Chapter 249: Chapter 1051-1060

It’s as if I’ll make him look bad if I refuse to get into the car. In the end, such pressure of being forced caused her to bend down and get into his car reluctantly.

The instant the car door closed, her heart shuddered, and her breathing became tense, as though she had been abducted into the car. That’s right—I’m abducted by this guy’s commanding presence, his power, and his seniority. If it were another man, I’d definitely fight to the end and refuse to get into the car no matter what.

Ren then got into the car from the other side. When he got into the car, he looked sideways to study the young lady’s expression. She was pouting her lips slightly with a hint of displeasure.

The bodyguard started the car.

Seeing the streetlights and the trees flashing past the car window, Ruka involuntarily relaxed. In reality, she wasn’t that averse to going to his place, which was large and comfortable. She knew what she was afraid of, but she couldn’t pour it out.

20 minutes later, they arrived at Ren’s villa.

After they arrived, the bodyguards drove off—not to leave but to go on duty.

Ruka entered the living room to see her suitcase beside the couch. She couldn’t help but let out a sigh.

Am I gonna be staying at his place no matter what?

Ren said to her, “Do you still like the room last night? If you do, then stay in that guest room.”

“Uh-huh! I like it.” Ruka nodded.

Ren lifted her suitcase and went upstairs.

Stunned, Ruka hurriedly said, “Let me carry it, Mr. Ren.”

However, the man carried her suitcase upstairs effortlessly.

Ruka followed him all the way to her guest room from behind.

Ren put down the suitcase and surveyed the room as if to see if the room lacked anything.

Ruka said behind him, “Mr. Ren, I don’t lack anything. You should go and get some rest.”

Ren looked back and asked, “Have you had dinner?”

Only then did Ruka realize that she never had time to eat after being locked in the library for such a long time. I’m okay with skipping dinner, though. “No, I haven’t, but I’m not hungry,” she replied.

“Come downstairs for dinner later,” the man said before leaving.

Ruka was dumbfounded. Is he gonna make dinner for me? Hearing the door close, she still felt somewhat unsettled. She opened her suitcase and unpacked her clothes. The servant had packed up all her clothes, and she hung them up in the wardrobe before letting out an involuntary sigh. Seems like I’m really gonna be staying here.

After unpacking her luggage, she sat down for a while before going to the bathroom to look at herself in the mirror. Her oval face looked fair and plain with no makeup on it. She had always been dissatisfied with her looks. She was going to turn 24 years old, but she still looked naive and ignorant, as though she had gotten old over these years for nothing. She fretted about this, so she always dressed older than her age on purpose.

When she came downstairs, she smelled something appetizing—not the rich aroma of cooked food, but the sweet and pure aroma of spring onions. Involuntarily, she turned her eyes toward the kitchen, only to see Ren cooking noodles in the open kitchen while wearing a black sweater with the sleeves rolled up. In an instant, she found herself unable to tear her eyes away from the scene. The graceful and noble qualities he had about him were apparent even when he was doing something as trifling as cooking noodles.

Looking at the man who was lowering his head and slicing the grilled steak with rapt attention, she couldn’t help but gulp a mouthful of saliva. I’m so hungry! “Let me help you, Mr. Ren.” She went over with a smile and saw the steak that he had dished up beautifully with a floret of broccoli on top for garnish. As she was holding the plate containing the steak, she was greeted with its pleasant aroma.

How I wish I could steal a bite of it!

After putting the steak on the table, she saw the man behind her coming over with a bowl of noodles in each hand. It was as though he did everything with such extraordinary grace.

Ruka felt a tremendous sense of pleasure overwhelming her. Could I have saved the world in my previous life to be able to eat the food he cooked? “Wow! It smells so good!” she couldn’t help but praise. “You’re terrific, Mr. Ren.”

Ren fastened his eyes on her while naturally putting his hands on the table for support. As he leaned over slightly, his eyes darkened somewhat. “Ruka, from now on, don’t call me Mr. Ren anymore.”

Ruka’s eyes widened slightly. “What should I call you, then?”

“Call me whatever you like, but don’t call me Mr. Ren. I don’t like it.” Ren pushed a bowl of noodles toward her. “Call me Ren instead.”

Ruka was speechless for a moment. “No, I can’t do that. Aunt Scarlet is from the same generation as my mom. You’re her younger brother, so I should call you Mr. Ren. If you really don’t like that, I can call you Uncle.” She insisted on respecting her elders. In particular, she couldn’t address her elders wrongly since it’d be a rude thing to do.

Ren knitted his brows. He replied somewhat sulkily in a peremptory tone of voice that brooked no retort, “In any case, you can only call me Ren while staying at my place these days.” He insisted that she call him so since there weren’t so many rules and restrictions at his place.

