A Vengeful Ex-Wife

Chapter 330 Give Me A Deadline

Maria looked at the hotpot in front of her, and then at the countless ingredients that still lay untouched. She pointed at them and said, "Abalones, king crab legs, Australian lobsters, leopard coral grouper, Australian beef, Inner Mongolian mutton... All these aren't cheap. I know you don't particularly like eating any of these, but they are the most expensive ones at this restaurant. How else do you want me to prove my sincerity?"

James snorted. "Nonsense. You just invited me here as an excuse to satisfy your own taste buds." After all, she was the one wanting to have hotpot. If it weren't for her, he wouldn't have stepped into this place.

Feeling a stab of guilt, Maria hurriedly put a piece of beef on his plate and said, "Look, it's really tender. Have a taste."

James took a bite of the beef, but said nothing.

When the dissatisfaction on his face dimmed a little, she continued, "Of course I won't ask you for help without offering you something in return. I can give you whatever you want." As long as it was in her capacity, she was ready to promise him whatever he asked for.

James put down his chopsticks and said, "Let's have a child."

If she birthed a child for him, she would be stuck with him forever.

Maria's face changed slightly, but her features soon returned to normal. "Sure, but I can't have a child right now. It's not a good time. But I can promise you that I will give you a child in the future. What do you think?" Even if he promised to help her, it was impossible for her to give birth to another baby for him. Anyway, she could always just hand over Bob.

James stared at her for a long time before asking, "Why can't you have a baby now? Is it because it's not a good time, or because you don't plan on giving birth to a baby for me at all?"

Maria smiled gently and picked up a piece of abalone for him. "You are my man. From the beginning till now, you're the only man I've had. If I don't want to give birth to a baby for you, who else would I do it for?"

Her words pleased James. He cheerfully ate all food that she picked up for him, and then looked up at her. "Okay. Give me a deadline." Although he was happy for now, he didn't trust her at all. He was afraid that she would trick him. What if she just was just playing with language?

Maria stole a glance at him. After the C-section that she had had, it was impossible for her to give birth to another baby for him in two years. The only baby she could give him now was Bob. "You name it," she said.

"Are you sure you want me to say it?" James asked her, cocking his eyebrow.

Looking at the smug expression on his face, she hesitated. No. She was afraid that he would say "right now."

She stayed silent and pondered over it carefully. Even if James agreed to help her deal with Colby and Rosa, the process wouldn't be easy. It might not take years, but it would definitely take longer than a few months. "How about three years?" she asked tentatively.

Perhaps, he would get tired of her and let her go in two or three years. In that case, she wouldn't even have to give him Bob.

Of course, this might just be her wishful thinking.

"I don't have that much patience. One year at most," James countered, not taking his eyes off her.

One year?

After taking a deep breath, Maria opened her mouth to speak. "Well, I guess it's not impossible...but only if you agree to follow my orders this year. You have to do whatever I ask you to do. And you must not, under any circumstance, hold me back."

"Maria Song."

She held out her index finger to stop him. "Don't call me Maria Song."

"Maria."

"No." She rested her chin in her hands and looked at him with a strange glint in her eyes. "You can call me Mia."

"Mia?"

"Yes, Mia. I figured you should call me by a nickname if we're really going to be a couple. It feels more intimate, doesn't it? What do you think?" Maria's face glowed with a smile.

'What do I think? It's brilliant, ' James thought to himself.

Seeing him nod, she said, "All right, go ahead. What did you want to say just now?"

"Don't go too far!"

Maria smiled, "If things go well, I may even succeed in advance, which means that I can have a child in half a year. Do you still think I'm asking for too much?"

James stayed silent, but she could see from the look on his face that he was moved by her offer.

It felt so good to have a man wrapped around her finger, especially when the man was James! After all, this was the man who had always been aloof and arrogant, and even told her countless times that he would kill her. But now, she could easily manipulate him. How could she not be thrilled?

Maria took off her coat and put it aside. Closely watching her every move, James said, "Tell me something. Which man is so important to you that you stood me up today?"

Maria chuckled dully. "You found out?"

"I'll only give you one chance to answer. Think it over first."

"Well, can I not tell you?"

"No."

"Why?"

"You make me feel insecure," James said with a trace of unhappiness.

As soon as Maria heard the words, she almost choked on the food that she was eating. She took a sip of juice and swallowed hard before asking, "Are you kidding?"

James shot her a pointed look. "Maria, ever since I broke off the engagement to Alina, I've been trying to get close to you every time. Not only haven't you bothered to come to me, but you've also snubbed me over and over again to go and see other men."

Hearing that, Maria froze. Why did she feel like the tables had turned, as if she was the villain playing with his emotions?

Looking at him, she sighed and asked softly, "Do you love me?"

"Are you kidding me? How could I love you?" Indeed, he didn't dislike her company, and he was even a little greedy for her body, but it was not necessarily love that he felt for her.

For Maria, it would be a lie to say that she wasn't disappointed. But she quickly forced a smile and said, "That's good, because I don't love you either. The main reason I'm with you is because you are good in bed!"

"What a coincidence. That's the same reason I'm with you."

At this point, she really wanted to hit him. She dropped her chopsticks on the table with a scowl and announced, "I don't feel like eating anymore."

"What answer do you want to hear?"

"I want you to open the door and shout 'I'm a hog' loud enough for everyone outside to hear.'¹

James was speechless. This woman was really something! Casting a cold glance at her, he said, "In your dreams!"

"Fine. You can eat by yourself. I'm leaving," she retorted angrily. Then, she picked up her coat and rose to her feet.

"Where are you going?" Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

Glaring at him, she replied, "I ate too much chili just now, so I'm really worked up. I'm going to find a male model to vent all this pent-up energy on."

He leaned forward, grabbed the woman who was about to leave, and pulled her into his arms.

Maria lost her balance and ended up falling onto his lap. She stared at him unhappily and asked, "What do you want?"

"You want to find a male model?" This wasn't the first time that he had heard these words from her.

"Yeah, I do. You don't love me, right? So why don't we just go and have fun on our own? I don't need to ask for your permission all the time. I'm a free woman. I can do whatever I want, and sleep with whomever I want,” Maria snapped, trying to squirm out of his lap.

"You need to release all that energy, and I happen to need a woman. We can work together. I'll take you home." He rose to his feet, pulling her up along with him in one swift motion.

Recalling how energetic he could be in bed, Maria didn't want to look for a male model anymore. She grabbed his hand and said, "Look, that crab leg is still uneaten. Can you help me peel it?"