Ivan enthusiastically introduced the strangers to Caroline. "These are Kirk's childhood friends. They came here just to meet him. Avery, Bryan, this is Kirk's wife, Caroline."The young man introduced himself. "Hi, Caroline. I'm Bryan Mendeley. This is my sister Avery."Caroline reached out to shake Bryan's hand before looking at Avery Mendeley. It only took Avery a moment to shake her hand with a wide smile. "I couldn't believe that Kirk's married! I thought you were …"She lifted a brow and examined Caroline with her alluring eyes. "Caroline, you're pretty. No wonder Kirk was in a hurry to marry you."Although Caroline was receiving compliments, she felt like Avery was throwing shade at her. She looked at Kirk.He nodded at the two as a curt greeting."You guys must be hungry. Right?" Ivan gave Caroline his full attention. "Come, Caroline. Let's eat at the dining hall."Caroline was led into the dining hall. Her favorite food was served on the table.Ivan explained, "Kirk r
Avery stopped him before he spilled the truth. "Hey, Bryan, can you serve the desserts?"Bryan caught himself when he noticed he almost slipped up. Then, he went into the kitchen moodily.Caroline watched Bryan leave. She asked with curiosity, "So, Bryan was just saying that …""It's nothing." Avery clenched her fist underneath the couch pillow and smiled calmly. "Just ignore him."She took Caroline's hand and examined the diamond ring that had been tucked away for years."What a lovely ring."Secretly, she thought, "This should have been mine.""It is." Caroline glanced at the ring with tenderness.Meanwhile, Kirk frowned after listening to Ivan's explanation. "Why did we have to trouble Avery? It's not like we don't have villas for this occasion."Ivan's eyes twinkled as he laughed jovially. "Are you sure you want to show Caroline our villas? They're worth way more than this one. Well, Avery was fine with lending us the villa. You shouldn't be complaining."Kirk rested hi
Caroline was so exhausted that she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Finished with his shower, Kirk walked out of the bathroom. He found Caroline asleep on the bed with a smile on her face, as though she were having a sweet dream. He felt the sudden urge to do something, yet he didn't want to wake her up. In the end, he simply hugged her from behind and suppressed his urges. "You ungrateful brat," he muttered with a smile, kissing her gently on her lips. Doing so helped quench his desire a little. The night passed silently. When Caroline woke up, it was already morning. She tossed and turned a little in Kirk's arms, stirring him from his sleep. Still, he didn't open his eyes. His warm palms were pressed against her tummy, and he pulled her closer to him. It made Caroline blush. "Kirk," she murmured. She sounded sluggish, but her voice was music to his ears. Kirk opened his eyes and moved closer to her until their noses touched. "Call me honey," Kirk said tea
Once she agreed to attend the pool party, Caroline started to worry. She hadn't brought her swimsuit with her, and buying one here would be quite difficult since she wasn't familiar with this place. Just as she was deep in thought, she spotted Kirk coming downstairs. "Are you heading outside?" She asked. "Yep. I'm going to the city for a while." He had occasionally flown back from Easton to deal with work. Still, the company was big, and leaving it without showing up for too long would affect the influence he had. Ivan had just called him to the study to discuss that too."Can I tag along?" Caroline asked, to Kirk's surprise. Caroline lowered her head and shifted from foot to foot. "I'm … thinking of buying myself a swimsuit." Her words made Kirk raise both eyebrows now. "I'll go with you then." His intention was obvious. Needless to say, he wanted to see her in a swimsuit. "But didn't you say that you have something to attend to there?" "I can do it in the afternoon,
Kirk lay on the bed and stared patiently at the frosted bathroom door. Caroline had been in there for half an hour already. When he spoke, there was a very noticeable hint of glee in his raspy voice. "Babe, I'm going in if you're not coming out." Caroline had already put on one of the bikinis in the bathroom. Startled, she almost jumped in fright when she heard him say that. Hastily, she placed one hand on the bathroom door and yelled, "Don't! I'm coming out now." She closed her eyes, opened the door, and finally stepped out of the bathroom. Slowly, she walked out into the bedroom while trying her best to cover her body with both hands. A hungry look flashed through Kirk's eyes once again. Caroline was wearing a red bikini. Her skin was fair enough, and the red color made her skin glow even more. It also emphasized the red marks all over her body.She looked very enticing, like a strawberry he wanted to gobble up in a single bite. He couldn't restrain himself any longer.
Caroline changed into her swimsuit. Embarrassed, she walked slowly out of the room toward the swimming pool. Her swimsuit was more conservative compared to what the other women wore, but her long and slender legs showed beneath the skirt. They shone under the light, and she instantly took the spotlight. Quite a number of men approached her and invited her to drink with them. Caroline had never liked being so close to strangers. So she tried her best to refuse them. However, more and more people crowded around her, and she found herself helplessly surrounded by them.Glancing around for help, she tried to find anyone who looked familiar. She kept searching, but her efforts were in vain. Meanwhile, Avery stood on the second floor, looking down at Caroline. Caroline was being flocked by a group of men, and she was steadily moving back toward the pool. The gentle smile on Avery's face was now replaced by a cruel smirk. The group of men continued to close in around Caroline. Ta
Caroline was soaked from head to toe, and she was only dressed in a swimsuit. But she didn't notice it at all. The only thing she was focused on was the gigantic castle in front of her. Kirk was inside, and she couldn't be sure if he was going to be alright. She couldn't force her way into the building. If only she could contact Ivan right now. However, her clothes and phone were still inside. Glancing around at the desolate street, she felt chills in her heart as she recalled everything.Flonza was known for its vast land and tiny population. It would be difficult for her to find someone to borrow their phone. All of a sudden, she remembered the hotel staff who had driven her here tonight. Perhaps she could get help from the hotel staff. Besides, the hotel wasn't too far from here. It had only taken about ten minutes or so to reach here by car. If she walked there, it would probably take about an hour. Time was of the essence, and Caroline's mind was set on going to the hot
Avery was so mad that she thought she would explode. After a moment, she clenched her jaw and said, "She ran away the moment she saw you pass out." Kirk sneered and turned to leave. "Carrie isn't that kind of person!" His reply pushed Avery to the brink of sanity. She rushed to hug him from behind. "Kirk, why can't you just believe me? We've known each other for 27 years! You've only just met her. Why don't you believe me, even if it's just for once?" Kirk flung her hands away from him. His voice was as cold as ice when he said, "Avery, I'm married. You're crossing the line." "Yes, I know that!" She put her arms around him again and yelled, "I should've done this a long time ago. I love you, Kirk!" She continued, "Back then, I thought it was inappropriate for a girl to be the one to confess, but I can't wait any longer. I don't care about that anymore. Losing you is worse than anything else." Kirk pried her arms away from him again and warned her, "I'm a married man."