Chapter 626

Chapter 626

Flora was completely shocked. What had she done?

Did she really rip Arthur's shirt yesterday?

It all felt too unreal for her to wrap her head around at the moment.

Arthur had already gotten up and returned after cleaning up, sporting two red handprints on his face. He casually handed her the clothes, saying, "You soaked these yesterday, they're dry now."

Flora sneakily reached for the clothes. Noticing Arthur still in the same clothes from the night before and seemingly clueless about any events between them, she hesitated and asked, "Did something happen between us yesterday...?"

"Nope," Arthur replied curtly.

Flora let out a sigh of relief, but her discomfort quickly returned.

Was she not attractive to him anymore? How could Arthur resist her in that situation?

Flora was always an open book, her emotions written all over her face.

Seeing her staring blankly at the clothes, Arthur teased, "What are you waiting for? Should I help you get dressed?"

She widened her eyes in surprise, guarding her upper body, and stuttered, "Turn around."

"You're so cautious," Arthur chuckled, then turned around obediently. To ease Flora's unease, he added seriously, "I'm telling you, nothing happened between us."

"No need to keep reminding me about your... shortcomings," Flora blurted out.

Arthur paused, looking menacing, turned to her, and asked, "You think nothing happened yesterday because of me?"

Flora stayed silent.

Arthur rephrased, "So, if I was, uh, performing better, you wouldn't have said no, right?"

Flora didn't know how to reply, muttered, "You're a creep," and attempted to get off the bed.

Seeing her attempt to leave, Arthur grew impatient, intercepting her before she could get off the bed. He earnestly stated, "Let's give dating a shot."

"You mean like pretend to be a couple?" Flora questioned.

"No, I mean regular interactions between a man and a woman, with the whole kissing and hugging deal that leads to something more," Arthur's Adam's apple bobbed, his eyes intense.

Flora felt like he was about to strip her bare with his gaze.

But she couldn't find her voice to refuse, her mouth dry, unable to respond.

“Why the silence?” Arthur moved closer, his voice more alluring.

Flora pressed her lips together, genuinely unsure how to reply, attempting to push his chest away, "Quit messing around, what's with this sudden talk."

Seeing her resistance, Arthur's expression cooled, but he remained composed, "Flora, don't you want to be with me?"

Flora's thoughts raced, wanting to escape but feeling trapped. Arthur persisted, demanding an answer and blocking any exit.

Under the mounting pressure, Flora shut her eyes and declared, "I decline."

That firm statement halted Arthur's advances.

Confused, Arthur asked, "You decline? Why?"

"No reason, you're just a good friend to me," Flora mumbled, her mind in turmoil.

After the words left her mouth, a weight lifted as Arthur straightened up, giving her breathing room.

His demeanor turned icy, leaving Flora uneasy.

She tried to say something to mend the situation, but Arthur had already turned away, stating, "Fine, we'll stick to being good friends from now on."

"It's what she wanted to hear, but it didn't feel right at that moment."

"Arthur."

"Hurry up, the car's waiting downstairs."

Arthur left without another word.

As Flora made her way out, she spotted him by the elevator.

He looked polished but distant.

"Where are we headed?"

"To the hospital, to check for any traces of yesterday's drugs." Arthur nonchalantly replied, pressing the elevator button.

His concern for her well-being made Flora uneasy.

Normally, he would have been criticizing her for being careless.

During the ride to the hospital, Arthur stayed quiet. While Flora used to crave this silence, now it made her slightly anxious.

After confirming there were no remnants, Arthur swiftly escorted her out of the hospital, hailed a cab, and instructed, "You head back."

As Flora got into the cab, she instinctively waited for Arthur to join her. But when he spoke, she hesitated, "You're not coming back with me?"

"No, I've got things to take care of," Arthur replied shortly.

He didn't elaborate on what those things were, as if Flora didn't need to know or be involved.

Feeling adrift, Flora couldn't find the right words and simply nodded, watching him close the door.

As the car pulled away, Arthur's figure in the rearview mirror blurred and eventually vanished as he entered another vehicle.

A sudden emptiness settled in Flora's chest.

Meanwhile, Elisa and Howard were en route to Bayside.

In the early hours, Jade had sent them an audio clip. It was brief and straightforward. It featured Sierra asking Walter for money, mentioning that Indigo needed two million dollars to settle gambling debts.

"You know Indigo has us wrapped around his finger. If he spills the beans, it won't just hit us. What if it affects your son?"

"What leverage? Don't drag me into this; I won't give in," Walter refused.

"Quit the act. We all know what really went down when your mother had that accident. You better cough up the cash to keep him quiet, or we'll have problems down the line."

The situation was heating up, as Sierra's tone lost its friendliness, "We're in this together now. You can't just think about yourself."

Walter stayed silent.

Sierra grew impatient, "Think you left no trace behind when your mother had that accident? That car-"

The recording abruptly ended.

Elisa replayed it several times but couldn't catch the rest. She called Jade, who was also at a loss as Walter had angrily destroyed something, damaging the bug.

"Walter didn't send the money. After cutting off Sierra, he sought advice from a lawyer regarding wills and company shares," Jade reported diligently.

"Got it. Keep watching closely," Elisa instructed.

Lost in thought, Elisa pondered if there was a way to leverage this evidence to uncover the truth.

Seeking legal insight, she turned to Howard and asked, "Can Michael use this kind of evidence?"

Howard, seated beside her, remained silent.

That was out of character.

Elisa waved her hand in front of his eyes, "What's got you zoned out?"

Howard snapped back, nodding, "Send it to Michael and inquire. Also, about that Indigo, he used to work as a driver for your family, right? Let's hold off on taking action against him for now."