Ruka stopped insisting. Inwardly, she even wanted to smile. Seeing that the man had cooked dinner for her, she curled her lips into a smile, saying, “Okay. I’ll call you Ren then, alright?”

When Ren saw how obedient she looked, his brow finally cleared. As he was in a good mood, he pulled out his chair and sat down next to her.

Ruka hurriedly handed him his fork and spoon. After eating a few bites of the noodles, she asked him, “You kept sending me presents by post earlier. Why didn’t you tell me about it so that I can thank you for it?”

Ren was startled for a moment. Then, he figured that his assistant must’ve let it slip and told her about it. “Do you like the gifts?” he asked with a squint.

“Yeah, I do,” Ruka said before flashing the necklace she was wearing. “Look, I’m wearing it.”

Ren curled his lips into an attractive smile as a dimple appeared in one of his cheeks.

If he laughs heartily, his dimples will definitely be even more good-looking, thought Ruka as she looked forward to him laughing.

They then ate dinner in silence.

Ruka finished half of the soup since it was too yummy. Not only that, but she was stuffed after eating seven slices of the grilled steak. “Let me clear the table.” She hurriedly stood up to clear the table when Ren put down his fork and spoon.

Ren grabbed her hand that was holding the bowl to stop her. “Let me do it. You should go to sleep.”

Ruka’s heart jumped. Seeing the large hand that was holding her hand, she retracted her hand in a fluster. “I-I’m going back to my room, then.” As long as the atmosphere became somewhat romantic, she’d feel flustered and panicky. Not knowing what to do, she had no choice but to flee first.

Ren’s cell phone rang; he glanced at it before answering the phone. “Hello.”

“Mr. Husson, I’ve found out that Miss Singed was indeed locked inside the library by someone.”

“Who is it?”

“It’s a female intern named Mia Murillo. She’s also the one who turned off the main switch,” Elijah reported.

Ren’s voice was frosty with a hint of anger. “Hand the evidence to the translation department and get rid of her.”

“Roger that.”

After hanging up the phone, Ren stood up and cleared the table as swiftly and neatly as the way he usually did everything else.

Ruka took a shower and did some reading in bed before falling asleep in exhaustion. In the midst of her sleep, she felt thirsty, for she had eaten too much of the steak just now.

She checked the time. Seeing that it was 1:12 AM, she got out of bed without bothering to change out of her pajamas, thinking that Ren must’ve gone to sleep at this hour. She opened the door and saw that the wall lights were on in the hallway outside. The light was dim with a touch of coziness. She went downstairs, found a glass, and went in the direction of the water dispenser before pouring a glass of warm water for herself and drinking from it. After finishing the glass of water, she headed toward the stairs.

Just as she was going up the stairs, the door to the innermost room on the left side of the hallway opened, and Ren stepped out in a black silk night robe.

Ruka was also heading in the same direction on her way back to her room. As soon as she turned a corner, she saw the man coming her way and was startled right away.

With that, the two ran into each other in the hallway.

Ruka watched in embarrassment as the man came toward her. The close-fitting silk night robe made him look tall and slender while showing the smooth outline of his figure. Moreover, the robe gaped open slightly, making his sharply-outlined clavicle and his perfect-looking neck and shoulders faintly visible.

At this very moment, he looked like an attractive and yet dangerous beast taking a leisurely stroll in its own territory.

Ruka never thought she’d run into Ren in the hallway at such a late hour. After biting her lip in panic for a moment, she stammered, “I-I went downstairs to get something to drink. I’m going back to my room now!” Then, she walked toward him.

The hallway was spacious, but it appeared narrow when she walked past him.

Suddenly, a large hand grabbed her wrist and pinned her against the wall with tremendous strength, holding up her left hand in a surrendering gesture. The man grabbed her wrist with one hand while putting the other on her shoulder. In an instant, they were only inches away from each other.

His gaze was fervent when it fell on her face. It was as if he had been troubled by his desire for a long time, so he didn’t even need to conceal it upon facing his prey.

Ruka’s heart shuddered under Ren’s stare. She looked up slightly, only to look into his eyes, which were as dark as the sea. They seemed to have a hint of self-restraint and forbearance in them, but they also looked like a bomb that would explode anytime, causing her heartbeat to quicken in fear. She felt anxious and uneasy. She didn’t know what he wanted to do, but she also had an idea what he was going to do.

Ren left his room because he couldn’t fall asleep. However, he never expected the young lady who had made him lose sleep to show up in front of him voluntarily. Isn’t she letting herself fall prey to a predator? Doesn’t she know how dangerous it is to wander around in my house at midnight?

“It hurts…” Ruka couldn’t help but cry out aggrievedly as her hand hurt in his grasp.

Only then did Ren realize that he was still grabbing her wrist. He released his grip on it, but just when Ruka thought the man was going to let her off, he held her chin with his fingers. The next instant, he kissed her on the lips, as if nothing could stop him once he crossed the line he had drawn for himself.

