"Melinda, I'm jealous," Raymond's voice was husky, his eyes dark and intense.
It felt like someone had just poked her heart.
A tingling sensation spread through her.
"I know," she lowered her head, her eyes shimmering.
"So?" Raymond's gaze was deep, with a storm brewing in his eyes.
Melinda clutched the hem of his shirt, "Are you really jealous?"
"Of course," Raymond's eyes were noble, a faint smile playing on his lips.
It was almost magical.
Raymond looked at her, his expression soft, "When will you agree to marry me?"
Melinda's brow furrowed slightly, her eyes deepening before she smiled gently, "Depends on your performance."
Her red lips were suddenly covered by another pair.
Melinda felt a jolt of electricity run through her body, making her feel like she was going crazy. Raymond was always so seductive.
But there was no doubt, this kiss was sweet.
Sunlight streamed through the glass, enveloping them. She felt weak, collapsing into Raymond's arms, savoring his tenderness and care. Being cherished by him was such a blissful thing.
Melinda closed her eyes, a small smile forming on her lips.
When she heard footsteps approaching from outside the window, she suddenly pushed Raymond off the couch.
Raymond's head made direct contact with the carpet.
"Are you okay?" Melinda looked at Raymond lying on the carpet, her heart aching.
The force she used was proportional to how hard Raymond fell and how much his head hurt.
Even with the plush carpet, it startled Melinda.
Raymond clutched his aching forehead, looking at her with a wounded expression, "Are you trying to murder your husband?"
Seeing him lying there, Melinda reached out to help him up, "I'm sorry, I was afraid Grandpa would catch us."
Raymond now knew what would happen if he ever made Melinda angry again—he'd be kicked out of bed.
Raymond used the momentum to press Melinda back onto the couch, "I won't forgive you unless you kiss me."
This time, Melinda took the initiative, quickly pecking Raymond's cheek, thinking it was over.
"Lips," Raymond reminded.
Melinda rolled her eyes, "You have so many demands."
"Don't roll your eyes, it's impolite," Raymond reminded her.
Melinda rolled her eyes again, twice, before saying, "We're not officially together yet, at best you're an ex-boyfriend."
Raymond laughed, Melinda really needed to be taught a lesson.
Raymond's large hand held the restless Melinda in place, "Alright, my fault."
This time, Melinda behaved.
Just then, someone called them for dinner.
In the garden's lounge, Emily was also enjoying the VIP treatment, with a table full of various dishes, some of which she had never seen before.
But her taste buds hadn't recovered, everything tasted the same—bitter, just like the feeling of a thousand arrows piercing her heart.
She could tell from their eyes that the two servants beside her were actually watching her, preventing her from running out and encountering Melinda.
She resented Raymond for treating her this way, but she hated Melinda even more.
She was sure Melinda had spoken ill of her to Raymond.
Otherwise, how could Raymond have changed from being deeply affectionate to being so cold and even hateful?
Emily took a deep breath, a sinister smile forming on her lips. She stood up and walked out of the room. One of the servants quickly reached out to stop her. "Ms. Lowe, Mr. Thomas said you shouldn't go out."
"Can't I even go to the bathroom?" Emily gave her a cold look and walked out.
The last time she came to the Thomas Villa, Emily had already familiarized herself with the layout.
She vaguely remembered that there seemed to be medicine in Larry's study.
In the sprawling Thomas Villa, all the servants were gathered in the reception hall, giving Emily the perfect opportunity.
The servant behind her called out, "Ms. Lowe, don't run around, that's not the direction to the bathroom."
Emily quickened her pace.
When she emerged from another hallway, there were indeed no other servants in sight.
Emily smiled maliciously, and based on her memory, she walked into Larry's study. After some searching, she opened an antique drawer, finding various medicine bottles neatly organized.
Emily was overjoyed. She carefully examined them, switching the pills in a bottle of sleeping pills with those in a bottle of blood pressure medication.
After doing all this, she quickly left.
As she passed the reception hall, it was very lively inside. She paused, wanting to go in. Raymond was worried Melinda would see her?
Then she would make sure Melinda saw her.
Emily smiled, closed her eyes, and collapsed.
"Ms. Lowe, Ms. Lowe, what's wrong?" a servant exclaimed.
Emily didn't make a sound.
Another servant, frightened, said, "I'll go get someone."
At the table, Melinda was tasting dessert when a servant rushed in to call Roy, "Someone fainted outside."
Raymond had just left the table to take a call.
Melinda and William were sitting together. Hearing the exclamation, William stood up immediately, and Melinda followed suit. Seeing the person lying on the ground, William was stunned, "Who is she?"
"It doesn't matter who she is, get her to the hospital," William's mother, Teresa, said.
Melinda was also shocked to see Emily lying on the ground. She hadn't expected Emily to be at the Thomas Villa.
As the servants lifted Emily, she conveniently opened her eyes.
A servant ran up, urgently saying, "Ms. Lowe, what are you doing here? I've been looking for you."
"What's going on with this Ms. Lowe?" Teresa asked.
"Mr. Thomas said Ms. Lowe should dine in the garden lounge," the servant replied timidly.
Melinda's eyes met Emily's, and the hatred in Emily's eyes was intense.
Melinda immediately understood that Emily was here, but Raymond had arranged for her to dine elsewhere.
Emily was truly shameless, barging in like this.
"You..." William looked at Emily, then back at Melinda, feeling something was off...
In the sunlight, Emily's face, filled with Botox, looked somewhat stiff. William didn't recognize her at first because she had changed so much.
"Ms. Lowe, after dinner, I'll take you home," Roy said sternly.
"I need to tell Grandpa," Emily insisted, ignoring the servant's attempts to stop her and trying to walk into the reception hall.
Roy stepped forward, blocking her path.
"Ms. Lowe, Mr. Thomas wants me to take you home now," Roy continued.
Emily's face darkened, but she nodded, "Fine, but let me at least say goodbye to my sister."
She pointed at Melinda.
Melinda clenched her fists, trembling with anger. Emily had just revealed their relationship in front of all the relatives.
How could someone be so shameless?
She was furious, deliberately saying, "I'm not your sister."
"Melinda, five years ago, you were assaulted, and you blamed me in front of Raymond, slandering me. How can you twist the truth like this?" Emily raised her voice.
Everyone turned to look at Melinda with strange expressions.
"Emily, shut up," Melinda wanted to slap her.
Emily sneered, "Why should I shut up? Am I not telling the truth? You were promiscuous, had a child, and then blamed me, bringing shame to our parents."
Emily was deliberately airing this dirty laundry in front of the Thomas family's guests.
"Emily, enough, stop it," a cold, dark voice came from the side.
Emily couldn't help but shiver, raising her voice, "What did I do wrong, Raymond, for you to treat me like this?"