A slight shudder coursed through her as the edges of her robe slipped away, baring the soft curve of her shoulder to the morning light. His lips pressed against her skin, smooth and coaxing, as he murmured, "Stay, let's linger a while longer in this slumber."
With quiet resolve, she drew her robe close again, the belt fastened securely, and replied hushedly, "I need to return to Jasper's place."
His face found the tender spot where her neck met her shoulder, his hands continuing their gentle exploration as his slightly muffled voice carried a hint of irritation. "But we agreed you'd sever ties with Jasper."
She shrugged, attempting to slip from his embrace, "I haven't had the chance to explain things to him yet."
His breath was a whisper against her skin, "Want me to talk to him for you?"
"No need."
He gently kissed her neck, whispering, "Alright, then go tell him and move all your belongings out of his place."
"I can handle my own affairs." She had already planned to rent an apartment once she moved out of Jasper's house.
"Do you have a place to stay?"
"Yes."
"Where?"
"I'll find a place to rent."
He kissed her jaw, his voice husky, "You've been with Jasper for so many years, and he never gave you a house?"
He had even offered her shares in Silverstone, but she never accepted.
Seeing her silence, he said, "Stay in the hotel for a few days. I'll find you a place."
She shook her head, "No need, I'll manage."
He looked at her, "You don't seem too happy today."
She thought she might never be happy again.
"Maybe you didn't sleep well last night, so you're grumpy this morning," he chuckled.
His words brought a blush to her cheeks.
Watching her shy expression, he leaned down to peck her lips, "Be good, stay with me a bit longer."
"No..." Rachel gently slapped his hand from her waist, "I don't want to sleep."
"Then exercise with me a bit."
"What..."
Before she could comprehend, he pulled her down.
He lowered his head to capture her lips, his tongue slipping into her mouth.
Her resisting hands were placed firmly on his shoulders.
Remembering the pain from the night before, she pleaded, "Can we not this morning I..."
"I promise it won't hurt this time." His large hands roamed freely over her body, slipping beneath her robe to rest on her chest.
"Ah..."
Rachel arched her back, unable to suppress her moans.
He pulled down her robe, sucking and teasing her breasts.
"Ah... Kingsly..."
When she was too weak to resist, covered in sweat, he carried her to the bathroom.
Pressing her against the cold bathroom wall, he entered her again.
Rachel's eyes half-closed, her hands clinging tightly to him, "Enough, enough..." The mix of pleasure and pain overwhelmed her, her pleas turning into moans.
His forceful thrusts culminated in a final release...
...
Rachel lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
The second time had scared her to death, but now she realized it was nothing compared to last night.
But now her body felt like it might fall apart, too exhausted to get up, while the culprit emerged from the bathroom, fresh and dressed impeccably.
Seeing her awake, he walked over, tied his tie, and sat on the bed's edge. "I have things to do at the office this afternoon; I need to go."
She responded half-heartedly, "Oh."
Noticing her lack of enthusiasm, he paused, hands on either side of her, looking down, "Dinner together tonight?"
She shook her head.
He smiled, not giving her the chance to refuse, "Handle your affairs this afternoon; I'll call you in the evening."
She glared at him; how could someone be so domineering?
He chuckled again, glanced at his watch, and then said, "I need to meet some government officials today, and I'm running out of time. Tie my tie for me."
"Can't you do it yourself..." she replied irritably.
He coaxed softly, "Be good; I'm short on time."
She bit her lip, eventually lifting her tired hands to tie his tie.
He left a kiss on her forehead before leaving, satisfied.
...
No sooner had he left than Rachel forced herself out of bed despite the soreness.
Seeing the crumpled dress and torn underwear on the floor, her face flushed with embarrassment.
Just as she was at a loss on how to leave the room, there was a knock at the door.
She knew it wasn't Kingsly, for someone like him wouldn't knock so politely.
Opening the door, she found a hotel attendant, the one Kingsly had tipped the night before.
The attendant held two bags from high-end clothing brands and respectfully said, "Miss Foster, Mr. Scott asked me to bring you these clothes. See if they fit, and let me know if you need anything."
Closing the door, Rachel took the clothes from the bags—a white dress and a new underwear set. She quickly checked the size, pleasantly surprised.
He'd sent her the usual size. How did he know? Oh, right. He'd held her, touched her; it wasn't surprising he knew her size.
Flustered, Rachel took out the dress to change when she inadvertently spotted a white bottle in the bag.
Setting the dress aside, she picked up the bottle, her puzzled gaze freezing.
It was a bottle of birth control pills, recognizable from TV ads.
