Chapter 223 Take a guess
Alana was curious. “Why not?”
Every morning, he worked out without fail, insisting that a man had to stay in shape to keep exuding charm.
With such daily dedication, it was no wonder his physique was so impressive, his eight-pack was perfectly sculpted, every muscle flawless.
Stephan glanced at her, seemingly nonchalant. “Take a guess.”
She blinked.
What was she supposed to guess?
She wasn’t a mind reader, how was she supposed to know why he was in a bad mood?
Alana blinked and said earnestly, “I really can’t guess. Just tell me.”
Stephan looked at her and suddenly asked, “Do I look handsome today?”
Alana’s eyes widened. “Huh?”
What kind of question was that?
“Am I handsome?” He asked again.
Alana was baffled by his sudden change of subject, but she played along, “Yes, you’re handsome. You’re handsome every single day.”
“I’m talking about today.”
She noticed that the man had styled his hair differently today, he’d swept all the hair from his forehead back, using hair wax to set it in place, revealing a full, handsome forehead that made his features appear even more ruggedly handsome.
She blinked and said earnestly, “You look especially handsome today.”
Stephan was satisfied. It had been worth getting up early and fussing over his appearance for so long.
He’d carefully selected his suit and tie, and spent ages styling his hair himself.
So tonight, he was determined to blind that male mistress’s eyes and make him feel ashamed of himself in front of his rightful wife!
Alana was still puzzled. “But what does that have to do with whether you look handsome or not?”
“It has nothing to do with it.”
“Huh?” She was baffled again. “Then what does it have to do with?”
Stephan stood up and brushed imaginary dust off his clothes. “Get up. We’ll talk over breakfast.”
“Oh.”
Breakfast was over quickly; they finished in less than ten minutes. After finishing, Alana waited for the man to clear things up for her.
But she waited for ages, and he didn’t say a single word about it.
She felt too tensed to ask any further.
It was almost time for work.
Alana could only say helplessly, “Um, if you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine. I’ll head to work first.”
Stephan put on his suit jacket without a flicker of emotion and picked up his car keys.
“I’ll drive you.”
Alana studied his expression; he didn’t seem to be in a very good mood.
But why exactly?
She didn’t understand. Perhaps in the car, on a whim, he might be willing to tell her
the reason.
But on the way to work, Stephan barely said a word.
Alana wanted to ask him several times, but she held back each time, unsure of what to say.
The car pulled up at the usual spot in front of her company.
Stephan said flatly, “We’re here.”
Alana glanced at him, bit her lip, and slowly unbuckled her seatbelt.
She was a very sensitive person and could sense that something was off with him today. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t sit in the car without saying a word.
Clearly, something was on his mind.
So, she asked cautiously, “Stephan, what’s wrong with you today?”
She thought to herself, she hadn’t done anything wrong from last night until now.
Could it be that he was upset because she’d bought a lot of snacks and eaten them in front of him?
“Um, if you don’t like me eating snacks, I’ll just stop buying them from now on. You can do whatever you want with the ones we have left at home. Anyway, please don’t be mad, okay?”
“That’s not the reason.”
She was puzzled. “Then what is it?”
Stephan fixed his gaze on her. “Tell me, is there something you’re deliberately hiding from me?”
He was giving her a chance...a chance to come clean on her own.
Alana’s heart skipped a beat; her pulse raced for no apparent reason, and she felt both nervous and flustered.
“Wh...what are you talking about? I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”
She truly didn’t understand. Her mind was a blank at that moment; she had no idea what Stephan meant when he said she was hiding something from him.
Out of the blue, why would he suddenly ask her that?
Stephan stared at her, his gaze growing increasingly dark.
Alana looked back at him, not flinching.
Even though she felt completely uncertain inside.
Stephan stared at her intently for a moment before finally slowly looking away.
“Never mind. Let’s not talk about it. You should go to work now.”
He’d deal with everything after he’d had a word with the other man.
Alana felt anxious and uneasy, but since he wasn’t saying anything, there was nothing she could do.
She reached for the car door to get out, but then seemed to think of something and looked up at him. “Um, do you still want that goodbye kiss today?”
“Yes!”
Alana leaned in and kissed him.
Suddenly, he bit down on her lips as she leaned in, applying a little pressure.
Alana let out a muffled groan.
Stephan released her lips and saw the deep toothmark he’d left on them...one that
wouldn’t fade anytime soon.
