Chapter 178: Chapter 341-350

The child angrily complained to his father about Jared’s evil deeds. “Dad, it is that b*stard who hit me. It hurts! Help me deal with him.”

When the father heard that the boy who hurt his son was nearby, he stared at the direction that his son was pointing. However, before he could even look at Jared, the man was stunned by the lanky adult standing next to Jared.

The man was someone who mingled in the business circle of Averna. He remembered every face of the big shots in Averna like how he memorized Bible verses. The reason why he had reached this far in his career was that he perfectly avoided every single person whom he couldn’t afford to offend.

However, the father was confused at the moment. Who would have thought that one would meet Elliot Presgrave—the current president of Dominion Corporation—in his son’s school?

Elliot’s glances were as sharp as knives. The cold air lingered around him as his kingly presence was about to burst, which frightened the child’s father to the point where the man almost soiled his pants.

The man flattered when he reached out to shake hands with Elliot, “P-President Presgrave, it’s you! It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

However, Elliot’s expression darkened and the father immediately withdrew his hand in embarrassment.

“Darling, his son bullied your son! What are you doing?!” the woman growled.

However, she did not expect her husband to turn around and shout angrily, “Shut up! You must apologize to them now. How could President Presgrave’s son be a bully?”

“Darling…” She trembled with fright as if her husband would eat her. But our son got bullied!

“Bring the child here and let him apologize to them. I’ll slap you if you dare to question me!” the plump man yelled without giving any respect to his wife.

Seeing that, Elliot sneered. Like a king looking down on the world, he managed to make another man kneel under his presence without saying a word.

When Principal Miller and Anastasia both turned their heads, the principal was stunned by how the situation had unfolded. On the other hand, Anastasia was aware that her son was able to gain respect because of Elliot’s identity.

In terms of wealth, Elliot undoubtedly won against the father and stood at the pinnacle when it came to social status.

After a while, Principal Miller finally looked at Anastasia and asked, “Miss Tillman, who exactly is your husband?”

“Not now, Principal Miller. We will talk about this later. Let’s discuss who’s in the wrong first,” Anastasia answered before she walked toward Elliot.

After being yelled at by her husband, the woman lost her arrogance as she immediately walked to his side with her head hung low.

He was about to kneel and beg Elliot. “President Presgrave, I’m so sorry. My child didn’t know any better and hit your son. Please forgive him. Tell us about your request; we will do anything for you to forgive us!”

The man saw a bleak future from Elliot’s eyes because he could never stay in Averna anymore if he messed up here. Moreover, it took only a word from Elliot for the man to lose his footing in the business world forever.

On the other hand, Jared blinked and looked at the handsome person beside him. Wow, he’s so cool!

“Dad, but the b*stard—” The plump child was still trying to make his dad avenge him, but the father punched him instead.

Then, the child cried in pain, “Ouch!”

“Who are you calling a b*stard? He is the Young Master Tillman of the Presgraves, you little mutt! If you dare to say that again, I’ll slap you!”

The woman immediately embraced her son and glared at her husband angrily. “Why are you hitting our son?”

Looking at the ridiculous family, Anastasia calmly spoke, “You know who the real bully is. We will now discuss the compensation.”

The confidence in the woman completely disappeared as she murmured, “What do you want?”

“An apology and compensation for my son’s medical expenses.” Anastasia did not try to take advantage of the situation since she just needed justice to be served.

“I want that boy to disappear, though!” Jared suddenly shouted. “He has been bullying my friends and me.”

Elliot narrowed his eyes and said coldly to the man who bowed at him, “Did you hear that? Get your child out of here.”

“Understood. I will withdraw my son from school immediately.” The man hurriedly bowed and added, “President Presgrave, Mrs. Presgrave, and Young Master. I’m so sorry. Please forgive my son’s bad behavior. I promise he will never appear in school again.”

“Darling, you are a shareholder; what are you afraid of—” The woman on the side immediately reminded him of his status. She was highly embarrassed because she was arrogant toward Anastasia earlier and had lost all the respect now.

“Shut up! You don’t have any right to speak now,” the man scolded her. “Didn’t you also offend President Presgrave and the others? Come over and apologize now.”

The woman immediately looked at Anastasia with reluctance.

At the same time, Anastasia stared at the woman. Thinking of what the woman had said to her, Anastasia raised her eyebrow and said coldly, “Do it quick. My patience is limited.”

Now that she was being pressured by her husband, the woman immediately came over and bowed to Anastasia and apologized, saying, “I’m so sorry that I was being presumptuous earlier. Please forgive my ignorance and stupidity.”

They were a family of bullies, so it served them right to meet the Elliot Presgrave.

“I’m extremely sorry, President Presgrave. Please be a bigger person and forgive us!” After saying that, he quickly pulled his wife and son away and shouted, “Get out of here!”

