Never Too Far Novel

Chapter 901-910

Angela was actually quite moody. She didn’t feel like eating so she didn’t take too much food for herself. She finished her meal and left right after that. She was quite dejected and was about to return to her room with a downcast spirit.

However, she didn’t look where she was going and nearly walked into a pole. Luckily, at that moment, a guy’s hand reached out to catch her elbow and pulled her away from the pole swiftly so she was saved from injuring her forehead.

Angela then lifted her head and saw Richard’s face appeared in front of her. Even under the bright, glittering lights, his sharp features were evident and unable to be softened.

“Thanks.” Angela expressed her gratitude politely. At that moment, she was annoyed with herself for her bad habit of not looking at where she was going.

“Richard, what a coincidence!” Suddenly, a coquettish woman’s voice rang out from behind and the person called his name affectionately.

Angela turned around to look at him and saw Ariel heading toward them with an enthusiastic look on her face. Ariel smiled sweetly at Richard before coming to the realization of Angela’s presence as she greeted Angela, “Hi, I’m Ariel.”

“I’m Angela.” Angela revealed a slight smile.

The girl had addressed Richard by his first name so they must be quite close to each other. As such, Angela was quite perceptive and she mentioned, “I’ll leave now to give you guys some private time together.”

After Angela finished saying that, she initially intended to go back to her room but she suddenly had a whim and decided to walk in the direction of the front door. However, the night skies had completely

darkened.

Richard didn’t even bother to cast eyes on Ariel, but he turned around to look at the figure at the doorway who had gradually disappeared in the distance. Subsequently, he shot a look at Ariel. “You should go back to your room and get some rest. I’m busy.”

He finished saying that and strode briskly toward the front door.

As for Angela, she walked slowly and arrived by the side of the sports field. She walked past a grassy patch and noticed a rock blocking her path. She lifted her feet to kick it aside but the rock was half- embedded in the ground so her kick did not dislodge the stone at all. Unfortunately for her, she injured her toe in the process.

“Ouch! Oh my goodness!” She bent down in pain and thought to herself, Everything’s a mess!

However, she was unaware that right behind her, about five meters away, a man had already come after her. She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she did not realize he was there.

Therefore, the scene of her kicking the stone and injuring herself along the process was taken in by the man. He couldn’t help smiling with a slightly resigned expression. This woman doesn’t quite learn from her mistakes and she keeps getting herself into trouble!

Angela noticed that there was a bench by the side, so she slowly hobbled over. Just as she was about to take a seat, she saw from the side of her eyes that there was a person behind her. Alarmed, she instantly turned around to look at him.

She saw that it was Richard standing there with his arms crossed and she wasn’t sure how long he had been standing there.

Angela blushed bright red. He always seemed to pop up out of nowhere and ended up beside her as he watched while she made a fool of herself.

He was always there when she landed in an embarrassing situation, which made it annoying for her.

Angela bit her lips and removed her sports shoes to check on her toe. Thanks to the kick that she delivered to herself, her toe was now swollen on the nail bed.

She heard his approaching footsteps so she swiftly wore her socks again as she didn’t plan on letting him see her injured toe. After all, she didn’t want to be ridiculed by him for deserving this.

“Captain Lloyd, why aren’t you keeping Miss Graham company? Why are you here?” Angela said this slightly huffily.

Hearing this, he was slightly shocked. Then, he walked over to sit next to her. He kept his eyes on her foot that was without any shoes on. “Did you injure yourself?”

Angela acted nonchalantly and put on her shoes. “No, I didn’t. I’m perfectly fine.”

“Next time, stop doing things that will hurt you,” Richard reminded her. If he hadn’t caught her on time earlier on, she would have sustained an injury on her forehead.

Angela ran a hand through her long hair. “Thanks for your concern. Miss Graham is quite pretty. She’s stunning and hot. You’ve got a great taste, Captain Lloyd.” There was a significantly stunned look on his handsome face by then.

However, he didn’t get the chance to explain himself as Angela continued, “She must be the girl that you’re in love with, huh? I wish you guys a lifetime of happiness. Don’t worry. I won’t bother you guys. If you can’t trust me, I can get Sean to be my boyfriend so that there won’t be any misunderstanding on Miss Graham’s part.”

Richard finally caught on to what she meant.

Angela continued to chatter on without paying attention to him, “I admit that I have some feelings toward you, but it’s just some slight feelings, that’s all. You don’t have to worry about me going after you persistently. I wouldn’t go to that extent.”

All of a sudden, he realized that if he remained silent, she could go on and on. So, he decided to just remain silent to find out what she was going to say subsequently.

She took a deep breath and turned around to look at the man next to her. She scrutinized him for a few seconds with her pretty eyes, after which she asked with a slightly annoyed tone, “Are you staying in the same room with Miss Graham?”

Richard continued to be silent.