Then, he reached out to brush aside the soft strands of her hair that had fallen across her chest, lowered his head to bury it in the hollow of her collarbone, and took a deep, forceful breath.
Alana’s body instantly went weak with a tingling sensation. She bit her lip, struggling to suppress a cry of surprise. “Ah, no! It’ll leave a mark!”
Stephan released her and saw the distinct hickey on her collarbone. His thin lips curled up mischievously, his low voice dripping with possessiveness.
“I left that mark on you on purpose! So those men who covet you will know that you belong to me!”
Alana blushed, covering the mark with her hand, and looked at him with a mix of shock and embarrassment.
She was wearing a beige, shoulder-length dress today, her fair, delicate collarbone exposed, making that kiss mark all the more obvious.
Stephan slowly leaned toward her, his large, slightly calloused hand tenderly caressing the back of her head.
He kissed her delicate cheek once more and coaxed her in a low voice, “Be a good girl, don’t cover it up. Let everyone see.”
Alana bit her lip.
A voice of shame cried out inside her: This man is playing way too much!
Stephan seemed to see through the embarrassment and resentment in the girl’s eyes. Curling his lips into a smile, he said,
“How about you leave a mark on me too? Then we’ll be even.”
After saying that, he raised his long, well-defined hand, casually loosened his neatly tied tie, undid the buttons of his shirt, and took the initiative to move closer to her.
Watching the man’s increasingly bold actions, Alana blushed with embarrassment, pushed him away, and fled in panic.
“No! I’m going to work. Bye!”
Stephan chuckled.
What a little...
When Alana arrived at the company, the bite mark on her lips and the ambiguous hickey on her collarbone were, as expected, noticed by everyone. One after another, they looked at her with meaningful smiles.
Alana once again experienced what it felt like to die from social embarrassment.
She hadn’t brought any foundation with her, nor did she have anything to cover the marks, so there was no way to hide them.
She could only wait an hour or so for the marks to fade on their own.
That bastard Stephan had deliberately left marks in such obvious places on her body. What a jerk!
Carla leaned over with a grin and said, “Lana, your boyfriend is really something!”
Blushing, Alana didn’t even dare raise her head.
“Stop talking and focus on work!”
Carla laughed teasingly. “When are you going to bring your boyfriend out for me to meet? I really want to see what he’s like. He’s so wild. In the future, I’ll look for a boyfriend based on your boyfriend’s standards!”
Alana gasped.
Danielle couldn’t help but cut in sourly,
“It’s been so long, and Alana’s boyfriend hasn’t shown up even once. Who knows if he’s really her boyfriend?”
Carla glanced at Danielle. “If he’s not Alana’s boyfriend, then is he your boyfriend? Oh, I almost forgot. You don’t even have a boyfriend! Is it because you’re too ugly, so no man wants to chase you?”
Danielle’s face instantly flushed red with anger!
Carla and Alana looked at each other and smiled.
Carla’s words had hit a nerve.
*************
There was a morning meeting.
During the meeting, Cole also noticed the marks on Alana’s lips and collarbone.
His eyes darkened slightly.
No matter how hard he tried to ignore them, the feeling of being deliberately provoked by his romantic rival still infuriated him.
Especially when he thought that every night, Alana might be lying in that man’s bed, his chest hurt so badly that he could barely breathe.
But soon, he would get rid of that man and bring her back to his side.
The meeting ended, Alana organized the meeting minutes and handed them to Cole.
Looking at her strictly professional attitude, Cole did his best to restrain his emotions and asked nothing.
He accepted the documents she handed over and gave them a brief inspection.
“Very good. There’s no problem.”
Alana nodded. Just as she was about to leave, Cole stared at her and suddenly said, “Lana, I’m looking forward to tonight’s date.”
Alana was stunned.
What date tonight?
But before she could ask, Cole’s phone rang and he answered the call.
Although Alana was puzzled, she didn’t ask anything and turned to walk out.
************
At Hudson’s Group, Vance was reporting on work when he suddenly heard his president interrupt him.
“Vance, am I handsome enough today?”
Vance blinked in confusion.
Stephan sat in his office chair with his legs crossed, one hand resting lazily on the armrest.
With a serious expression, he asked again. “I’m asking you. Am I handsome enough today?”
Vance swallowed. “President, of course you’re handsome. Among all the men in the world, not a single one is as handsome as even one of your fingers!”