Gradually, all her resistance became futile with him...
About half an hour later, he emerged from the bathroom.
No longer wild and intense from earlier, he reverted to his usual calmness and indifference.
Taking his phone and car keys, he didn’t look at her again, softly saying, "I’ll wait for you downstairs."
He left straight away.
In front of the hotel entrance, her slim figure appeared in his rearview mirror.
He honked the car horn lightly, and her gaze turned towards him.
Wearing sunglasses, he watched her approach hesitantly.
Finally, she stopped beside the car.
He lowered the car window, looking ahead, and spoke lightly and thinly, "Is being with me truly causing you such pain?"
As he said this, his mind was filled with images of her tearful and desperate pleas...
She looked at his handsome profile, swallowing the bitterness in her throat before decisively saying, "Yes."
Unaware if anyone could see, his eyes dimmed slightly under the sunglasses, and suddenly, he started the engine.
She also turned away.
As she turned to leave, he coldly uttered, "Skyler Jones is not the one who can give you happiness. You... take care!"
She halted her steps and turned back.
His car had already sped away.
She stood frozen in place, her heart suddenly tightened as his words "take care" echoed in her ears.
An inexplicable bitterness surged, making her hands tremble slightly by her sides.
A clear sense reminded her that his warning was different from before, as if it was the last time...
She stood lost by the roadside until his car vanished completely.
When she came back to herself, another car suddenly stopped beside her.
In her daze, she saw Skyler Jones hurriedly get out of the car and embrace her tenderly as if he’d lost and regained her.
Resting on Skyler Jones’ shoulder, her eyes lost focus, blank and lifeless.
Suddenly, Skyler Jones gently released her and lightly held her weakened shoulders, asking warmly, "Did he bully you?"
Seeing the worry in Skyler Jones’ eyes, she gently shook her head.
Skyler Jones then took out his phone and showed her the photo Howard Geoffrey sent him last night.
Rebecca Quentin gazed at the photo on the phone, feeling a sharp surge of grief in her chest.
It was clearly taken while she was asleep last night...
Resting in the crook of his arm, she slept peacefully, nestled quietly in his embrace, while his kiss fell on her forehead, their posture appearing extremely intimate.
Skyler Jones said softly, "The photo doesn’t show where it was taken, so I could only call Aunt Clare and find you through the tracking system."
"But I’m still late..." Skyler Jones, usually calm, now showed a trace of gloom in his eyes.
"Really, nothing happened."
"But seeing how you are now..."
"I’m just a bit tired, I want to go back and rest... Mr. Jones, can I take a day off today?"
Skyler Jones never refused her requests. "Okay, I’ll take you home."
Suddenly, the world seemed to regain its calm...
For the following two months, Rebecca Quentin continued her work and life as usual, with days passing peacefully without any setbacks or changes.
Until today, Skyler Jones formally proposed to her.
It was a completely unexpected proposal, incredibly romantic, as if in a dream.
That night, she stood at the largest commercial plaza in Y City, with the proposal scene playing on the huge screen above her...
It’s said that wherever she went in the city, she could see the video he recorded, because he had bought every possible display screen for that time slot in Y City...
He spoke sincerely and movingly, finally appearing in the commercial plaza where she was.
Flowers rained down from the sky, enveloping her in a dream-like atmosphere.
He approached her with flowers in hand, while she stood quietly amidst the crowd of onlookers and couples.
He knelt on one knee, the diamond shining brightly.
Aunt Clare also appeared at that moment, looking at her eagerly, hoping she’d nod and agree.
At that moment, she found herself unable to refuse, with no reason to reject... because of Skyler Jones’ excellence and his character.
She also tried to ask herself if she could find a better man than Skyler Jones in the world, and the answer was an obvious no...
However, at that moment, no matter how she tried to persuade herself, she could never bring herself to nod and agree.
In the end, she asked him for a month’s time, promising to give him an answer afterwards.
Fortunately, Skyler Jones wasn’t upset or disappointed. He continued to be understanding, telling her with a smile as he took her home, "Starting a relationship with you has been my greatest blessing in this life. I shouldn’t rush you to marry me. But if the answer you give is the one I’m hoping for, I hope by then, your heart will fully belong to me."
In the days following, news of Skyler Jones’ proposal to her was everywhere, reported across Y City as well as nationally and internationally.
After confirming Skyler Jones’ proposal over the phone, Isabella Joanna flew from abroad to Y City that very night.
Thus, tonight she finally had someone to confide in...
The two friends laid on the bed just like before.
The first question Isabella Joanna asked Rebecca Quentin was, "Nothing happened between you and Skyler Jones, right?"
Rebecca Quentin furrowed her brow, "Were you thinking about this on the plane?"
Isabella Joanna earnestly replied, "Please, quickly answer me, this is the question I’m most worried about now."
After a moment of silence, Rebecca Quentin answered, "He respects me very much; at most, he just holds my hand."
Isabella Joanna seemed relieved, collapsing heavily onto the bed and exhaling a few deep breaths, but then furrowed her brows in agitation again in the next moment.
Rebecca Quentin lay down beside her, puzzled, "What’s wrong with you?"
Isabella Joanna fretfully raked her hair, murmuring, "What should I do? What should I do..."
"Isabella, what’s wrong with you?"