Suddenly, Angela felt as if there was a huge load on her chest and her eyes turned red-rimmed subsequently. She thought of him staying in the same room with another woman and holding another woman in his arms as they went to sleep together. Then, she reckoned that soon enough, she would probably see him showing his affections for another woman publicly.

At that moment, she wished to get away from him as far as possible. She turned her face in the other direction dejectedly and said, “Richard, can you send someone else to protect me? I don’t need your protection.”

“Why?” the man next to her asked in a hoarse voice.

Angela tried hard to suppress her emotions but suddenly, she broke down upon hearing his words. Her voice broke as she sobbed, “Because I don’t want to see you.”

After she had said that, she lifted her hand to swipe at the tears on her face.

At that point, there was a stunned expression on Richard’s handsome face and he gently pressed his large palms against her shoulders. However, she didn’t turn around to look at him but shifted her body and maintained a distance from him.

Finally, Richard realized the severity of the situation so he stood up abruptly and came to her side. Under the lights, Angela’s eyes were filled with tears and as she pursed her lips, her expression was full of desolation.

He felt a pang in his heart and his expression was one of anxiousness. Instinctively, he squatted down and reached out to stroke her face. Startled, she trembled slightly and looked at him confusedly until she realized that his rough fingers were indeed stroking her cheeks.

She was stunned in place and she wondered if this was a dream. Is this man actually wiping away my tears for me?

“Y-You should leave.” Angela realized that she should not let him continue doing that. After all, the woman he loved was there so he should not behave so intimately with her.

Suddenly, Richard heaved a sigh. Subsequently, he stretched his arms and tugged her.

An unsuspecting Angela was pulled up from her seat and her teary face bumped against his firm chest. She felt a firm arm wrapping itself around her waist and the back of her head was also firmly pressed. She was forced to remain in his arms with no other option.

“You… Richard, let go of me…” She felt then that he was such a sc*mbag.

His girlfriend was by his side and yet he was here taking the initiative to pursue her. Does he want me to become a sc*mbag like him?

“Are you dumb?” Suddenly, there was a low voice that rang out from above her head chidingly.

Angela was instantly angered. How dare he scold me! She struggled hard to lift her head and as she did that, she met his dark eyes full of annoyance and frustration.

However, she didn’t realize that underneath all that, there was some other much more complicated emotion hidden behind his eyes. He seemed to be trying hard to suppress his urges.

Her eyes glittered with tears and to him, that triggered his anger very much.

Richard was quite tempted to rap her on the forehead as he narrowed his eyes with annoyance. “You haven’t even figured out the truth and yet you’ve started to tear up into such a state. Are your tears so easily spilled?”

She found herself at a loss for words. What is he on about? I don’t get it!

“Richard, what the heck are you trying to say? Just get straight to the point. Don’t beat around the bush because I wouldn’t get it. Also, don’t you dare to scold me.” Angela flared up all of a sudden. She didn’t wish to appear as a clueless bimbo in front of him.

“Ariel just arrived at the base today and similarly, she is one of the people under protection to avoid triggering a sensitive matter. I didn’t even know her at all before this,” Richard explained in a low voice.

At that moment, Angela was rendered mind-blown and she remained in a dazed state for several seconds before covering her face with both hands out of embarrassment.

She screamed repeatedly in her mind, I should just disappear from the face of this earth! This is so mortifying! Why do I keep doing such stupid, thoughtless things in front of him?

Angela wished hard to be able to reverse time.

However, suddenly, she felt a wave of emotions and she reached out to angrily pummel his chest. Stupid guy! He could have told me about that earlier. Why did he allow me to keep on

misunderstanding the situation?

“Richard, you’re such a pain!” Angela chided him angrily.

Meanwhile, he looked at her resignedly and he could feel a headache coming.

She persisted and tried her best to push the blame on him, though. “You could’ve just told me about your relationship with Ariel earlier. You need to change your habit of keeping silent all the time. If you keep up this bad attitude, I won’t bother with you—”

Richard didn’t even say another word and he grabbed the back of her head and exerted pressure as he pressed her head against his chest. Her chiding words became muffled as he held her in his arms.

Angela finally came back to her senses and realized that she was in his arms and held tightly by him.

She reached out as well and wrapped her arms around his waist tightly without hesitation. She smiled furtively in his arms and although she had embarrassed herself, at least he knew how to comfort her.

“You mentioned earlier that you were going to get Sean to be your boyfriend, huh?” Suddenly, there was a cold, interrogative voice that rang out from the top of her head.

Angela felt a cold breeze transverse across as she lifted her head up to look at his angry expression. She felt slightly aggrieved but she was keener to find out if he was actually jealous.

“Sean’s quite handsome, gentle, and witty too. He’s also quite kind toward me.” She tried to sound him out so she purposely heaped praises upon Sean.

