After they’d almost had enough to drink, Ethan Sinclair found an opportunity to escort Sophia Lowell to the elevator.
Zane Sterling ca out to assist her.
She staggered, supporting herself against the wall, and pushed Ethan away.
"I can get back myself."
Zane ignored her, took the coat from Ethan’s hands, draped it over her, and lifted her in his arms.
Zane: "How much did she drink?"
Ethan: "Exactly two cups of Peach Blossom Wine."
"Nothing excessive happened, right?"
Ethan smiled aningfully and whispered a couple of things in his ear.
Zane said nothing, used to her low tolerance for alcohol, "Take care of Professor Irving."
"Understood." Ethan smiled.
Zane entered the elevator and pressed the button for the first floor.
He lowered his head to look at her; when drunk, this woman dared to say anything.
"Asleep?"
"No, just dizzy."
She climbed uncomfortably up his neck, clinging tightly and burying her head into his shoulder, inhaling his scent.
Zane sighed softly.
He was really afraid that one day, she’d drink so much she wouldn’t recognize anyone and end up in another man’s arms.
Her tolerance was low, she was inexperienced yet loved to play.
As they left the bar, Butler Langley was already waiting at the entrance.
Once in the car, she exhaled a long breath of wine, staring out the window.
Beside her, Zane looked at her.
The partition rose.
The space in the back of the car beca narrow, with dim lights intermittently illuminating inside.
Zane wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her onto his lap.
Feeling heavy-headed, Sophia quickly grabbed onto his shoulders, her knees on the seat.
"..."
She almost cried out, afraid Butler Langley might hear up front.
"What are you doing..."
"Can’t I just hold you?"
He spoke with a teasing tone, a mischievous smile.
"No, that’s not it..."
He gazed at her bright red lips and her flushed cheeks, not sure if from embarrassnt or wine, making them tantalizing.
He couldn’t help but reach out, gliding his thumb across her lips.
In a drowsy yet rational mont, Sophia reminded him: "We’re in a car."
"It’s our car, legally driven, not against the law."
"No, that’s not..."
"We have plenty of cars at ho; if this one gets ssy, we’ll just change to another."
Sophia’s chattering mouth was suddenly blocked by him.
Butler Langley pressed the accelerator.
Back at the villa’s underground garage.
Butler Langley fled from the car.
"Oh dear—"
Sophia lay in the back seat with a flushed face, cursing him as a beast.
He laughed, tossing his coat into the trunk.
"It’s only after a couple of drinks you’d dare to curse; let’s see if you still dare when you’re sober tomorrow morning!"
"Zane Sterling, you jerk!"
"If you say so, then it must be..."
——
The car windows fogged up.
The sensor lights in the underground parking flickered on and off.
——
Zane picked up a coat, draped it over her, and held her in his arms.
In his hands was the torn clothing, which he threw into the trash can.
Sophia tucked her head inside his coat.
Yet she could still faintly see so handprints on the car window.
The seat covers probably needed replacing.
Thinking of this, she dared not lift her head even more.
Going up to the second floor, his steps stopped in the living room.
Seeing the ss of luggage on the floor, he didn’t need to think to know who did it.
"..."
Sophia peeked out to look.
There were even so eye-catching black lace camisole pajamas on the floor...
Zane looked at her and nodded.
"Did she bully you?"
"No, everything was fine when I left."
He gritted his teeth, carrying Sophia back to the bathroom to give her a bath.
Sophia’s legs were weak, and her mind was foggy, so she could only clench her teeth and let him wash her.
As soon as she lay on the bed, she drifted off to sleep.
——
When she woke up, he was no longer by her bedside.
A glass of lemon water remained on the nightstand.
Dragging her heavy head, she slipped on her slippers and walked out of the living room.
The living room was already neat and tidy, with all the clothes sorted and put away.
She didn’t pay it much mind and returned to the room to change clothes.
Sylvia Coldwell’s matters, he wouldn’t let her intervene, and she was too lazy to get involved.
——
As the end of the year approached, there was a significant increase in work for the design departnt.
With the year-end design competition, work beca even more intense.
After discussing with Wyatt Nash, Tim Sawyer decided to conduct a public vote on the design platform.
Sophia propped her chin up with one hand, sitting at her workstation daydreaming.
Thinking about what Zane said last night.
"If it happens, we’ll have it."
She was a bit frightened and secretly took so dicine.
Ding—
The car dealership ssaged, saying her car was repaired and ready to be picked up.
She glanced at it, almost forgetting she had a car.
After work, she first drove the car she used this morning ho, then took a taxi to the dealership.
Luckily, Zane wouldn’t be having dinner tonight, so she was free from cooking. She could just grab a quick bite outside.
As soon as she arrived at the dealership, she ran into Faye Ellison.
He had also just co to pick up his car.
"Sophia."
"Faye Ellison, brother."
"Don’t always call brother, just call Faye Ellison."
The two exchanged so polite talk.
"You don’t look well, feeling unwell?" Faye noticed her flushed face.
Sophia touched her cheeks, which felt burning hot.
She thought it was only because of a hangover headache from the morning and hadn’t paid much attention.
After a full day’s work, her head felt worse.
Her nose was blocked, and her throat had been hoarse since last night.
If it weren’t for her heavy nasal voice, others might have noticed her hoarseness.
"Miss, would you like to check your temperature? We have a first-aid kit here."
The attendant was good at reading faces.
Sophia didn’t refuse, sat down on the sofa beside her, and as the thermoter beeped, it showed a temperature of 38.8°.
"It really is." Faye poured her a glass of warm water.
"It’s nothing, I’ll just pick up the car and go to the hospital for so dication." Sophia replied in a strained voice.
"I’ll drive you to the hospital later."
"No, that’s fine..."
Before Sophia could say anything, Faye stood up, walked over to the dealership’s main desk, said a few things, then returned.
"I’m not at ease with you going to the hospital like this. I’ve already arranged for soone to drive your car back ho."
"..."
After drinking the glass of water on the table, she had no choice but to agree.
As soon as she got into Faye’s car, she fell asleep.
Faye slightly tugged at his lips, glancing at her occasionally.
Her pale face was flushed, and because she wasn’t feeling well, her breathing was slightly rapid, appearing sowhat satiated.
He couldn’t help but tighten his grip on the steering wheel, the veins on the back of his hand slowly becoming prominent.
Getting out of the car, after just a few steps, she was already panting, sweating on her forehead.
Not sure if it was the last night’s intensity or her illness, her legs trembled, unable to move.
Seeing this, Faye imdiately scooped her up.
"Put down..."
"In this state, stop being stubborn."
"You could just push a wheelchair over."
Sophia worried about being spotted by Zane’s aunt here, struggled hard.
But her strength was like a dragonfly skimming water, barely causing a ripple.
Faye, who often worked out and was muscular, paid no mind to her actions.
Sophia had no choice but to give up, fearing that struggling more publicly would attract even more onlookers.
She quickly sent a ssage to Hugh Irving.
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