Keith gently pressed his hand on Flora’s bruised skin, trying to comfort her.
Even in her sleep, Flora couldn’t escape the pain. Her legs curled up involuntarily, and she let out a soft whimper, “Mmm…”
The moaning made Dylan swallow a few times. He rose and walked over to the liquor cabinet, asking, “Is she going to be okay?”
“Fortunately, it’s just a superficial wound,” Keith replied as he applied ointment to Flora’s injured area. “She’s been out in the rain, though. We should give her some medicine soon, or she might get a fever.”
Dylan drew open the black curtains and perched himself on the windowsill, one leg bent casually. “Leave the medicine and go.”
Seeing that it was getting late and Flora was in no immediate peril, Keith gave Dylan a few instructions and left.
Flora snoozed serenely, cocooned in the black and white quilt, only her head peeking out.
Her drenched clothes lay strewn about, the rain making them useless.
Night’s darkness engulfed the room, a tempting aura winding its way in. The chilly touch of Flora’s feverish skin lured Dylan closer.
His hand ventured under her nightgown, growing bolder.
Flora felt her body pinned down, as if a heavy weight bore on her, locking her limbs.
The heat of Dylan’s body met Flora’s, still cool from her recent soak. They clung to each other, their shared comfort easing them both.
Dylan grazed Flora’s forehead, sensing her fever. But with her in his embrace, Keith’s earlier caution slipped his mind.
His grip around her neck tightened like a boa, the suffocating sensation making Flora’s cheeks turn rosy. She wriggled helplessly, desperate for relief.
The room was pitch-black, barely able to see their own hands. Their labored breaths filled the silence.
Though he couldn’t see her face, Dylan pictured it as intoxicatingly gorgeous.
“Jus…”
Without meaning to, Flora whispered a name, Justin – a name etched into her thoughts.
Their closeness shattered instantly. Even their breaths turned icy and menacing.
Dylan braced himself on either side of Flora, sweat droplets from his brow trickling down onto her chest.
The night slipped away in a foggy daze.
When Flora awoke, she felt like her head would burst. Her body toggled between shivers and feverish warmth, leaving her utterly wretched.
Opening her eyes, she was met with dazzling sunlight. She reached up to shield her face, only to notice the curtains had been pulled back.
Through the window, she spotted housemaids tidying the garden below.
Feeling a draft on her shoulder, she glanced down and gasped to find herself completely bare, having slept on the windowsill all night.
From this angle, anyone in the garden could easily catch a glimpse of her exposed body.
Flora didn’t hesitate – she quickly rose to leave, but her unsteady body sent her tumbling off the windowsill, crashing onto the hard floor.
Straining to look up, she saw the man sprawled on the kingsize bed, his handsome profile resting on a pillow.
The quilt covered only his waist down, his limbs splayed out, almost occupying the entire bed.
Flora’s cheeks reddened, and her breath felt fiery. Her entire body was weak – undoubtedly, she was running a high fever.
She scanned the room, recognizing it from a past visit.
With the man’s eyes shut, Flora reached for her soiled clothes, rifling through them but failing to locate her phone.
“Hey.”
As she searched, Dylan propped himself up to face her. “Looking for this?”
He produced Flora’s phone from beneath the pillow, waving it teasingly.
Recalling her unexplained one night out, Flora knew her mom must be worried sick. “Hand it over,” she said, almost pleading.
Dylan set the phone on his chest and crooked his index finger at her. “Come get it yourself.”
She grabbed her dirty clothes, planning to put them on.
“If you’re gonna wear those, just leave through the door right away,” Dylan warned.
Flora hesitated, then turned away from his scornful stare. As she pulled on her clothes, she headed for the exit.
Dylan’s expression darkened. He tossed back the covers, unveiling his sculpted body, and swiftly yanked Flora onto the bed, demanding, “What’s with the attitude?”
Her half-fastened bra was quickly ripped off and tossed aside by him. “Disgusting!” Dylan growled.
Flora landed on the plush bed, unable to muster the strength to rise, her face buried in the sheets.
Dylan flipped her over, only then noticing her flushed cheeks and parched lips. He then asked, “What’s the matter with you? What’s the rush?”
Feeling woozy and not eager to get up, Flora gathered her energy and answered, “Nothing. What time is it? I need to get to work.”
Dylan recalled her shivering all night, and the pills Keith had suggested lay untouched, meaning she likely had a fever now. He touched her forehead, and sure enough, it was scorching. So he said, “No need to work; I’ve already arranged your leave.”
“I should head home then,” said Flora.
“You could try,” Dylan said, tucking the blanket around her shoulders, “but if you stay here obediently, we’ll count today as a sick day. However, if you insist on going home, I’ll make sure HR treats it as an unexcused absence and penalizes you for incompetence. That way, we can even fire you.”
He let out a smile which didn’t match his threatening tone.
Flora couldn’t believe that as the president of a huge business, Dylan is actually threatening her for such trifles.
Her lips formed a brief, sad smile before returning to normal. “Hand over my phone.”
Dylan fiddled with the device, eyeing the numerous missed calls on the screen. “I’ll talk to your mom. I’ll tell her you stayed with me last night.”
Flora’s delicate brows furrowed and snatched the phone. She turned away and dialed home.
“Hello? Mom, I’m sorry. We had to work late at the office last night. They didn’t allow phones in the conference room…”
Flora’s voice cut off abruptly, and Monica’s voice could be heard from the phone. “What’s the matter? Why’d you stop talking?”
The man pressed against Flora’s back, his intentions far from noble.
“Mom, I won’t be home until this afternoon. Don’t worry. Okay, bye.”
Flora hung up quickly and spun around, her eyes locked on the face inches from hers.
Slowly and hesitantly, she asked, “Last night… did something happen that shouldn’t have?”
