Clarissa slept for another round. By the time she woke up, her body was already much better.
By then, the sun had already set.
Matthew was nowhere to be seen inside the room. Clarissa got off the bed to look for her phone. On the screen was the notification of missed calls from Ellie, Jane, and Hillary.
Clarissa first called Ellie and told her that she was safe and sound.
On the other hand, Clarissa didn’t return Hilary’s phone call. As for Jane, she had mixed feelings about calling her at first, but she eventually decided to call her.
Jane sounded agitated on the phone.
“Thank god Clarissa, you finally answered my call! How are you now? Nothing happened to you, right?”
Clarissa knew that her colleagues were not Luke’s match, but she was nonetheless disappointed in them as none of them stopped him from bringing her away.
If Matthew didn’t show up at the private lounge at the right time, Clarissa might have already been dead meat on Luke’s hand.
Clarissa instinctively shuddered when she thought of that possibility.
“I’m fine.”
“Okay, that’s good. Do you know we were super worried about you? I contacted the president, and he was also looking around for people to help you, but all of us are commoners after all. There seemed to be no way we could get to you. Also, we didn’t even know your whereabouts… I am so sorry, Clarissa! We were of no help.”
“I’m fine now.”
“Alright then. Rest well. I will talk to you about business a few days later.”
After hanging up the call, Clarissa began to contemplate her contract with Twilight Company. It was coming to an end. Her original intent was to extend the contract with them. In the many years she worked with them, they had helped her to deal with the business aspects of her work, which saved her a lot of trouble.
However, with what just happened, Clarissa no longer wanted to be under the management of the Twilight Company.
Clarissa stared at the set of clothes on the bed. There were even undergarments prepared for her.
It was all black, just like the lingerie Matthew bought for her when they just met.
Does Matthew have a liking for this color?
Clarissa realized the obscene thought in her head and shook her head shyly.
After changing into the fresh set of clothes, Clarissa went downstairs. To her surprise, there was someone else in the house that wasn’t Matthew.
Julia approached Clarissa with a friendly smile on her face.
“Miss, you’re awake? I am the servant of the Zen Highlands. You can call me Mrs. Lawson. Dinner is ready to be served. Sir said he’s not going to return for dinner so you don’t have to wait for him. Do you want to have dinner now or eat it later?”
Peculiarly, Clarissa fell silent before she asked, “Mrs. Lawson, last night you were here?”
Julia chuckled and replied, “Miss, I have been staying here ever since the Zen Highlands was constructed. Last night, Mr. Matthew asked us not to disturb him, and thus, all of us were nowhere to be seen.”
Clarissa wriggled her lips. Inside her head, she was cursing at Matthew.
“Miss?”
“Alright, I think I will eat now.”
To be honest, Clarissa was starving, and she was pleased to hear that there was food for her.
As Clarissa just recovered from a fever, Julia had prepared many dishes that were light on the palate. After having her meal, Clarissa left the building for a stroll in the garden.
Yesterday when Clarissa arrived at Zen Highlands, it was already nighttime. Thus, she wasn’t able to notice the beauty of the place. Under the rays of the morning sun, the patch of land was enlivening. There was a lake nearby, and as the light bounced off the surface of the lake, it resembled a treasure trove full of gold. There were a few pavilions built around the lake, which were surrounded by all sorts of flora.
According to Julia, Matthew had personally come up with the design of the place and commissioned a contractor to set everything up. Each corner of the Zen Highlands was sophisticated.
While the scenery outside the house was vivid and colorful, the interior of the building had black and white as its main theme. It was a style befitting of Matthew.
However, Clarissa felt uneasy staying there. She intended to thank Matthew when he returned and leave the place.
Clarissa had a headache thinking of how to express her gratitude to Matthew.
She was worried that Matthew would just ask her to marry him as repayment.
When Matthew returned, Clarissa’s fingers were running all over the keyboard on her laptop.
Once Clarissa got serious, she would be completely immersed in her work. She would shut herself out of the external world.
Hence, she didn’t notice Matthew standing behind her.
At this moment, Clarissa was writing about the first intimate affair between the male and female lead.
In the novel, the man shoved the woman against the door and pinned her limbs down. He lowered her head and sunk his lips into hers before penetrating her mouth with his tongue.
Clarissa blushed from the passionate session she was describing. The scene she was penning was exactly what happened between her and Matthew.
She sighed to herself. “Why did I remember it so clearly?”
Matthew’s lips curled up. He bent down and his warm breath grazed Clarissa’s ears.
“Because you like it!”
“Aaaahh!”
Clarissa was so taken aback by Matthew’s sudden appearance that she almost flung her laptop away. She hugged her laptop and leaped down from the sofa. Rage was swiveling in her eyes as she glared at the man.
