Chapter 74 He Panicked, Feeling Seriously Out of Control
It was just helping her take off her pants to apply medicine, but the way he said it made it sound like something had happened between them.
Scarlett's face flushed red as she reached out to push him away.
But Daniel caught her hand, brought it to his lips for a light kiss, and said with a smile.
"Do you like it when I kiss you like this?"
Scarlett felt a tingling sensation spread from her fingertips through her entire body, like an electric shock.
She unconsciously leaned softly into his embrace, too embarrassed to speak.
Was this flirting?
Although they'd had sex before, they'd never flirted like a couple like this.
The old Daniel wasn't like this either - he was very silent and restrained in bed.
Even at the most intense moments of sex, he'd never made cheeky remarks like this, asking if she liked it or anything like that.
Sex before felt like a task to her.
But now, even though he wasn't doing anything, just kissing her fingers and nuzzling her ears and neck, Scarlett wanted to surrender to him.
This was too scary.
She shouldn't let herself fall like this.
Scarlett suddenly opened her eyes and pulled her hand back.
"I don't like it!"
She bit her tongue, forcing herself to look at Daniel and saying each word firmly and decisively.
The smile on Daniel's handsome face gradually froze. His thin lips curved slightly as he let out a light mocking laugh.
"Your mouth says one thing, your heart another."
Daniel's slender fingers lifted, rubbing together twice.
Meeting Daniel's teasing, mocking gaze, thinking about where his fingers had just been, Scarlett's mind went blank and she gradually turned completely red.
"Pervert, creep!"
Embarrassed and annoyed, she turned around and quickly pulled on the other pant leg.
But her hands and feet were weak, and she was too flustered, fumbling clumsily like a child, unable to get it on for a while.
Daniel calmly pulled out a tissue and wiped his fingers. With one long arm, he scooped Scarlett onto his lap.
Scarlett rushed to pull up the zipper, her fingers trembling, the zipper seeming stuck.
Above her head came Daniel's muffled laughter again. Scarlett was so embarrassed she wanted to combust. Daniel covered her hand with his, helping her pull up the zipper, and teased in her ear.
"You're welcome."
Scarlett didn't want to stay in the same space with him for another second.
Fortunately, they'd arrived at the hospital.
Daniel got out of the car. Scarlett followed and pushed open the door. She'd just jumped down when her body suddenly felt light - Daniel had picked her up again.
"I can walk by myself."
"So capable now? Your legs aren't weak anymore?"
Scarlett was speechless.
Afraid he'd say something even more outrageous, she simply shut up and accepted her fate.
Daniel took her to the eye clinic. The doctor examined her and said it wasn't serious, just a bit infected. He prescribed eye drops to use for two days.
Coming out of the hospital, Scarlett refused to get back in the car with Daniel.
Daniel's face turned cold. "You're injured and need someone to take care of you! Come back to Regal Estate with me."
Scarlett stood there. Her eyes were still red but she could open them now. She looked at him.
"This little injury is nothing. No need to trouble Mr. Wilson."
She was cold as ice, without a trace of the soft, sweet look she'd had in the car earlier. Daniel was almost amused by his anger.
"Not blind anymore, don't need me, so it's Mr. Wilson again?"
Something in his gaze made Scarlett feel a bit guilty, though she didn't know why.
She forced herself to ignore it. She hadn't forgotten that Alice was still in Daniel's bed at Blossom Mansion.
She nodded. "Yes. I'm leaving."
She turned around, but Daniel suddenly stepped forward and hugged her from behind.
Scarlett froze. What was he doing?
Given Daniel's pride, blocking her way and pestering her repeatedly - this really wasn't his style.
"Daniel, let go."
Scarlett instinctively looked around. The hospital was full of people coming and going. What was he thinking?
But Daniel acted as if no one else existed. He lowered his head, pressing his chin heavily on Scarlett's shoulder.
"Compared to struggling to raise money to leave me, staying by my side makes you happier, doesn't it? Scarlett, is it so hard to admit you can't leave me?"
Daniel's embrace was warm and broad - something Scarlett craved.
His voice was seductive, his tone gentle and coaxing. Scarlett's breathing quickened.
Feeling her emotions, Daniel's thin lips gradually curved into a satisfied arc.
However, the next second.
Scarlett reached out, gripped Daniel's arms around her waist, and firmly pulled them away.
She turned around, putting on a smile.
"No, I want to see the world outside. I'll try to raise that thirty million dollars as soon as possible. I just hope Daniel will honor the agreement and let me go when the time comes."
With that, she turned and walked away without looking back.
Couldn't she leave him?
Maybe. To Scarlett, Daniel was like a drug.
But she was trying hard to quit, and she would succeed eventually.
And Daniel thinking she couldn't leave him was just him being sure she didn't have the ability to raise thirty million dollars, didn't have the ability to survive, and could only depend on him.
Behind her, Daniel's figure froze, his deep eyes fixed on that figure gradually shrinking and disappearing. Daniel's brow furrowed deeply.
Even though Scarlett had been making a fuss this whole time, Daniel always felt she was still within his reach, still the little girl who would listen to him.
But now, for the first time, he had a feeling of serious loss of control.
This feeling was terrible!
---
Alice came out of Blossom Mansion. The car hadn't gone far when she saw Natalia waiting by the roadside.
The car stopped and Natalia quickly got in.
Alice handed over a card. Natalia stuffed it in her pocket, saying with a smile.
"Alice is still the most devoted daughter."
Natalia was dirty and soaking wet all over, shivering from cold, reaching for the cashmere shawl Alice was wearing.
"I'm freezing to death. That damn Scarlett! I should've beaten her more when she was little. If I'd scared her enough, she wouldn't be so disobedient now!"
Disgust flashed in Alice's eyes as she tossed the cashmere shawl to Natalia.
"Scarlett is too much. How could she be so harsh with you? Don't worry, you raised me until I was six. As long as you listen to me, I won't abandon you."
"I trust you, of course. But hasn't this month's money been transferred yet? We agreed back then it would be every month."
Back when Alice was six, she'd promised to give Natalia twenty thousand dollars from her allowance every month, and only then did Natalia agree to help her with that favor.
After Alice came of age, Natalia was no longer satisfied. Using that old secret as leverage, she raised the allowance to fifty thousand dollars a month.
Although Alice could afford the fifty thousand, over all these years it had added up to quite a sum.
It pained her.
These past few days, she'd been overwhelmed dealing with the online scandal, spending a lot of money to remove negative news and buy internet trolls. Money was tight, so she hadn't transferred the payment on time.
Natalia had just received her card and was already bringing up this money. Even Alice couldn't keep her composure and frowned slightly.
Natalia became unhappy. "Alice, you're nobility, and you're about to marry into the Wilson family as the lady of the house through your child. You can't treat me poorly! I have no other skills. James turned out like that, Scarlett isn't my daughter, I'm counting on you..."
A sharp gleam flashed in Alice's eyes. "Shut up! What are you talking about? How is Scarlett not your daughter? Even if you didn't raise her yourself until she was six, Scarlett is still your daughter!"