Chapter 575 Jacob, What Do You Want to Do? 1
Jacob's eyes narrowed slightly.
He watched beneath the banyan tree as Serafina conversed with the handsome Floyd, her expression carrying an unmistakable ease—a relaxation he'd never witnessed when she was with him, her own husband.
Floyd possessed a refined, gentle demeanor that suggested he was no ordinary teacher, and the way he gazed at Serafina was far from innocent—there was an undeniable glimmer of adoration he couldn't quite conceal.
Men understood men.
No man would willingly stand outside in bitter winter cold talking to a woman unless he was after either her body or her heart.
Jacob wasn't nearly magnanimous enough to tolerate either possibility, so without giving them much more time, he strode purposefully in their direction.
"Serafina." Jacob called her name when he was just a step away.
Serafina turned, staring at him in obvious surprise—clearly she hadn't expected him to pick her up from work. After a moment's pause, Jacob extended his hand toward Floyd. "Jacob. Serafina's husband."
Floyd was equally taken aback.
Hadn't there been gossip about him and some actress just days ago? And now here he was, playing the devoted husband.
Floyd harbored feelings for Serafina, but he remained an outsider—at most her supervisor and colleague, nothing more. He had no desire to cause marital discord, so he quickly extended his hand for a brief shake. "Floyd. Vice principal of this school."
Jacob released his grip immediately. "Ah, Mr. Ryan."
Then he turned to Serafina. "Let's go home."
Serafina bid Floyd farewell. "Goodbye, Mr. Ryan."
Floyd stood beneath the amber streetlight, smiling gently. "Goodbye. And happy New Year in advance."
Serafina hesitated for a beat or two.
Then she smiled back. "Happy New Year to you as well."
That moment of hesitation was unbearable for Jacob as her husband, though his breeding prevented him from saying a word.
Once they were in the car, Serafina glanced at Jacob in the driver's seat. "Where's your driver?"
"I sent him home." Jacob gripped the steering wheel, his fingers moving in slow, thoughtful circles before he spoke. "You seem quite close to this Floyd. You've never mentioned him before, and I don't recall inviting him to our wedding."
His probing was thinly veiled.
Serafina would have been a fool not to recognize it.
She stared straight ahead, her posture rigid, and spoke in measured tones. "He's just a colleague, nothing more. You needn't suspect anything between us. I assure you I would never do anything to tarnish your reputation or embarrass you publicly."
Jacob turned to study her quietly.
After a long moment, he murmured, almost to himself, "He's in love with you."
Serafina offered no explanation, though her eyes held a faint shimmer of moisture.
Jacob's tone softened. "I trust you."
He was about to press the accelerator when something small caught his eye—the emergency contraceptive pill Serafina had discarded that morning, the small tablet still nestled in its packaging.
Jacob picked up the item.
He examined the box and pill for a long moment before asking quietly, "You don't want children right now? Why didn't you discuss this with me? And why didn't you take it in the end?"
The atmosphere in the car grew suffocating.
Two virtual strangers who shared intimate, procreative acts each night were now discussing why she refused to bear his children.
Serafina could barely breathe.
Finally, she spoke softly. "When I was about to take it, I suddenly felt our marriage wasn't as hopeless as I'd thought, so I didn't. Jacob, if you find this unforgivable, perhaps we should—"
"Should what?" Jacob's fingers continued their slow caress of the steering wheel, his manner almost leisurely, his handsome face betraying no emotion as he fixed his gaze on Serafina. "Divorce? So you can be with your Mr. Ryan?"
His words were deliberately cutting.
Serafina reached for the door handle, but her slender wrist was caught in his firm grip. She turned to face him, her eyes reddening with hurt, while Jacob remained far more composed. "Angry?"
He rarely spoke to Serafina this way.
Their marriage had always been one of polite respect, but a female celebrity, a vice principal, and a box of emergency contraceptives had successfully torn away their peaceful facade.
They were actually quarreling, experiencing jealousy and anger like ordinary couples—though these emotions stemmed more from possessive pride than genuine feeling.
She was his wife, and he wouldn't tolerate other men's fantasies about her.
Serafina's eyes grew redder as she demanded, "What exactly do you want, Jacob?"
"Want you." Jacob's response was two words so lewdly explicit that Serafina could hardly believe they'd come from her seemingly proper, blue-blooded husband—even though he'd shown passionate intensity in their bedroom encounters.
At that moment, he held her wrist captive.
Jacob's slightly rough fingertips began a sensual, repetitive caress against Serafina's most intimate place, igniting an involuntary fire that sent countless electric currents racing through her limbs.
The sensation was maddening, indescribable—an itch she couldn't voice or even comprehend.
She could only stare at him, trembling throughout her entire body.
Jacob's eyes darkened with restrained desire as he watched Serafina intently, speaking with deliberate calm. "We're not going home for dinner. We'll dine at a hotel."
Serafina's heart raced.
Jacob pressed the accelerator, driving with swift precision to the finest five-star hotel in the vicinity without needing navigation.
When the car stopped in the front courtyard parking area, Serafina was still protesting. "I think we should go home for dinner. Restaurant food doesn't agree with me."
Jacob unbuckled his seatbelt.
He glanced at Serafina, then called the hotel's manager.
The establishment was part of the Windsor Group's portfolio. He instructed the female manager to send two boxes of condoms to the presidential suite, along with silk nightwear and a Michelin-starred meal for Serafina, as his wife was particular and unaccustomed to standard hotel amenities.
He delivered these instructions with the same businesslike demeanor he used for corporate matters.
Especially when he specified the largest size condoms.
Serafina was too mortified to exit the car.
Jacob stepped out first, then circled around to open the passenger door, looking down at Serafina with cool detachment. "Will you walk, or shall I carry you upstairs?"
After a moment's resistance, Serafina reluctantly emerged.
The hotel lobby erupted in chaos.
The female manager had misunderstood, assuming Jacob was bringing another woman—she hadn't expected Serafina, his legitimate wife.
So when Jacob entered the lobby with Serafina in tow, a dead silence fell.
The manager tremblingly presented the requested items along with a keycard to the presidential suite, her voice stammering. "Everything you requested, Mr. Windsor. I hope you and Mrs. Windsor have a... pleasant evening."