When she didn't react, he said, "Since the first time I saw you, I've only seen you wearing cheap jeans. I always thought that you'd be so beautiful in a dress."
He reached out and traced his fingertips across a row of dresses, finally choosing a beige one. The simple and elegant design, the dignified style—it was perfect for her.
He handed the dress to her, saying, "Go put it on. I want to see you."
She took the dress, embarrassed. "Now?"
"Yes, now," he replied with a faint smile. "Or, if you don't want to try it on, we can do something else…"
Embarrassed, she rushed into the bathroom with the dress.
"Little liar," The Sniper teased, smiling fondly as he crouched down to search for the right heels for her.
Unable to share in his casual attitude, Olivia sat on the toilet lid, hugging the dress. She had turned bright red in embarrassment.
She couldn't understand why she became so awkward every time she was in his presence.
The dress was beautiful and stylish, and when she had first opened the wardrobe, she had felt drawn to it. But she hadn't expected that he would pick out the same dress.
After some time, a firm knock on the bathroom door startled her.
"Olivia." She could see Mr. Sniper's silhouette through the door glass and could hear his deep, magnetic voice clearly. "You've been in there for fifteen minutes. If you can't change your clothes, I'll help you."
She quickly declined. "I can do it!"
"Okay," he said with a chuckle, "I'll wait for you out here."
He seemed to like the darkness very much, and there was no light in the bathroom. Olivia changed by the light coming in through the window. She stood in front of the mirror, looking at herself.
She was tall and well proportioned. The dress outlined her figure perfectly, showing off her slim waist and the curves of her breasts.
The hem was just above the knee, revealing her delicate, slender legs. The skirt gently swung, rose, and fell as she moved, making it seem almost like she was floating.
When she came out, The Sniper was stunned for a moment. His gaze became intense.
"I made a pretty good choice," he boasted.
He was holding a pair of white high heels dotted with diamonds and sharp points. He squatted in front of her and helped her put them on.
Standing back up, he reached out and gently removed her scrunchie, letting her black hair fall to her shoulders. The waves framed her face, making it look smaller and even more delicate.
He seemed very pleased with her hair. He ran his fingers through it as he said, "Freddie Chen doesn't know a precious gem when he sees one."
Olivia looked at him, puzzled.
"You are an exquisite, unpolished jewel," he continued, "but your beauty and worth have been wasted on him."
She laughed self-deprecatingly. "Perhaps I'm just a worthless stone," she replied, "and I just got lucky enough to meet a buyer, not very bright, who treats me like a treasure."
Mr. Sniper tucked some unruly strands of hair behind her ears and asked, "Are you questioning my judgment?"
"No, I just don't think I deserve to be called an 'exquisite jewel.'"
"If I say you deserve it, then you deserve it," he said playfully, hugging her and kissing her firmly. "If you put on some makeup, you'll be even more beautiful."
In the moonlight coming through the window, Olivia saw his face clearly for the first time.
Or, to be more precise, she saw his mask.
A white mask covered his face from his nose to his forehead. All she could see of his actual face were his bright, deep eyes gazing at her.
She shied away from his gaze as if from the heat of a fire.
"Are you scared of me?" he asked.
She shook her head. "I'm not scared," she said, "just a little surprised."
He asked, "You went to the hospital to see your uncle today, isn't that right?"
She replied, "Yes I did. At some point, I'll return all the money you gave me. After my divorce, I'll find a job. I'll pay for all his medical expenses myself and save up some money to pay you back."
He pressed one finger gently against her lips and said, "Olivia, you already know I don't lack money. Now, you should know what I want."
She swallowed, unsure what to say.
Mr. Sniper laid her down on the bed and kissed her gently. From her forehead to the tip of her nose, from her ears to her lips, his attention was gentle but firm and masculine.
Olivia asked, "Since we haven't turned on the light, can you take off your mask?"
"I'm sorry, Olivia," he answered, "I can't do that yet." His kisses grew more passionate, his clothes became an obstacle, and her body was his battlefield.
She was floating blissfully in desire. Under the moonlight, The Sniper covered her eyes with his hands and said, "Pay attention. Really feel my touch."
"Mr. Sniper…" she said hesitantly.
"Yes?"
"There's something I need to tell you."
"What is it?"
She closed her eyes, letting tears roll down her cheeks. "I can't have children. That's why my husband is divorcing me."
He froze for a brief moment.
She bit her lip and continued quietly, "If you just want me as a lover who you can move on from whenever you want, that's okay. But if you want children, I can't give you what you're looking for."
"I know," he replied in an incredibly gentle voice. "Leave it to me."
There was something about Mr. Sniper's presence that always made Olivia willing to submit.
She felt like she was a kite, and Mr. Sniper was holding the string. He didn't restrict her flying, just held the string steadily and helped her back on course when she was about to veer off course. Then he would let her fly freely again.
The nights spent with him were wild and intoxicating, something she had never experienced in the four dull years of her marriage.
Meanwhile, at the Chen household, things were very different.
As Freddie was getting ready to go to work one morning, Janet was adjusting his tie and leaning in close to him. "Can you not go to the office today?" she asked. "We're finally together, so why not stay home with me?"
Few men can resist the charms of a lovely woman.
Freddie hugged her and said, "I'm going to the office to get work done, not to see other women. What are you worried about?"
Janet's expression changed slightly.
How could she not be worried?
After all, isn't that how she had gotten all this? At the company offices, she had used work as an excuse to keep in contact with Freddie, and she had taken every chance to hint that she was interested in him. She may not have been as beautiful as her cousin, but she was much better at taking the initiative. Gradually, with occasional physical contact and deliberate slips of the tongue, she had planted a seed in his heart and waited for it to take root so she could reap the fruits.
The child she was carrying was her capital for marrying into the Chen family.
"Freddie, are you really going to listen to Olivia and not tell Dad about us?" she asked, pouting in displeasure.
Freddie's smile faded. He let go of her and adjusted his cuffs in the mirror. "She's right," he answered. "Your father just had surgery. What if he gets too upset?"
"But you two will get divorced sooner or later," Janet countered. "It's her fault she can't have children. If he knew, even my dad would think it's her fault."
Freddie was a little surprised to hear that from her. "Janet," he argued, "he's your dad. If something happened to him, wouldn't you care?"
Janet realized that she had overreacted and was a little anxious. But Freddie was actually willing to listen to what Olivia had said, which really irritated her.
She smiled and explained, "Of course I'm worried. It's just that I love you so much, and I really want to be with you in the open."
Trustingly, Freddie hugged and kissed her. "Don't worry," he assured, "I'll divorce her as soon as possible."
"All right, I believe you."
After Freddie left, Janet returned to the bedroom. She snatched up objects off her nightstand and dresser and hurled them across the room in frustration until she finally managed to calm herself.
She hadn't expected this attitude from Freddie.
She had initially thought that he didn't care about her cousin anymore, but he actually wanted to give her a hundred fifty thousand dollars as compensation! And after talking to her, he had agreed not to tell her uncle about them being together?!
She had a bad feeling about this.
She saw that Freddie's phone was still on the nightstand. He had obviously forgotten to take it to work.
She picked it up, planning to go after him, but after two steps, she stopped. Freddie wasn't stepping up, so she had to do something.
She decided to use his phone to call Olivia.