“Mmm…” Ruka pushed him immediately as her first instinct was that they couldn’t do this. This is wrong. This is unreasonable.

However, the man’s body was as immovable as a mountain, and his lips were full of the minty aroma of wine. Only then did Ruka realize that he had drunk alcohol. This is even more dangerous. “Ren Husson…” She finally warned him by calling him by his full name.

Ren let go of her while panting slightly as his tall figure loomed over her like a shadow. His chest heaved up and down, and he stared at the lady in his arms with dark, fathomless eyes. He had been longing for this kiss for the entire night. “What did you call me just now?” he asked in a husky voice with a seductive flicker in his eyes.

“Ren Husson.” Ruka bit her lip while avoiding his intense gaze.

“Great. I like it.” The man accepted it happily. Then, he whispered in her ear and warned in a husky voice, “Go back to your room and don’t come out again.”

Ruka looked up and saw the man’s eyes, which were so fathomless as though they were going to devour everything like a black hole. “I’ll move out tomorrow,” she said with integrity. Since he’d be so greatly affected if she stayed at his place, she might as well leave.

“You’re not allowed to leave,” the man ordered overbearingly.

Everyone had a line that couldn’t be crossed, including Ruka. Moreover, she was a living person, so she’d also lose her temper upon being ordered around like this. “What do you want me to do, then? If you really crave for women, there are lots of women who are willing to serve you. I think Miss Parfait will be more than happy to do that,” she replied in annoyance, though she didn’t know what had given her the courage to say this to him.

Ren took a step back. With his arms folded, he looked her up and down with a dangerous squint. “Do you think I’m such a casual man?”

“Why me, then?” Ruka couldn’t wrap her head around it. She went abroad at 16 years old and hadn’t come back for nearly 5 years since then. Since when did Ren fall in love with her?

Ren also wanted to ask himself the same question. Why her, of all people? But he’d been unable to find the answer to the question. After letting out a sigh, he replied in a husky voice, “Don’t worry, I won’t force you to do anything. Just stay here with peace of mind.”

With that, he was about to leave.

Ruka couldn’t help but say to him from behind, “Miss Parfait really likes you, so you can try to accept her.”

Ren froze before looking sideways slightly. “What about you?”

Ruka was lost for words for a moment. Then, in a moment of haste, she blurted out, “I don’t like someone who’s older than me.” As soon as she said that, she retracted these words inwardly. No, I didn’t mean to spurn him. I just want to use this excuse to refuse to let our relationship go deeper. If my parents know that he and I have crossed such a line, they’re gonna give me hell. She grew up abroad, but she was an old-fashioned lady at heart.

The man turned around. A faint gleam flickered visibly across his eyes under the light, and his eyes darkened as though he’d get angry at any minute.

Ruka took a gulp. “Sorry… I didn’t mean to spurn you…” she hurriedly apologized.

At first, she thought that the man would lecture her angrily. However, she heard him say, “Okay, I got it.

Go to sleep.” He gave no response, but he sounded hurt.

Ruka suddenly felt that she was a mean person who hurt him with her words. Taking a deep breath, she walked toward him instead of returning to her room. “I’m really sorry, Mr. Ren. Don’t be angry, okay? That’s not what I mean. I just feel that you deserve a better person. I don’t deserve you at all, nor am I qualified to be someone you love…” she explained behind him while regretting what she had said on an impulse just now.

Her mind was in turmoil in the first place, and she didn’t look where she was going. Therefore, when the man stopped in his tracks, she bumped into his back.

She quickly took a step back, whereas the man turned around and fixed his eyes on her. “I don’t like your apology.” He expressed his stance right away.

Ruka blinked her eyes. “What kind of apology do you like, then?” Is there a better way of making an apology other than saying sorry?

Ren’s gaze fell upon her red lips, and his eyes darkened with a hint of danger. “What do you think?” he asked in reply.

“I—”

Before Ruka could finish her sentence, the man put his arm around her waist, leaned over, and kissed her on the lips. He was addicted to her tender lips, which tasted as sweet as candy; kissing them made him feel as though he were hit hard in the chest.

Ruka’s eyes widened in surprise. Her breath was full of the man’s dominating scent of hormones, and her reason was swept away by the man as well. It was as though no woman could resist his tender and yet dominating kiss under the dim light in the quiet hallway, and she felt dizzy as well. In the end, she nearly suffocated. She breathed intermittently due to nervousness. Not only did her face turn crimson, but she nearly failed to catch her breath.

Noticing how her body had gone limp, the man finally let go of her. Seeing how she gasped for air while catching her breath, he suddenly let out a chuckle. A smile played across his face, and two dimples appeared in his cheeks as if containing intoxicating wine that would make one immersed in them.

