"Elara..."
The man’s voice was hoarse, his kisses on her nearly reverent, a sigh of seeming fulfillnt making Elara’s initial resistance pause instinctively.
Zion Fitzwilliam didn’t actually force her too much. His movents were gentle, even in his drunken stupor, he was particularly careful not to hurt her. Elara actually had more than one opportunity to push him away.
But she... didn’t.
Hearing that "Elara," she had already lost all resistance.
He knew who she was. He wasn’t drunk enough to mistake her for soone else.
This filled her heart with a slight expectation and sweetness.
With drunken courage, Zion Fitzwilliam took the lack of rejection as tacit approval. For a mont, he couldn’t distinguish if reason or impulse was prevailing, gently moving downward.
Afraid of crushing her, he even supported himself a little...
Breathes entangled.
Heartbeats intertwined.
Imrsed in wave after wave of shivers, Elara felt crazy as she trembled and pulled out the little thing that Esther had given her earlier from her pocket.
Better safe than sorry, it turned out to be... a necessity.
"Hmm?"
A hard and prickly item was slipped into his hand, making Zion Fitzwilliam pause and look down. His already rational eyes turned hotter and wilder.
He took the item and lowered his head to plant kisses one after another on the woman’s face in his embrace. Even in that uncontrollable mont, he wasn’t rough or reckless but patiently guided her bit by bit...
For Elara, this was a brand new experience... She had never felt sothing so wonderful before. She knew thinking about the past at such a mont was a spoiler, but she couldn’t help rembering the pain and roughness she experienced with Mason before. It was as though those tender hands now smoothed it all over bit by bit...
She suddenly understood that phrase, the best way to forget an old love is to have a new one that’s a hundred tis better.
The man seed to notice her distraction and lightly bit the corner of her lip with dissatisfaction. The pain brought Elara’s attention back to the man in front of her.
Everything occurred naturally and smoothly as if it was ant to be. By the ti the living room quieted down once again, an hour had passed.
On the small sofa, the two embraced each other honestly. Zion Fitzwilliam didn’t dare open his eyes. If he had been drunk and muddled earlier, he could now say he was quite sober.
Today’s events had developed beyond his control. He was worried about Elara being angry, and if she decided to settle scores with him later, he definitely wouldn’t be able to withstand it.
After all, he was aware of how much he had tempted her... only he knew.
Zion Fitzwilliam felt guilty, having indulged himself, now the fear crept in afterward.
As for Elara, she was confused. She thought Zion Fitzwilliam had fallen asleep after the incident, so she didn’t pay much attention to him. But thinking about their already chaotic relationship, and now adding this, she was also at a loss.
She wasn’t the type of person who could casually sleep with a guy and walk away. Subconsciously, she felt that regardless of gender, one should be responsible for such actions.
But the problem was, she took advantage of Zion while he was drunk and vulnerable. How was she to explain this when he woke up?
She was truly anxious. Zion, although he had changed from being gay to bisexual, didn’t like her. Yet she had slept with him, leaving her no way to explain.
For a mont, she felt she couldn’t face him, so she tentatively pushed his arms away and got up to dress herself piece by piece.
After hesitating, she arduously lifted Zion Fitzwilliam’s limbs and helped him get dressed properly too.
The task was exhausting, especially after such a vigorous activity. Dressing Zion Fitzwilliam left her arms too weak to lift.
But she had no choice; she had to pick up Joanne. She couldn’t set a bad example for the child.
Elara went to the bathroom, washed up briefly, and then left.
As the door closed, the man on the sofa slowly opened his eyes.
In his usually calm and unwavering black eyes, he couldn’t help but sigh as he looked at the closed door.
Flashes of Esther’s words over the phone crossed his mind.
"Mr. Fitzwilliam, Elara likes you, she’s crazy about you! Really!"
A feeling of inappropriate expectation arose in his heart again. Maybe... ask her?
Anyway, things had already spiraled out of control. Given their current relationship, it was unlikely they could return to what it was before.
Zion Fitzwilliam resolved uncertainly.
He got up to shower, and after finishing, returned to the bedroom to rest. An hour later, Elara returned with Joanne, stunned for a mont upon seeing the man erge from the bedroom door without any trace of drunkenness.
