Chapter 81 Should She Wait for Him to Explain?
Emily's heart raced with nervous anticipation, but she still summoned her courage.
Just as her lips were about to touch his...
Alexander suddenly turned his face away.
Caught off guard, Emily's red lips landed on his collar instead.
She froze, staring at him in disbelief.
Alexander raised an eyebrow, then bent down to pick up the thin cardigan that had fallen to the floor, draping it over her shoulders.
"Put this on."
Emily's entire body went rigid as stone, completely motionless, clearly shaken by the rejection.
Seeing her stunned expression, her head lowered with tears welling in her eyes, Alexander felt a surge of irritation. "You don't need to do this."
He began buttoning up her cardigan for her, one button at a time, making sure she was properly covered.
Emily bit her lip hard, asking in bewilderment, "Alexander, what do you want me to do? Don't you have any interest in me at all? Not even the slightest bit? You're a man—don't you have any physical needs whatsoever? You..."
She refused to believe he wasn't a normal man.
She had thrown herself at him, gone this far—she considered herself quite attractive. Any other man would have lost control long ago, unable to resist.
But with him, he acted as if she weren't even a woman!
His lips seemed to be his forbidden territory, completely untouchable no matter what.
Shame, humiliation, embarrassment—under extreme suppression, she asked with reddened eyes, "Don't you like my type? What kind do you prefer? The innocent type? Someone who plays hard to get like Grace?"
Alexander raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"
"Have you slept with her? Have you been intimate with her?" Emily pressed urgently. "How far have you two gone?"
Alexander replied, "Why are you asking such questions?"
Emily said, "Because this isn't right!" She seemed at a loss. "You're a man! Seeing me like this, don't you feel even the slightest bit moved? Or do you have reservations about me? Alexander, I don't mind! I'm mentally prepared—I can give you everything I have! You don't need to worry about so much."
Alexander said, "I don't want to." The man's characteristically cold tone carried a hint of impatience.
Emily was completely stunned. "What?"
Alexander's lips curved slightly. "Do you think I'm such a shallow man?" If physical attraction alone could bind his heart, any woman could do it.
He spoke again, "Get dressed. I don't want to repeat myself a third time."
Seeing that he was losing patience, Emily didn't linger any longer. She simply lowered her head, clutching her clothes and wrapping them tightly around herself.
From above, Alexander's cold voice reached her, "I'll pretend tonight never happened, but I don't want there to be a next time."
Emily collapsed onto the sofa, rendered speechless.
She heard footsteps moving away, then the door opening and closing.
He was gone.
Tears swirled in her eyes, and Emily could no longer hold back, breaking into suppressed, anguished sobs.
...
"Mr. Hayes!"
The driver leaned against the car door, surprised to see Alexander coming downstairs.
So soon?
He'd thought that with Alexander going upstairs, there would be a heated encounter.
Could it be that Alexander was... quick?
Alexander walked up to him, looking him up and down, apparently reading the speculation in his eyes. He said coldly, "What are you thinking?"
The driver paled with shock. "I..."
Alexander narrowed his eyes. "Keep your dirty thoughts to yourself."
The driver broke into a cold sweat under his warning gaze, immediately saying, "Mr. Hayes, I wouldn't dare."
Alexander didn't bother to elaborate and got into the car.
The driver closed the door, quickly got into the driver's seat, fastened his seatbelt, and started the engine.
Half an hour later.
The car pulled into Radiant Pinnacle, stopping at the elevator entrance on the basement level.
Alexander went upstairs and opened the door to find the living room completely dark.
However, with his naturally keen senses, he quickly detected the presence of another person.
He looked toward the sofa and saw Grace leaning against it, hugging a cushion, apparently having fallen asleep.
Perhaps awakened by his footsteps, Grace suddenly stirred, opening her eyes. Realizing she had dozed off, she immediately got up. In the darkness, she couldn't quite orient herself and fumbled to turn on the light, but her hand unexpectedly touched cold suit fabric.
Startled, she let out a small cry of alarm, looking up to see a tall, imposing silhouette standing before her.
"Alexander?" She stared in confusion. "When did you get back?"
She hadn't even noticed when he'd appeared in front of her.
She had mild night blindness and couldn't see anything clearly in the dark.
Alexander asked, "Why didn't you go to your room to sleep?"
"I was reading on the sofa and dozed off without realizing it." The housekeeper had probably seen her sleeping and covered her with a thin blanket before turning off the lights. "Liam said he wanted to wait for you to come home, but I was worried you'd be late, so I coaxed him to sleep first."
Alexander casually flipped the light switch.
The lights came on with a "click."
Grace instinctively raised her hand to shield her eyes, finding the brightness a bit harsh.
As she became more alert, her sense of smell returned too, and she soon caught the scent of unfamiliar perfume on him.
Grace adjusted to the lighting and looked up at Alexander, only to notice a partial lipstick mark on his collar.
She frowned slightly, her expression complex.
Alexander asked, "What are you looking at?"
Grace turned her face away and asked, "Did you take Emily home?"
Alexander replied, "Yes."
Grace felt her heart sting unexpectedly, an uncomfortable sensation.
He'd taken her home, so they must have done something intimate—that's why he had her lipstick mark and perfume scent on him?
Grace belatedly realized how ridiculous she was being.
Why should she feel bothered by this?
Given Emily's special place in Alexander's life, even if they had the most intimate relationship, what right did she have to question it?
Grace said, "I'm going to bed. You should rest early too."
She moved to walk past him, but he firmly grasped her hand.
Alexander pulled her back in front of him, his Adam's apple bobbing, but he seemed at a loss for words.
He could tell this woman seemed to have misunderstood something.
But did he need to explain anything to her?
Alexander looked at her expression—as if she thought she understood everything—and found himself wanting to speak but hesitating, thousands of words stuck in his throat, unable to be voiced.
Grace asked, "What are you doing?"
Alexander said, "Nothing!" He suddenly felt there was no need to explain anything to her.
His large hand, which had been gripping hers tightly, suddenly released her.
Grace freed her hand, rubbing her wrist, and was about to head to her room.
Alexander couldn't help himself. "Don't you have anything to ask me?"
From the way she was looking at him, she clearly suspected he and Emily had done something!
But she didn't ask a single question. Was she waiting for him to explain voluntarily?
Grace looked at him in confusion. "Ask about what?"