Chapter 213: Performance of Deep Affection
The sudden roar jolted Laura awake instantly. She instinctively yanked the comforter to her chest, her mind still foggy from last night's drinking, though her expression had already shifted to wounded innocence.
"William, you scared me," she said, her voice trembling as tears pooled in her eyes. "I had too much to drink last night too—my head's killing me. You wouldn't let me stay at your place overnight, and I'm just one woman. I couldn't possibly get you all the way back to your house, so I... I had no choice but to bring you here."
This one-bedroom apartment in the city center, rented with William's money, boasted a prime location but cramped quarters. The small sofa was barely wide enough for her, let alone a man standing six-foot-three.
So putting him in her bed had been the only logical option.
As for what happened after that... a man and a woman alone together, alcohol clouding judgment, a night of passion—everything could be explained away as "overcome by the moment" or "an accident." She'd scripted this narrative last night when she'd gambled everything on this move.
But William was clearly not an audience member who'd fall for such a clumsy plot.
He stared at her with ice-cold eyes, devoid of warmth. "Where's the driver?" he asked, enunciating each word. "If you couldn't move me, wasn't the driver there?"
That simple question shattered all of Laura's pretense in an instant.
William looked away from her, expressionless, and began gathering his scattered clothes from the foot of the bed. His fingers were long and elegant, their defined joints lending even the simple act of buttoning his shirt a kind of austere sensuality.
But Laura had no mind to appreciate it now. Panic wound around her heart like vines. She had to salvage this!
"William, it's not what you think! Last night was just a misunderstanding!" She scrambled from the bed barefoot, positioning her body to block his path.
William towered over her, his gaze frigid. "Laura, I appreciate ambition. What I don't appreciate is being manipulated." He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping low but cutting deep with every syllable. "Especially by someone trying to climb over my head and make decisions for me."
He pushed past her, straightening his collar as his tone returned to its usual detachment. "We're done. What I've given you, keep it—consider it a severance package. From now on, keep your distance."
The soft click of the door closing shattered all of Laura's fantasies and desperate hopes.
She collapsed to the floor, her entire body numb with cold. Losing William meant plummeting from the clouds back to nothing. She would not allow herself to be kicked back into the mud when success was just one step away!
A dark gleam flickered in Laura's eyes.
Elsewhere, Isabella left work early for once. In good spirits, she texted the nanny Mary and drove herself to the preschool.
"Mommy!" Olivia spotted her and immediately flew over like a delighted little bird.
"How come you're picking me up today, Mommy? Is Mary sick?"
"No, sweetheart. Mommy just finished work early today." Isabella smiled, ruffling her daughter's hair, warmth flooding her chest.
"Yay!" Olivia bounced on the spot. "I wish Mommy could come get me early every day!"
To a child, no expensive gift could compare to a mother's presence. Isabella held her daughter's small hand, feeling both warm and a pang of guilt.
Passing an ice cream cart, Olivia's eyes locked on immediately. She tugged at Isabella's sleeve, pleading sweetly, "Mommy, can I please have ice cream? I promise I won't eat any chocolate for the next two weeks!"
The little glutton licked her lips greedily, as if already tasting that sweet treat.
Isabella was about to agree when Olivia's face suddenly paled. She grabbed Isabella's arm, trying to pull her away.
Following her daughter's gaze, Isabella spotted William and Nathan in the distance.
Her steps didn't falter. Instead, she walked more deliberately toward the vendor. "One ice cream, please. I need it to go."
"Yay!" Olivia instantly forgot about the father-son duo.
Just then, Nathan jogged over clutching an elegant gift box, presenting it to Isabella like a treasure. "Mommy, Daddy took me to pick out this scarf especially for you. He said it would suit your style perfectly."
Isabella glanced down at the luxury brand logo but didn't reach for it. She gave the boy a gentle smile, though her gaze traveled past him to settle on William.
"If you've got money to spare, maybe save it to buy Laura a handbag instead." Her tone was mild, but the barb was sharp and pointed.
William's brow furrowed instantly, the warmth he'd carefully cultivated deflating. "Do you have to be so passive-aggressive?" he said, suppressing his anger. He'd been about to announce he'd cut ties with Laura.
"Aren't you tired of the act?" Isabella tilted her head slightly, her eyes filled with unfathomable mockery. "Performing this touching scene of remorseful devotion in front of me—is it fun? If you've got this much energy to waste, how about going home first to wash off that disgusting smell and those marks all over you? You can't expect to convince any audience when you won't even bother changing out of your costume."
William froze, instinctively moving to object. But from the corner of his eye, he caught sight of his reflection in a nearby car window—on his neck, a glaring hickey stood out like a brand.
In his fury this morning, he'd completely failed to notice this damning detail!
Nathan noticed too. Though the child didn't understand what it was, he instinctively sensed it would upset his mother and quietly took a step back.
Isabella looked at William's face, now ashen with humiliation, as if watching a ridiculous clown.
She accepted the wrapped ice cream, took Olivia's hand, and as she brushed past him, delivered one final cut in a voice only he could hear:
"If you don't have a mirror at home, you've at least got a toilet, right? Next time, check your reflection in the water before you leave the house. Save yourself the embarrassment."