Poor Sean was unwittingly dragged into this and at the moment, he sneezed hard in his hostel all of a sudden as a wave of unease ran through him.

Richard glanced at the woman, who was currently in his arms and yet busy praising another man, and his eyes gradually reverted to his usual cold gaze.

Angela bit her lips and didn’t finish her sentence. She pressed her face tightly back into his chest without saying another word. She decided to stop talking and just focus on hugging him.

At that moment, there was a squeaking sound of mice on the ground.

“Ah…” Angela leaped up and quite naturally clung to him tightly. Subsequently, he carried her into his arms.

Her red lips curved up and there was a pleased look on her as she glanced at his handsome face. She explained to him, “Although Sean’s great, personally, I’d prefer someone like Captain Lloyd.”

Her words were evidently a confession of her feelings.

Richard, who was generally decisive, ruthless, and always had a cold look on his face, suddenly blushed slightly. However, it was too dark at night, so Angela didn’t realize that.

“My foot hurts. Captain Lloyd, could you please carry me back?” Angela spoke coyly.

He didn’t turn her request down and he carried her toward the direction of the front door of the base.

Just as they were about to arrive at the entrance of the base, she requested for him to put her down. She did that all for the sake of his reputation and didn’t wish for him to be a topic of speculation.

He had quite a high position here and if everyone saw him carrying her around every single day then there would be plenty of rumors about him that arose.

Angela was very pleased with his performance tonight. Although he had caused her to embarrass herself and confess her feelings, at least it had generated some response from him.

“I’ll head over to your room to take a shower later. Is that fine?” She lifted her head and asked.

“Sure, come on over.” Richard nodded.

She scanned from left to right with her pretty eyes and thought, The coast is clear right now. Is this the perfect time to sneak a kiss?

“Uh… Lower your head. I’ve got something to tell you.” Angela twisted her fingers and made a request with a slightly awkward look on her face.

Richard did as told and he naturally lowered his tall body to lower his head and listen to what she had to say. However, as soon as he lowered his head, a pair of soft lips planted a kiss on his cheek quite swiftly. He was stunned and he turned around to glance at the girl who’d taken advantage of him.

At that moment, she stayed behind and didn’t run away from him. Furthermore, she revealed a dazzling smile to him. “Did you like that?”

Then, there was a flash of tenderness in his eyes but he didn’t say a word. However, the look in his eyes clearly spoke volumes and indicated that he was perfectly fine with her behaving without any restraint in front of him.

“I’ll see you later.” Angela turned around and fled after finishing her sentence. Simply put, she could not look him in the eye due to her flushed face, so she had to run.

She returned to her room, her heart pounding as she smiled foolishly. She had a sweet expression on her face as her eyes sparkled since she was thrilled.

She felt that her relationship with Richard had improved substantially. The aloof and indifferent expression on his face had vanished, and it was evident that he had enjoyed the sneak kiss she gave him earlier.Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.

Meanwhile, Ariel was throwing a tantrum in her room because she had just realized that no private bathroom was available. Being a girl, she found the idea of having to use the public bathhouse to take a shower to be unacceptable.

She went to the management office to express her concern, but they told her to use the public bathhouse. She left the office in an inconsolable rage and barely managed to keep her calm. It dawned on her that she wasn’t the only female guest.

Where does Angela take her shower? She certainly wouldn’t shower in the public bathhouse. She wanted to find out where Angela took a shower so she could use the same bathroom.

Ariel proceeded to ask around until she finally received the answer in secret from a male staff member. He informed her that Angela had a designated area for shower and that she had gone to Richard’s private en-suite bathroom.

They were currently located in the deep mountains, so resources were limited; everything was streamlined, and few people had the privilege of having an en-suite bathroom.

When she heard that, her eyes lit up. So, Angela takes a shower in Richard’s room, which means I can do the same. At that moment, she recalled that she had packed two slinky nightgowns on purpose when packing her clothes, and now it came in handy.

Ariel returned to her room and hastily took out a nude pink nightgown from her wardrobe before picking out a long coat. She intended to wrap that around herself after she finished her shower as no one other than Richard could get to see her in a nightgown.

She was not in a hurry to head to Richard’s room at the moment because she hoped to stall for more time. Once everyone in this hostel block fell asleep, it would be much more convenient for her to make her way to his room.

She pulled out a vanity mirror and began admiring her beauty. She took a closer look and concluded that the results of her cosmetic surgery were excellent because the scars from the operation were hardly noticeable. She compared her new, refined appearance to the one she had before by moving her eyes, nose, and lips.

Ariel could not help but think of Angela. Since she was so accustomed to visiting the plastic surgeon’s hospital, she was confident that she could tell if a woman had undergone cosmetic procedures at a glance.

She was envious to learn that Angela was a natural beauty with perfect features. She also admired Angela’s flawless skin.

