Ta?
Iris Crawford was rather surprised to hear Steven Rhodes use this word. Her eyes flickered, as if countless emotions swept past her gaze, but in the end, they were as clean as only numbness and indifference remained. She said, "I don’t have ti to ta him. I’ve got to make money. If you’re free, go make so food. I’m hungry."
Steven Rhodes was led into Iris Crawford’s house, feeling a bit out of place, yet Iris had such practiced ease in ordering him around. Not only that, Iris thoughtfully sent him a floor plan of her ho and told him, "I go grocery shopping once a week; just manage whatever’s leftover as you see fit."
Steven gulped as he looked at Iris’s 500-square-ter villa. Living alone in such a large house was truly luxurious.
He had never seen a rich person’s house before. He said to Iris, "Uh, about tonight..."
"You can sleep on the second floor. There are four bedrooms in my house; just pick one."
Iris sat on the sofa, swinging her bare feet in the air a couple of tis. "Get a pair of slippers."
Steven imdiately went to the shoe cabinet and fetched a pair of cotton slippers for Iris, placing them at her feet.
As he lowered his head, he saw Iris’s rounded toes, and his heart skipped a beat.
"The second floor has bedrooms and a study, the third floor is a sauna room, there’s a large bathtub. I occasionally take a bath there, and you can use it too, just clean up afterward." Iris sluggishly moved to the second floor wearing the slippers, like a dignified and wealthy lady. Steven never imagined this woman would be so ruthless, having sent his sister to prison without a second thought...
Yet, in the end, the one giving him a way out was still Iris Crawford.
Thoughts tangled up in his mind, Steven shook his head and sighed, "Alright, I’ll cook for you later."
Iris locked herself in the bedroom. Lately, for so reason, it felt like her nerves were constantly tense. She was a bit tired and fell asleep standing by the bed. Yet, she woke from a nightmare, finding she had slept less than an hour.
When she opened the door, she saw that Steven had prepared the al downstairs. While wiping the table, he looked up toward the second floor, "You’re awake?"
"Why didn’t you call when the al was ready?"
"Didn’t want to wake you." Seeing Iris co down, Steven handed her a pair of chopsticks and asked, "Want sothing to drink?"
Iris pointed to the floor, "There’s a wine cellar on the basent level. Just pick a bottle from there. It’s your first day at my house, so let’s consider it a welcoming gift."
Steven didn’t know what expression to make, "I... don’t know much about wine. I’m afraid I won’t pick well."
"Oh, it’s fine, just pick at random. The wine there is all gifts from my brother’s clients, none of it’s cheap."
"..."
Five minutes later, Steven returned with a bottle of red wine in hand. Iris took it from him and adeptly uncorked it. Her decanting movents were smooth, a skill befitting the daughter of a wealthy family. She finally placed the wine glass in front of Steven, "Not bad, you picked a 150,000 one."
Steven nearly dropped the wine glass.
The al lasted nearly an hour. Iris took the last sip of wine and put down her utensils. Resting her chin on her hand, with a slightly tipsy tone, she said, "Honestly, for the past two years, the food I’ve been eating was made by Lachlan Wyatt."
When it’s another man, it’s really not like you, Lachlan.
"He cooked for you?" Steven was slightly surprised, glancing at Iris and noticing her cheeks slightly flushed, eyes misty. Perhaps the red wine had made her a bit tipsy, but this type of allure was too tempting. He quickly looked away, "I thought... with his personality, he wouldn’t serve anyone."
"It’s not service." Iris’s hair fell as she grabbed a handful. "He played cat-and-mouse with . He found it novel to tease . When it was no longer novel, he’d kick aside. What he needed was excitent and ambiguity, never feelings and responsibility."
"You see through him so well." Steven put down his chopsticks and helped Iris up. "Why can’t you see into your own heart?"
Supported by Steven, Iris wobbly got to her feet. She said, "Guess whether I don’t understand, or I’m afraid to look."
Steven’s hand paused, then he slightly loosened his grip. Iris leaned on him weakly, falling onto him. Fortunately, the dining table was close to the sofa, so Steven hugged Iris and stepped back, the two of them falling onto the sofa together. The soft cushion bore their weight, sinking in the middle. Iris lay on Steven, breathing lightly, "Can’t you stand steady?"
"No... just spaced out for a mont." Steven’s face turned red, "Get up, Iris. I’ll help you to your bedroom."
"Can’t move." Iris closed her eyes, leaning against Steven’s chest. Her warm breath sprayed on Steven’s clothes, making his heart race.
This... shaless woman!
That’s what Steven thought, but his hand movents beca gentler. He detested her, so why was he being so careful... Before he could say anything else, his hand instinctively gripped Iris’s waist.
The electric sensation made Steven’s skin tingle.
Is this how Lachlan feels when he holds her waist?
Steven took a deep breath, "You should get up first. This way, it’s inconvenient for ..."
Iris reached out and covered Steven’s mouth, "You’re so noisy. I’m going to sleep now."
"You’re in the living room downstairs!" Steven was both anxious and exasperated, "Get up, and I’ll take you upstairs to sleep."
"Sleep is sleep, wherever it is in my house." Probably tipsy from the wine, Iris mumbled a couple of tis, and even pressed down on Steven’s stomach, as if trying to smooth out a bed sheet to make lying down more comfortable, "Tuck in your... abs, they’re poking ."
"..."
Steven wanted to call the police.
He truly had no way to deal with Iris. Her existence was like a symbol that no one had ever defined. No one told him the rules for navigating such a symbol.