Zion Fitzwilliam lightly coughed to hide his embarrassnt, "Tonight... what are you eating?"
Elara hurriedly snapped back to reality and replied, "I bought so ready-made food. I’ll get the bowls."
She walked into the kitchen with awkwardly synchronized steps. When grabbing the plates, her hands trembled anxiously; Zion had woken up, and she never expected it...
She thought he’d be so heavily drunk that he’d sleep till the next morning; that way, she’d have the whole night to consider what to do.
But she didn’t expect that after just an hour away, he seed perfectly fine. Was he just that good with alcohol? Getting drunk fast and sobering up just as quickly?
But what could she do now? Facing him was impossible... If he were to question why she did this and that while he was unable to resist... How would she respond!?
Elara stood there, clutching the plate, lost in her thoughts for a long ti without moving.
Until a tall figure leaned in behind her, his hand encircling her waist, his large hand touching close to hers.
Startled, Elara nearly jumped. Zion Fitzwilliam had already grabbed the plate from her hand.
He chuckled softly and asked, "What’s wrong, standing here with a plate looking lost like this?"
Elara felt all her hair stand on end, a mixture of embarrassnt, sha, and vexation, desperately wanting to find a hole to disappear into.
Zion Fitzwilliam didn’t say anything further, taking the plate and walking out. When Elara entered, he and Joanne were eating and laughing, appearing quite normal.
Elara couldn’t help but hope, maybe he was too drunk earlier and didn’t rember that incident?
As soon as the thought entered her mind, she clung to it like a lifeline, praying that this guess was true.
Maybe... he really doesn’t rember?
She ate her al like chewing wax, but this guess brought a glimr of hope in her heart, a hope that was completely shattered after dinner when Zion Fitzwilliam tucked Joanne Carter into bed.
"The child is asleep." Zion Fitzwilliam walked out of Joanne’s room, carefully closed the door, and looked at Elara, his voice gentle yet slightly serious, "Elara, we previously..."
With these words, Elara understood—her prayers were in vain, he still rembered!
Her expression was woeful, her spirits low, but mindful of her responsibilities, she forced herself to perk up, "Should we talk?"
Zion Fitzwilliam agreed, he pulled out a chair for Elara at the dining table and then sat down across from her.
"I’m very sorry..."
"I’m very sorry..."
Both of them spoke simultaneously and then fell silent at the sa ti. Zion paused, then graciously allowed her to go first, "You speak first."
Elara inwardly sighed, but she steeled herself and said earnestly, "About this afternoon, I’m sorry. I know it caused irreversible harm to you both physically and emotionally. I admit I was confused for a mont, and I won’t shalessly ask for your forgiveness. How do you intend to handle this? If... if you need, I will take the necessary responsibility."
Zion Fitzwilliam remained silent.
He felt that Elara was saying his lines.
With so coaxing and manipulation, he had lured her into a relationship, expecting her to be furious and their relationship to hit rock bottom. But unexpectedly, she wasn’t angry and was willing to take responsibility?
She said she was confused... does that an his physical presence had so attraction to her?
Zion Fitzwilliam felt as if he were dreaming, a dream co true.
Previously anxious and uneasy, afraid of losing sothing that suddenly seed so attainable.
Since she took the initiative to take responsibility, he naturally wouldn’t be overly polite.
"To be honest, I need a long-term marriage." Zion started solemnly, his expression slightly bitter, "My family has high expectations for my marriage. If I divorce shortly after getting married, they’ll imdiately set up blind dates for , expecting to enter another relationship. This is a troubling thing for because I don’t want to marry a stranger casually."
Elara was stunned, "But when we first t, you said you just needed a short-term marriage to give your family an explanation..."
"That was just a temporary asure." Zion chuckled bitterly, "At that ti, I couldn’t find a suitable candidate and was pressured by my family, so I planned a temporary transition. Back then, I indeed intended to collaborate with you briefly."
"But in our ti together, I’ve found you kind, generous, with a good character and disposition. If I must have a lifelong marriage, I think you are the most suitable."
Elara hesitantly looked at him, "But I..."
