Gloria stepped out of the car with a bright smile on her face.
The day had been so good, despite the call from Sia. If that little hussy were to learn that she was now Mrs. Frost, wouldn't her intestines turn green?
Thinking about how angry Sia might be because of all the familiar words she used to say to her previously before enlightenment, Gloria's mood was very much uplifted.
"Welcome back, madam!" the butler welcomed with a respectful smile on his face.
Gloria smiled back at him as she looked around, responding, "Thank you!" her tone polite, without any air of superiority.
The butler kindly smiled at Gloria, finding her character consistent. He felt relieved at seeing that.
Gloria's eyes lit up as she spotted a good spot for her photos. She turned her head in search of Cassy and shortly spotted her assistant.
"Cassy! Let's go here. Take a few nice pics for me!" she instructed, in a jovial mood.
When was the last time that she took a picture?
She couldn't remember.
Cassy was already itching to do something like that. So, once she heard the order, she hurriedly moved her feet.
As a result, for an hour or so, Gloria posed several times all over the mansion's grounds. The gardens were beautiful and plenty. The album was filled and both the person taken and the one who took the photos were both thrilled.
Once the session was over, Gloria smiled beamingly as she walked back to the mansion with the shoes in her hands.
She had taken them off sometime later after her feet started feeling the pain. Moreover, the photos without the heels looked much better than when she was wearing them. Thus, the perfect excuse for not wearing shoes.
After returning to the mansion, she took a well-needed warm bath and felt very refreshed. She was literally flying.
After the bath, she changed into casual clothes before going to the dining room where she was served a meal.
Once the food was eaten, Gloria was in a better mood to really check the mansion and the place she was going to live for a long time.
Taking into account that the etiquette teacher would be coming tomorrow. Gloria took that chance to do as she had planned.
So that day, Gloria checked every place she could reach diligently and even took a dedicated walk down the hill, though she didn't check the complex beneath the hill.
Next time. Next time, she was going to check the place out.
By the time she returned to the mansion, the sun was already setting and Xander wasn't back yet.
She went back indoors, and wiped her face, hands and feet before going downstairs to the living room with a tablet in hand where she lazed around, watching TV and browsing the internet.
When it was dinner time, she ate by herself since Xander didn't return. In the end, she retired to bed, feeling a bit too tired with all the activities she partook in.
However, what she didn't know was that an hour after she dosed off, Xander's car arrived. The butler personally went out to welcome him.
"Is the madam awake?" Xander asked as he loosened his tie while walking towards the mansion.
The butler followed behind; his steps steady. "Yes, she retired to bed an hour ago."
The light in Xander's eyes diminished when he heard that, but still answered, "Okay. Let her rest. I will meet with her in the morning."
"Yes, Master."
"Did anything happen to her when I was away?" he asked curiously as he stepped into the mansion.
The butler at hearing that, revealed everything that Gloria did and a smile appeared on Xander's face unconsciously. He couldn't help but recall the recording of Gloria's call with Sia he listened to previously.
If he hadn't heard how happy she was when she returned, he would have suspected that she was brooding. After all, there were many words he didn't like listening to on that recording.
It was a good thing that she wasn't affected. That showed how much she might be letting go of Simon. That was good news for him.
Upon his return, he went straight to his room while Rory went to the study, where he placed the briefcase as well as the new phone brought back for Gloria.
Once he was done, he didn't linger for long in the study but left. It was time to rest. So, he left the mansion under the butler's care and headed down the hill to the complex where his villa was located.
Meanwhile, back at the mansion. Xander washed up, changed into his pajamas, and left the bedroom for the study. When he got there, he picked up the phone box before leaving the study again.
Instead of returning to his bedroom, he passed it and headed towards Gloria's room, where he stood momentarily, his hand against the cold door, wanting to knock but holding himself back.
Creak.
After a while, standing there. Xander pushed the door open and stepped inside. The lights were dim and he could see the small hump on the bed, rising and lowering. He could tell that she was sleeping and very much alive.
Without making too much noise, he approached her and soon found himself crouching next to her, admiring her as she slept there peacefully, without any signs of fatigue or depression, like she had when she was in the comma.
"You are mine, dear! Mine! And let's keep it that way!" he murmured possessively, as he leaned closer to her face.
As he approached her face, her warm breath hit his face, which prompted his blood to boil and his heart to race faster.
Seeing her remaining sleeping despite being that close. His gaze lingered on her slightly parted lips and he felt his lower body tightening. A shallow groan escaped his lips as he hungrily looked at the lips he once devoured and found very much pleasing.
"I want you!" he hoarsely said as he leaned closer to her lips and, without another word, he gently nibbled on her lips.
"Mmm~" a moan escaped her lips as she fidgeted on the bed, but Xander didn't let go. Rather, he deepened the kiss and found himself so deep in it. It took him a while before he reluctantly pulled away after he saw her struggling and her eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings.
He didn't want her to wake up and find him in such a disturbing state. He didn't want her to be scared of him and call him a pervert. That's why he didn't let her catch her in the act.
Once he pulled away, he saw her turning over, soft snores escaping from her, and he sighed with relief.
He reached for her once again, but this time didn't do anything. He just pulled the covers up. Although it wasn't cold, he couldn't withstand her being subjected to any wind or cold. Once she was covered, he placed the phone box on the bedside table before walking out of the bedroom in lighter steps.
Click.
He gently closed the door and exhaled a deep breath, still feeling his blood racing.
"You are going to be the death of me!" he muttered under his breath, a dark glint in his eyes as he walked away.
Meanwhile, inside the bedroom, the supposed sleeping beauty opened her eyes, a shy smile on her face as her fingers were tracing the lips that had been ravaged when she was asleep.
"I guess I am attractive. More than I thought!" she shamelessly boasted, thinking about the raw desire Xander held for her.
To think that a few days ago, she was in agony as she thought about how she wasn't attractive to Xander and yet now he was acting like a flower thief. How could he be so …..?
"Wait a minute. Why did he come here?" suddenly she couldn't help but ask herself as she turned her body to face in the direction she was in before she was so shy that she forced herself to hide from Xander earlier.
As soon as she turned, she got attracted by a small box that wasn't there when she went to bed. At seeing it, her eyes lit up as she propped herself up before reaching for the box with sparkles in her eyes.
"Phone!" she exclaimed happily as she hugged the box in her arms for a few seconds before she started eagerly opening the box.
"What kind of phone did he buy for me?" she was curious.
Moments later, a silver phone was revealed. It was very slim, and light to hold, but she could tell that it was exquisite.
The phone didn't have a label on it. She wasn't sure which company it was from. She even checked the box, but apart from showing a phone on the cover, there was nothing else there. However, that didn't make her feel slighted.
She didn't believe that Xander with all the money he had would give her a fake phone or slight her.
After failing to find the name of the phone, she happily turned the phone on and it didn't take long like her usual phone to turn on. Once it was on, she checked the apps on the phone and her eyes lit up.