Suddenly, Ruka felt very embarrassed. She swung her fist and pounded his chest. “How dare you laugh at me?” At this moment, she forgot who he was, his identity, and his age, revealing the truest sweet and charming side of her.

Ren patted her on the back while saying with sympathy, “Okay, blame it all on me.”

Only then did Ruka come to her senses. “Alright. Now that I’ve apologized and you’ve taken advantage of me, I’m going back to sleep,” she said. With that, she left in a huff.

Ren wanted to go downstairs to get another bottle of red wine at first. At this moment, however, he urgently needed to go back and take a hot shower, or he’d probably be unable to suppress the flames of lust within him tonight.

Ruka couldn’t fall asleep as well. Her mind was so preoccupied with what had happened just now that there was no room for anything else in her heart. As she thought about it, her face blushed. Her heart fluttered, and everything seemed to be descending into chaos. Before she realized it, she had fallen asleep. When she woke up, the sun was already shining brightly outside the window.

Ruka saw that it was 7:30AM, which was still early. As she didn’t want to be late for work today, she spruced herself up and came downstairs early on her own.

Elijah was already waiting for her at the entrance. “Miss Singed, I’ll drive you to work and take you somewhere to eat breakfast along the way,” he said.

“Thank you, Elijah,” Ruka thanked.

Meanwhile, at the translation department, Mia arrived early at the office, having completely forgotten what she had done last night. In her opinion, she had only played a prank on Ruka, who must’ve found someone to unlock the door and free her.

Just then, Victoria’s assistant came over and called her. “Mia, go to Miss Parfait’s office.”

Not daring to ignore her words, Mia immediately stood up and went to Victoria’s office, only to see the latter standing in front of the French window with a dark expression while looking at her frostily. “What did you do last night?” she asked.

“I-I didn’t do anything. I’d been translating the documents I was working with,” Mia replied guiltily.

“Did you lock Ruka inside the old library and turn off the power switch?” Victoria barked.

Mia changed color. “Miss Parfait, I-I didn’t do it on purpose. I meant no harm. I was just playing a prank on her.”

“Do you know how serious the consequences of your actions were? Even my superior got criticized and had to write a self-criticism. Do you think it’s just some trifling matter?” Victoria uttered between clenched teeth.

“Huh?!” Mia’s heart trembled. Is the matter that serious? Why did it turn into something so serious?

“You’re fired. Pack up your stuff and leave,” Victoria said cruelly as her eyes blazed with repressed resentment.

Ruka had asked Ren for help after being trapped inside the library last night. As he had come personally to save her, the nature of the entire incident turned out to be very different. What made Victoria even more resentful was that Mia’s actions had indirectly created an opportunity for the two.

She heard that Ruka had left in Ren’s car last night, so they two had probably stayed together last night. However, she could only vent her hatred on Mia.

Tears instantly rolled down Mia’s cheeks as she looked at Victoria imploringly. “Miss Parfait, could you please allow me to stay? It took me a great deal of effort to get in here, and I don’t want to give up just like this.”

“What’s the use of begging me? If you were smart, you shouldn’t have laid a hand on Ruka,” Victoria replied with a snort.

Mia shuddered as though she had noticed from these words how powerful Ruka’s background was.

Ruka entered the office from the outside, only to be stopped by a figure all of a sudden. It was Mia. At this moment, her delicate makeup was smudged with tears like that of a female ghost, scaring the hell out of Ruka. “Sorry, Ruka! I’m sorry! Let me apologize to you. Could you please let me off? Please, I’m begging you.”

Ruka was still puzzled as she had no idea what Mia was up to again.

Mia’s eyes reddened with anxiety as she was overwhelmed with regret. “I just wanted to play a prank on you after seeing you go to the library last night. You can get out of the library by making a phone call, so all I did was lock the door. I really didn’t mean to lock you up.”

Upon hearing this, Ruka finally realized why she had been locked in the library. She said angrily, “So it was your doing.”

“Sorry, I know that I was wrong. Please be the bigger person and forgive me!” Mia put her palms together, thinking that Ruka was easily persuadable.

Ruka was kind-hearted, but she wouldn’t easily forgive someone like Mia even if the latter begged her for mercy. “You’re fired, right? If you are, then pack up your stuff and leave. You should’ve thought of the consequences when you tried to harm me.” She coldly walked past her to go back to her office.

Seeing that her plea had fallen on deaf ears, Mia became even more vicious at this moment. “What do you think is so great about you, Ruka? All you have is someone backing you up. You couldn’t wait for me to leave so that you’d have one less rival, right?”

Ruka looked back at her. “You have only yourself to blame for courting death. Who else could you blame?”

Mia’s words were getting fouler by the minute. “D-Didn’t you get ahead in your career by sleeping with someone? I wonder how old is the one you’re serving. You’re such a disgrace to us women. Pffft!”