Wait, birth control...
Remembering they hadn't used protection, her face reddened as she understood his intent.
She'd nearly forgotten the aftermath of such encounters.
She'd been careless, never considering pregnancy, but he seemed more concerned.
He must frequently have someone handle these matters, or he'd need to be more thorough. But he didn't need to worry; she also hoped for no accidents.
Pouring out a pill, she filled a glass with water and swallowed the bitter tablet without hesitation.
Stepping out of the hotel, Rachel Foster dialed Jasper Reed's number. As expected, Jasper had been searching for her everywhere. When he saw her, he rushed out of the car, enveloping her in an anxious hug. "Where have you been? Do you know how worried I've been since yesterday?"
Hearing his voice, Rachel could feel a sting in her nose, a familiar wave of emotions threatening to overwhelm her.
She missed him deeply... Over the years, she'd grown accustomed to his constant attentiveness and care.
She wanted to hug him back tightly, but her arms remained suspended in mid-air, and she was unable to follow through.
He gently kissed her hair before releasing her, "Darling, please tell me where you went."
Seeing his weary face, clearly marked by a sleepless night, guilt and remorse washed over Rachel. "I..."
Jasper glanced over her shoulder at the hotel, asking, "Did you stay here last night?"
Her eyes welled up, and she nodded slightly.
"Why didn't you answer my calls or come home? Do you know how worried I was?"
Rachel's voice caught in her throat, "I know."
Seeing the tears in her eyes, Jasper tenderly cupped her face, "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"
Rachel slowly closed her eyes and then opened them with difficulty. Her voice strained: "Jasper... didn't Auntie tell you?"
"What?"
Rachel fought the sob, "I asked Auntie to let you know I'm planning to move out of your place."
"Mom mentioned it, but I didn't understand what you meant. When I tried to find you for answers, you were already gone... Now, can you tell me what happened? Why did you have Mom relay that message?"
Jasper's gentle eyes and innocent demeanor made it even harder for Rachel to speak.
Sensing something was wrong, Jasper gently held her slender shoulders, "Tell me, did Mom say something after I left last night?"
Rachel shook her head, still unable to speak.
Jasper embraced her, "If you're worried about Noah, haven't I told you to leave it to me? I'll handle it... After meeting Noah yesterday, I went to the bank. They're willing to mortgage Silverstone's shares for a five-hundred-million-dollar loan, so the issue is resolved."
Jasper's reassurance made Rachel shake her head more vigorously.
Jasper gently pulled back, confused as he looked at her pained expression, "Is there something else? Tell me... Rachel, you're making me worried."
Years of telling herself to be unbreakable crumbled at that moment, and she broke into tears.
Jasper was startled by her sobbing, "Rachel..."
Rachel finally raised her eyes, meeting Jasper's worried gaze, struggling to say, "Last night... I went to see Kingsly Scott."
The name echoed in Jasper's ears, and he was visibly shaken. "You... why did you go to him?" His voice trembled, sensing something ominous.
Tears slipped down Rachel's cheeks as she said, "I went to beg him to spare Noah..."
Jasper's anger flared, "Why would you go to him?"
His shout drew the attention of passersby on the busy street.
Rachel pleaded, "Can we talk in the car?"
Jasper's clenched fists slowly relaxed, and he suppressed his anger, turning to get in the car.
Rachel broke the silence in the quiet car, "Jasper, I don't want to hide this from you... Kingsly has agreed not to trouble Noah and will let him continue with the project."
Jasper gripped the steering wheel tightly, anger seeping through his clenched teeth. "I thought I told you I didn't want you involved with Kingsly at all," he said.
"I didn't want you to sell Silverstone for my sake."
Jasper abruptly turned the car over to the side of the road. He gripped Rachel's hand firmly and declared, "You should know I'd do anything for you willingly."
"!!But..."
Jasper coldly released her hand, starting the engine again, "We're going to see Kingsly now and tell him we don't need his help with Noah."
Rachel immediately grabbed the steering wheel to stop him, "Don't!"
Jasper frowned deeply, puzzled by her actions, finally suspecting, "Last night... were you with Kingsly?"
The question she'd dreaded finally came, and Rachel, overwhelmed with shame, couldn't lift her head.
Jasper looked at her in disbelief, and after a long pause, he leaned back heavily in his seat, his hands slipping from the wheel.
It's no wonder he couldn't reach her last night; it's no wonder she came from the Grand Hyatt Hotel, a hotel under Titans Group.
Jasper's face turned pale, his eyes wide with shock. After a long pause, he asked, "Did you and he... sleep together last night?"