Chapter 57 Falling in Love is a Mistake
They were pressed close together, no space between them.
Even though their bodies were so near, it felt like their hearts were separated by a vast distance...
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath in the darkness. The air was so fresh, it was invigorating.
She didn't want to think about anything, just lie there quietly, feeling his presence, as if she were dreaming.
Time slipped by quietly, neither of them wanting to break the beautiful moment.
Suddenly, in the darkness, a hand grasped hers. He whispered in her ear, "Why did you get close to me?"
Jack's question jolted Alison awake, and she couldn't help but laugh. He was the one who had dragged her to the rooftop.
"Jack, you brought me up here," she said, trying to pull her hand away. "I only see you as my boss's brother and respect you. Please don't get the wrong idea." Alison was a bit annoyed, feeling like a ball being kicked around by Jack and his brother Aidan. She didn't want to get involved in their disputes.
She just wanted to uncover the truth from years ago and clear her name.
He laughed, plucking a leaf from the grapevine and lightly brushing it against her cheek. "Your face, it really looks like hers." Because of the resemblance, he always felt uneasy around her, as if he were falling into a trap again.
"Is it the Emily you mentioned at the press conference?"
Jack turned, propping himself up on his elbow to look at Alison on the grass. Here, his mood improved, and he found her more agreeable.
"Yeah, it's her." He could finally face the name that caused him so much pain.
"I'm not her. Please don't look at me as if I am." She was a victim of the events back then, and Emily was one of the culprits. She had never met that woman and really wanted to know how much they resembled each other.
"Then how should I look at you?"
"As a colleague, or... a stranger."
"Haha, what a joke. We're not colleagues, and you're not my employee. I have nothing to do with YD."
"But you're here now." She didn't understand Jack and Aidan's intentions, but it was a fact that Jack had stepped into YD again.
"Alison, you need to understand, YD needs me now, not the other way around."
"Oh, I see. I misunderstood you."
"Aidan is waiting for me in the office. Guess what? I've kept him waiting all morning. What do you think he'll do?" Jack smiled, lighting a cigarette.
Aidan must be furious. Thinking of Aidan fuming in the office below the rooftop made Alison want to laugh. "Hey, you're really bad."
"How am I bad?"
"It's a matter of character. You promised to meet him but are hiding up here. Isn't that bad?"
Jack took a drag of his cigarette, blowing smoke rings that enveloped them like a mist. "I only said I'd be at YD on time. I'm here now, right?"
"That's just an excuse." Alison relaxed, chatting with him. Being able to talk so easily with him was a joy. She realized she liked being around him.
"But it's the truth. If YD wants my help, they have to pay a price, right?" Jack took another drag, turning to look at her, the smoke drifting towards her face.
His bright eyes fixed on her, leaving her nowhere to hide.
The mix of tobacco and his cologne made her take a breath involuntarily. "Cough..." She started coughing and couldn't stop.
"Dummy, women who can't handle secondhand smoke won't get married."
"I don't need to get married. Having my kids is enough." Her children gave her a warm home, and she was content with that.
"By the way, I was rude last night." Seeing her cough, he put out the cigarette like a gentleman and apologized sincerely.
"Oh, it's fine. I think I should get back to work." She couldn't really disappear for the whole morning.
"I already spoke to Manager McLean. She agreed to give you the morning off. No need to rush back. Also, working under her is a waste of your talent. The procurement department is just a place to make money. You'll become worldly there sooner or later."
"Is that really okay?"
"Of course not. When women become worldly, they lose many qualities that attract men."
"Hey, you seem to know a lot about women." It was the first time she had such a close conversation with him, and she found it quite comfortable.
"I don't understand women at all." Jack laughed at himself, standing up before finishing his sentence. "Come on, I'll take you somewhere."
"Ah..." She wanted to refuse, but Jack had already pulled her up.
She followed him, running through clusters of flowers and trees, until they reached a short staircase with only six steps.
Slowly stepping up, they reached the very top of the rooftop.
Standing there, the entire city of S was laid out before them.
The wind blew, drying her clothes. He let go of her hand, spreading his arms wide. "Look, the world is at our feet."
She mimicked him, spreading her arms. The wind blew again, giving her a sense of flying, so beautiful she didn't want to leave.
Standing beside him, accompanying him to the ends of the earth, would be such a wonderful thing.
But even the most beautiful stories have an end.
Footsteps echoed from the rooftop door. By the time they noticed, it was too late to hide.
"Ignore him." Jack didn't turn around, knowing it was Aidan. That guy finally had the sense to look for him on the rooftop.
"Alison, get down here!" Aidan's low growl hurt Alison's ears.
She couldn't ignore Aidan anymore.
Just as she was about to step down, Jack wrapped his arms around her from behind, pressing her tightly against his chest. "Don't move." His deep, magnetic voice sounded in her ear, and she didn't dare move.
She didn't know what Jack was planning, only that she could guess.
As she was still puzzled, he suddenly bent down and scooped her up, his arms strong and firm.
He held her, turning slowly. When he faced Aidan, he stopped and asked, "Big brother, what right do you have to yell at her? Who is she to you?"
"This..." Aidan was momentarily speechless. It was a difficult question to answer. He couldn't very well say Alison was his target for a fling.
"If you can't answer, it means she's just your subordinate, an employee of your company, right?"
Aidan wasn't stupid. He heard the underlying meaning in Jack's words. He didn't understand Jack's intentions, but seeing Jack holding Alison made his anger flare. "Let her go. She's my girlfriend now."
"Alison, are you his girlfriend?" Jack's gaze fell on the woman in his arms. Since he had picked her up, she had been quiet, like a doll, making no sound.
"So what if I am? So what if I'm not?"
"If you are, I'll take you away from him. If you're not, then from now on, you have to be my woman."
"Like Lillian, being your woman?" She remembered Lillian's sorrowful face when he drove her away.
Loving him, liking him, was a huge mistake.
A mistake that couldn't be undone.