Chapter 378 She Shouldn't Have Teased This Man
"I need to use the restroom." She wanted to find an excuse to slip away.
But William held her waist firmly, keeping her in place.
The man stared at her with naked intensity, like a devoted lover who'd been dumped by a heartless woman.
"I really need to use the bathroom. Stop looking at me like that—you're making me feel like a terrible person."
"Aren't you, though?"
"So that's what you think of me? That I'm a terrible person?"
"You keep making me confess my feelings over and over, and you never respond, Thalia. You're absolutely terrible."
Thalia thought to herself that she never should have messed with this man.
"Do I really have to say it out loud? That I love you?" Thalia asked.
"What? Is loving me that hard to admit?" William pressed.
"That's not it."
"Then what is it? No rush, take your time to think it through. I've got all the time in the world to listen."
Thalia changed the subject. "You fell asleep on the couch. Aren't you tired?"
William said nothing.
Thalia added, "What I mean is, supplements are expensive. How about we continue this conversation tomorrow?"
William laughed in frustration.
He let go of his protective hold on Thalia. Caught off guard, she fell to the floor with a thud. Just as she was about to get angry, she saw William's face darken as he stared at her. Even without saying a word, she could feel the temperature around them drop.
"Ow, that hurt..."
"Thalia, your behavior is basically telling me you have zero expectations for our marriage. You keep teasing me, making me confess my feelings, then pulling away. Does doing this give you some kind of satisfaction? The stuff you pulled in your teens—you still haven't gotten tired of it in your twenties?"
"I did this to you when I was a teenager, and you're still falling for it at thirty. Isn't that your... sorry, my bad, I apologize. It won't happen again." Thalia's attempt at arguing shifted direction under William's cold, warning gaze.
Though Thalia didn't think this was her fault—after all, a trick that works from your teens to your thirties isn't exactly fresh—it was strange that William kept falling for it, kept letting her tease him.
Was this her fault?
It was clearly William being too gullible.
"I hurt myself falling. Aren't you going to pick me up?" Thalia pouted, reaching her arms up toward William, waiting for him to lift her.
"Hey, you're just leaving?"
Thalia was speechless.
When she came out of the shower, William was already in bed, and the lamp on his nightstand was off—clearly signaling he didn't want to talk.
Thalia didn't care. She wasn't emotional about it anyway.
Just as she fell asleep, she instinctively snuggled toward William. Her hands had just touched his chest when she was kicked awake.
"Are you crazy? Kicking me while I'm sleeping?"
In the darkness, William's eyes gleamed with anger. "You're touching me, and I can't kick you?"
Thalia knew she had some bad habits.
But she couldn't admit it right now. "I can't even touch my own husband?"
"I can't kick my own wife?"
"That's domestic violence."
"Where's your proof?"
Thalia had nothing to say.
William was full of pent-up frustration. After arguing with Thalia for a bit, he was even more upset. He couldn't sleep from anger, while Thalia was sleeping soundly.
If he didn't make her suffer now, who would he take it out on?
"Fine, I'm leaving!" She threw off the covers and got up to go to the guest room.
The two guest rooms on the second floor were usually for when Amara and Harper visited. Thalia walked toward those rooms.
But the doors wouldn't open.
The four suites on the third floor wouldn't open either.
"Fallon."
"Mrs. Brown," In the middle of the night, Fallon was dozing on the sofa.
Thalia's sudden call startled her awake.
"Why won't the guest rooms open?"
"Mr. Brown had me lock them all half an hour ago."
"Where are the keys?"
"Mr. Brown took them."
Furious, Thalia returned to the bedroom, stood at the foot of the bed, grabbed the blanket, and threw it over William's head, pouncing on him.
"I'll smother you, you jerk."
William was speechless.
...
"Mr. Brown, concealer."
As soon as William entered his office, a female secretary from the secretary's office came in with a luxury brand concealer.
"What for?"
The man's tone was unfriendly.
The secretary pointed to his neck. "Ms. Jolie said city leaders are coming to inspect the company later. You need to receive them, and the scratches on your neck..."
William's expression changed. He took the concealer from her with a cold face. "How do I use it?"
"Just dab it with your finger and apply it to the marks. When they're not visible anymore, use this." The secretary handed over a compact of setting powder. "Pat it on, and you're done."
"You can go."
As soon as the secretary left, she patted her chest. Good thing he didn't give her a hard time.
"Did Ms. Smith scratch Mr. Brown's neck?"
"How would I know?"
"I think it's 100% Ms. Smith. I'm just curious what Mr. Brown did to make someone scratch his neck raw."
"His face is clean without any marks—looks like she deliberately avoided it."
"Exciting. Mr. Brown must have wronged Ms. Smith in a past life. Otherwise, why would she have him so completely under her thumb in this one?"
...
Angelina: [Next time, avoid visible areas, Ms. Smith.]
Thalia sat in the car downing coffee. She'd fought too late last night and was really sleepy now.
When Angelina's message came through, she perked up a bit. She handed her coffee to Isla: [I'm being merciful by not scratching him to death.]
Angelina sent back a thumbs-up emoji: [Tonight scratch somewhere else. We're meeting with city leaders tomorrow. If people ask, I don't know how to say.]
Thalia sent back an OK emoji.
Then Angelina sent a photo. A group of men in suits stood in the Celestia Group building, chatting and smiling. In the center was William.