Chapter 25
Chapter 25
Reid sat at the head of the conference room table as the sales director nervously presented the latest performance report.
The numbers and charts showed remarkable results–sales had doubled from the last quarter. It was an impressive achievement, but Reid seemed unmoved. His face was expressionless, his brow furrowed, casting a shadow that made everyone avoid his gaze.
The others in the room were on edge, trying to keep a low profile, wary of provoking Reid’s temper.
58
For the past month, he’d been in a dark mood, as if something had gone terribly wrong. There were rumors swirling around the office that he might be dealing with personal issues in his love life.
But without any hint of a romantic life, it was hard to imagine what the problem could be.
The phone on the table blinked. Reid glanced at it and his focused expression wavered for a moment. He abruptly called off the meeting and got up to leave.
The driver opened the car door as Reid approached. “To the airport,” he said quietly.
“Yes, sir,” the driver replied.
The car glided smoothly along the road, heading toward the airport.
Inside, Reid took out his phone and gently scrolled through the screen to double–check Yvonne’s flight details. Then, feeling restless, he shrugged off his suit jacket, revealing a white shirt underneath.
He tugged at his tie, yanked it off, and tossed it aside, then removed his watch and rolled up his sleeves to his elbows.
The driver glanced at him in the rearview mirror and asked worriedly, “Mr. Simmons, is there gonna be a fight? Do you need me to handle anything?”
Reid paused, a cold smile flickering on his lips. “No need.”
As soon as Yvonne stepped out of the airport, two men in black suits blocked her path. “Ms. Stark, Mr. Simmons is waiting for you in the parking lot. We’ll take you there,” they said.
Yvonne glanced at the tall bodyguards, knowing that refusing was out of the question.
When they reached the parking lot, one of the bodyguards respectfully opened the rear car door. Inside, Reid sat, his eyes as deep as the night sky, holding a calm before the storm–seemingly tranquil, yet full of hidden intensity.
Yvonne got into the car, and the bodyguard closed the door before taking his seat in the vehicle behind them.
“Drive,” Reid ordered in a cool, restrained voice.
The car began to move slowly, and as the partition rose, Reid lunged at her like a wolf.
“Reid, have you gone mad?” Yvonne shouted, startled by his sudden move and instinctively fighting back.
He pressed her shoulder, pinning her to the seat. “Yvonne, you think you can just disappear on me? Huh? Have I been too nice to you?” His voice carried a hint of menace.
Yvonne tried to pull away, but his grip was incredibly strong. “Where I go is my choice. I told you, I can’t make any promises.”
His eyes flickered with surprise, and he instinctively loosened his grip a bit, but still kept her trapped in the tight space
between the seat and himself.
1/3
65%
Chapter 25
His nose was almost touching hers, his warm breath brushing against her cheek with a barely noticeable tremor. “Your choice? Do you have any idea what I’ve been through this month? I’ve searched everywhere like a lunatic.”
+58
Yvonne’s heart skipped a beat. She’d never seen Reid lose his composure like this. He was usually so calm, but now the pain and anger in his eyes were all too real. “That’s your problem. I told you nothing’s gonna happen between us.”
“Oh really?” He let out a bitter chuckle. “Even if it’s not possible, do you think you can just disappear from my life that easily?”
As he spoke, his lips lightly nibbled on her earlobe, making her shiver. She struggled, but it was like being caught in an invisible web, impossible to break free.
He followed with a trail of kisses down her neck, soft as feathers yet burning like fire. “Yvonne, do you even know how much I miss you?”
Yvonne paused in her attempts to push him away, her breathing becoming rapid as her rational defenses crumbled under his advances. “You… Don’t do this…” she murmured, her voice a mix of resistance and temptation in the small cabin.
He lifted his head, noticing her flushed cheeks and the slight shine in her eyes, the darkness in his own gaze intensifying. He leaned in again, and this time his lips met hers in a kiss filled with an almost wild hunger.
The car eased to a stop, and the driver got out, walking away to give them some privacy.
Reid opened the car door and carefully wrapped Yvonne in his arms, carrying her into the house.
Yvonne’s lips were a tempting shade of red, her eyes misty as if veiled by a thin layer of haze. Her cheeks were flushed like the most vibrant spring blossoms, radiating an intoxicating shyness.
She wrapped her arms around Reid’s neck, resting her head against his chest, where she could feel the steady, powerful beat of his heart.
Carrying Yvonne, Reid walked with a steady yet eager gait, his eyes never leaving her face. They were filled with tenderness, possessiveness, and the joy of having her back. A gentle breeze tousled his hair, but it didn’t slow his determined steps.
Once inside, the warmth of the house enveloped them. Reid couldn’t wait to get to the bedroom. As soon as they stepped through the door, he pinned Yvonne against it and kissed her deeply.
It was his way of grounding himself, of filling the emptiness that had gnawed at him for the past month.
After what felt like forever, Yvonne fell into a deep sleep, a trace of tears lingering on her cheeks.
Reid, wide awake, fetched a nail clipper. He gently held her hand and trimmed each of her nails, one by one. It had to be done–those scratches she left on him still stung.
Wesley sat in his office, idly twirling a pen between his fingers. Over and over, he reached for his phone, tapped into Yvonne’s name, and opened their chat.
But every time he stared at the empty message box, the words just wouldn’t come. He’d returned her two transfers long ago, but she hadn’t reached out since.
He wanted to ask if she was okay, where she’d gone, but each time his fingers hovered over the screen, he hesitated. Th‹ weren’t close enough for that kind of probing.
“Wesley, what are you thinking about? I’ve called your name a few times.” Alan’s voice broke through his thoughts, pulling him back to reality.
Wesley quickly turned off his phone’s screen, feeling a bit uneasy as he looked up. “Nothing, just zoning out. What’s up?”
65
Chapter 25
Alan said, “The free clinic tour has just one more stop left. Once we get back to Avaloria, are you planning to take some time
off?”
They worked in the same department, so they couldn’t both be away at the same time—one of them had to be there to keep things running. Wesley thought for a moment and replied, “I’ll pass. You should take the break.”
Alan raised an eyebrow in mock surprise. “Really? You’ve been out here for a month and don’t want to spend some quality time with your girlfriend?”
The other day, Wesley had been seen with Yvonne–taking her to check–ups and having meals together–and the word spread that he had a girlfriend. He tried to explain a few times, but no one believed him. Eventually, he gave up.
“She’s busy, on a business trip,” he said.
“Oh, I see. Well, if you’re not taking a break, I definitely am,” Alan replied.
“Alright.” Wesley nodded.
“Don’t worry. When you get married, I’ll work extra hard so you can take a longer honeymoon,” Alan joked.
Wesley paused for a moment. Marriage was something he’d never really considered. In his life, his medical career had always come first. Scalpels and hospital wards were his world. Marriage felt like a distant, vague concept, something that belonged to another universe altogether.
Wesley returned to his dorm and sat down at his desk, staring at the medical textbooks spread out in front of him. But his mind was elsewhere, tangled up in fleeting fantasies about a future wedding.
Maybe it was Alan’s mention of “marriage” that had thrown his usually calm thoughts into disarray. He felt restless, and he knew it all came down to Yvonne’s sudden disappearance. ‘I knew I shouldn’t have felt sorry for her, he thought.
He grabbed his phone, found the records of the medical bills and breakfast expenses he’d covered for her, took a screenshot, and sent it to her.
‘Once she pays me back, I’ll block her. The world’s too big to waste sympathy on just one random person,’ he thought.
AD
Comment
Send gift
