The rain outside poured heavily.
"Who did it?" Sebastian Astor furrowed his brows again, his tone carried a few more terrifying notes of ruthlessness.
"My stepsister... Alexia Sutton." Clara Sutton rubbed her temples, placed his coat over her legs, leaned back in the seat, and closed her eyes to relieve the dizziness and pain brought on by the alcohol.
With his dark eyes restrained, Sebastian looked toward the rearview mirror ahead; his assistant Egbert Parker caught his gaze, understood immediately, and gave a tacit nod.
As he withdrew his gaze, the corner of his eye caught the woman, watching the flickering neon lights reflect in from outside the window, casting a rosy tint on her face, making her appear more delicate and charming.
"Not feeling well?"
"Mm."
Clara didn't feel like talking much, responded perfunctorily, and turned her head to the side.
After a moment of silence inside the car, Clara's arm was suddenly clasped by a cold hand, causing her body to lean slightly to the right. Before she could open her eyes, she fell into a warm and comforting chest, her hand instinctively resting on his lapel.
As her eyes met the deep ocean-like gaze of the man, the subtle scent of sandalwood mixed with rich alcohol lingered in every breath inside the car.
The woman's eyes were clear and bright, slightly flickering, like a pristine spring.
A sudden dark glint flashed in Sebastian's eyes, feeling the warmth from her hand on his chest permeate through his clothes onto his skin, his Adam's apple moved involuntarily.
"If you're not feeling well, just lean on me." He looked away, gazed out the window, and raised his hand to his lips, his hoarse voice seeming to suppress something.
Clara's red lips moved slightly, wanting to say something, but the wine recommended by Emily Taylor was too strong, making her too tired to speak. Since the two were already married and had already held each other last night, there was no need to be pretentious.
She found a comfortable position and lay down on his body.
The atmosphere inside the car suddenly changed distinctly, and Egbert, who was driving in front, let his gaze drift for a moment, calmly lowered the rearview mirror, trying his best to see no evil, hear no evil.
Upon arriving at Astor Manor, Sebastian lowered his head to look at the woman who was already fast asleep in his arms. Softly instructing Egbert on a few work matters, he slid his hand under her waist and carried her out of the car.
Back in the room, Sebastian gently laid her on the bed, and as he began to pull his hand out from under her neck and waist, Clara suddenly turned over, pressing his hand down again.
"Meow~"
The sudden sweet and clear meowing of a cat caused Sebastian's back to stiffen, his scalp tingling, a trace of panic flashed in his eyes, instinctively pulling Clara closer.
The silhouette of a white cat walked past outside the room.
Clara opened her eyes in a daze, her hand instinctively patting his back, softly calling, "Sebastian."
"Mm."
Sebastian calmed his nerves, seeing no further commotion, lifted his head, scrutinizing the alluring yet aloof woman in his arms.
Though her gaze was somewhat blurred and dreamy, she remembered the man's sharp features very clearly. Unsure if it was the alcohol's influence, in a daze, she couldn't help but reach out and caress his face, her red lips curving slightly, akin to a rose blooming irresistibly in the breeze.
A sudden numbness shocked Sebastian's heart as he grabbed her slender, warm hand, the light in his eyes converging again, his throat tightened abruptly, and driven by some impulse, he bent down and kissed her tender red lips.
The sudden loss of breath caused Clara's eyes to tremble slightly, her body tensing.
Seeing that she didn't resist, Sebastian's eyes narrowed slightly, slowly closing them, gripping her hand tightly, letting it fall and using his other hand to unbutton her...
On this extended rainy night, a chill lingered, yet was mixed with the early summer's hints of warmth.
——
The next morning, the rain had stopped, and under the sun's brilliance, the entire Imperial Capital appeared clean and transparent, brimming with vitality.
The morning breeze swayed the curtains, and Clara opened her eyes. As she propped herself up, a numbing ache washed over her body, as if falling apart.
"Awake?" The familiar deep voice sounded.
Clara turned at the sound, noticing the man just emerging from the walk-in closet, buttoning his cuffs. His handsome face held a faint, elusive smile, his gaze softer than before, his entire being exuding a refreshed vitality.
Scattered images from last night surfaced in her mind, rendering her somewhat embarrassed and unnatural. Just as she was about to lift the quilt to get up, realizing her clothing was absent, she pulled the quilt back over, checking the time.
"It's past 8 o'clock, why haven't you left yet?" She asked this boldly, almost with a hint of embarrassed anger.
Although they were already married, making such an action quite reasonable, she had indeed been drunk last night.
It's not that she's being fussy, there was just an inexplicable sense of having been taken advantage of by him, leaving her feeling embarrassed and faintly angry.
"There's a press conference in the afternoon, so the morning is laid-back, no rush." The man laughed lowly, bending down to pick up her clothes, tossing them over.
Clara caught the clothes, haphazardly covering her front, aiming for the bathroom door, she swiftly lifted the quilt and dashed over.
With one hand in his pants pocket, Sebastian chuckled softly, clearly she was the one who seduced him first last night, yet now she was giving him a cold shoulder.
However, since getting up, he somehow felt, perhaps illusory, a certain lightness in his body.
An hour later, Clara donned a white V-neck blouse paired with a black pencil skirt, exuding elegance and poise.
Entering the dining room, she saw the man lounging at the dining table, legs crossed in a leisurely posture, resembling somewhat like a noble young lord, holding a tablet in his hand, seemingly engaged.
"Morning, Madam," Sarah greeted her with a smile, pulling out a chair ahead of her.
Hearing the voice, the man looked up, switched off the screen of the tablet and set it aside. "Come over and sit."
Composing herself, Clara elegantly walked over and sat, sipping lightly from a glass of milk. "I have to head to the TV station later, the car isn't ready yet. I'd like to borrow one of yours."
"You can choose from any of the cars in the garage, keys are in the drawer in the foyer compartment." The man's voice paused briefly: "I'm going out in a bit as well, so I'll take you there on the way."
"I'm afraid you might not be fit to drive at the moment."
Clara paused slightly in her eating, lifting her eyelids to take in his vibrant and buoyant appearance, pursing her lips, deliberately looking behind him, she exclaimed, "Lily White, what are you doing here?"
Sebastian's back stiffened, gripping the chopsticks tightly, only to see Clara coyly curve her red lips, setting down her half-eaten sandwich and standing up: "Just kidding, I'm done eating, let's go."
Sebastian: "..."
This woman really... needs some discipline, perhaps he wasn't diligent enough last night.
Standing aside, Sarah couldn't help but chuckle softly, yet upon receiving Sebastian's cold and piercing glare, she immediately stifled it.
"Set up one of the rooms in the basement, her two cats can stay there."
For the first time in his 28 years, Sebastian felt mastered by a woman, a most unsettling feeling, clattering his chopsticks as he uttered this, heading down to the garage.