Still, Ariel considered her merits and concluded that Angela was too brainy and didn’t appear to be the type men preferred. On the other hand, she was flirtatious and seductive, and a single glance could easily win a man’s heart. Furthermore, she was far more open-minded than Angela.

Angela regained her composure in the room before grabbing her pajamas and heading to Richard’s room to shower. She brought the same set of pajamas as before, with the addition of a robe for an extra layer of warmth. After all, it was getting colder outside.

In late autumn, the temperature significantly differed between night and day in a remote mountainous region. During the day, the temperature could reach sixty-eight degrees Fahrenheit, but at night, it dropped to forty-six degrees Fahrenheit. Angela sneezed a few times, possibly because she had caught a chill when she ran out of her room. Right now, she could feel her body getting colder.

Please don’t tell me that I’ve caught a cold! Please, no! That would be awful. She couldn’t help but think to herself.

Angela went to Richard’s room, put out her hand to knock on the door, and someone opened the door from the inside. He had just gotten out of the shower and was dressed casually. There were still some

droplets of water on his dark hair.

“Did you just take a shower?” she asked shyly, still smelling the faint mint scent on his body.

“Yup!” He moved sideways to let her in.

She sneezed twice as soon as she entered the room, leaving her slightly embarrassed. Suddenly, a large hand touched her forehead, and as she stood there in shock, she felt his palm press against her forehead twice. He said hushedly, “You seem to have a slight fever.”

“Are you sure about that? I don’t think so.” Angela felt slightly dizzy but didn’t think that she might have caught a cold.

“Try and take a warm shower,” Richard instructed her.

Angela nodded and headed in the direction of the bathroom. He’s such a simple man, she thought as she pursed her lips and smiled in front of the bathroom mirror, looking at the water glass and electric shaver.

The sound of Angela taking a shower was clearly audible in the room, and it distracted the man reading a book. Finally, he ended up putting down his book and rubbing the spot between his brows. At that moment, his cell phone pinged, and he received a notification of a text message.

Richard took his cell phone and glanced at it. Before he even looked at it, he had a rough idea of who it was. It was from Annie, who had recently sent him more than three text messages daily. The gist of her message was to confess her love for him and express her expectant feelings to meet up as soon as possible. Even though he didn’t respond to that, her enthusiasm was not dampened. Right now, there was indeed a text message from her.

“Richard, are you busy at the moment? I had a dream today, and you were in it. I was delighted. Could you send me a photo of you? I realize that I’ve nearly forgotten how you look.”

He was looking at his cell phone screen when he heard a sound from the bathroom. Angela was opening the door. Instantly after that, he made a silly gesture of flinging it aside. He threw his cell phone to the pillow on the couch by his side, swiftly picking up the book he had just put aside to read.

Angela came out of the bathroom, and she caught a glimpse of him from behind as he sat quietly on the couch, reading a book. She put on her robe and walked in his direction. Her long hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and her soft hair was too hard to keep in place, so some loose hair was strewn around her flawless, milky-white face. She seemed to give out a charming aura all of a sudden.

She was slightly thirsty, so she looked at the pot of tea he had brewed on the table and asked directly, “Can I have some of your tea?”

Richard nodded slightly, so she happily clutched onto his mug and drank the hot tea. At that moment, she felt as if life was perfect. She held his mug and observed him while sipping slowly. He could feel her lovely eyes locked on his face and body. She appeared to regard the man in front of her as if he were a perfectly sculpted statue.

He felt uneasy with how she looked at him, as indicated by his handsomely unsettling facial expression. Eventually, he could not endure it and put down the book to ask with narrowed eyes, “Why are you staring at me like that?”

“I enjoy staring at you,” she said with a generous smile.

At that moment, Angela heard the notification of a text message coming from behind the pillow she was leaning on. She lowered her head to search for it, and at the same time, she reached out to grab the black cell phone. However, a strong masculine body pressed against her at that moment, startling her. As soon as she regained her composure, she was half-lying on the couch with Richard on top of her.

Furthermore, when she was caught off guard, he had already grabbed his cell phone, which she held in her hands.

She was momentarily dumbfounded, but then she realized that he had given such a massive response because he wanted to grab his cell phone. Could it be that he has a message on his cell phone that he wants to keep hidden from everyone?

After all, she couldn’t look at it because he had a password set up. However, she was perplexed as to why he reacted so. His reaction mirrored the actions of someone who had something to hide.

Angela sat up with resentment on her beautiful face and stared at him with lovely eyes. “What made you react so badly earlier?”

“I’m sorry.” Richard had an unsettling expression on his handsome face. He had indeed reacted inappropriately earlier.

“Was it a text message from a girl?” she asked and her gaze fixed on him.

He firmly denied it, “No.

She was then convinced that the message was sent by a girl. Suddenly, she became agitated. Who sent him that text message?

Captain Lloyd, it appears that you have a large number of admirers. Where do I rank on the list? She laughed at herself.

