12\u00a0 Niall\u2019s mother wasn\u2019t nearly strong enough to lift a grown man, let alone hang […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-120","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-end-of-the-contractstart-of-his-obsession"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=120"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=120"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=120"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=120"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}