Pinching Iris to pull her off him, he didn’t expect the sound of beeping at the door.
The electronic lock seed to malfunction, making a long string of beeps. Then, the fingerprint lock clicked open. Soone was opening the door from outside!
Steven Rhodes’s face changed drastically, looking at the man who had co in.
Black hair, black eyes, pale and indifferent.
Who else could it be but Lachlan Wyatt?
Lachlan Wyatt had changed into sportswear, and his entrance still carried a rebellious aura, but he was shocked when he saw the scene in the living room!
The man’s pupils contracted almost instantly, "What are you doing?"
Iris Crawford felt she must have drunk too much. In a daze, did she hear Lachlan Wyatt’s voice? She hadn’t lived with him for a long ti, so why would she still think of him?
So, she rubbed her head against Steven Rhodes’s body, as if trying to dismiss the thoughts in her head, but to outsiders, this looked no different from being coquettish!
Lachlan Wyatt’s expression darkened almost instantly!
"How did you get in here..." Steven Rhodes was startled by this sudden turn of events, "The lock on her house..."
"Hacked my way in." Lachlan Wyatt’s lips twitched with no restraint, saying mockingly, "Really let see a good show here."
"What are you doing here?" Steven Rhodes felt that at this mont, being pinned under Iris Crawford must make him look like a pretty boy in Lachlan Wyatt’s eyes. For so reason, he felt ashad, so he began to speak recklessly to Lachlan Wyatt, "Iris didn’t invite you, did she?"
Listen to the tone with which Steven speaks to him.
Lachlan Wyatt sneered coldly, pulling Iris directly from Steven Rhodes. Steven Rhodes wanted to say to be gentle and not hurt her, but he saw Lachlan Wyatt firmly holding her in his arms.
Pushing himself up straight, Steven looked up at Lachlan Wyatt, "Iris won’t welco you."
Lachlan Wyatt squinted, a murderous intent spilling blatantly from his eyes, staring at Steven Rhodes, "Did you get Iris drunk?"
"No..." Steven Rhodes explained for himself, "She said she wanted to drink, and I didn’t expect her to have such a low tolerance."
Iris’s alcohol tolerance was indeed average.
"You clean up down here. I’ll take care of Iris." Lachlan Wyatt spoke as if he didn’t even consider Steven Rhodes, "I warn you, don’t let catch you a second ti."
"You’re the one who should leave." Surprisingly, Steven Rhodes didn’t back down, staring directly into Lachlan Wyatt’s angry face, "I’ll help her upstairs, and as for you, just leave now. Picking her lock, isn’t that breaking and entering? She didn’t invite you, so what are you doing here uninvited?"
Lachlan Wyatt laughed on the spot!
"My affairs with her are none of your business." Whatever Steven Rhodes had said seed to hit a sore spot with Lachlan Wyatt. Furious to the point of ironic laughter, he scooped Iris up in a princess carry. Watching her lean into his embrace with eyes closed, Steven Rhodes’s heart panicked, "Where are you taking Iris?"
Lachlan Wyatt didn’t answer, and as he carried Iris away, Steven Rhodes followed a few steps, only to be blocked by Lachlan’s bodyguard at the door. He shouted through the guard at Lachlan Wyatt, "Let Iris go! Who do you even think you are to her!"
Who do you think you are to her!
Possessiveness was already nearing its peak, and Lachlan Wyatt felt his rationality was about to burn out.
Lachlan was deaf to it all, carrying the drunken Iris to his car, taking her straight back to their shared place, heading right to the bedroom, and throwing her onto the bed.
Feeling the mattress brought Iris a bit of clarity. When she opened her eyes and saw Lachlan Wyatt, she was completely stunned, "You... where is this?"
"Your ho, forgotten?"
"I..." Iris instinctively looked around. It was indeed her house, but she had already moved out, so why was she back here?
"You took out?" Iris spoke sowhat indistinctly, clearly drunk, "Where’s Steven?"
"Dare to say his na."
Lachlan roughly tore open Iris’s neckline, the buttons flying off to the floor. He gritted his teeth, as if the next mont he could pierce her flesh.
His shaky rationality was close to collapsing.
He didn’t know why he couldn’t sleep at night, just constantly wanting to see her. After sending her ho, even driving away, back at his own place he wanted to go and find her again.
Perhaps it was because of the existence of Steven Rhodes, making Lachlan feel as if he had a thorn stuck in his throat, that removing it ant also having to cut Iris off along with it.
He refused to believe it was just because he was having a fling with her, but why, why did seeing that scene of her lying on Steven Rhodes’s body agitate him so much.
Lachlan felt as if soone had set a fire inside him. He lowered his head and kissed Iris, receiving only her violent struggle. "Can every other man touch you like this, but not alone?"
"Was it like this too, when you slept with Jordan Jacobs?"
Iris’s eyes widened, old mories flashing back in her mind.
"Two years ago..." Before Iris could say more, Lachlan bent over, taking off his loose sweatshirt and covering her face with it, obscuring her vision.
Just like two years ago.
Two years ago, she was drunk too, even more so than now, unable to open her eyes, unable to see clearly.
Sweat dripped down, and as Lachlan swallowed, his Adam’s apple trembled.
"Was it like this?" Lachlan’s voice was cold and oppressive, yet beneath it seed to carry barely restrained emotions. His deliberate manner of speaking was like slowly peeling away her skin and bones, "Do I need to take it a step further to remind you of how it felt back then?"
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