\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 17\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 17\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlet was halfway through her meal when William returned.\u00a0<\/p>\n
William had handsome features. Compared to his older brother Julian, who was always steady and composed, William was more of a reckless playboy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was colder than it had been the last few days. He wore a black overcoat over a gray suit. The dark colors made him look more mature and masculine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlet hadn\u2019t expected him to return so suddenly. She sat there in a daze for a while. William walked in and draped his overcoat over the back of a dining chair. He glanced at the spread on the table and smiled.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNow that Ruth\u2019s back, the food\u2019s on a whole different level,\u201d William said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The compliment sent Ruth over the moon. \u201cI didn\u2019t think you were coming home to eat today! Mrs. Cooper is almost done. I\u2019ll make two more dishes right away,\u201d Ruth said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlet could understand Ruth\u2019s reaction. She was once in her shoes, getting swept up in William\u2019s charm until she lost\u00a0<\/p>\n
herself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ruth served William a plate of pasta. He didn\u2019t mention that he had already eaten out and sat down to eat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlet looked down at the cat on her lap. The table hid it from his view. She wondered whether she should take the cat to her room immediately to get it out of his sight or keep it hidden, hoping he wouldn\u2019t notice. But William had sharp ears. He heard the loud purring and looked up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIs Ruth\u2019s cooking so good now that she can turn a tractor engine into a main course?\u201d William asked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before Scarlet could answer, the cat\u2019s ears twitched. It jumped from her lap onto the table and stared at William with a mix of curiosity and caution. The smile vanished from William\u2019s face, and he frowned.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy is this thing still here? I told you to get rid of it,\u201d William said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Animals can sense human emotions. The cat instinctively shrank back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cJust eat up,\u201d Scarlet said. She picked up the cat and locked it back in its room. She didn\u2019t return to the dining table. Instead, she grabbed a book and sat in the living room to wait for him to finish.\u00a0<\/p>\n
William lost his appetite. When Ruth brought out the new dishes, he had already put down his fork.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re done already?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
William wiped his mouth with a napkin and said, \u201cI\u2019ve lost my appetite because of her attitude.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn\u2019t trying to annoy you,\u201d Scarlet said from the living room. She felt wronged since he was the one who said he wouldn\u2019t be back. \u201cI didn\u2019t know you were coming home.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
William chuckled. \u201cSo, are you saying I shouldn\u2019t have come home?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlet didn\u2019t want to have another pointless argument. She paused and put down her book.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you have a moment?\u201d she asked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. I\u2019m busy getting pissed off by you,\u201d Willlam said slowly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI have something I need to talk about,\u201d Scarlet said. \u201cYou\u2019re always busy, so can we talk now?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
William stared at her for a moment. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs. His expression was cold.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFine. Talk,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
X CLOSE\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 17\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlet looked at Ruth, who was still standing nearby. \u201cLet us talk in our room,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She stood up and headed upstairs. William sat in his chair and watched as she walked up the spiral staircase. He pulled out a cigarette, tapped it against the box, and put it between his lips. He pulled out a lighter and lit the cigarette.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He tossed his lighter onto the dining table and took a long drag, his fingers lingering on the cigarette as he rested his hand against the edge of the wood.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A plume of smoke curled upward, veiling his features in a hazy blur.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ruth couldn\u2019t read his expression. She didn\u2019t understand why the atmosphere had suddenly turned cold again, or why they\u2019d stopped eating entirely.\u00a0<\/p>\n
William\u2019s gaze swept over the steaming dishes. \u201cWhy did you add eggplant and asparagus to the dishes?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ruth blinked, feeling a sting of hurt. \u201cWhat? But\u2026 I thought you liked them. I only made things I thought were your favorites.\u00a0<\/p>\n
William raised an eyebrow. \u201cWhen did I ever say I liked eggplant?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou said it was delicious. You also used to love asparagus.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