Ruka’s face blushed instantly. “Shut up!”

Mia sneered when she saw how Ruka blushed. “I’m right about that, ain’t I? You pretend to be innocent and beautiful on the outside, but you must be promiscuous in private. How disgusting.”

Ruka was really pissed off, but she knew it was meaningless to argue with such a person. She turned around and returned to the office, and Mia came in behind her shortly after that.

The others also heard that Mia had been fired. They appeased her on the outside, but they were inwardly happy. After all, it was a great thing to lose a competitor.

Mia pointed at Ruka. “I’m telling you, you guys have to watch out for her. Who knows when she’ll have her backer fire all of you one by one so that she can take advantage of the situation?”

Inara retorted with a sneer, “Is she even capable of that?”

Mia recalled what Victoria had said, though. Even my superior has to write a self-criticism, so Ruka’s background really isn’t as simple as Inara thinks. However, she wasn’t kind-hearted enough to tell Inara about it.

“In any case, just be careful of her. I’m leaving. Even if I can no longer stay in the translation department, I’ll do very well in another industry,” Mia said before leaving.

Ruka covered her ears while being immersed in her own thoughts. Mr. Ren is the one who dealt with this matter and stuck up for me, she thought.

Just then, Victoria’s voice rang at the door. “Ruka, come with me for a minute.”

Ruka stood up and went out with her.

Victoria reached the flower bed nearby before turning to look at Ruka. “You didn’t hurt yourself last night, did you?”

“No, I’m fine. Thanks for caring about me, Miss Parfait.”

“If you come across anything next time, just give me a phone call and don’t bother Ren again. You know that with his status, it’s inconvenient for him to be involved in many things,” Victoria said, reminding Ruka.

Ruka’s heart sank. She nodded, saying, “Alright, I’ll try my best not to bother him.”

Victoria couldn’t help but ask again, “I hear that you got into his car last night. Did he send you home?”

Ruka pursed her lips. For a moment, she didn’t know how to answer the question.

A barely noticeable flicker of jealousy flashed across Victoria’s eyes. Did she stay at his place again?

“Ruka, let me treat you to dinner this evening. Take it as an occasion to connect with each other and chat about our work,” she suggested with a smile.

Ruka was stunned for a moment. Of course, she knew that this wasn’t the only reason Victoria wanted to have dinner with her. As an intern, however, she couldn’t decline her superior’s invitation to dinner.

“Alright, let me treat you to dinner,” she said to Victoria.

“There’s a nice restaurant nearby that does a good job of protecting its customers’ privacy. Let’s meet up after we’ve finished work,” Victoria replied. Then, she patted Ruka on the shoulder and left.

Only Victoria herself knew what she was up to. She wanted to test how much Ren cared about Ruka.

She would keep Ruka beside her tonight and see if he would ask her to release Ruka. What she wanted to know the most was the nature of his relationship with Ruka. She had sent someone to look into it, but the investigation didn’t find out anything. Ruka’s background wasn’t complex, but Victoria had no idea how she had come into contact with Ren.

After clocking out, Victoria personally came to the office and called Ruka away.

Ruka came out under the envious eye of everyone. Victoria’s action seemed to show that she really had a powerful background or something.

“Ruka, my car is outside. Let’s go.” Victoria carried herself gracefully with feminine charms while carrying her handbag.

As Ruka looked at Victoria from behind, a question mark popped up in her head. Miss Parfait has been courting Mr. Ren for five years. Why would she fail to win his heart with her good looks? It’s not that I’m belittling myself, but she far surpasses me in terms of our age, our job, and how outstanding we are.

I’m just a rookie who is still wet behind the ears without anything that puts me at an advantage. Why would a man as successful and well-known as Mr. Ren fall in love with me?

Just as she let her mind wander, she came in front of Victoria’s car and got into the passenger seat, upon which Victoria drove the car and set out. “Ruka, do you mind telling me about your relationship with Ren?” Victoria asked with smiling eyes. Then, she added, “I think I’ve gotten the wrong idea about you two. I believe what you said last time, and I know that your relationship with him is pure.”

Ruka’s face blushed slightly before she lowered her head with a guilty conscience. “I’m sorry, Miss Parfait, but it’s not convenient for me to talk about him.”

Victoria smiled instead of getting angry. “I know that. His identity is a sensitive issue, after all. Okay, we’re not gonna talk about it, then. Let’s talk about your life abroad over the past few years. Your information shows that you went abroad at 16 years old. You left the country at a young age, huh?”

Ruka let out a secret sigh before saying, “Yeah, I moved to the city where my parents worked to live with them.”

“Then where did you live in the country before you were 16 years old?”

“I lived in my relative’s place most of the time,” Ruka answered without mentioning the Husson Residence.