Principal Miller still hadn’t come back to her senses after the family left. However, after scanning the tall man beside Anastasia, she finally understood everything.

Although Principal Miller didn’t know the man’s identity and background, she was sure that he was an extraordinary man based on his king-like demeanor.

“I’m really sorry, Miss Tillman and Mr. Presgrave. It was our mishandling that hurt your child,” she apologized.

Elliot looked at Anastasia. “Would you like to transfer Jared to another school? How about Eden that I recommended earlier?”

“Forget about it. Jared has finally gotten used to this school, and I don’t want to ruin his experience.”

Anastasia gratefully looked at Elliot as they were protected from unfair treatment due to him being present.

The principal thought that she finally knew the truth about the blank column for Jared’s father in the form.

When Anastasia took her child back to the classroom, several children immediately surrounded him and showed their concerns. She was touched that her son was heroic and that he showed courageous traits.

“Mommy, you can go back now. I can take care of myself.” The little child waved his hand and happily returned to his own world.

After that, Anastasia and Elliot returned to the car, where she looked at him with gratitude. “Thank you so much for standing up for Jared and me.”

If Elliot was not present, Anastasia would have been bullied by that mean woman without even having the chance to retort.

He protected her rights and gave her son solid and powerful support.

Elliot suddenly leaned over toward her and held her hands. “I wish to protect you and Jared forever.”

His words tugged on her heartstring. For once, she didn’t know how to answer him. If he really meant it, then I should marry him.

“Alright, since we have some time left, buy me a present.” Elliot let go of her hands and drove away.

Anastasia almost forgot that she needed to return him a present. She nodded and replied, “Okay, you can choose a present for yourself. I’ll pay the bill.”

“You choose for me.” He wanted her to pick for him.

“Alright.” She didn’t want to argue much as he could still give her his input on the gift.

They arrived at a large shopping mall which housed world-class fashionable and high-end luxury brands. Although it was a luxurious mall, Anastasia had decided to spend on a belt for Elliot in this mall.

The present must be worthy of the man’s identity after all.

The people who shopped here were rich housewives, ladies, and celebrities. So, it was common to encounter celebrities there.

Anastasia walked into a shop selling menswear brands and asked the sales assistant to lead her to the belt section, which the assistant enthusiastically did. When the assistant saw the man behind Anastasia, she recognized him as a man with great success and wealth.

When Anastasia carefully chose a belt, she saw a belt with a navy blue buckle and thought that it suited Elliot. She took the belt and showed it to him. “How about this one? Do you like it?”

Elliot glanced at it, then nodded. “I like the color.”

“Then, I’ll get you this one.” She decided on the present, and she glanced at the price tag. It cost at least 10,000, but she could still handle the expenses.

After paying for the present, Anastasia saw that it was still early. “Let’s get back to the company.”

“Now, it is time for me to get you a present.” He suddenly pulled Anastasia’s wrist and took her to the women’s clothing store.

She was dumbfounded and laughed. “Elliot, I don’t want it.”

However, Elliot didn’t care about her protest. As soon as he entered the store, he immediately started to choose. Anastasia watched him scan through the clothes on the hanger. Not long after, he picked three sets of clothes.

It consisted of workwear, casual coats, and skirts. It was the world’s top brand, so the quality and the style were high end.

She wanted to leave, but she knew that Elliot would pay for all of them if she let him be. When she thought about that, she felt sorry for his wallet. So, Anastasia stayed to persuade him, “President Presgrave. President Pregrave, it’s enough. You don’t have to choose anymore.”

The sales assistant behind Elliot was already holding a pile of clothes in her arms. However, he was still going to pick more. Seeing this, Anastasia could only go in front of him and spread her arms to stop him. “President Presgrave, it’s really enough!”

“The bill.” Elliot turned around to the sales assistant.

She hurriedly called her companions and quickly scanned the price tag while enthusiastically describing the clothes. Looking at the number of clothes, Anastasia felt dizzy. In a short time, Elliot had picked three sets of workwear, four coats, and three skirts. Of course, all of them were in her size, S size.

“Sir, you have spent a total of 567,000. What is your preferred payment method?” The sales assistant couldn’t stop smiling.

“What?” Did I hear it wrong? More than five hundred thousand? These clothes cost five hundred thousand!

In response, Elliot pulled out a black card and handed it over. “Card.”

The sales assistant excitedly took the black card with unlimited credit and waved it over the machine.

After a ding, the payment was successful.

Anastasia couldn’t even stop her from doing that. In the end, Elliot bought her a bunch of clothes.

Money made the world go round.

After the sales assistant packed the clothes, she handed seven bags of clothes to Anastasia. “Miss, this is your clothes. Thank you for your patronage. Please come again soon.”