“Matthew, did you not scare me enough yesterday? You just want me dead, don’t you?”
Ugh!
The smile on Matthew’s face grew wider. He was amused by the flustered look on Clarissa’s face.
“Yeah, I just want to mess with you!”
Matthew emphasized the last few words of her sentence. His eyes glowed behind his grim facade.
Clarissa was at a loss for words.
She blinked empty-headedly at her computer screen. Only seconds later did her mind register what she had typed out.
Damn it!
Did I ask myself out loud why I remember this scene so clearly?
Did Matthew just reply to me that it’s because I like it?
Doesn’t this mean he saw what I was typing?
Oh gosh, this is so mortifying!
She felt her face getting hotter with each passing moment under Matthew’s intent gaze. Soon, she could feel her whole body burning.
Eventually, Clarissa decided to just call it a day. She shut down her computer and brought it upstairs.
Matthew followed behind her up the stairs.
Now only with the two of them in the room, Clarissa felt as if she was a helpless animal trapped in a corner.
Matthew took off his clothes to change into a fresh set of clothes as if Clarissa was transparent.
The little woman cupped her eyes with her hands at once.
She ranted, “Hey, can you not be such a hooligan?”
Matthew responded with glee, “I am just changing my clothes. How am I being a hooligan? If you really want to see how a hooligan is like, then I’ll-”
“Alright, alright! I will keep my mouth shut okay?”
Clarissa still had her hands over her eyes in embarrassment.
Suddenly, she could feel a source of warmth close to her skin. She opened her eyes and found herself staring straight into Matthew’s eyes.
The two of them were so close that the tips of their noses were touching. Clarissa could pick up a faint scent of alcohol.
She knitted her brows and flinched a little.
“Let go of me. I have something to tell you.”
Matthew still didn’t let go of Clarissa. “Just say it.”
“You let go of me first. I have something serious to tell you.”
“Then it’s better for me to stay close to you so I can hear your clearly.”
It was the first time Clarissa seen such obnoxious behavior from the man.
Is he drunk?
Since Clarissa couldn’t get Matthew off her, she could only retract her neck until she was a safe distance away from him.
“I am very thankful to you for saving me last night. I was really devastated back then. If you didn’t show up, I think I probably would’ve-”
Clarissa was being sincere, and Matthew could sense it.
He pulled her into his arms to comfort her for the terrible experience she had to go through.
“Don’t be scared. He won’t dare to touch you again.”
“I know.”
Clarissa remembered how servile Luke became upon seeing Jeremy and Matthew.
“Yes, even though I am grateful towards you, our relationship shouldn’t be as such.”
Tsk. Is she going to burn the bridges now that she’s safe?
Matthew had already expected this coming from Clarissa.
He pinched his chin and questioned, “What do you want?”
“I will return to the hotel tomorrow. I now owe you a favor. If you ever need me, I will definitely help you out. Even though there’s probably little chance that you’ll ever need my help, I promise that I will do my best to help you out.”
“Okay. I know how you can repay me.”
Matthew’s eyes were filled with lust.
Clarissa looked away as if she didn’t notice his intent. Half a beat later, she was filled with anger for a certain reason.
“Uncle Matthew, I respect you as an elder, but that doesn’t give you any right to force me into your ways. You have a fiancée and are about to get married soon, so how could you do what you did to me? I will never be a third wheel no matter how low my life ever gets. I will repay your favor in some other ways. Don’t even think of getting anything from me. Or else, I will really look down on you.”
“Fiancée? I’m getting married soon?”
“Isn’t that so? Everyone knew the famous actress Shermaine was going to marry you since you guys were young. Didn’t you two even stay in a hotel room together last month? Your parents like her a lot, isn’t it? I hope your love for each other will last an eternity!”
Clarissa didn’t notice her tone when she spoke.
Not only did she sound grave, but she was literally clenching her teeth.
Clarissa scoffed after finishing her words. Reluctant to look at Matthew, her eyes darted to one side.
A long while had passed but Matthew still had not given her any response.
She grew livid. See? I knew it’s the truth. Nothing to say now, eh?
“Let go of me.”
Clarissa forcefully shoved Matthew away from her.
However, Matthew pulled her back into his arms. She was forced to look at Matthew’s face. A grin etched onto his jowl.
Clarissa was even more infuriated. “Why are you grinning? You’re so happy to hear my wishes? Alright then, let me give you a few more words of blessings! I hope you two will stick with each other till the world ends!”
Clarissa sputtered all of her words in one go. When she was finally finished, Matthew asked light-heartedly, “Does it hurt to clench your teeth so hard?”
