Chapter Forty Three

Brielle found Ariel sleeping when she walked in. She sat beside the bed, looking at Ariel with a loving smile on her face. She had always thought that her little boy had never asked about his dad because it didn't matter to him. But when she saw how excited, and eager Ariel got to spend time with Stephen tonight, she realized how wrong she had been.

She realized that Ariel had always wanted his dad. But he hid his desire for a father deep inside his heart to avoid letting her down. being so considerate at such a young age truly moved Brielle. Ariel was the only and most precious gift that God had sent to her.

Brielle extended her hand to stroke his peacefully sleeping face. Her heart filled with a flood of emotions. She was glad to have Ariel's company in the lonely life she had been leading for many years. Brielle felt disconcerted for a second, and she quickly turned away to avoid the inquiring eyes.

Stephen was shocked to see her ignoring him and bypassing him like he didn't even exist. He found her growingly unpredictable. Was she playing hard-to-get with him again? The truth is, Brielle wasn't as aloof as she appeared. She ignored him only because she didn't want him to see the melancholy in her heart.

Stephen frowned and headed to the study. His face lit up when he saw the new furniture in the study. he didn't expect that a new desk would make the room look so warm. Stephen went to the desk and looked through the books lying on it. They were all based on military themes. There were comments and suggestions written on every page. He discerned that Brielle had strong opinions when it came to military matters.

As Brielle walked out of the bathroom with wet hair, she was surprised to see Stephen in the study. She thought he was downstairs having his dinner. What was he doing here? Stephen looked at her hair and frowned; then he left the room without saying anything.

Brielle wondered what mistake had she made now to offend him again. Shaking her head, she decided not to be bothered and sat down to look into the books. Suddenly, she sensed a soft towel covered her head, and her long wet hair was being gently rubbed. Brielle turned around and looked at Stephen in surprise.

"Don't move." Stephen continued and turned her head back. Brielle could feel the warmth of him when his fingers penetrated through her hair. Being loved by someone felt good. "Why are you doing this?" Brielle asked in a low voice, wondering why was he so considerate towards her tonight.

"Why do you ask?" Stephen frowned but he didn't stop rubbing her hair. "These days you are treating me so lovingly that I'm afraid I'll get used to your kindness and become dependent on you. So, if you don't love me, please leave me alone," Brielle said calmly. she loved the warmth he brought, but she was afraid that he would leave her one day.

"You can depend on me. I want to have you on my side." Normally, Stephen wasn't a sweet talker. But today, was an exception. Brielle wondered could she believe his words. The closer he got, the more panic she experienced as she felt all of this was quite unreal.

"Stephen, can I trust you?" Brielle asked him and then felt it was actually a rhetorical question. Stephen put down the towel and gently and turned her head around. His blue eyes were full of sincere emotions. "You are special to me. I am willing to give my promise to a woman like you."

Brielle stared at him in disbelief and became speechless. Stephen kissed her gently on the lips and slowly perfected her unique beauty. Brielle didn't expect the sudden kiss as she was still shocked by his words. She came back to her senses when his hand swiftly sneaked into her clothes.

"Stephen... No..." Brielle held back his hand that had lit a fire in her body. she was panting and begging him to stop. They were still in the study, what if some opened the door. "Fine." Stephen picked her up without warning and hurried to their bedroom. he knew she's shy, so he respected her request.

When the bedroom door closed, the hot kisses fell on her body like rain. Brielle found it hard to embrace his neck as she was savoring the waves of passion he brought. The moonlight outside the window was flushed by the heat of their room, and it secretly hid behind the dark clouds. The passion in the room went on as of only death could do them apart.

Chloe found the constant nagging by his brother very annoying. He had been lecturing her all night, and Chloe still had a chafed feeling in her ears as she recalled. She wondered why his behavior was so different from his appearance. No wonder he was single for all these years. No one could bear his constant nagging.

Chloe sighed, everyone believed she had great potential as she was studying fashion designing in Paris. but her brother Mr. Cold always saw her as a naive little girl. She looked down at her bosom proudly. maybe she was not in shape for a D-cup, but she was at least a B.

Chloe quietly opened the door and looked outside. When she saw the bodyguard standing at the door with a poker face, she rolled her eyes and felt speechless about her was for convicts, and she is his sister. Why would he do this?