Victoria turned to glance at Ruka. She felt that Ruka seemed to be hiding something. Seems like I’ve underestimated her. I thought that she’d tell me everything if I were to chat with her like a friend. She wondered if the relative Ruka had lived with before she reached 16 years old had anything to do with Ren. Otherwise, there was no way Ruka would have an opportunity to get to know him while growing up. She knew very well how Ren grew up, but even the timeline showed no connection with the city Ruka had lived in while she was abroad. Therefore, Ren had likely gotten to know Ruka before she reached 16 years old.

Victoria felt as though a fine thread was twisting around her heart. So Ren fell in love with Ruka even earlier than I thought? Was he secretly waiting for her to grow up before I even knew anything? Such a relationship between childhood playmates did fill her with suspicion and envy. How lucky Ruka was to have a man who was willing to wait for her until he was 33 years old without dating anyone?

Victoria couldn’t help but size Ruka up again through the rearview mirror with piercing eyes. Ruka was looking at the scenery outside the window with a pair of watery eyes that seemed to have not experienced the torture of worldly affairs. She was lively and vivacious, like a greenhouse flower that had been taken great care of as it grew. Such a lady did have a delicate air about her that made one want to love her tenderly. She was pure, beautiful, and yet fragile—a quality that anyone would yearn for and try to protect.

Victoria laughed at herself inwardly. She had become aggressive at work, as if she could no longer travel back to the days when she was as young and ignorant as Ruka was. She wished she could also be six years younger and meet the mature, steady, and protective Ren at the same age as Ruka did. If that happened, would she stand a chance of becoming the apple of his eye?

After they arrived at the restaurant, Victoria introduced the place to Ruka. The restaurant rarely served customers from the outside, so the customers here were all internal employees.

Ruka also understood the difference between the customers from the outside and those from the inside. Ren would probably come to such a restaurant too, she thought.

Victoria asked for a private room and ordered some food. Then, she asked, “Ruka, can you drive?”

Ruka nodded. “Yes, I can. I have my driver’s license.”

“Great. I’m feeling down today, so I’d like to have a couple of drinks later. Remember to drive me home, alright?” Victoria pleaded with her.

Ruka hurriedly advised, “Miss Parfait, you’d better not drink too much alcohol. It’s bad for your health.”

“It’s okay. I can hold my liquor pretty well; I just want to drink a little to vent my emotions. Don’t worry, I won’t act crazy after getting drunk.” Victoria smiled. “I’m going to the washroom.”

Just when she was about to open the door, she heard Ruka’s cell phone ring. She paused for a moment, but after that, she naturally pushed the door open and left.

Ruka didn’t know that the door wasn’t tightly shut, and Victoria didn’t leave outside the door either. She held her cell phone in her hand as if she were answering the phone outside the door so that no one would think she was eavesdropping even if someone came over.

Seeing the caller ID on her cell phone’s screen, Ruka answered the phone with a smile. “Hello?”

“Elijah says you’re not in the office. Where are you?”

“Oh, I’m having dinner with Miss Parfait outside. Just tell Elijah to go back first. I might have to go back late,” Ruka explained.

“Why would she treat you to dinner?”

“She’s probably feeling down. Don’t worry, I won’t tell her about our relationship,” Ruka promised him while pursing her lips.

To her surprise, the man on the other end of the line replied in an easy manner, “It’s okay if you tell her about it.”

Ruka felt her head buzz for a moment. No, I wouldn’t dare to say that! Now I’m only too eager to hide everything that happened between him and me without telling anyone about it. Most importantly, even I myself find it unacceptable, so how can I go around telling people about it?

“Okay, call me after you’ve finished having dinner with her. I’ll have someone pick you up,” Ren said before hanging up.

Ruka put down her phone and looked at the scenery outside the window. Her cheeks were still burning somewhat, and the memory of him pinning her against the wall last night appeared involuntarily in her mind. Just the thought of it made her heart beat faster. Is there such an overbearing man? And besides, it’s like he never gave me the opportunity to say no. It feels like I’m being forced to go out with him, but I’m not prepared for this at all!

Meanwhile, Victoria went to the washroom. She overheard what Ruka had said just now; Ruka said she wouldn’t go around telling anyone about her relationship with Ren. Obviously, this statement proved that their relationship was beyond the kind of relationship between men and women. Could the rumors circulating in the office be true? They say that Ruka managed to get into the translation department by sleeping with some big shot. Could she have really done something like that? Did she get into the department by sleeping with Mr. Husson?

Victoria came in front of the mirror in the washroom. Seeing how her face twitched with jealousy, she felt extremely resentful. To think that another woman got her hands on the man of my dreams easily just like this!

