Chapter 174: Making Some Progress
Chapter 174
Just as she was about to open her mouth and tell him to leave, Alex suddenly said.
"Are you just going to stand there looking at me, or are you not going to let me in?"
Sofia froze, and her beautiful eyes widened slightly as she stared at him.
"What?"
Alex pointed behind her with his thumb.
"I came all the way here to see you. Surely you are not planning on making me stand outside the whole time, are you?"
Sofia stared at him in disbelief. For some reason, she had expected him to say something profound, like maybe he would tell her that he had been thinking about her all this while. Or maybe even apologizing for what happened between them like the good boy he had seemed to be last time.
Instead, the shameless man standing in front of her had simply asked to come inside as if he were visiting an old friend. Was he really being serious right now?
Then she hesitated, and shifted her gaze toward the inside of the house before returning to him. For a brief moment, she seemed unsure of what to do.
Then, almost unconsciously, Sofia shifted her body slightly to the side. To Alex, that was all the invitation he needed. So without the slightest bit of shame, he immediately stepped forward and walked inside
"Hey! Wait!" Sofia’s voice finally returned, but by then it was already too late.
Alex had casually stepped past her and entered the familiar living room, he had spent so much of his past life visiting with that woman, Emily. He glanced around briefly before walking toward the nearest couch.
Then, without the slightest bit of hesitation, he dropped himself onto the soft cushions that seemed to want to swallow him whole, and exclaimed.
"Ahh..." He leaned back comfortably. "This is much better."
Sofia stood at the entrance with her mouth slightly open and continued staring at the shameless young man lounging on the couch. Her couch.
Then she stared at the open doorway. Then back at him again. Was this man seriously acting like he owned the place?
"Alex!"
"Hmm?" He looked toward her before adding. "Why are you still standing over there?"
Sofia’s pink lips twitched.
"You’re unbelievable."
Alex simply shrugged.
"Well, you are the one who opened the door."
"I opened the door because I thought you were someone else."
"Good, now you know it’s me."
Just as Sofia opened her mouth to say something, a familiar chime he knew all too well, suddenly rang at the back of his mind.
[Ding! +5 Desire Points Gained From Sofia]
[Ding! +3 Desire Energy Gained From Sofia]
Alex’s green eyes brightened almost immediately. ’Oh?’ He quickly glanced at Sofia, who was still standing near the doorway, looking at him with an expression that seemed to be a strange mix of annoyance, embarrassment, and helplessness.
Alex’s mind began working. So she had a bit of feelings for him. That was certainly interesting. He had already suspected that their previous encounter might have affected her more deeply than she had wanted to admit. After all, Sofia was kind of like Olivia in a way, that is if you don’t count her husband and daughter.
She was also a lonely woman who had spent who knows how long? putting up with a husband who constantly betrayed her trust.
Perhaps she had been starved of genuine affection for so long that the moment someone finally showed her attention, her heart had naturally begun to react. He wasn’t exactly sure how far those feelings went, but the system’s notification had confirmed one thing.
She wanted him. And it had to be at least a little, because there was no way a woman like her would suddenly fall in love with him because of that encounter alone. Still, that was progress.
’Only three Desire Energy, though.’ Alex mentally scratched his head. ’Looks like I still have a long way to go.’
Still, it was better than nothing.
Sofia finally shook her head, seemingly giving up on trying to understand him. She closed the door firmly behind her before walking toward the living room.
Alex watched her silently. Now that he could see her full figure, this woman looked far younger and beautiful than last time. She looked like she could easily pass for a girl in her early twenties. Yet, in a way, there was still something mature about her.
Something really gentle. Something that made her completely different from other young women. Sofia slowly walked toward the couch opposite him and sat down.
After that, silence descended over the entire room. All Alex did was continue to lean back comfortably. While Sofia sat with her hands resting awkwardly on her plump thighs.
Neither of them said anything for a couple of seconds, before Alex raised an eyebrow. Sofia looked like she wanted to say something. But then she stopped, giving him an idea of what she wanted to say.