It must have been a lifetime ago. William didn\u2019t remember it at all.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you cook these often?\u201d he asked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ruth\u2019s expression faltered. \u201cWell\u2026 yes.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo wonder she\u2019s getting thinner each year.\u201d William narrowed his eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He usually wore a faint, lazy smile-a sort of rakish charm that made people mistake him for being easygoing or approachable. But when that smile vanished, and his natural intimidating pressure took over, it was suffocating.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s a picky eater. She doesn\u2019t like eggplant or asparagus. Didn\u2019t you know that?\u201d William asked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI just thought that since you liked it-\u201d Ruth explained.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHow many times a year do I actually eat here?\u201d William questioned softly, but Ruth could feel the fury radiating off him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She fidgeted with her hands and said meekly, \u201cThen, I\u2019ll stop making them.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
William didn\u2019t answer. He moved to snuff out his cigarette but realized there wasn\u2019t an ashtray in sight. Without a word, he jammed the half-finished butt right into the middle of the eggplant.\u00a0<\/p>\n
With that, he stood up and headed upstairs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The master suite on the second floor was massive. The door opened into a private sitting area where Scarlet was perched on a deep purple velvet couch. Her head was tilted back against the cushion, her eyes fixed on nothing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She had been waiting for a while before she finally heard him coming up the stairs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
William walked in, his gaze falling upon her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As Scarlet looked up, the bright light captured the long, elegant curve of her neck. Her skin was pale and flawless, making the emerald necklace resting on her collarbone stand out in stark contrast.\u00a0<\/p>\n
William still remembered how soft and fragile she had felt under his touch.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlet was lost in the glare of the ceiling light, her eyes stinging slightly. It took her a few seconds to register his presence. By the time she snapped out of it and sat up, William\u2019s gaze had already shifted away with cold indifference.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
X CLOSE\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 17\u00a0<\/p>\n
3\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just as she was about to start their conversation, William\u2019s eyes flicked past the wooden screen behind her toward the king-\u00a0<\/p>\n
sized bed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you hiding under the covers?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not hiding anything\u2026\u201d Scarlet instinctively turned to look.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sure enough, there was a distinct lump right in the middle of the neatly made bed. It hadn\u2019t been there when she\u2019d changed her clothes earlier, and she hadn\u2019t been back to the bed since coming upstairs, so she\u2019d missed the change entirely.\u00a0<\/p>\n
William walked over and yanked the duvet back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A litter of kittens was huddled together in a pile, fast asleep.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlet stared, speechless. She had no idea when the calico cat had managed to sneak her babies onto the bed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The room downstairs was locked from the outside. How on earth had the cat picked the lock to get out?\u00a0<\/p>\n
William\u2019s brow furrowed instantly. He dropped the duvet and took several steps backward, his face twisting in pure disgust.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlet scrambled over, terrified he might lose his temper and toss the kittens out the window.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cScarlet,\u201d William said, his voice strained. \u201cIf you hate me enough to want me dead, at least use a more sophisticated method.\u00a0<\/p>\n
11\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlet was baffled. How were a few tiny kittens that could barely walk supposed to kill him? Just by being too cute?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf a few kittens are enough to kill you, you\u2019re way too fragile.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m fragile?\u201d William let out a frustrated laugh, but before he could snap back, he let out a sudden, violent sneeze.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He scrambled back another two steps, covering his nose, but the sneezes kept coming.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlet suddenly came to the realization. \u201cYou\u2019re allergic to cats?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
William let out a harsh, watery scoff. \u201cYou\u2019ve just figured that out?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou never said anything! How was I supposed to know?\u201d Scarlet felt a twinge of guilt. \u201cBelieve it or not, I didn\u2019t put them\u00a0<\/p>\n
there.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you didn\u2019t hide them, who did? Me?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlet had no way to explain it. There was no logical way to describe how the calico cat had staged a prison break and carried her kittens-with calculated, tactical precision-into the bedroom just to deliver a lethal blow to William\u2019s sinuses.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Act Fast: Free Bonus Time is Running Outl\u00a0<\/p>\n
Claim\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Chapter 17\u00a0 1\/3\u00a0 Chapter 17\u00a0 Scarlet was halfway through her meal when William returned.\u00a0 William had handsome features. Compared […]<\/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-125","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\/125","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=125"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":151,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125\/revisions\/151"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=125"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=125"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=125"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}