She had worked very hard in the translation department over these years to become the head of the department despite her young age. What did she do all this for? She did all this to chase after Ren because she wanted to become her best self to become worthy of him. All the effort she had put in over the past five years was only for his sake, for he was the sole purpose of her hard work. Therefore, how could she resign herself to this? How could a girl pop up all of a sudden and steal him away? She was a woman who was eager to outdo others, so she wouldn’t allow herself to suffer such a humiliating defeat. If she hadn’t taken advantage of her drunkenness last time, she wouldn’t have had the chance to hug him. She wasn’t that drunk the other night, but the feeling of hugging him lingered in her mind for the entire night.

She admitted that she was somewhat madly in love with Ren. Inwardly, she was already a person who was crazy for love. She clung to the washstand for support as tears of grievance welled up in her eyes.

How hard do I have to work to draw his attention? If Ruka hadn’t turned up, she wouldn’t mind waiting;

she’d still have a chance, after all. But now, Ruka’s presence had erased all her efforts, and she stole Ren away so easily. Just what is Ren’s relationship with her? And when did he fall in love with her?

Victoria closed her eyes while shedding a tear of resentment. At this moment, her cell phone rang, and she picked it up and answered it. “Hello?”

“Miss Parfait, we’ve found something about the matter you asked me to look into. As long as you pay me on time, we’ll give you the information.”

“I’ll transfer the money to your bank account right away. Shoot.” Victoria was in a somewhat turbulent mood.

The caller was an unlicensed detective that she had hired with a lot of money, and they were even more capable. “Alright, I’ll tell you since I believe you won’t break your promise. Ruka Singed’s parents are close friends with Ren Husson’s sister and brother-in-law, so they get along very well. Ruka’s parents worked abroad all year long, so they allowed Scarlet Husson to bring up their only daughter.

Ruka had grown up by Scarlet’s side since she was two years old until she was 16. Not only that, but I even found an old news report. Scarlet took Ruka to a party and introduced the latter on stage to declare her as her goddaughter. Therefore, Scarlet was considered a half mother to Ruka.”

Victoria’s eyes widened when she learned of this. She was shocked inwardly, but she also figured everything out. So, this was how Ren and Ruka got to know each other. Ren often stayed at Scarlet’s place when he was eight years old. His parents were too busy at work to care about him, so he also stayed at Scarlet’s place at the time.

Victoria’s lips curled into a bitter forced smile. She finally figured out what had happened, but it was an outcome that she found unacceptable for a time. Ruka’s relationship with Ren had begun not just several years ago; instead, they grew up together.

She narrowed her eyes in anguish. How could Ren fall in love with his sister’s goddaughter despite them being from different generations? There are so many women for him to choose from. Why does he have to choose such a path to take on? Isn’t he worried that he’ll be affected during the next election? Hasn’t he thought about the risks in this regard? To think that you’d also make a misstep, Ren Husson! She bit her lips with a sneer. Since I can’t get my hands on you, I won’t let you win her heart as you wish. Let’s suffer together! Let’s struggle in painful relationships. I mustn’t be the only one who can’t win the heart of the person I love. I want you to suffer with me.

When Victoria returned to the private room, the dishes had been served. Ruka looked back at her with a toothy grin, saying, “You’re back, Miss Parfait.”

A hint of jealousy flashed across Victoria’s mind. Ruka had a pure and kind air about her, as though she wasn’t scheming at all. She looked so wonderful that it made her envious. How could a person have no desire? Isn’t she worried that someone else might steal Ren away? Or is she so confident of having him in her firm grasp? She’s supposed to have her own worries and troubles. Why does she seem so carefree?

Victoria could no longer go back to such days. As long as Ren didn’t love her, she’d always be gloomy.

However, she’d soon let Ruka taste what it was like to be in fear—if the latter loved Ren enough. “Let’s eat and chat over dinner,” she said to Ruka before picking up the wine bottle and pouring a glass of wine for herself. After taking a sip of it, she said to Ruka earnestly, “Actually, Ruka, I know a little about you.”

Ruka paused for a moment before looking up at her.

Victoria stared at her, saying, “You said you had grown up at your relative’s place since you were little.

The relative you were referring to was Madam Falkner, right? Were you raised by her side when you were a child?”

Ruka’s eyes widened. How did Miss Parfait know about this?

“So, your relationship with Ren is one between an elder and a member of the younger generation in the family. You have no idea that I was once jealous of you. Well, now it seems that I was overthinking it.

How could I possibly think that you and Ren were going out? You should call him something like ‘Mr.

Ren,’ right?” Victoria fixed Ruka with a piercing gaze.

Ruka pursed her lips and lowered her head as a feeling of guilt welled up within her.

When Victoria saw this, she was angry as well. Obviously, they’ve gone beyond such a relationship and are planning to become a couple instead of a family, huh? I’m not gonna allow it, though. “Ruka, let me remind you something here. Do you know how sensitive Ren’s identity is right now? The whole world is watching his every move and everything he says, so he’s not allowed to make even the slightest mistake. The outside world even cares about his relationships.” She stared at Ruka threateningly as if wanting to imprint these words on the latter’s soul.