She opened her mouth, and then closed it before opening it again. Finally, she clenched her delicate hands into small fists, and her beautiful eyes flashed with a firm determination.
"If... If you want..." Sofia swallowed. "I can give you money."
The moment she said that, the entire room became completely silent. Alex stared at her, making her face turn red.
"But let’s just forget all about what happened last time," she hurriedly continued. "We can treat it as a mistake. You can take the money and we can both move on."
Alex almost scoffed. Money? Was she seriously trying to pay him to forget about everything? He had enough money now that ordinary amounts meant almost nothing to him, thanks to the Kade family.
Still, he forced himself to stay as calm as possible.
"Excuse me. What do you take me for?"
Sofia’s expression became complicated.
"I didn’t mean..."
"I know what you meant." Alex said calmly. "But I can’t just forget about what happened between us."
Sofia lowered her gaze down, with her hands slowly returning to her thighs.
"Please." Her voice was soft. "You’ll just have to forget about it."
Alex frowned. Sofia’s fingers nervously curled against the fabric of her dress.
"I have a family. I just can’t lose them."
"Scoff. A family?" Alex couldn’t help scoffing. Why does this woman still want to preserve a family that her husband is actively destroying? He didn’t know, but he also wouldn’t let her ruin herself.
Sofia looked up and said,
"Yes."
Alex’s expression became slightly colder.
"Do you mean that man you call your husband?"
Sofia’s body stiffened once she heard his words. Alex leaned forward slightly.
"The same man who’s sleeping with his damn mistress behind your...."
A strange smell suddenly reached his nose, causing him to pause mid speech. His nose twitched a little as his enhanced senses picked up the unique scent of something burning. He glanced toward the kitchen before asking Sofia slowly.
"Sofia. Were you cooking something before I came?"
"Hmm."
For one second, she looked completely confused. Then her face suddenly changed.
"Oh my God!" She immediately jumped to her feet. "The food!" She then turned around and hurriedly scurried toward the kitchen.
"Sofia, wait!" But she was already moving. The woman rushed forward so quickly that she nearly tripped over her own feet.
"Ah!"
Alex’s eyes widened, and without thinking he instinctively activated Void Step. In the next moment, he was already behind her, with his arms wrapped securely around her slim waist, just before she could even fall.
Sofia’s body immediately stiffened as she felt a warm, steady pair of arms hold her firmly against a warm, solid body. Her heart suddenly skipped a beat.
Slowly lifting her head, she met a pair of warm forest green eyes framed by long lashes gazing down at her. She could feel his strong muscular chest behind her, and the warm breath coming from him.
And suddenly, the memory of their previous encounter where he was on top, making her reach the peak of pleasure suddenly came rushing back into her mind. Her face immediately became hot.
Alex, meanwhile, was completely unaware of the sudden chaos inside her mind. He was more concerned about the fact that she had almost smashed her face against the floor.
"What were you thinking for God’s sake? You almost fell."
Sofia blinked before responding.
"I... I was in a hurry."
"That still doesn’t mean you should run around like that. You could have seriously gotten yourself injured."
As Sofia stared at him, something strange stirred inside her chest. Was he worried about her? Before she could respond, another notification suddenly chimed inside Alex’s head.
[Ding!]
[+7 Desire Energy Gained From Sofia]
[+10 Desire Points Gained From Sofia]
Alex’s eyes instantly lit up with joy. Yes! He nearly smiled. Finally he was making some progress. The mission suddenly seemed much more achievable.
If he could just continue gaining Desire Energy like this, perhaps he could actually complete this without needing to rely on Aura Of Seduction.
However, Alex quickly snapped back to reality when he felt the little woman shifting inside his arm. She was trying to break free.
"Oh, sorry." Alex immediately released her. Sofia stepped forward quickly, her beautiful face still slightly flushed. But Alex pretended not to notice it.
"Wait here," he said.
"Why?"
"I’ll handle whatever you left on the stove."
"No, you don’t have to..."
But Alex had already walked away. Though Sofia felt like stomping her foot, she hurriedly followed after him.
"Alex, please wait!"
He ignored her. The moment he entered the kitchen, he immediately spotted the problem...