Chapter 153
"I know you're capable of that." Walter looked at James sarcastically, "Five years ago, you managed to send her to prison. What wouldn't you do?"
Walter looked at James coldly, drained his glass, got up and left.
In the room, James sat in silence for a long time, then suddenly went crazy, kicking all the bottles on the table to the floor, smashing everything in sight.
Five years ago. Always about five years ago.
That trial had always been James's nightmare.
During Nora's five years in prison, James often dreamed of her.
He dreamed of the courtroom, of her desperate, lifeless gaze.
Nora just looked at him and said, "I plead guilty."
James lost control, shouting to drop the case. He said he wouldn't press charges against Nora anymore.
He said he gave her that money willingly.
But the judge had already made the verdict. He could only watch helplessly as Nora was taken away by the police.
"James, does destroying me make you happy?"
"If it makes you happy, then I'll plead guilty."
"Nora, this is the price you should pay."
"James, I'm not guilty."
Once, James had been Nora's salvation.
But later, James became Nora's hell.
Michael's place.
Wrapped in a bath towel, Nora stood timidly at the bathroom door, looking around nervously.
She stood on the bath mat, barefoot, head lowered anxiously.
Suddenly staying in Michael's room, she was so nervous she'd forgotten to bring clean clothes into the bathroom.
Fidgeting, shifting from one foot to the other, Nora stood there awkwardly for a while, not daring to disturb Michael.
Michael, wearing a robe, stood by the floor-to-ceiling window talking to David on the phone.
From the glass reflection, Michael could see Nora's nervousness.
His breath caught. Michael felt his throat dry and itchy, his body heating up.
"Mr. Smith, then tomorrow, should I head back to the office first? Don't worry about the voting, I'll handle it."
"Mr. Smith?"
On the other end, David called out several times, but Michael didn't respond.
"Mr. Smith?"
Coming back to his senses, Michael frowned, "Going to sleep. Don't call me at night unless it's urgent."
David looked confused at being snapped at, "Mr. Smith, didn't you call me?"
Michael ignored David and hung up directly.
Far away at Shadow City airport, David stared blankly at his disconnected phone.
Lately, Michael had been acting strange.
Moody and unpredictable.
But David was in a great mood, because this version of Michael seemed more like a real, living person.
"Mr. Smith." Seeing Michael turn to look at her, Nora wished she could find a hole to crawl into.
She was so nervous, her skin flushed pink, like a delicate flower in full bloom.
"What's wrong?" Michael's voice was hoarse and magnetic.
He wore a dark gray robe, his chest muscles clearly defined, the lines visible beneath the fabric.
Michael was already good-looking, and under the lights he looked even more strikingly handsome.
Nora didn't dare look at Michael, feeling like her heart might give out.
She knew her worth, and she knew what obligations she should fulfill as his contract "wife."
"I... I..." Nora stammered, not knowing how to start.
"Did you take your medicine?" Michael walked over, reaching up to touch Nora's forehead, his voice low and unreadable.
But the sound was so pleasant it made her dizzy.
Nora nodded.
Seeing that Nora's fever had broken, Michael finally relaxed.
"I... I can..." Nora said carefully, stammering as she tried to untie her towel, ready to fulfill her duty.
Michael felt his breathing grow more intense, his voice husky and low, "I won't touch you tonight. Get some rest."
Nora kept her head down, feeling her ears burn even redder.
She always overthought things.
Michael hadn't been drinking tonight. In his sober state, was he disgusted by her?
"I... I washed really carefully." Nora's voice choked up.
She lowered her head, wishing she could bury it in her chest.
Michael drew in a sharp breath, feeling that if he let her keep tempting him like this, something would happen.
Scooping Nora up with one arm, Michael said helplessly, "I'm not that much of a beast. You're still sick."
Nora quickly wrapped her arms around Michael's neck as he carried her into the bathroom.
"Dry your hair before bed." Michael took the hairdryer and started drying Nora's hair himself.
Trembling, Nora was held against Michael's chest, and that feeling was enough to make her fall.
It felt so safe.
Michael really was a dangerous man.
Her mind went blank. Nora looked at the scene in the mirror, feeling like none of it was real.
Michael was actually drying her hair himself.
Why was he being so good to her?
The bathroom lighting wasn't very bright, but Michael in the mirror was too dazzling.
Years ago, when Nora was still James's girlfriend, she'd heard James complain about talent scouts tracking him down at home, insisting Michael should be a star, only to be chased away by the butler.
Did the Smith family need to produce celebrities?
Michael's photos had been posted online by scouts too, and the image of the aristocratic young master that went viral was all based on Michael.
Michael had business sense too. After taking over the company, he quickly established Starshine Entertainment, independent from the Smith Group. It had countless artists under contract, and almost all of today's trending entertainment stars were Starshine Entertainment artists.
There were also numerous rumors—female celebrities trying to latch onto Michael, models deliberately seducing him, and other entertainment gossip.
Michael's buzz was even higher than A-list celebrities.
Nora knew herself well enough to know that a man like this wouldn't give his heart to anyone.
He was probably just interested for the moment.
But being the object of his momentary interest was already incredibly lucky—something many people could only dream of.
Besides, everyone knew Michael was generous to people who caught his eye.
The current A-list star Tessa Hawthorne was someone Michael had spent lavishly to make famous.
At one time, everyone speculated that Tessa was Michael's woman, and some even said Tessa was the only woman Michael had ever kept.
Neither Tessa nor Michael ever clarified, and riding on this buzz and her connection to Michael, Tessa was practically royalty in the entertainment world.
This was a height that Bronte, who'd been with Walter for three years, could never reach.
Because Michael was truly willing to spend money to make Tessa famous, while Walter just casually kept a woman.
"Mr. Smith, have you dried other women's hair too?" Perhaps emboldened by the hairdryer's noise, Nora knew Michael couldn't hear her.
Michael turned off the hairdryer, "What?"
"Nothing." Nora's face burned red as she turned to flee in panic.
But the towel fell off.
She hadn't brought any clean clothes.
Her heart racing, Nora was nearly in tears as she picked up the towel and wrapped it tightly around herself, "I'm sorry."
She didn't mean to.
Seeing Nora about to run, Michael reached out, trapping her against the wall, his voice husky and seductive, "Beg me, and I'll let you go."
Nora clutched the towel tightly, not daring to look up, "Please."
Michael laughed, ruffling Nora's hair, "Go to sleep."
Nora's heart pounded as she burrowed into the covers, red-faced, ready to suffocate herself.
The Clark Villa.
Pearl was still crying at home, while Aria wore a dark expression, suppressing her anger.
"Nora's little bastard definitely can't be Walter's. Definitely not." Pearl cried, hugging Eloise, "Mom, what if Walter doesn't believe me?"
"Nora is a scheming woman, a typical slut. Noah hates being lied to most of all. If that bastard really isn't Walter's, we won't need to lift a finger—the Wood family will get rid of Nora for us." Eloise said in a low voice.
"Mom, let's secretly do a paternity test. I'll find a way to get Walter's hair." Pearl said quietly.
Aria glanced at Pearl, "I can help you get Samuel's hair."