Chloe complained about the inappropriate time her father had chosen to visit his colleagues. Because that left no ally to help her out. Chloe helplessly threw herself into the queen-sized bed while scouring through her bag. She was lucky that he did not confiscate her phone as she couldn't imagine how bored she would be without it.

Chloe picked up the piece of paper that came out with her phone. She wondered where the paper came from, as she saw what was written on it, she jumped out of panic. How could she forget about Adam? She would be doomed if Mr. Cold saw this note.

However, Chloe calmed down soon. She decided to ignore what Adam had written in the note. He wanted to be responsible for Chloe, but this thought never crossed her mind. She scratched her hair and began to regret what had happened. it was stupid of her to have a one-night stand with a stranger.

Just as she was about to throw the note in the dustbin, Chloe noticed the phone number scribbled on it. Being grounded in the room for so long bored her out of her mind, she thought pursuing him might make her day enjoyable.

Without further ado, Chloe picked up her phone and called the number on the note. She remembered that the man had a deep voice and dashing looks. She wanted to test whether he also had a real sense of responsibility.

Many things were going on in Adam's head when his phone rang. He wanted to know how Brielle was doing. Because last night when he saw her, she was with Stephen, and Stephen seemed furious. He was surprised that Stephen was Brielle's husband. As for many years, Brielle was raising Ariel by herself, and there were no traces of any man. He had thought that Ariel's father was either working abroad or being irresponsible.

Adam knew that Stephen had a high intellect and came from a prominent family. As Stephen discovered his deep feelings towards Brielle, he didn't try to deny them. having a crush on someone was uncommon for him, but Brielle failed to notice his intention.

The phone ring suddenly pulled him back to reality. As Adam picked up his phone, he found that the number was unfamiliar. "Hi, this is Adam speaking. May I know who's calling?" Chloe applauded her excellent memory because the voice she heard that day was as deep as the one on the phone.

"Ahh... Who am I supposed to be? The woman who had sex with you all night or the poor woman whom you left behind in the club? I thought someone wrote me a note saying he would take responsibility for his actions. but what is the definition of 'being responsible'? Marriage? Chloe pretended to be serious about the 'marriage.'

"Oh! I sincerely apologize for leaving you like that yesterday. There was an urgent matter that I had to sort out. And I can marry you if you want me to." Yes, he could marry any woman. As long as Brielle was not the bride, the marriage would be meaningless to him.

"Emm... Are you serious?" Chloe was just joking with him. She didn't want to marry a stranger. "Does it sound like I'm kidding?" Adam still remembered that his father had given him an ultimatum to come back to Beijing. He didn't want to do so because Brielle was here. He'd marry her if it meant he could escape the ate of being dog-tired dating different women. Moreover, they had shared the most intimate connection that night.

"Emm... Well... You certainly sound serious. But I was kidding. Take it easy." Chloe replied in a low voice. She'd be out of her mind to marry a stranger, not to mention that she was in the prime of her life. It wouldn't be wise for her to get hitched with a one-night stand.

"But I'm not joking. You can think over my proposal and call if you change your mind." Adam thought that he was born in a typical family, he would never marry because of his deep love for Brielle. However, he had responsibilities and a duty to fulfill his family's wishes.

"No thanks. This topic is not fitting for me. I don't need any further consideration. Please ignore my call. Bye!" Chloe quickly hung up the phone. And she wasn't happy with the outcome. It wasn't as enjoyable as she had thought! Chloe could not imagine what punishment she would receive from Mr. Cold if she married a stranger.

"Hello... Are you there? " Adam shook his head while he heard Chloe hang up the phone so quickly. She must have freaked out by his proposal. He wanted an end to his obsession with Brielle so that he won't care about Brielle's whereabouts anymore.

Chloe tried to calm down after she hung up the phone. She thought the joke and gone a bit too far, whether he was serious or not. But she was surprised that he would agree to such a ludicrous request. Love, at first sight, was unreal. She didn't believe in it.

Adam fiddled with his phone and wondered why she behaved like this. He thought that the phone call was to force him into marriage, and he didn't mind having her as his bride. However, he didn't expect that she would be the one to freak out.