A giant palm reached out for the bags, and another arm wrapped over Anastasia’s waist. Then, Elliot said, “Let’s go.”

When Anastasia came out of the shop, Elliot pointed at a café. “Let’s have a cuppa.” After that, he pulled her in that direction.

“As long as you don’t waste money for me, I’m happy to oblige,” Anastasia complained bitterly.

She was afraid of his generosity.

Elliot led Anastasia to a darker corner of the shop. This café layout was unique, which significantly ensured the customer’s privacy to ensure that they had a pleasant experience and not being disturbed by others.

Just as he was bringing her in, a man near the railing had a sparkle in his eyes. He was playing with his camera with a zoom lens. As a professional paparazzo, he had received a tip that a celebrity would try on an evening dress today. However, the celebrity never arrived.

Instead, the paparazzo saw a more extraordinary man. An extremely elusive man.

The president of the Presgrave Group is holding a young, bright, and beautiful woman in his hand.

There is no doubt that this scandal will have more commercial value than that celebrity!

The man immediately followed them while hiding his presence. His camouflage ability and candid photography skills were first-rate as a professional paparazzo. He first strolled around the café. After ensuring where Elliot and Anastasia’s seat was, he selected a hiding place. Then, he zoomed in with his long-focus lens camera for a candid shot.

A few moments after reaching the coffee shop, Anastasia and Elliot were done with their order. She was exhausted today because of her son’s affairs, so she rubbed her temple to relax.

At the same time, Elliot suddenly got up from his seat to sit beside Anastasia and wrapped his arm around her. “Are you tired?” Her heart throbbed. According to her past experience, if he sat near her, he was definitely up to no good.

“I’ll massage you.” After Elliot said that, he stretched out his hand and squeezed her shoulders.

Anastasia immediately felt ticklish, so she blushed and pushed him away. “No, thanks!”

The soft, warm light shone on her face as she combed her hair and revealed her snow-white neck and earlobes. They looked as if they would emit a pleasant scent. Seeing this, Elliot was flustered and tried to look away.

Anastasia turned around and glared at him with a whimper. “Get back to your own seat.”

Elliot was getting restless in this private space suitable for a rendezvous as some ideas were brewing in his mind.

When Anastasia was about to push him away, she was caught off guard by a strong arm wrapping around her shoulders. Then, her upper body was approached by a warm and broad chest.

Dang it, he’s acting like a pervert again.

Anastasia struggled to break free from his clutches, but she could only hear his hoarse voice. “Let me hug you.”

As if Elliot could feel that she was secretly enjoying it, he didn’t stop hugging her. She knew how shameless he could get. Unless she got furious, he would never let her go until he was satisfied.

He was so close that she felt his warm breath against her neck, and she couldn’t help but shrink away.

After all, Anastasia had never cuddled with a man in a café before, and she was tense the whole time.

The only thing she was not worried about was that they both were single and wouldn’t be accused of cheating on their partner.

The coffee had already been served, so no waiter would disturb them.

It took a few minutes for Anastasia to get relaxed. There was no doubt that it was comfortable for her to lean against Elliot’s chest.

At this moment, Elliot’s kiss landed on the back of her neck. That spot was fragile and sensitive.

Anastasia immediately felt a jolt of electricity running through her body, resulting in her feeling numb.

“Don’t mess around,” she warned softly.

Elliot had his eyes on her. He seemed to be enjoying this in an exciting place. Maybe this was a man’s natural instinct to seek stimulation! He laughed in a deep voice. “What’s wrong? We are interacting like a normal couple.”

Hearing this, Anastasia couldn’t help laughing. “Since when have I been dating you?”

“You’re right! When are you going to date me?” Elliot stared at her with a burning passion.

“Not now. Next time!” she replied, avoiding his gaze.

“When is next time?” he asked patiently.

Anastasia was getting amused and couldn’t stop laughing. She deliberately said, “Not in five years.

Maybe you should find another partner.”

“Forget about five years. I am willing to wait for all my life,” he answered, to deny her.

Anastasia laughed again. How can this prim and proper man be such a brat to me?

“Won’t you regret waiting for me forever?” she asked seriously.

In response, Elliot locked his sight on her without hesitation. He was serious and persistent. “No regrets.”

On the other hand, Anastasia couldn’t stand his fiery gaze and shyly turned her face away. “You will definitely regret it.”

“Then, you can test it. You can use your whole life to test the truth; how about it?” As he spoke, his gaze shot at her like an abyss.

Immediately, she lowered her head, as she couldn’t muster the courage to look at him.

He had a presence that made no one dare to question him. Every word he said was as powerful as an oath.

Anastasia raised her head again. She was stubborn, trying to find out his uncertainty under his handsome face and uncover his lack of resolve for love.

