Sparing Clarissa, the others were stumped by Jeremy’s odd remarks.
Her face flushed with bright pink as she recalled something.
He must be teasing me because he misunderstood things between me and Matthew…
Didn’t Matthew clarify things with him?
Bewildered at the unwarranted teasing, Clarissa shot Matthew a glance. The latter said nothing. However, his deep-set gaze glinted briefly.
“Jeremy.”
Matthew’s tone was not at all stern, but he was essentially telling Jeremy off.
The latter knew better than to continue blabbering and steered the conversation as he talked business with Matthew.
Clarissa had been uptight throughout the whole exchange, forming a stark contrast against Matthew’s relaxed manner. He had a cigarette in one hand, and a spoon in the other, nonchalantly picking on his food.
She had her eyes on a particularly savory dish. However, it was not long before the dish was whisked away from her sight. Dejected, she put down her utensils and sipped on her drink.
Someone seemed to have caught onto her disappointed look and passed the dish back to her. Her eyes lit up at the dish and hurriedly picked on the food.
Matthew puffed on his cigarette, his lips curving into a smile, amused at Clarissa’s demeanor.
Clarissa headed back to her room after dinner. She dozed off into slumber and had only woken up at night.
Roused by the bustling music outside, she made her way to the bathroom to freshen herself up before heading outside.
In the hallway, through the windows, Clarissa noticed that the yard was brightly lit as it bustled with the sounds of her friends barbecuing and drinking. She leaned languidly against the window, the corner of her lips curved into a slight smile at the sight before her.
Somewhere not far from where she was standing, Matthew transfixed his gaze at the woman who had a smile on her face.
He decided to approach her.
“Aren’t you going to join them?”
Clarissa was slightly surprised to hear a voice. Noticing that it was Matthew, she smiled. “Uncle Matthew, what about you? Why are you not joining them?”
“Well, some would say that I’m too old to party,” he smirked.
“Pfft…” Clarissa could not help but chuckle. “Uncle Matthew, I told you it was just a joke. Are you still holding grudges against me or what?”
He met her gaze, his obsidian eyes darkened.
“What if I say yes?”
“Um…” Clarissa was at a loss for words. “Uncle Matthew, I was just joking. I’m really sorry about that.”
Just when she thought that he was really furious at her, he parted his lips. “Well, I was joking too.”
Clarissa was rendered speechless.
Can he stop being so intimidating?
Feeling ill at ease, she twitched her lips unconsciously. It did not go unnoticed.
“Aren’t you going to thank me?”
She had only snapped out of her thoughts when he posed the question. Yes, I didn’t drown thanks to him saving me at the pool this afternoon.
“Right, I should. Thank you, Uncle Matthew.”
After muttering her thanks, Clarissa realized that it seemed like she had been thanking him countless times ever since she had met the man.
Amused at the notion, she said, “Uncle Matthew, I’m not really sure how many times I’ve thanked you, and I don’t know if I’ll ever thank you enough for what you’ve done for me.”
He raised a brow. “You don’t know if you can ever thank me enough?”
Clarissa nodded her head. I guess the best way to repay will be to marry you.
She shook her head in an attempt to dismiss her wayward thoughts. Clarissa lifted her head, only to be met with Matthew’s deep-set scrutinizing gaze. It was as if he was trying to look into her soul.
His unnerving stare made her fidget with unease. She averted her gaze and felt the warmth of his body edging close.
Clarissa could almost feel his breath brushing past her cheeks. The domineering aura of the man with statuesque, chiseled features made her all jittery.
“What’s the next line, Clarissa?”
Matthew’s hands propped against the window as he leaned forward, inching closer to her.
The proximity was suffocating. Her breath hitched as her face went stiff. Instinctively, she leaned back as the man invaded her personal space. Suddenly, she felt an almost scalding touch on her back, sending tingles all over her body.
Matthew disregarded the stiffened state of the woman before him and pressed on.
“So you can’t thank me enough. What should we do about it?”
“I… Um…”
“Uncle Matt?”
The suggestive atmosphere was interrupted by Ellie’s curious inquiry.
Clarissa pushed Matthew away in a hurry as she tried to recollect herself. She pretended to gaze out the window as Matthew set himself straight.
