Chapter 132 Signs Of A Man
MELISSA'S POV
My fingers moved slowly as I scrolled through my blocked contacts, the names passing by one after the other until I finally stopped when I saw his. Eric Kings. I stared at it for a brief moment, my thumb hovering over the screen as if it suddenly weighed a ton. I didn’t give myself too much time to think about it. Thinking too much would only make me chicken out. With a single tap, I unblocked his number.
The moment I did, my heart didn’t race or skip like some guilty wife caught doing something wrong. Instead, I felt calm. Almost cold. I leaned back in my chair at the dining table, my phone resting loosely in my hand, and asked myself a very simple question.
What exactly do you say to a perverted freak who only wants to sleep with you?
More importantly, would he even reply now?
Things had changed. He was no longer an investor at Greenleaf Med.
I sighed softly, my eyes dropping to the screen again.
I typed quickly, not giving myself room to hesitate again.
‘Hey there handsome, it’s been a while. Do you have a moment for us to talk?’
I read it again. It was simple. Flirty enough I guess.
Without hesitation, I hit send.
Immediately after, I dropped my phone face flat on the table as if it had suddenly burned my hand. I reached for a slice of bread on the plate in front of me and took a bite, chewing slowly while staring at nothing in particular.
Now comes the real journey.
The waiting.
Even if he was going to reply, I had no idea how busy he might be. He was a businessman after all. It could take hours. It could take days. I prepared myself for silence, for disappointment, for having to try another angle entirely.
I hadn’t even finished chewing the bread when my phone buzzed loudly against the table.
The vibration startled me.
At first, I thought it was a random notification. Maybe some useless app alert. I wiped my fingers lightly on a napkin and flipped the phone over.
And to my surprise
Eric had replied.
‘Who is this?’
I blinked at the screen, surprised. That was… fast. Faster than I expected. A small corner of my lips twitched. Guess he really was always with his phone.
I typed back almost immediately.
‘Don’t you recognize my number? I thought you had it saved. It’s Melissa Reed.’
I hit send and barely had time to lower my phone before I saw the typing indicator appear. He didn’t even hesitate.
‘The wife of that fraud of a man. How can I help you?’
I stared at the message, my expression unreadable.
The tone was different. Very different.
Back then, Eric couldn’t send a single message without making it sexual. Compliments, dirty hints, bold offers — he never held back. But now? Now he sounded cold. Distant. Almost offended.
I couldn’t blame him.
James had lied to him. Deceived him. Taken his money and dragged him into a sinking ship. Now that everything had fallen apart, Eric was redirecting his anger, and I just happened to be the closest target connected to James.
Which was exactly why I had come prepared.
Earlier that morning, before I came downstairs to serve James breakfast, I had taken my time upstairs. I didn’t rush. With my night gown I was wearing, one that hugged my body in all the right places. I took pictures. Very sexy ones. Careful ones. My face didn’t show much. It didn’t need to. Eric was never interested in my face.
It was my body that had caught his attention.
I selected the sexiest, the ones that made even me pause for a second before nodding in satisfaction.
Now was the time.
‘That’s not how you spoke to me all those months ago. Don’t you still want some of this?’
I sent the message and, without giving him time to respond first, followed it immediately with the pictures.
I leaned back slightly in my chair, my fingers tightening around the phone.
That should do it.
For the first time since I messaged him, he didn’t reply instantly. Minutes passed.
I watched the screen patiently.
Then his reply finally came.
‘Damn. You even look more sexy in that night gown.’
A proud smile spread across my face before I could stop it. I knew it. I always knew it would work. Men like Eric were predictable. All it took was the right trigger.
I quickly wiped the smile away when I felt eyes on me.
James was staring.
He sat across from me at the dining table, his brows slightly furrowed, his gaze fixed on my face and then my phone. I realized then how unusual this must look to him. I rarely used my phone during breakfast. Almost never.
That alone was enough to draw suspicion.
I kept my face neutral and tilted my phone slightly away from his view.
‘Thanks daddy, I’m blushing’ I typed back to Eric, completely ignoring James’s stare.
Almost immediately, another message came in.
‘Hmm. Does this mean you’ve finally come to your senses and you’re ready to go my way?’
I let out a small breath through my nose, my fingers already moving.
‘Of course. That’s the plan now. Why else would I be texting you? The real question is, are you ready to be my daddy? Do you think you can handle all this hotness?’
I sent it and took a sip of my drink, my posture relaxed.
His reply didn’t disappoint.
‘Of course. I might look old, but I still have the waist movement of a 20-year-old. And if you’re talking financially, I still have a lot left in the bank for you.’
I smiled again, this time not even bothering to hide it for long. I sent a few laughing emojis, keeping things playful.
‘Then why don’t you show me how much of a bad boy you are?’
The message had barely delivered when he responded.
‘Would it be possible if we meet up? Anytime. Any place.’
I tilted my head slightly, pretending to think, even though I already knew what I wanted.
‘Just like that? Without even showing me how much you want me?’ I added a disappointed emoji for effect.
There was a brief pause.
Then his reply came.
‘No, my bad. How about you send me your account details and I send you something. Just to show you how much I want you. Then we can meet up.’
I stared at the screen, my grip tightening as a slow, satisfied smile spread across my face.
Just like that.
So easy.
I typed my reply calmly.
‘Alright. Now you’re showing me signs of a man.’
I dropped the phone gently onto the table, my appetite suddenly gone.