However, Elliot’s expressions were impermeable and flawless. Soon, Anastasia’s shyness overcame her stubbornness, and she couldn’t muster the strength to look at him anymore. Anastasia found that she was hopeless against his flirtations. She had always lost against his teasing. After all, Elliot was the best at conquering one’s heart.

“Don’t…” Anastasia whispered.

Don’t spend your whole life waiting for me. I can’t bear to see you waste your time on me. I’m not worth your determination.

“Do you feel bad for me?” Elliot heard her inner voice before his thin lips curled up as his chin rested on her shoulder. The woman in his arms didn’t struggle anymore as she became obedient like a tamed cat.

“Can I kiss you?” he asked suddenly with politeness.

Anastasia was startled and looked up at him under the light. His face was low, and his lips were too close that he could kiss her if he moved down just another inch.

His gaze was like a spell that could deceive any living being. After looking into his eyes, she nodded as if she was being controlled by a hex.

“Good girl,” he whispered as his lips naturally pressed on Anastasia’s lips.

Her breath hitched. Although she was kissing him, she still kept her sanity around. If someone passed by, she would immediately push him away.

However, Elliot managed to stir her mind into disarray and broke her last shred of sanity. His presence was dominating and lingering, so much so that it was impossible for Anastasia not to fall for him.

The kiss made Anastasia taste the feeling of being in love. Her shyness made her eyes red like her blushing cheeks.

Elliot stroked her long hair and kissed her on the forehead. He was pleased that she gradually accepted his feelings, which filled him with hope and expectations.

However, they didn’t know that a camera in a hidden corner captured their kissing scene. They continued flirting in the corner of the café, just like an average couple.

After lunch, the two returned to the company. Sitting in the office, Anastasia kept thinking about the moment when they spent time together. This was what lovebirds would do, throwing their works away and kept daydreaming.

Jeez! What a dangerous man.

Love was like nicotine. One would get addicted after first contact, and it would be hard to quit. At this moment, her cell phone rang. She picked up and looked at the screen, after which she couldn’t help but purse her lips and smile. It was Nigel, a man she had not been in contact with for a long time.

Oh, it’s Nigel. I wonder what’s up.

“Hey, Nigel.”

“Long time no see! I miss you and Jared. Want to have dinner together?” he immediately invited her to a meal.

“What have you been up to?”

“My dad sent me to study abroad for a month. I was so busy! I just got off the plane this morning.”

“Maybe you should rest.”

“Not now. So, it’s a deal! I’ll treat you to dinner tonight.” Nigel ended the call.

Anastasia couldn’t help but smile at the thought of dinner; however, her smile froze when the sudden thought of Elliot crossed her mind.

Oh no, will he misunderstand? Wait a minute. Why do I care about him so much? No, I should tell him.

Or else he’ll get jealous.

After a train of thought, she picked up the phone and dialed his number.

“Hello.” His voice was cold, which was his usual tone to others.

“It’s me,” Anastasia said.

He immediately said with a deep voice, “Miss me?”

“No. Nigel invited Jared and me to dinner tonight. I have to inform you about this to prevent you from inviting yourself to my house for dinner tonight.”

“This little mutt didn’t invite me!” Elliot couldn’t help but complain. “I’ll find him.” After that, he hung up the call.

Anastasia felt amused at his antics. After a while, her phone rang again, and she picked it up. “Hi.”

“We can have dinner together tonight.” His mood was getting better after he was told that he could join them.

“Jeez, what are you doing? Nigel kindly invited us to dinner, but you are mad at him instead.”

“Why do you care?” Elliot’s tone was filled with jealousy.

“Jeez, knock it off.” Anastasia laughed.

The man on the other end of the line immediately answered, “Alright, I’ll stop.” His voice sounded like a tamed beast with a hoarse voice.

Those words turned into a feather and tickled her heart, and she quickly hung up the call after giving a simple response.

I can never win against Elliot’s teasing.

After a while, Felicia came over to Anastasia and asked about her son’s situation. She didn’t hide the truth from her superior and told her that Elliot had settled the incident.

…

Meanwhile, Aliona couldn’t concentrate on her work in the office, for her mind was filled with her desire to get closer to Elliot. Even so, she understood that Elliot was not an easy man. Aside from Anastasia, he would never give another woman a chance to get near him.

Landing herself a man was an easy job for Aliona, but even Riley couldn’t figure out Elliot’s temperament. Thus, Aliona wasn’t sure how she should seduce Elliot.

Right now, her biggest enemy was Anastasia. Aliona had acted too confidently in front of Riley before this, so she was reluctant to report her progress to him. Naturally, this made her anxious too.

