Chapter 7 The Gaze is Bewitching
She smiled slightly, her smile as radiant as a blooming flower.
“What’s got you smiling?” Jack asked, looking at her, feeling a bit dazed. Her lazy charm had him completely captivated.
Emily, she really seemed different now.
“Because I know, even if I tell you, you might not believe me.”
“Try me.” Jack’s dark eyes were fixed on her, his gaze almost magical, compelling her to reveal the truth.
“Alright, I’ll tell you the truth.” She took a small step back, leaning against the damp, narrow wall of the bathroom. It seemed like only by putting some distance between them could she breathe easily. “Actually, I don’t even remember who you are. I only remember there’s a key under the cactus pot by the apartment door. I think I used to live here, so I came.”
“You’re saying you have amnesia? Emily, don’t try to fool me with some soap opera plot. If I believed that, I’d be a complete idiot, wouldn’t I?”
Emily paused, then asked, “What… what did you say? What’s your name?”
“Jack Winston.”
Emily’s heart skipped a beat. That name sounded so familiar. She remembered now, Jack was a big name in the real estate world of T City. The city was filled with buildings he had designed and constructed, buildings that were both elegant and timeless, making him a legend in the industry.
But the first time she heard his name wasn’t because of his buildings, but at a charity auction.
There was a painting at that auction, quite ordinary, painted by an orphan. That painting was bought for a high price by none other than Jack Winston.
She had never forgotten him.
She extended her hand to him, “Hi, I’m Emily. I think from today, we need to start fresh.”
Jack looked at her outstretched hand, full of suspicion, and didn’t take it. “Emily, have you really forgotten everything from the past?”
“Yes.” She bit her lip lightly, feeling a bit anxious but still giving him a firm, undeniable answer.
“But I still don’t believe you, because I can’t forget the things you did to me before.”
“Shh…” She gently placed her finger on his lips, her fair finger seeming to have a magical power that made him instantly quiet. “I know you might hate me, but right now, I don’t want to ask why. I just want to start a new life.” Whether he believed her or not, she had to face him confidently at this moment.
The Emily who was terrified when she received the email was gone. Now, she just had to patiently wait for three months until the sender confirmed the photos were completely destroyed.
But by then, things would be far from over. Because she knew, as long as her body had been photographed, she would always have to guard against those photos being exposed one day.
So, three months later, her most important task would be to find the person who took those photos.
She didn’t know why that person had sent her to Jack, but she knew that as soon as the sun rose and she opened her computer again, there would be a new email waiting for her.
That new email would be her new mission.
With bright eyes, she walked barefoot past Jack into the room.
She had barely gotten under the covers when she felt a pair of male hands gently wrap around her. Jack’s even breathing came from behind her, and she inhaled his scent, slowly closing her eyes.
If he was Jack, then she had no regrets.
Emily didn’t regret giving her first time to him at all.
She tried to breathe as quietly as possible, remembering what Jack had said before the bath.
He wanted her to give him a massage.
In truth, she didn’t know anything about massages; she could only manage a simple shoulder rub, something anyone could do.
Even though she claimed to have amnesia, he didn’t seem to fully believe her, but there was nothing she could do. She knew nothing about what had happened between him and Emily, so she had to use this excuse.
That person had really put her in a tough spot.
He had sent her into Jack’s world without telling her the ultimate goal.
She lay there with her eyes closed, but sleep was nowhere to be found. In this unfamiliar place, with a man who was essentially a stranger lying next to her, even holding her waist, how could she possibly sleep?
She couldn’t figure out that person’s purpose no matter how hard she tried.
Maybe that person wasn’t sure if she could handle Jack either, so aside from getting her into this apartment, he hadn’t told her anything.
She lay on her side, her body stiff, not daring to move for fear of waking the already sleeping Jack behind her.
He was so lucky, falling asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.
Listening to his breathing and seeing her own sleepless state, she could only sigh helplessly.
It wasn’t until almost dawn that Emily finally fell into a deep sleep. Sleeping was good; she didn’t have to think about anything or know anything, just sleep well.
And time passed especially quickly when she was asleep.
When Emily woke up, sunlight was streaming through the gaps in the floor-to-ceiling curtains, spilling onto the bed and her body.
She instinctively turned over and found the pillow next to her empty. Jack was gone.
Seeing he wasn’t there, she breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the clock on the wall. It was already past noon.
Emily tried to get up, feeling sore all over. The memories of what Jack had done to her last night flooded back, making her blush instantly.
Wrapped in a blanket, she walked around the empty room, confirming Jack wasn’t there before she truly relaxed.
After freshening up, she cautiously opened the laptop that had been causing her so much anxiety.
She was desperate to know the answer to the question that had kept her up all night—why did that person want her to get close to Jack?
The email opened, and her heart was in her throat.
It was from that person again, but this time there were no incriminating photos attached.
The email had been sent at eight in the morning, as punctual as if the sender were clocking in for work.
“Miss, did he agree to live with you for three months?”