A Night of Desire

After speaking, River Sterling looked as if he’d become enlightened to the follies of love. He raised an eyebrow and added, "This is exactly why I’d rather die than get involved in something as troublesome and agonizing as love!"

Seth Quinn, who was in the honeymoon phase with Clara Grant, naturally disagreed with him. He just tapped the armrest of the sofa lightly and said, "All we can do is help Linden look for her more whenever we’re free."

"We have been looking. We’ve been helping him this whole time, but we really can’t find her! We’ve searched every place in Novaria that Poppy might possibly go, but nothing. We’ve scoured every street and alley, and there’s still no trace of her.

You’d think she might have left Novaria, but we couldn’t find any travel records. Still, even if she is in the city, finding her isn’t going to happen overnight. Novaria can feel small, but it’s also pretty big. If Poppy is determined to hide, it won’t be easy to find her."

As he said this, River Sterling suddenly sat up straight, a look of complete bewilderment on his face. "You know, Poppy is being a bit dramatic, don’t you think? It’s just about money, isn’t it? Does she really have to throw such a huge tantrum and make it into such a big deal? To the point where she’s hiding from everyone?

I’ve always believed that while money can’t solve everything, it’s damn useful when it can solve some of your problems. And since it’s useful, why be so difficult about it?

Besides, Linden used his money to help the Vance Family stay afloat. He let Poppy continue to enjoy her life as a pampered young lady, go to college without a care in the world, and just be happy. Isn’t that a good thing?

Yes, Linden kept it from her, but wasn’t it for her own good, for the good of their relationship? He didn’t want her to feel burdened or feel like she was dependent on him. He didn’t want to complicate their feelings for each other."

In the past, Seth Quinn would have agreed with River Sterling completely, thinking Poppy Vance was just being dramatic. But now, he thought differently.

"Some women might see being taken care of by a man as a point of pride, but other women are proud and look down on it. Besides, women are naturally sensitive, emotional creatures.

Some are even more so, incredibly delicate and sensitive. The moment one of them feels that she and her partner aren’t on equal footing in the relationship, her pride takes a blow, and she just can’t handle it.

Poppy might seem happy-go-lucky and casual all the time, but deep down, she might be exactly that type of woman. So maybe she isn’t just being dramatic."

River Sterling was stunned by this little analysis. Seth Quinn? A few months ago, everyone saw him as a man who was ice-cold toward women. He probably knew only a little more about them than Chase Childs. How had he become such an expert on women in such a short time?

River Sterling clicked his tongue in amazement. "TSK TSK. Being in love really does change a man. Analyzing a woman’s psyche now comes as easily to you as breathing. The same man who once couldn’t even be bothered to guess what a woman might like has suddenly become an expert. Clara’s really something else. She’s trained you well!"

Seth Quinn didn’t confirm or deny it, simply looking at him and saying calmly, "When you find a woman you love, you’ll understand it too."

River Sterling leaned back against the sofa again with a devil-may-care air. "I have women I love," he said playfully. "More than one, in fact. So how come I still don’t get it? A woman’s heart is a needle at the bottom of the ocean. I’m too lazy to waste my energy on that."