At the same time, Alice had just received a call, and a smug smile appeared on her face. Her colleague had placed Anastasia’s manuscript on the counter, thus making it the company’s prized collection.

Now, Alice simply needed to wait for the show where Anastasia would embarrass herself.

She wanted to thoroughly destroy Anastasia’s reputation in the design industry, and she was willing to wait patiently for that very moment.

…

Meanwhile, Hayley was lying on an operating table somewhere in Hogland. Her fists were clenched, and her heart was full of fear. After all, she was betting her life and face on her future.

The only thing that gave her the courage to risk it all was the possibility of being the Young Mistress of the Presgrave Family. After the surgery, she could seduce Elliot with a face similar to Anastasia’s and win his heart. In fact, she was certain that she would succeed.

When the anesthetic needle punctured her body, the pain she felt was unbearable. However, she gritted her teeth and imagined Elliot’s face to endure the pain. This was the only way for her to bear the agony.

The words of the translator resounded in Hayley’s mind. The surgeon warned her that this operation would be dangerous as he had to perform surgery on many parts of her face, and he wanted her to think about the possible consequences. Despite the risks, Hayley accepted the surgery without hesitation.

Her own face caused her too much suffering because of Anastasia. After this surgery, her inferiority complex and pain would disappear.

Therefore, she was desperate to change her face.

During the surgery, it seemed like she could hear the sound of her cheekbones being removed with a saw on her face, and the sound made her tremble in horror. She closed her eyes, blaming Anastasia for forcing her into the mess she was in right now.

This is all Anastasia’s fault. I hate her.

…

At 4.00PM, Anastasia held a bouquet of roses while leaving the company. Elliot was waiting for her in the car park to fetch her son from school together.

At the same time, Aliona was also leaving the company. As soon as she left, she saw Anastasia holding the bouquet. She immediately clenched her teeth, but Anastasia said nothing and walked past her gracefully when she saw the woman.

Meanwhile, Elliot smiled in the driver’s seat when he saw Anastasia walking over with the bouquet in her hands. Finally! She’s starting to accept my feelings.

With that, they picked Jared up and met Nigel for dinner.

…

At the restaurant, Nigel teased the boy happily. After hearing that Jared was involved in a fight in school today, he immediately said, “When I have the time, I’ll teach you boxing. That way, you have nothing to be afraid of when you get into a fight next time!”

“Okay!” Jared nodded happily.

Nigel looked at Elliot and Anastasia, who were both sitting opposite him. At that moment, he realized that they were made for each other.

“Elliot, Anastasia, I can’t wait for your wedding invitation any longer!” urged Nigel.

Upon hearing that, Anastasia choked on the soup she was having.

Elliot immediately patted her back and found her reaction amusing.

“Mommy, are you and Uncle Elliot getting married?” Jared immediately asked in surprise.

Anastasia hurriedly explained, “Uncle Nigel is joking, so don’t take it seriously.”

Upon hearing those words, Nigel couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows and look at Elliot. It seemed like he was asking, Dude, why haven’t you succeeded yet?

When Elliot met Nigel’s eyes, he returned with a helpless look. After all, it wasn’t as if Nigel didn’t know that going after Anastasia would be a tough challenge.

The four of them had a good dinner. While they were still seated at the dining table, Nigel said he had left the gift he bought at home, so he coaxed Jared into staying at his house for the night. Jared agreed to it immediately after hearing Nigel’s words, and Anastasia couldn’t do anything to stop him.

“Jared, if you don’t behave, I’m going to be angry!” Anastasia knew very well that Nigel wanted to create an opportunity for her and Elliot!

However, she didn’t need it at all!

“Leave Jared to me, and I will send him to school tomorrow. You don’t have to worry since I’m the most reliable person you can think of,” said Nigel as he took Jared by the hand and ran to his car as quick as a flash.

“Nigel… Jared, come back!” Anastasia shouted as she chased after them, but Jared giggled and ran toward Nigel’s car. Not long after that, she watched as the man’s car pulled away and left.

At that point, Anastasia didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. For one, she felt at ease with Nigel taking care of Jared because she often entrusted her son with his care whenever she went abroad. However, without her son by her side, what would that be like with her and Elliot?

Upon realizing the situation, Elliot appreciated Nigel’s gesture of creating an opportunity for him while having his back.

“Come on! Let’s get in the car.” Elliot took Anastasia by the hand and strolled toward his car, wasting no time at all.

Meanwhile, Anastasia was extremely speechless. The intimacy level she had with him had already exceeded the limit for that day, and she had no intention of carrying on.

Once they got into the car, Elliot turned to ask her, “How about a drive?”

“Just send me home! I still have work to do.” Anastasia made an excuse so she could leave him. She was not afraid of him, but she was worried that she wouldn’t be able to control her feelings.

“Which do you think is more important? Work, or coming with me for a drive?”