Ruka pursed her lips and nodded. “I know that.”

Victoria then continued, “So, for the sake of his future, you should know to avoid getting too close to him so that he can continue to take over the office, right? It’s okay that I know it. However, if someone else learns about it, you know how disastrous it’ll be for Ren. Also, the entire Husson Family will be affected.”

Ruka raised her eyes all of a sudden as she was shocked inwardly. Really? Will the matter be so serious?

Victoria knew that Ruka wouldn’t dare put the Husson Family’s future at risk. She was brought up by Scarlet, to whom she felt grateful, so she wouldn’t destroy the Husson Family’s footing because of her own feelings. Taking another sip of wine, she said to Ruka, “I’m saying this to you because I love Ren. I don’t want anything wrong to happen to him, nor do I want him to fall from grace. Do you know how outstanding he is? He reached his position at such a young age. Many people can only look up to him.”

Ruka clenched her fists under the table. Of course, she wouldn’t do such things to hurt Ren and the Husson Family.

“Of course, Ren is a man, and he’s also very confident. If he doesn’t know how to hold back, then you should understand the risks involved and reject him. You don’t want to ruin everything he has with your own hands, do you?” Victoria pretended to look worried.

Ruka took a deep breath and said, “Thank you for telling me this, Miss Parfait. I won’t let something like that happen.”

When Victoria heard these words, she revealed a smirk on her red lips. “I’m glad you understand. I want to protect him from harm as much as you do. Also, please don’t tell him that I said this to you. I’m afraid that he’d come after me. He doesn’t like others to interfere in his affairs. Got it?”

Ruka nodded. “Rest assured. This will be just between us.”

“You’re a good girl, you’re beautiful, and you have the Husson Family to support you. I’m sure your future partner won’t be any less outstanding, so you still have many choices,” Victoria explained to her as if they were close sisters.

However, Ruka’s thoughts were a mess. She didn’t have time to consider much, but there was one thing she was extremely firm about, and that was she would never do anything to hurt the Husson Family and Ren. The light in her eyes seemed to disappear all of a sudden, revealing a flash of melancholy. Opposite her, Victoria noticed her gaze, and she felt a hint of bitterness on the inside.

Ruka’s expression proved one thing—she really liked Ren.

Victoria knew that as long as Ren took the initiative to pursue a girl, that girl would definitely fall for him.

How could a naive girl like Ruka escape from Ren’s charm? She had spent five years of her youth just to make him spare her another glance! Feeling pained, Victoria picked up the wine bottle and poured it into the glass again, and time gradually went by as she drowned her sorrows with wine.

When Ruka returned to her senses, she saw Victoria call on a waiter, and said to him drunkenly, “Get me another bottle of wine.”

At the sight, Ruka persuaded her, “Miss Parfait, don’t drink anymore. You’ve drunk too much.”

“Ruka, you don’t know how bitter I feel. If you were me, you’d know how painful it is to love someone without being able to have them. I love him so much, and I tried everything to get close to him, but in the end, I got nothing.” Victoria didn’t care about showing her vulnerability and pain. She wanted Ruka to see that she was also responsible for her pain.

“Ruka, how would I not feel pained? Unrequited love is the most painful thing in the world.” Saying that, Victoria rested her forehead on her hand and began crying.

Ruka looked at her, not knowing how to comfort her all of a sudden. She handed her a piece of tissue.

“Miss Parfait, you’re drunk. Let me take you home!”

“No… I’m not drunk. I don’t want to go back. I want to see him.” Victoria raised her head and wiped away her tears before she asked Ruka, “Ruka, will he come to pick you up? If he does, I can see him too.”

Victoria usually didn’t have a chance to meet Ren, and not everyone in his office could speak to him.

Therefore, it was really not easy for her to see him.

“After I send you home, I’ll call a cab home myself.”

“Are you going back to the Husson Residence?”

“I’m going to a friend’s house.” Ruka decided to spend the night at Rita’s house tonight and talk to Ren about moving out the next day.

“Ruka, you’re so lucky to be able to spend so much time with him. On the other hand, meeting him is a matter of luck for me,” Victoria said enviously, her eyes bloodshot.

Ruka pursed her lips and shook her head. “No, Miss Parfait, you’ve misunderstood. If I remember correctly, I’ve only seen Mr. Husson around ten times.”

Victoria looked at her suspiciously. “How is that possible? Isn’t it easy for you to meet him?”

“It’s true. Mr. Husson is a person I admire and worship. Even if I met him, I wouldn’t dare to say much to him,” Ruka answered truthfully. In fact, after kissing him that night, she still respected him like an elder and didn’t dare to think about it at all, let alone make mistakes and act carelessly in front of him.

Deep down, she was even afraid of him.