Chapter 157 Pretending to be Noble
When the waiter brought out the birthday cake, Allegra clasped her hands together and closed her eyes devoutly, but for a moment she couldn't think of what wish to make.
After years of living abroad, she had long gone from hopeful dreams about the future to becoming dull and worn down.
The life she once dreamed of didn't turn out to be as beautiful as she had hoped, making her persistence seem both absurd and laughable.
On many drunken nights, images of living with Leopold in that small apartment would flash through her mind. Life back then was simple and beautiful, and Leopold was young and brave.
Fueled by alcohol, Allegra talked a lot about the hardships and difficulties she'd faced abroad. Leopold's good manners made him politely listen to all her complaints.
He was a great listener, and Allegra hadn't opened up to anyone like this in a long time. With the romantic music and beautiful atmosphere, she looked delicate and pitiful with tears in her eyes - a sight that would be hard for any man to resist.
Allegra glanced at the time and took the initiative to say, "It's getting late, I should head back. Thank you so much for today, I had a really nice birthday. I'll take the cake home with me."
Outside the window, the sky was dark as ink. At this hour, it wasn't very safe for a woman to be alone on the streets. Worried about her, Leopold offered, "Let me have someone take you home."
"No need," Allegra declined his kindness. "It's okay, I can manage on my own."
The more a woman tried to be tough, the more it stired up a man's protective instincts.
But to Leopold, the dark streets after ten o'clock held predictable dangers. As a reasonable person, he couldn't ignore the risk factors. If something actually happened, it could cost someone their life.
"Stop arguing." Leopold picked up the cake. "Let's go."
In the narrow hallway, Allegra watched his carefree figure from behind. The alcohol hitting her head, she actually chased after him and blocked his path, saying, "We both have time today, why don't you come sit at my place for a bit?"
Leopold's eyes suddenly darkened, his voice carrying a distant coldness. "What did you say?"
Allegra boldly took a step closer to him. Her perfume mixed with the scent of wine on her body wafted into his nose. Any normal man would understand her hint, and Leopold certainly did.
"Leopold." Allegra's gaze was hazy, her eyes full of desire. She grabbed his collar and stood on her tiptoes, about to kiss him, when Leopold dodged away.
Allegra was slightly stunned. She steadied her emotions and said again, "Let's be friends with benefits."
Leopold pulled away to create distance between them, raising his hand with the wedding ring on it. "I'm married. I can't have anything happen with any woman, including you."
Allegra brushed aside her bangs, trying to appear calm. "You don't need to act all high and mighty with me. There's nothing wrong with a man taking care of his physical needs. Besides, you've been apart for a month - if you say you don't want sex, nobody would believe that."
"Don't worry, I won't wreck your family. We're just taking care of physical needs here."
"When you go back home, you'll live your life as usual. Whatever happens here, nobody will know."
Allegra stared at him seriously and asked, "So, do you want to sleep with me tonight or not?"
Leopold looked at her with contempt. Allegra clearly felt his disgust and disdain, but among all the men she knew, none had ever refused a free lunch.
"Compared to those prostitutes, I'm safer."
Allegra swept back the long hair draped over her shoulders, tilting her head slightly to reveal the beautiful curve of her neck and delicate skin. Her deep, heavy breath was alluring and sexy. She didn't believe Leopold would refuse such a tempting offer.
Leopold asked calmly, "You've had too much to drink, haven't you?"
Hearing this, Allegra seemed to hear something funny. "I've had too much to drink, don't you think that makes it more exciting?"
Leopold's voice was heavy, his tone calm. "If you've had too much, go to the bathroom and splash some cold water on your face. Sober up."
With that, he turned and walked away.
Listening to his retreating footsteps, Allegra covered her face, feeling so dejected she wanted to cry.
The man who once loved her so much was now so cold that she had no way to reach him.
Leopold called for the hotel driver and handed the cake to a waitress, asking them both to take Allegra home.
As they passed each other, Allegra said, "You must feel pretty satisfied, right? I dumped you back then, and now I want to come back to you, but you're married. Now I'm the one who can't have what I want. You must think I'm pretty pathetic, don't you?"
Leopold couldn't be bothered to explain. "Think whatever you want."
With that, he walked straight toward the elevator.
Just like he'd said before, ex-couples can never truly become friends without any lingering feelings.
Back in his room, Leopold took off his clothes, removed his wedding ring, and put it away carefully, then walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower.
Steam rose up, blurring his sharp features. He could fool around outside, and Caroline would never know, but Leopold wouldn't do that. Not for any other reason, he knew well that once a man crosses that moral line, the future holds nothing but endless betrayal and shameless cheating.
He didn't want a corrupted marriage, and he didn't need a dirty relationship.
Caroline hadn't received a video call from Leopold in almost a week. Just as she was about to go have lunch, her phone rang with a video request.
Seeing his profile picture, Caroline smiled and accepted the call.
The moment the screen lit up, Caroline gasped in surprise and covered her mouth. "What are you doing?"
Leopold's hair was dripping wet, his upper body bare. Because of how he was sitting, the white towel around his waist looked loose and barely fastened, the thick hair below his navel dense and wild, as if it might be exposed any second.
"Can you come stay for a few days?" Leopold asked.
Caroline was caught off guard by the question. "What?"
He really had been holding back for too long, but it definitely wasn't because of Allegra's advances. He said, "Never mind, just kidding."
Caroline noticed his hair had grown long, the tips almost covering his eyes, giving him a kind of disheveled artist vibe.
"Find some time to get a haircut," Caroline said.
Leopold looked down, his eyes glancing at the tips of his hair, stretching a strand between two fingers. "It's not that bad."
"It's messy, looks a bit sloppy."
"Alright, I'll go to the barber tomorrow." He leaned back against the chair, arms spread out, sitting lazily. "Haven't seen you in days. I miss you, wife."
Caroline smiled. "I miss you too."
Leopold raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk on his lips. "If I didn't bring it up, you wouldn't even say you miss me. The moment I'm out of sight, you forget you have a husband, don't you?"
"Of course not. I've just been busy, and so have you." Caroline rested her chin on her hand, but her fingertips were touching his abs through the screen.
"What are you doing?" Leopold noticed where her eyes were focused.
Caroline said, "Feeling your abs."
Leopold turned his face away and laughed. "With this great body of mine, there aren't many guys at your workplace who can compare, right?"