Chapter 169 How Should I Punish You
Empire City was still freezing in January. At night especially, a gust of cold wind could practically blow away your hair, scalp, and soul all at once.
On the curb outside the hospital, Rebecca huddled up like a quail, checking her phone while watching the traffic, as if waiting for a ride.
Frederick's jawline was tense.
Rebecca was still craning her neck to look.
A shadow fell over her as a black Mercedes slowly reversed and stopped right beside her.
Just as Rebecca was about to move aside, the passenger window rolled down slowly. Mike called out respectfully, "Mrs. Windsor, please get in."
Rebecca instinctively glanced at the back window.
You could see out from inside, but not in from outside.
Rebecca blinked, shook her head, which had gone numb from the cold, and pulled open the back door with a whoosh.
She came face-to-face with Frederick's displeased expression.
Was he angry?
Mad that she came to the hospital without telling him?
Or was someone at the company screwing up?
She glanced back at Mike, who kept his eyes straight ahead, acting like he was just a driver who saw nothing and would hear nothing either.
Without even sitting in her own seat, Rebecca snuggled right into Frederick's arms. "Honey, I'm so cold!"
Frederick's breath caught. He looked down, meeting Rebecca's pale face.
"Rebecca..."
Frederick's voice was cold and heavy. "When something comes up at the hospital, don't you know to call? If you don't know to call me, don't you have the driver's number?"
Blinking, she belatedly realized he was angry because he'd seen her freezing on the roadside.
Rebecca smiled with her eyes crinkling, and pushed her luck by settling into his lap. "Oh come on, don't be mad... I was just thinking you're already exhausted from your busy work, I didn't want you to have to rush around for my stuff after work."
"If I called the driver, I'd still have to wait for him. A taxi nearby might've come faster. Besides, you can't really blame me..."
Rebecca rubbed her nose. "The hospital entrance is usually the best place to catch a cab—there's always a long line. How was I supposed to know there wouldn't be a single one today?"
Sliding her hands through Frederick's open coat to either side of his arms, Rebecca pressed her ice-cold face against Frederick's neck. "Frederick, you really can't blame me!"
A cold, sweet-scented embrace.
A soft, sweet voice.
Rebecca was like a kitten who'd messed up its shirt and was now shamelessly climbing up its pant leg, begging to be held.
The anger in Frederick's heart vanished in an instant.
Sighing inwardly, Frederick wrapped his arms around Rebecca, his voice still cold and heavy. "You let my wife freeze. Tell me, how should I punish you?"
Rebecca froze.
Frederick asked, "Where to?"
"Back to..."
Just as the words "school" were about to leave her mouth, she met his dark, deep eyes—as if she dared to get out of the car early and leave him, he'd punish her right then and there.
In this critical moment, Rebecca got smart for once. "Um... home? Can you wake up early tomorrow morning and drive me? Please?"
"Okay."
Frederick agreed and kissed her forehead.
The car, which moments ago had been as cold and harsh as the Ice Age, instantly became sunny with spring returning to the earth. In the driver's seat, Mike let out a quiet breath of relief.
The car headed straight for Pinewood Mansion and stopped in front of the villa half an hour later.
As soon as Rebecca entered the bedroom, she started getting nervous.
Her head was full of that line about him wanting to punish her.
How was he planning to punish her?
Tie her up?
Or trap her against the bathroom sink?
The bathwater had started to cool, and Rebecca still hadn't figured out what to do to make his punishment less fierce.
Rebecca suddenly snapped back to reality. She hadn't done anything wrong—why should she be punished?
Head held high, Rebecca walked out of the bathroom full of confidence.
When Frederick's domineering, fierce kisses left her breathless, Rebecca bit down on him in frustration.