Richard checked his wristwatch for the time and saw that it was eight-thirty. He murmured, “You should return to your room and get some rest.”

Angela crossed her arms in front of her and made it clear that she was not going anywhere. “I’m not sleepy yet.”

He glanced at her with a slightly resigned expression. He realized he couldn’t talk sense into this woman when she was being stubborn.

“Are you being pursued by another girl?” She was tenacious in her refusal to change the subject.

However, Richard was hesitant to respond to her question. Furthermore, he didn’t want her to know that the girl in question was her cousin, Annie. Nonetheless, he was adamant about breaking off the engagement. He wasn’t worried that what he did might hurt his grandpa’s reputation and planned to go through with what he had decided. After all, he didn’t want to jeopardize Annie’s future. He had never thought about his future with the girl in front of him because he had no intention of marrying in this life.

Angela realized that he had not responded to her question since the start, and she felt quite dejected. She continued to take sips from his mug of tea, but suddenly, she choked on it.

“Cough… Cough…” She clutched her chest in discomfort as she coughed hard. The choking sensation she felt was very uncomfortable for her.

At that moment, she felt a large hand gently pat her on the back, and she finally managed to catch her breath. Her face was flushed from all the coughing, and she felt Richard’s hand touch her forehead at that moment. She was quite angry, so she smacked his hand aside abruptly.

“I don’t need you to show any concern, Captain Lloyd.” She angrily turned her back on him.

The atmosphere suddenly became tense, and Angela turned her back on him, clearly expressing her displeasure.

She suddenly heard him sigh, and he explained in a low voice, “The person who sent me the text message is the girl my Grandpa is trying to set me up with, but I have no feelings for her.”

Angela turned her head back to him, her eyes widening in astonishment. “Do you have a fiancée?”

“She’s just a girl I met once,” Richard emphasized.

Angela, however, felt a sharp pain in her chest because, in his grandpa’s eyes, that girl was already his fiancée, even though they had only met once.

“Are you going to marry her?” She couldn’t stop the jealousy that welled up within her.

“No.” He shook his head with a determined look in his eyes.

“So, what’s your plan?” Angela seemed to be intent on pursuing the topic to get an answer.

Richard didn’t look the least bit annoyed. He gave her a solemn look before responding, “Once I’ve completed my mission to protect you, I’ll speak with Grandpa about breaking off the engagement. I will personally apologize to the girl’s family.”

“Aren’t you worried about hurting the girl’s feelings?” She sighed and felt sympathy for his fiancée.

He remained silent for a few seconds. Angela has no idea that her cousin Annie is the girl she’s referring to.

“Stop being upset because I can handle my own problems perfectly.” Richard no longer wanted to talk about this matter. He was willing to explain things to keep her from overthinking and becoming upset.

She came to her senses and realized how easily her jealousy could be triggered. She blushed at that moment. “Alright, I’ll stop being upset.”

There was a knock on Richard’s door, and Angela quickly inquired, “Is that Trevor and the others?”

He went to the door to answer the knock; just as he had only pushed it open halfway, Angela heard Ariel’s voice coming from the outside. Ariel said, “Hi, Captain Lloyd. I was wondering if I could use your shower if it’s okay with you.”

Her voice was sickly sweet and flirtatious; it was definitely a seductive tone.

Angela’s lovely eyes dilated as she wondered, What?! Is Ariel planning on taking a shower in Richard’s bathroom?

She soon realized that there was just a public bathhouse available. Ariel must have inquired around and discovered that Angela was taking her shower in Richard’s room, which was why she also wanted to use it. She was possessive and didn’t want any other woman to enter Richard’s room but her.

“No, it would be inconvenient,” Richard said dismissively.

“Captain Lloyd, I heard Miss Meyers showers here as well. Please allow me to utilize it. You let her use your bathroom, so please let me as well. After all, I’m a girl, and using the public bathhouse would be dangerous.”

“It’s very safe here,” Richard instantly rebutted.

“Captain Lloyd, you should be fair to me as well. I promise I’ll just take a shower here and not do anything else. After I take a shower, I’ll return to my room.” Ariel’s voice sounded quite pitiful as she pleaded.

Meanwhile, Angela, who was seated on the couch, could no longer stand it and stood up abruptly to head to the door. Richard had originally left a gap in the door so that Ariel wouldn’t be able to see her in the room. Nonetheless, she emerged unexpectedly right in front of Ariel. “Miss Graham, it isn’t convenient at all, alright?” Angela spoke with a smile.

At the moment, Ariel blushed, and she clearly didn’t expect Angela to be inside his room. She smiled forcefully and asked, “Miss Meyers, why would it be inconvenient? We’re both girls, so you should be sympathetic to my predicament, right?”

She thought to herself, Richard’s the owner of this room. Angela doesn’t have the right to stop me from using the bathroom!