“Work, of course,” replied Anastasia. Work brought her income and gave her a sense of security, while this man constantly put her in danger.

“Even if you perform badly the entire year, I can still give you an excellent employee award. How about a generous bonus at the end of the year?” He smirked. As her boss, it was his right to be so unruly and presumptuous.

At the moment, Anastasia couldn’t do anything about him. “Alright then! We’ll go for a drive!”

Upon hearing her answer, Elliot started his car and drove off along the city’s coastline. It felt relaxing as they cruised on the highway. Anastasia hadn’t been able to enjoy the night scenery like this in a long time. Her mood was lifted, and she felt at peace.

The bright moon shone over the sea, which was spectacular and magnificent. From a distance, it looked like a watercolor painting.

Suddenly, Elliot drove his car down a small road. When Anastasia saw that, she couldn’t help but turn to look at him and ask, “Where are we going?”

“Just wait here for a moment.” Elliot glanced at her and got out of the car.

Then, she watched as he walked toward a tall bush of reeds, and her face blushed immediately.

Elliot returned shortly after. Even though this man had just taken a leak, he still looked elegant and well-dressed, and he even emitted the aura of a slick-haired douche.

Elliot stood beside the passenger side’s window, leaned down, and asked her, “What about you?”

“I’m fine…” Anastasia replied embarrassedly.

“I’ll keep a lookout for you as well,” he said with a smile.

Anastasia was red in the face. However, what was even more embarrassing was that she had drunk several cups of tea at the restaurant, and more than half an hour had passed; when he asked that question, she realized that she had the urge to go as well. It was awkward.

“Isn’t there a hotel or something along the way?” Anastasia looked up at him.

“As far as I know, there aren’t any within the next half an hour.”

“What? Where are we?”

“We’re on the highway to Belros. We’re going to stay there for the night.”

Upon hearing this, Anastasia was dumbfounded. Why is he taking me to another city without even telling me about it? Damn it.

Anastasia opened the car door and whispered warningly, “No peeking.”

Upon hearing her words, Elliot nodded obediently and said, “I am a gentleman.”

With that, she walked further into the bushes of reeds. It was probably one of the most unforgettable and embarrassing events in her life.

Why? Why does this have to happen when I’m with Elliot? Gosh! This is nuts!

When Anastasia came back, her face was still flustered. However, after thinking about it, she accepted the fact that she couldn’t help it if nature called, so there was no need to be ashamed of such a thing!

In fact, it was better than holding it in and hurting her own body!

After they were both done, Elliot went back on the road again. They drove for two more hours under the starry sky until they finally arrived at the underground parking lot of a five-star hotel owned by the Mansons in the neighboring city.

Ever since she gave birth to Jared, Anastasia had never done anything so crazy and bold. It was already 11.00PM, but she was feeling great.

In that unfamiliar place, it seemed that she could just let go of her problems and be free. She didn’t have to restrain herself; even the air that she breathed in smelled like the sweet scent of freedom.

Elliot wrapped his big palm over her hand naturally, and she didn’t break free. Then, he led her into the hotel lobby while holding her hand.

“I want a suite.” That was Anastasia’s final stand for that night. After all, she refused to share a bed with him.

Elliot went for a presidential suite on the top floor. It was a luxurious penthouse suite on the 88th floor with a breathtaking sea view, making it seem as though they were above the clouds.

As soon as Anastasia entered the room, she was captivated by the scenery at the floor-to-ceiling window, and she couldn’t stop herself from going closer to take a look. After a while, Elliot came from behind, wrapped his arms around her waist, and rested his chin on her shoulder naturally. “Do you like it?”

“Yes,” she answered truthfully.

“As long as it’s what you desire. Even if you want to have coffee in a foreign country tomorrow, I can take you there immediately,” he said with a low chuckle.

Anastasia’s heart skipped a bit. No woman in her right mind would dislike Elliot after everything he had done for her!

“Thank you for everything you have done for me.” She was genuinely grateful, and her heart unknowingly grew closer to him.

“You’re worth every effort.” With that, Elliot lightly kissed her hair and turned her around.

Anastasia’s breathing grew faster. Yet, when he planted his kiss on her, she accepted it with her eyes closed.

That night, Elliot didn’t cross the line. They rested separately, but Anastasia was so excited that she couldn’t fall asleep until 3.00AM.

In the wee hours of the morning, she felt someone sneaking into her bed. She could probably guess who it was, but she was too sleepy to open her eyes and chase him away. Furthermore, his body temperature helped warm her slightly cold body in the morning. Since she felt extremely comfortable, she continued sleeping as she rested her head on a muscular arm. Then, she vaguely felt a kiss on her forehead.

