Chapter 91 Embrace Her and Kiss Her Lips
Coffee shop.
John looked down at his watch. An hour later, James came out.
"Laura, I'll have to trouble you to look after Gloria. Here's my business card. If anything happens to Gloria in the future, I hope you can let me know right away."
"You're too kind, Mr. Williams."
After seeing Laura off, John immediately asked, "Is Mrs. Williams pregnant?"
James frowned. "No. Laura changed her medication two months ago, which caused her to have poor appetite recently, along with side effects like nausea and drowsiness."
"Then why was Mrs. Williams dressed like that last night?"
"Probably the clothes she changed into for an MRI. Her stomach wasn't feeling well."
Gloria had a difficult childhood and developed stomach problems early on. He knew about this too.
But he was puzzled. The nursing home could do examinations there - did she hate him so much that she didn't even want him to know about her medical checkups?
He felt there was more to this than met the eye.
James rubbed his temples. After staying up all night, he was exhausted.
Sitting in the car, he looked through Gloria's medical records from the past three years - how many ultrasounds she'd had, how many ovulation injections, how many examinations, how many different medications.
James closed his eyes. He knew it hadn't been easy for her. Seeing these records made his chest feel heavy and tight.
No wonder she had such a strong reaction when she found out Maria was pregnant - because over these three years, she had given it everything she had.
What had he done?
Gloria, I'm sorry.
"Laura, thank you."
"Gloria, this is just a temporary solution. There are no permanent secrets in this world. Whether you decide to terminate the pregnancy or keep the child, since you and Mr. Williams are married, I suggest you discuss it with him clearly."
"I know. I'll get your overseas arrangements done as soon as possible. Goodbye."
Gloria hung up the phone, feeling like she'd just escaped disaster.
She looked at Caspian beside her. "Good thing you noticed. If we hadn't been prepared, everything would have been exposed today."
Caspian's voice was calm. "Don't be afraid. I've got everything under control."
Meeting Gloria's haggard face, he reminded her, "Get some rest. I'll let you know as soon as there's news from Vivienne."
He took Gloria back to her room and tucked her in.
Seeing that tall, slender figure by the bed, Gloria felt much more at ease.
A friend who had no romantic feelings for her but had connections everywhere - Gloria felt truly lucky.
"Caspian, I'm so glad I have you." She was extremely tired, mumbling these words as consciousness faded.
After she fell asleep peacefully, Caspian gazed at her serene sleeping face, like a face kissed by an angel.
Gloria's features were very defined, giving her a somewhat mixed-race appearance.
Her biological father had always been a mystery, even Vivienne didn't know.
When she appeared in the entertainment industry with that face, she caused quite a stir.
Gloria would never know that the reason things went so smoothly for her later, besides her own efforts, was because Caspian had been protecting her from behind.
At least that man who wanted to keep her for eighty million dollars didn't have a simple background.
If he could offer eighty million dollars, he wouldn't mind offering more.
He wanted her at any cost. Sooner or later, Gloria would be his.
James back then couldn't protect her at all. It was Caspian who protected her rise to the top.
After she fell asleep, Caspian knelt on one knee by the bed.
His usually cool and detached eyes were tinged with intense desire. In the empty room, he no longer hid his raw gaze.
Gloria's lips were right there, so close. He stared fiercely and wildly at her soft pink lips.
He could barely control the beast inside him that had been restrained for so long.
Her body in the car had been so soft, and her lips were soft too.
Thinking of their kiss scene, when they had been so close.
He could clearly feel her breath, her warmth.
Even though more than three years had passed, he remembered every detail of that day.
Caspian's Adam's apple bobbed. He wanted so badly to hold her in his arms again, to kiss her lips.
Even just to touch her cheek once more.
His hand was just an inch from her cheek. As he lowered his hand, the beaded bracelet on his wrist slipped down, and he suddenly snapped back to reality.
Caspian withdrew his gaze. What was he about to do? How could he take advantage of her?
Caspian slowly stood up. When he raised his head again, his eyes had returned to their usual coldness.
James wanted to come in to check on Gloria but was stopped outside the door by Joseph. He said angrily, "Get out of the way!"
"Mr. Williams, Gloria stayed up all night. Are you sure you want to disturb her rest?"
"Caspian."
Before he could finish, the door opened. Caspian's upright figure appeared at the door, his gaze calmly fixed on James. He lowered his voice, "Let's talk privately."
Lounge.
This was the second time James met with Caspian alone.
He remembered Caspian's expression when he said firmly, "I want her."
The first thing James said was, "I won't let go."
His eyes were sharp. "I was wrong in the past. Now I've seen the light. From now on, I won't let her down again."
He wasn't lying. After seeing the electronic medical records, he only felt guilt.
Caspian skillfully made coffee, his slender fingers pushing the cup toward him.
Throughout, he displayed perfect manners, as if he and James weren't rivals but friends. He slowly looked up. "Mr. Williams, I actually admire your abilities."
James was surprised. He'd expected confrontation, not praise from Caspian.
"I knew back then you were no ordinary person. Facts have proven this true. In just a few years, you've reached your current position with unlimited potential ahead. You've risen faster than I imagined."
"Given your feelings for Gloria, plus your wealth and status, I thought you could protect her well. So I never revealed my feelings, silently blessing you both. But—"
Caspian's tone shifted, the calm in his eyes replaced by sharp intensity, piercing and forceful. "But what I didn't expect was that after your success, you'd fall into the same trap as many others. You thought you could control everything, willing to sacrifice a woman for your own interests."
"Wrong is wrong. If she's willing to forgive you, I have nothing to say. But now she's ready to cut ties with you. Your repentance and compensation are moral blackmail to her. You think she hasn't suffered enough, so you want to twist the knife in her heart again, is that it?"
"I never meant to hurt Gloria, Mr. Rivers. Since you're also a reasonable person, you should know that even if she and I separate, she could never accept you. Why not do us a favor and let go again? We could be friends. The Rivers family situation is complicated. If you ever need help in the future, I'll do everything I can to help you take control of the Rivers family. How about it?"
Caspian stood up directly, looking down at James and saying word by word, "James, if you truly respect her, you should understand one thing. Gloria is not a bargaining chip on the business table. I will never use her in any transaction."
He set the cup down heavily on the table.
"Forgot to tell you - Vanguard Technologies Ltd. is my company."
Caspian gave him a meaningful look, then turned and left.
Hearing this, James's mind went blank, a flash of shock crossing his deep eyes.
"It's you!"