“I am sympathetic to your predicament, but I can’t let you use the bathroom.”

“Why are you allowed to use it, but not me? Captain Lloyd gets to make the decision?” Ariel couldn’t control her emotions, and her tone was quite provoking.

Angela blinked and reached out to affectionately cling to Richard’s arm. She then turned her face toward his shoulders and said, “Because I’m his girlfriend, I’m obviously allowed to use the bathroom. Miss Graham, don’t you realize we’re in a relationship?”

Ariel’s eyes widened as she was stunned beyond words. Oh, no! Angela got ahead of me and won Richard’s heart.

“I-Is that so?” she replied awkwardly.

Meanwhile, Angela gave a firm nod. “Yes. So, Miss Graham, you should shower somewhere else. Don’t interrupt my boyfriend and me while we enjoy our evening together.”

Angela reached out to close the door after saying that. She noticed Ariel had a slinky nightgown draped over her arms and was obviously here under the guise of taking a shower. Nonetheless, she intended to use this opportunity to seduce Richard.

This man will be a source of concern for me in the future!

The door closed behind them, but Angela clung to his hand and refused to let go. She smiled at him as she lifted her head. “I hope you don’t mind that I ruined your love prospects.”

“When did you become my girlfriend? Why wasn’t I made aware of this?” Richard asked with his eyes narrowed.

She tilted her head and smiled. “Didn’t you know I became your girlfriend tonight?”

He was momentarily speechless.

She noticed that he did not respond, and she couldn’t help but chuckle, “If you remain silent, then I’ll just assume that you’ve agreed to that.”

Angela happily let go of the arm she was clutching and said to him, “Captain Lloyd, do you have any snacks? I’m hungry.”

He didn’t have any snacks in his room, but he could arrange for the kitchen staff to prepare something for her if she so desired. “What would you like to have?”

“I wasn’t satiated during dinner time, so I wanted something piping hot. Can I have some instant noodles?” Angela asked.

“Hold on.” Richard then took his cell phone and dialed a number before telling the person on the other end, “Once you get the noodles ready, just send it to my room.”

She asked out of curiosity, “Who did you call?”

“Just be patient, and your meal will be ready soon.” He didn’t bother to answer her question.

At that moment, Angela felt a warm, fuzzy feeling rise within her. He may be a man of a few words, but he’s very efficient in his ways and full of patience for me too.

Meanwhile, Ariel went outside the door to the public bathhouse to take a shower before returning to her room. She was still extremely frustrated. Angela’s earlier words were grating on her ears, and Angela

seemed gloating about her success, which made Ariel uncomfortable.

Her upbringing fostered a competitive streak and her determination to pursue whatever she desired, be it a position or a man. She would give it a shot as long as she was interested.

“Angela Meyers, you shouldn’t be so arrogant. Perhaps one day, your man will be mine.” Ariel gazed at herself in the mirror and revealed a smug and self-assured grin under the light.

She just wanted a win against Angela; whether she could be Richard’s girlfriend was never part of the equation. As she was locked up here, her life was boring, and it was about time to find something interesting to do.

Ten minutes later, Angela was eating a bowl of fragrant noodles—it was all thanks to Richard’s privilege that the cook took the trouble to make her an extra bowl of noodles at 9.00PM. Despite that, Angela was still very grateful to the cook.

“Do you want some?” she asked Richard, who was sitting on the couch.

“No, thanks.” He wasn’t hungry.

The sole reason why she was starving was because of him—Ariel was sitting next to him previously, causing her misunderstanding to deepen so much that she had lost her appetite for dinner and couldn’t stomach anything. After Angela was done with her meal, she began to clean up the dishes, but he stopped her from doing that. Instead, he checked the time on his watch and thought it was time for her to go to rest.

She looked around the place with her beautiful eyes and subsequently fixed them at his neat grey bed; she looked as if she was pondering something. Regardless, Richard saw right through her and refused directly, “You can’t occupy my bed.”

Angela pouted when she heard his refusal. “What a petty man.” This woman knows nothing about pettiness, he thought. If she really slept with him on the same bed, he would have trouble falling asleep the whole night!

He noticed earlier that she had a low fever, so he stepped forward and put his palm on her forehead. Fortunately, her temperature was normal again.

“Sleep in your room. Remember to cover yourself with the quilt at night,” he reminded her patiently. She nodded and returned to her room obediently. She was pleased tonight—his attitude toward her changed again, and finally, she became his girlfriend. The moment she had that thought, she immediately slapped her own head. Argh, no, Angela! Before he cancels his engagement with his fiancée, you will only be his friend.

Angela suddenly felt sorry for the fiancée; even if it was the elders who arranged the engagement, no matter what, that girl was still Richard’s fiancée. She could not stop wondering what kind of girl the fiancée was, but seeing her actively texting him, she must have fallen in love with him! Her mind slipped into a tangle of emotions yet again when she thought of that. Little did she know that the girl she felt sorry about was actually her cousin, Annie, who happily informed Angela that she was getting engaged some time ago.

