"Mr. Blonde," Lesley's eyes slowly widened as she uttered the name, her gaze fixed on him. Rhia was surprised; this was the first time she had seen Lesley react this way to someone. While He exuded a slightly lesser intensity of Zander's aura, Lesley's familiarity with him was evident. Rhia thought to herself, "Why does he exude a little feature of Zander's aura? Is it because they share a similar background or experience? Or is it simply a coincidence?" Many thoughts ran through Rhia's head as she wondered how Lesley knew him; she had many unanswered questions. A smile formed on Mr. Blonde's lips, though he quickly hid his surprised expression at seeing Lesley.
"Brother," the blonde-haired guy, Zaden, spoke in his usual deep, playful tone. Zander's expression remained neutral, as if he didn't want to acknowledge him. Zaden walked to the sofa, giving a quick glance at Rhia, who was sitting beside Zander. He knew better than to stare too long, or his brother would likely "poke out his eyes." He sat beside Lesley, turning to her with a quick wink and a playful smile before turning back to his cold brother. Rhia, who was trying to recover from the shock that Zander had a brother, was shocked again by Lesley's faint blush, which she didn't fail to notice.
"Nice to meet you, sis-in-law," he spoke, his tone playful. "Nice to meet you too, Mr. ..." Rhia trailed off, not knowing his name. "Zaden," he finished, with a charming smile. He then turned to Lesley, who was simply touching the hem of her shirt. He gazed a little longer, his eyes lingering on her, before turning back to Zander. "You've seen her now, leave," Zander spoke, his voice firm and commanding.
The way Zander coldly spoke was intimidating, but Zaden, who knew him for a long time, showed a slight smile. "Is this really how you speak to your guests?" Zaden asked, his tone playful and teasing, as if he were familiar with Zander's gruff demeanor.
Lesley wondered how Zaden came to know Zander, but she wasn't surprised. Knowing who Zander was. But when Zaden called Zander "brother," everything started to make sense. Lesley's eyes widened as she remembered the night she spent with Zaden, the things she did with him when she was drunk... Her face flushed with embarrassment as she bent her head, nervously playing with the hem of her shirt.
Zander remained calm as he stood up when his phone buzzed, and the atmosphere became less intense. She wondered how Rhia and Zander lived together, considering Zander's intimidating aura. She needed to respect Rhia for being able to handle his presence daily. Lesley couldn't help but admire Rhia's strength and resilience in dealing with Zander's gruff demeanor.
Lesley immediately stood up, "I'm leaving, I'll call you, Rhia." She spoke almost in haste, as if she couldn't wait to escape. Just as she was about to leave, Zaden held her wrist, "I'll drop you," he said. Lesley quickly turned to Rhia, who stared back with a questioning gaze. "Okay," Lesley agreed, her voice barely above a whisper. Zaden released his grip, and Lesley hurriedly ran out of the room, clearly unable to stay there any longer.
Lesley entered the car with Zaden by her side, and she decided to stare at the outside view to avoid any awkwardness between them. The silence was palpable, until Zaden broke it with his silky, deep tone, "Are you best friends with Rhia?" His voice sent chills down her body, a new and unfamiliar sensation.
Lesley turned to him, her heart racing slightly, "Yes, we've been friends since childhood." She replied, trying to sound calm. Zaden nodded, his eyes fixed on the road ahead, but Lesley could sense his gaze lingering on her, making her feel uneasy and aware of his presence.
"You're really shy compared to that night; you were so..." Zaden trailed off, his voice low and husky. In a swift second, Lesley used her palm to cover his mouth, her cheeks flushing bright red. They were in an awkward position, with Lesley's hand pressed against Zaden's lips and their faces inches apart. Zaden stared at her flushed cheeks, which he found endearing. Before Lesley could realize the intimacy of their position, Zaden pulled her closer, her eyes widening as a gasp escaped her lips.
Finally letting go of her, Lesley mouthed "playboy," but he read her lips and his smile widened. "I just feel like doing naughty things with you," he teased, his voice low and husky. Her blush intensified as she turned to the window, wondering... was he trying to... seduce her? The thought sent her heart racing, and she couldn't bring herself to finish the question in her mind. The car suddenly screeched to a halt as the chauffeur stepped out. "Who's driving?" she managed to speak. "Me," Zaden replied, his voice rough. Goosebumps crawled on Lesley's skin. "Stop that," Lesley spoke barely above a whisper. "Stop what?" Zaden asked, acting as if he had no idea what she meant. "Whatever you're doing," she finally turned to him, her eyes locking onto his.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Zaden said, his face inches from Lesley's. She was becoming attracted to him by the second, and it didn't sit well with her. She had never felt this way, not even when she was with Kris. Zaden moved closer to her, their faces inches apart, and Lesley's eyes trailed across his lips. Before Zaden could move to undo his seatbelt and get out to drive, Lesley's lips crashed onto his.