Elliot’s lips curled into a smile when he looked at the woman who was still sleeping soundly. It seemed like she hadn’t slept well last night too.

Was that his fault? After all, he had been thinking about her for the whole night.

For now, Elliot had to make up for sleep. He held her close to him, but he found it more difficult to fall asleep. The woman in his arms was soft and fragrant like a delicious breakfast on a Sunday morning, making him want to take a big bite out of her.

Nonetheless, Elliot brushed the thought off with a sigh, and he could only force himself to sleep while hugging her.

Unbeknownst to them, explosive headlines appeared on the internet and in the morning newspapers.

The overarching theme for all the headlines read, ‘Mysterious Identity of Presgrave Group’s President’s Girlfriend Exposed.’

Following that, various captions full of gimmicks and eye-catching phrases like ‘Mysterious Young Master of the Presgrave Family Is Dating an Unknown Woman; Both Can’t Help but Share Passionate Kisses at the Coffee Shop’ blew up on the internet ‘Rumored Girlfriend of the President of Presgrave Group Has Been Exposed; Her Identity Is Unknown, but She Is Stunningly Beautiful.’

‘Super-Rich President Took His Girlfriend for a Shopping Spree; Flirted in a Coffee Shop Afterward.’

‘Shocking! This Woman Is the True Winner in Life!’

This was followed by a few close-ups of Anastasia’s face with Elliot brushing his lips against her neck in an intimate way.

Meanwhile, the two stars of the scandal were still enjoying their morning sleep in the hotel, unaware of the storm brewing outside.

Anastasia finally woke up around 10.00AM. She stretched lazily and turned around, only to meet Elliot nose-to-nose. All of a sudden, the air around them turned steamy as their breaths intertwined.

Since she had known in her sleep earlier that morning that he had sneaked onto her bed, she wasn’t really surprised.

The winter sun shone in from the window, and it cast a warm and gentle feeling into the room. She began to pull herself away lightly. Meanwhile, Elliot’s even breathing indicated that he was still in a deep sleep.

It was rare to have such an opportunity for her to just stare at him and appreciate his looks. Hence, she immediately grasped at the chance and took in the sight of his eyes and brows closely with her bright eyes.

It was needless to say how handsome he was! All she could think of was how every edge and angle of his facial features ticked all the boxes of her ideal aesthetic points. Elliot’s looks were flawless, and it was the definition of a perfect face.

His face looked like it was delicately carved by a pair of skillful hands. Those thick and long eyelashes gracefully grazed over his lower eyelids, and there was a pure child-like charm to his looks. However, Anastasia knew that once those eyes were opened, they would glare with a burning force, like an emperor.

Therefore, she still preferred him while he was asleep; he looked just like a big child without all the aggression.

Little by little, her gaze drifted down. It swept across Elliot’s refined jawline, down to his sexy Adam’s apple, and onto the honey-toned skin near his chest. She even caught a glimpse of his hunky chest muscles. After noticing that, she hurriedly withdrew her gaze.

She knew that she had to stop staring. Otherwise, it would seem like she was committing a crime.

But there was no doubt that this man, even in his sleep, had a noble aura to him, which made people not dare to approach him but would rather admire him from afar.

Following that, Anastasia couldn’t help but pull herself out of his arms and slip out of bed as gently as possible. When she looked at the time, she was dismayed to have found out that it was already half-

past ten.

There’s no way I’m going to be able to make it to work. I’m still in Belros right now!

She wondered if she should inform Felicia. It didn’t mean that she could skip work as she liked just because she was with Elliot, after all!

No matter what, she would still have to respect her boss! Upon making her decision, Anastasia picked up her phone and walked out of the master bedroom to the balcony in the living room. When she glanced at her phone, she was shocked. Why are there eight missed calls? Did something happen to Jared? She quickly unlocked her phone and realized that two missed calls belonged to Felicia, three belonged to Grace, two more belonged to her father, and one was from an unknown number.

What happened? Anastasia’s phone had never been so busy in the morning. She hadn’t picked up the calls because she muted her phone last night to get more sleep in the morning.

She hadn’t expected to receive so many missed calls after having muted her phone for the first time in forever.

When Anastasia scanned through the list, she saw Grace’s name on top, so she went on and gave her a call first.

“Hey, Anastasia! You’re finally answering your phone.”

Anastasia listened to Grace’s voice. Instead of sounding anxious, it sounded rather excited instead.

Does she have exciting news that she can’t wait to share with me?

“I saw the missed calls, Grace. What happened?”

“Anastasia, I’m just happy for you! I didn’t expect your relationship with President Presgrave to be real.”

Upon hearing her words, Anastasia became dumbfounded. She grinned sheepishly and said, “What are you talking about?”

“You don’t have to explain it anymore, Anastasia. We all saw you and Mr. Presgrave kissing in the coffee shop!”

