Chapter 51 William Pinching Thalia's Earlobe...
"In Ms. Smith's eyes, what is honesty?"
Thalia found herself trapped against the door by William, her eyes wide with confusion. "Mr. Brown, what do you think honesty is?"
"Doing what you say you'll do. That's honesty," William replied.
Thalia let out a laugh. "How many people in the real world actually do that?"
"Who doesn’t just hook up and then act like strangers afterward?"
Thalia had been influenced by Hayden since she was young, turning into a heartbreaker. When one of Hayden's mistresses showed up pregnant at their doorstep demanding responsibility, what did Hayden say?
"I did get you pregnant, so I should take responsibility. But what do you want me to do? Make you the Smith family's matriarch? Get in line. Money? Just call me, no need to come here and embarrass yourself."
How heartbreaking those words were!
Thalia wasn’t always like this, but over time, she became jaded.
She wanted to be honest, but she needed someone to teach her.
Listening to Thalia's cynical words, William sneered. "Makes sense."
With that, his broad hand moved to her waist, touching her lightly and making her squirm.
Just as she thought they were moving to the next step, William suddenly turned her around, pressing her face against the door.
"William... you're using your hands again..."
William sneered. "I'm using my hands to show Ms. Smith that some things don't require taking off your pants."
"You better behave, or... I have ways to keep you too busy to mess around with other men."
By the end, Thalia's legs were weak, almost collapsing to the floor. William quickly caught her and carried her to the couch, pinning her wrists above her head, his gaze carrying a warning.
"If I find out you're sleeping with other men, Thalia..."
"Are you in love with me?" A man's possessiveness only comes out for someone he likes, making it hard not to wonder about William.
William laughed abruptly. "Yeah, I'm in love with you."
He said it slowly and clearly, turning a rhetorical question into something almost flirtatious.
Thalia was so angry she almost didn’t react, lifting her leg to kick him.
But William caught her slender ankle with one hand, bringing it to his lips for a light kiss.
Thalia felt something explode in her mind.
William, in his suit and perfectly styled hair, looked every bit the powerful business tycoon.
When he kissed her ankle, Thalia shivered all over, unable to speak, but her desire was ignited.
The mix of restraint and teasing in his expression made her heart race.
She clutched the couch beneath her, trembling uncontrollably.
"William..."
"What?" William's tone was teasing, seeing Thalia's urgency.
"I..."
"What?" William coaxed her step by step.
"Still want those college boys?" William's long fingers trailed up her waist, stopping at her earlobe and gently rubbing it.
Thalia was trapped, at his mercy.
William was such a jerk.
"Let me go..."
"Let you go so you can find college boys?"
Thalia was livid. Rather than let William tempt her, she'd rather provoke him. "I go for college boys because you can't satisfy me!"
William's hand tightened on her earlobe, making Thalia cry out in pain.
"You beg for mercy and then say I can't satisfy you. Looks like I shouldn't listen to your pleas anymore."
Thalia thought to herself, ...Wouldn't she die in bed then?
"You..."
William suddenly released her, smoothing his clothes as he stood by the couch.
"What are you doing?"
"Aren't you leaving?"
Thalia was flabbergasted. "After all this, you're letting me go? Don't tell me you're not hard."
"I'm hard, you leave."
Thalia was speechless. She would have cursed him out before, but now she didn't dare.
Fuming, Thalia got up to leave. Just as she reached the door, William spoke disdainfully. "Illegal detention is a crime, Thalia. Don't do anything illegal."
"What do you know?" Thalia's eyes narrowed.
"What do you think?" William sat on the couch, lighting a cigarette.
Smoke swirled, obscuring his face.
Thalia stood in the doorway, looking at him. "William, what do you mean?"
"What do you think?"
Thalia's delicate brows furrowed. "Want to keep a relationship with me?"
William sneered, tapping his cigarette. "Something like that."
"After all, many people are interested in the body of the Emerald City's princess."
Thalia was disgusted. "Save your fake affection."
...
"Mr. Brown," Finn entered the apartment, seeing William smoking on the balcony, and greeted respectfully.
"Have someone secretly take her home."
"Yes, sir."
"And," William hesitated for a moment before continuing, "leak Ruby's location to Chase."
Finn was shocked. "That's not good! If Chase knows where Ruby is, he'll surely go after Ms. Smith. Then..."
William listened, unconcerned. "She can't go down the wrong path. Besides, if it doesn't come to that, how will she ever listen to me?"
He knew Thalia's character too well. As long as she had any other options, she wouldn't comply.
Only a cornered animal would stay home and submit.
He intended to break her stubbornness piece by piece...
Finn shivered at William's words...
Where did William's possessiveness for Thalia come from?
Thalia returned to the villa, cursing as she entered.
"Mr. Brown..."
"What?"
Jada glanced cautiously around the house.
Thalia frowned and walked in, only to see Chase sitting in the living room, smoking.
She hated the smell of smoke the most, and this idiot Chase was smoking in her house?
"What? Got caught with another woman and came here to hide?"
"Ruby is at Willowbrook Manor?" Chase flicked his ash, realizing there was no ashtray, so he flicked it into a cup.
Thalia looked at him with disgust.
"If you say so."
"Guess why I'm here?"
Thalia's heart skipped a beat...
"To watch you, so you can't contact them. My people are already on their way to Willowbrook Manor."
Thalia thought to herself, ...Who told him?