Chapter 49
Ophelia whipped her head around, her cheeks burning hot, eyes darting away, not daring to look at William.
The car was so quiet that they could hear each other breathing. The sensation of that kiss still lingered on her lips, hot and tingly.
William let out a low chuckle, his voice carrying a husky magnetism that made hearts race just hearing it.
"Why are you acting like a startled little rabbit?" He reached out to touch her cheek, then stopped halfway, afraid of scaring her again.
Ophelia clutched at her clothes, her fingers turning white, her mind a complete mess.
She knew William was interested in her, but such direct intimacy still left her feeling lost.
"What... what were you just doing?" Her voice was barely a whisper, so quiet even she could hardly hear it.
"I couldn't help myself," William spoke honestly, looking straight at her without any attempt to hide it. "Ophelia, I think we're suited for more than just being business partners."
Ophelia's heart jumped, and she looked up into his deep eyes. The seriousness there made her unable to meet his gaze.
"What do you mean?" She tried to stay calm, but her ears had already turned bright red.
"Exactly what I said." William leaned forward slightly, closing the distance a bit more. "More than working on projects together, I want to be your life partner, year after year, going through everything together."
Those words exploded like a bomb in Ophelia's heart. She was instantly stunned, her mind going blank.
Life partner? Wasn't this basically a confession?
Her first instinct was to refuse, but the words stuck in her throat.
She'd seen all of William's good qualities. His thoughtful care these past days—she wasn't made of wood, how could she not feel something?
But after Jeffrey's betrayal, she was truly scared. Scared of investing her heart again, only to end up hurt and broken.
"I... I don't want to talk about this right now." She lowered her head, her voice carrying some difficulty. "I just want to focus on work. Other things, I don't have the energy to think about them right now."
William watched her conflicted expression, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes. He didn't push her.
"You don't need to rush to refuse." He leaned back in his seat, his tone relaxing. "I can tell you're interested in me, too. Otherwise, you wouldn't have pushed me away just now."
Ophelia's face turned even redder. She stubbornly said, "I just didn't react in time!"
"Is that so?" William raised an eyebrow. "Then why is your heart beating so fast? And just now, the hand grabbing my shirt didn't let go either."
Having her thoughts exposed, Ophelia felt even more embarrassed. She simply turned to look out the window, ignoring him.
William stopped teasing her and started the car. The cabin fell quiet again, but the atmosphere was different from before—there was a sweet, flirtatious tension in the air.
The car drove smoothly. Ophelia leaned against the seat back, her mind full of William's earlier words.
Life partner... that actually didn't sound bad.
She sneaked a glance at William. He was focused on driving, his profile handsome, the lights falling on his face softening his features.
Her heart raced. She quickly looked away, pretending to watch the night scenery outside, but couldn't help the slight upturn of her lips.
Before long, the car stopped in front of the villa.
"We're here." William turned to look at her.
Ophelia unbuckled her seatbelt, her mind still a mess, just wanting to escape inside to calm down.
"Thanks for driving me home, and... for the painting today, thank you." She got up to leave the car.
"Wait." William stopped her, reaching back to grab the wrapped painting. "Take this. Can't be careless about what Mrs. Smith asked for."
Ophelia took it, her fingertips accidentally brushing his hand, then quickly pulling back.
"Get some rest." William looked at her, his eyes gentle. "If anything comes up, call me anytime."
"I know." Ophelia nodded and pushed open the car door.
Walking to the villa entrance, she looked back. William's car was still parked there, headlights on, as if seeing her off.
She waved, then turned and ran inside. Only after closing the door did she lean against it, breathing heavily.
Her cheeks were still burning, and her heartbeat hadn't calmed down. That kiss and William's confession kept replaying in her mind.
She walked to the living room and sat down, pulled out her phone, opened William's chat, typed and deleted several times, and finally just sent "Got home safe, good night."
William replied instantly: "Good night, sweet dreams."
Looking at this reply, Ophelia couldn't help smiling again, feeling sweet inside.
Maybe trying to be with William wouldn't be so bad.
She shook her head, pushing those thoughts down. Right now, work is most important. She couldn't get distracted by romance.
Over the next few days, Ophelia threw herself completely into work.
As Vice President of the Smith Group, she was leading the urban cultural tourism complex project. This was her first major project after the promotion—she had to do it well.
She called a team meeting to share her ideas.
In the conference room, everyone sat up straight, listening carefully to her presentation.
"For this cultural tourism complex, I'm planning a dual-mode approach." Ophelia opened the PowerPoint, pointing at the layout. "On this side, we'll build a large family amusement park with safe and fun facilities to attract family tourists. On the other side, we'll create a leisure resort area with hot springs, tea rooms, and book cafes—everything to meet young people's relaxation needs."
Della raised her hand. "Ms. Blake, where would be a good location? We need convenient transportation but also a setting that fits both modes."
"I've already looked at several places." Ophelia switched to the next slide. "These three plots are all in the suburban area, with good transportation and nice surroundings—mountains and water. Very suitable for a cultural tourism project."
"But which one specifically, we'll need to do site visits and consider costs and policy support before deciding." She added.
Everyone nodded, thinking the approach was sound.
Ophelia watched everyone discussing actively, feeling satisfied.
She loved this busy, fulfilling feeling. It helped her temporarily forget her romantic troubles.
Halfway through the meeting, the office door opened, and William walked in.
He wore a dark gray suit, his posture straight. His entrance immediately drew everyone's attention.
Ophelia froze, not expecting him to come.
"Mr. Brown?" She stood to greet him. "What brings you here?"
"I heard Ms. Blake was holding a project kickoff meeting, so I came to join the fun." William smiled and walked to her side, his eyes falling on the PowerPoint. "Cultural tourism complex? This is a good project, has potential."
"Is Mr. Brown interested, too?" Ophelia asked.
"Of course." William turned to look at her, his eyes smiling. "I came today to discuss a partnership with you. The Brown Group wants to participate in the joint development of this project, and I'll personally handle it."