That night, Richard still had difficulty falling asleep; his mind was full of Angela’s teary face on the sports field, her voice, and her laughter.

He received a call from Arthur early in the morning. Arthur told Richard that he and his new wife, Sophia, were still traveling around the world, so the wedding that was initially scheduled to be held would be postponed for another three months. However, Richard happened to be on a mission now, so the fact that they delayed the wedding did not affect him the slightest.

Meanwhile, in the Presgrave Group’s general office in Averna, Anastasia, who had been going through early pregnancy symptoms, finally felt a little better. She had been pregnant with her second child for four months and was pleased to know that the child was very healthy. She and her husband, Elliot, had been eagerly looking forward to the birth of their daughter.

She was wearing a long loose dress which also happened to cover up her belly, so to unsuspecting outsiders, her figure still looked as slender as a girl. With her long, naturally wavy hair reaching her waist, she exuded a feminine aura. Perhaps it was because she was pregnant, she also had the luster of maternal love, and with that, her beauty doubled.

Elliot ended the meeting ten minutes early just to spend more time accompanying his wife. Who would have thought that this elite who was decisive in all the business decisions would one day become a clingy husband? As soon as he arrived at the office and saw an empty couch, he frowned slightly. “Where is she?”

“Mrs. Presgrave went downstairs to the atelier for work after receiving a call,” replied Rey. Elliot was speechless upon hearing that; he had already hired the best manager for her, yet she was reluctant to rest during the pregnancy period. He turned around and stepped in the direction of the elevator.

In the bright and spacious office of the atelier, Anastasia was sitting in front of the desk reviewing a contract she had recently negotiated. Under her management, the Bourgeois Jewelry Atelier was now considered one of the favored luxury brands, and her customer base had a more extensive consumer base than before.

Anastasia was very satisfied with the prospect of the company growing in her hands. She loved the jewelry industry and hoped she could achieve big things here. The door was pushed open just as she was reviewing the contract attentively. At once, she knew it was her husband; he was the only person who could come in without knocking on the door.

She raised her head and saw his handsome face tinged with slight annoyance. As she smiled, she did not forget to tease him. “Has anyone owed you money recently?”

“What’s more important? Your job or your body?” he reprimanded in a low voice but simultaneously reached out and embraced her. She knew he loved her dearly and did not want her to be too exhausted when she was pregnant, yet she found that sitting around the whole day doing nothing but nourishing the fetus was too dull for her, so she had to find something to do to pass the time.

She returned the embrace by wrapping her arms around his neck and appeasing him with a kiss. “I know. I’ll stop working, okay?”

As soon as Elliot heard that, he wrapped his arms around her waist while his tone softened. “I ordered lunch from the restaurant you like the most, and in the afternoon, we’ll go out and relax for a bit.” Since they were married, the man had been pampering her; even more so now that she was having his child again, she was regarded as his queen. He would not let her work any harder than she should and even repeatedly reduced his workload to accompany her.

“But I just want to be at home,” replied Anastasia. She reached out to tidy up her husband’s lapel; he was not wearing a tie today, which revealed his sexy collarbone. She took the opportunity to touch it, and he could not help but smile. He noticed that his wife had been taking more initiative lately.

As he thought something was brewing in the air, she suddenly said, “Oh, wait a minute, I need to talk to Mason about something. Give me ten.” This annoyed him, but he tried not to show it. Nevertheless, she sensed his emotions as she quickly wrapped her arms around his waist again and acted charmingly. “Are you feeling jealous, President Presgrave?”

Elliot didn’t bother trying to hide his emotions any longer; he held her in his arms and nodded. “Yes, I am.” It was only natural that he would be jealous if his wife approached any male except him.

Who knew that she merely reacted by patting him in a comforting manner as she said, “Don’t worry! Just some work. I won’t be long!” After she finished talking, she pushed open the door and left, leaving him alone. He started tugging on his lapels out of frustration. Despite his clear annoyance, he still looked sexy and glamorous just by doing that.

She returned after a while and saw her husband sitting in her seat. His noble appearance always made her heart flutter, but they had been restraining themselves because of the pregnancy. Nonetheless, his charm had always fascinated her. The moment he saw that she was back, he stood up and held her hands naturally.”Let’s go!”

Anastasia was sitting on the couch in the cozy villa restaurant listening to the sound of chopped vegetables in the kitchen. She was flipping through the latest fashion magazine, and across the most conspicuous part of the front page was her last season’s jewelry show; contentment flashed across her eyes when she saw how far she had come.

She placed the magazine down and got up to the kitchen; her husband, who had just returned home to cook lunch for her, was wearing a white shirt and a gray apron. As he was busy in the kitchen, the high- quality handmade shirt revealed the lines of his muscular back muscles; it was a picturesque view that showed strength and beauty could coexist without a sense of incongruity.