Anastasia was mindblown, and she blanked out for a few seconds before asking stupidly, “What cafe?

What was it that you saw?”

Her heart was filled with shame and guilt. Could it be that Grace accidentally saw me kissing Elliot in the cafe last night?

“What? Anastasia, are you still unaware of the news surrounding you and President Presgrave all over the internet?! The whole world knows that you guys are dating! The paparazzi took pictures of you and President Presgave kissing in the cafe yesterday, and they’ve exposed your relationship!”

When those words struck her, Anastasia was so shocked that she couldn’t even hold her phone properly, and her mind went blank. What? The paparazzi took pictures of us last night?

“I just woke up. Let me take a look first.” As soon as she finished speaking, she hung up on Grace and quickly went online. At once, a headline that read, ‘Shocking! The Mysterious Girlfriend of Presgrave Group’s President, Exposed’ popped up, and it was currently trending.

As soon as she saw that, she immediately clicked on the link with trembling hands. Her face blushed shamefully, and her temperature rose. At the same time, her heart was pounding, and she was lost for words as she covered her mouth in shock.

Those were the pictures of her making out with Elliot. There were three or four pictures of them kissing, as well as another two pictures of Anastasia giggling while he kissed her neck. They looked so much like a couple as she leaned into his embrace the entire time. On top of that, they looked like lovers who were madly in love with each other.

Ahhh!

Anastasia almost broke down. How could such pictures of her and Elliot leak out?!

Upon remembering the missed calls from Felicia and her dad, she blushed in embarrassment. It would be easy to explain to Felicia, but she wasn’t sure how she should explain it to her dad.

Goodness! She was so embarrassed that she wanted to curl up and die on the spot.

She wouldn’t be able to deny their relationship this time round, for even the heavens wouldn’t believe her denial.

Anastasia then took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. Since it had already happened, she had no choice but to accept the fact.

Just then, her phone rang again. Upon seeing that it was from her dad, she almost had a heart attack.

What is dad going to ask me? Yikes! She took a deep breath and answered the call, “Hi, Dad.”

On the other side of the phone, Francis smiled and asked, “Anastasia, why didn’t you tell me earlier that both of you are already together? Seeing the news of you and Elliot almost gave me a heart attack.”

“Dad, are you feeling alright?” Anastasia quickly comforted him.

“I’m fine, but are you and Elliot really in a relationship?” Francis blurted out.

As she thought about the pictures spreading online, she’d be messing with her father if she didn’t admit their relationship.

“Yes, we are seeing each other,” Anastasia admitted shyly. She never expected that this would be her first time admitting her relationship to her father.

“That’s great, I’m really happy for you. You have a good eye for men—after all, you chose someone as outstanding as Elliot. Jared will also have someone to lean on.” Francis still felt like he was dreaming.

He didn’t expect his daughter, who was also a single mother, would be lucky enough to be with an outstanding man like Elliot. It was the Tillman Family’s triumph!

“Alright, get along well with each other, and I wish the best for both of you. I’ll hang up now.” Francis hung up the phone after finishing his sentence.

As Anastasia heaved a sigh of relief, a man’s voice could be heard from behind. “You admitted to our relationship?”

A startled Anastasia quickly turned to look behind, only to see Elliot in a bathrobe with his chest showing and his arms crossed as he leaned against the door frame behind him. A trace of bliss could be seen in his deep, alluring eyes.

When she saw him, Anastasia immediately walked up to him and asked, “Can you please deal with it?”

She passed him her mobile phone.

Startled by this, he took the phone from her and read through the gossip column. Immediately after, he laughed and commented, “These pictures were well taken.”

“How can you still laugh at a time like this? Everyone on the internet knows about us right now.”

Anastasia thought that she was the only one worried about disclosing their relationship, and she wasn’t entirely wrong.

Elliot had been looking for opportunities to make their relationship public, and someone had actually done it on his behalf this time.

Although the paparazzi intended to make money from releasing the news, he’d definitely make a larger fortune than he originally expected this time round.

As he looked at the anxious Anastasia, Elliot pulled her into his arms. “Isn’t this good? Now, everyone knows that you are my girlfriend,” he uttered.

“I’m… I’m not.” She pushed him away. How could he be so happy about this?

As he locked his gaze on her, he replied confidently, “You will eventually be.”

Anastasia was expecting him to do something to save their reputation, but it seemed like he had no plans of doing so. Anastasia stood on the balcony with her hand on her chin while deep in thought, feeling somber.

Upon seeing that, Elliot walked over and comforted her sincerely, “If you can’t accept the news, I can just get rid of it for you.”

However, Anastasia couldn’t help but think that getting rid of it now would be useless since the news had been released for hours. Most people would have already known about them.