A lifelong marriage was still too challenging for her, and if she took this marriage as a lifelong commitnt, her expectations of him would surely rise, leaving her wondering if she could still calmly accept that he didn’t love her...
Zion sighed, "I initially wanted to discuss this with you, but when you ntioned moving out, I kept these thoughts buried and didn’t say anything. But unexpectedly... sigh, how did such a thing happen?"
His tone was filled with regret, and Elara imdiately felt guilty and uneasy, responding impulsively without thinking, "I promise you, don’t worry, I will definitely take responsibility."
Zion’s lips curled into a barely noticeable smile.
He succeeded in keeping her, which could only be considered progress.
A long-term marriage, between two people who had already been intimate, and once this happened once, it was bound to happen again, drawing them closer together.
With this, he was finally at ease, never having to worry about her leaving at any mont.
Today’s accident, an uncontrollable good outco.
Elara had no idea about his manipulative sche. Seeing the grin on his face, she also breathed a sigh of relief, even though the situation was a bit awkward. Fortunately, it was resolved.
Feeling settled, there was a tiny hint of joy in her heart. Although she had wanted to leave before, she was indeed reluctant, and now "being forced" to stay in this manner, she couldn’t help but feel a bit happy.
However, thinking about their future, she couldn’t help but sigh again.
The Jacobs Family.
Mason looked at Rosalind with a frown, "What do you an you can’t find him?"
Rosalind replied pitifully, "I just can’t find him, I don’t know where he went. Since the engagent, I haven’t seen him, can’t reach him by phone, he simply ignores !"
A flicker of impatience crossed Mason’s eyes, but because she was his sister, he held his temper and said, "Rosalind, you have to learn to hold on to a man. You’re engaged to him; he’s your fiancé. You have the right to inquire about everything regarding him."
Rosalind was equally upset, "But if he ignores , what am I supposed to do!"
Mason looked at her, "If he won’t talk to you, there’s still his parents. Why don’t you contact them?"
Rosalind reluctantly pouted, hesitating for a mont before asking, "Brother, is the company’s loss really that severe?"
Mason glanced at her, feeling an inexplicable agitation, lit a cigarette, took a drag, and said, "Very severe. We need the Grayson family’s help. Only they can help the company regain its vitality. This ti, just in trade alone, we lost a third. Let be frank, the company’s cash flow is about to break. If the Grayson family doesn’t help us, soon the Jacobs Family might be finished."
Rosalind looked at him in panic, "Is it that serious?"
Previously, Mason told her to contact Owen, to appease the Grayson Family, but she was reluctant. Hearing this now, she realized the gravity of the situation and didn’t dare to be willful anymore, quickly saying, "Then I’ll call Auntie Grayson. I heard the Warner Family is hosting a celebration in a couple of days, Auntie Grayson should be coming. There should be an opportunity then."
Mason paused for a mont, then nodded.
Even though Owen’s mother married into Seacliff, her maiden family is in Northgarde, not one of those prominent families, but related to a branch of the Warner Family by marriage. She would likely attend the Warner celebration.
Rosalind watched her brother ntion the Warner Family without showing a strange expression and relaxed slightly.
She had initially thought her brother would mind.
The Warner Family’s celebration is for Zayne Warner’s wedding, the bride being Gigi Hathaway, the Hathaway family’s second daughter. Although the Hathaway Family isn’t as affluent as the Warner Family, the Warner Family wants to settle Zayne Warner’s marriage quickly and willingly aligns downward.
The urgency for Zayne Warner’s marriage cos from the fear that he might get entangled with Cecilia Quincy. The incident where Mason caught Zayne Warner and Cecilia Quincy in bed is known to Rosalind.
No matter the situation, as long as her brother didn’t mind, she felt relieved. She planned to foster a good relationship with Auntie Grayson during this period. Later, at the wedding, bringing her brother might accomplish the task imdiately.
Rosalind calculated her moves, gestured to Mason, and headed upstairs, "I’ll go call Auntie Grayson first."
Mason watched her disappear at the top of the stairs, turned expressionlessly, and walked out.
No one saw it, but his right hand was clenched so tightly that the veins were bulging.
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