She wrapped herself around his waist lovingly and tucked her head under his arm, and noticed that he was preparing her a nutritious and delicious salad for lunch.

Due to her being at her early pregnancy stage, she became extraordinarily picky. She would not eat any delicacies; the only food she would eat was the salad with a sauce prepared by him, which she absolutely loved.

Elliot fed her a fresh cucumber, and as she bit it with her mouth, she inadvertently touched his fingertips with her red lips. Naturally, he felt her lips brushing against his fingertips and instantly looked

at her with his deep gaze. Of course, she noticed the look he shot at her and smiled coyly at him with a look.

Something flashed across his eyes; she began seducing him ever since she became pregnant, knowing well that he couldn’t do anything to her. Every time she succeeded in arousing him, she would stop and look at him innocently as if she never intended to do so. However, he knew full well that she was doing this on purpose.

If Anastasia were not pregnant, Elliot would not hesitate to stop whatever he was doing and carry her upstairs for some intimate time.

Regardless, he was not easily fooled. He turned to face her with one hand wrapping her waist and the other holding a cherry tomato. “Do you want this?” asked Elliot in an enticing manner.

Her eyes immediately lit up; she loved cherry tomatoes. However, due to their height difference, she tiptoed, and just as she leaned over and opened her mouth to eat it, the cherry tomato disappeared in front of her. Instead, she saw his face approaching hers, and before she realized it, she was kissed by his domineering thin lips.

She was annoyed when she realized he was teasing her; it was as if she wanted him to take advantage of her. Admittedly, though, it was her fault for not learning from her previous mistakes. He was a master at affectionately entrapping her, and he would kiss her until her legs went weak.

Luckily, she had a talisman now, so he could not do anything as he pleased. Nonetheless, the overflowing sweetness between the couple was like a dose of sugar added to their life, tempting and alluring.

Finally, Elliot let go of his wife, only to see her blushing and panting in his arms. She pressed her head against his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat, and a sense of peace arose in her heart.

“How about you get some rest now? Lunch will be ready soon. If I accidentally starve my two babies, I will feel distressed,” he said with a satisfied smile. Anastasia obediently left the kitchen and waited for lunch to be served after hearing his suggestion. Soon enough, he came out with her favorite lunch and accompanied her to eat.

“My jewelry appeared on the cover of a magazine. Since there will be an awards ceremony this Friday, I’m thinking of presenting the awards to my designers.” But, as the boss, she felt it would only be meaningful if she awarded them in person.

“Sure, I’ll go with you.”

“We managed to achieve so much this time and even received several foreign orders. The credit goes to Mason, and I need to him treat him to a meal—”

“Mrs. Presgrave!” Elliot angrily interrupted her as soon as he heard the name “Mason”. In his wife’s mind, Mason was a conscientious subordinate, but he knew well that Mason’s efforts stemmed from his unrequited love for his wife.

Anastasia blinked her beautiful eyes and saw her husband was so irate that he even put down the spoon. She hurriedly went over to his side, sat on his lap, and wrapped her arms around his neck. She coaxed him gently, “Alright, I won’t treat him. I will just give him a bonus.”

Only then did Elliot realize he was being too petty; of course, he knew that his wife only loved him, but the name “Mason” had subconsciously triggered his jealousy. “Okay. How about we invite him to a meal together?” As he stroked her hair, his gaze softened a little.

Anastasia could not help but snort when she heard that. “Forget it! You’re way too intimidating. I’m afraid you’ll scare him off.”

He held her so that she could sit on his lap steadily. “Am I that scary?”

She sized him up; perhaps, in the eyes of ordinary people, he was scary due to his stern and inviolable temperament, but he would always be her favorite. She lowered her head and kissed his brow. “I love the way you are.”

At that moment, the way she looked at him became lustful. His heart skipped a beat as he looked into her eyes, and his voice became a little husky. “Why are you looking at me this way, Mrs. Presgrave?”

Anastasia blinked her beautiful eyes. “I want you to cuddle me and take a nap together.”

Elliot scratched the tip of her nose lightly. “Are you trying to challenge my restraint?”

She smirked and pretended to be innocent. “I’m just asking for a cuddle.” Eventually, he caved as he could not reject her request at all.

“Dum dum, are you trying to make me go crazy by c*ckblocking me?” he complained in a low voice, and his black eyes were full of lust. Even though it was mushy and made her speechless, she loved that he called her “dum dum” because he was the only person in the world who could call her by this nickname.

It was morning at the base.

It was early in the morning at the base, and Angela was putting her dried clothes in her laundry bag when she bumped into Ariel, who had also come to dry her clothes. Suddenly, Ariel blocked Angela’s way and asked, “Angela, what did you do to get in here?”