Don't Be a Tease, Mr. Blackwood

Evan Ford’s three questions in a row left Anne unsure which to answer first.

She asked through her tears, "Where are you?"

"I’m at home."

"Send me the address. I’m coming to you."

"Are you okay?"

"I’m fine."

Evan Ford sent her his address over WhatsApp.

「Half an hour later」

The doorbell rang.

He rushed to open the door and saw Anne. Though she’d stopped crying, her eyes were still red-rimmed. The moment she stepped inside, she collapsed into his arms, wrapping them around his waist and rubbing her cheek against his chest.

He pulled the door shut, hugging her back. "What happened?" he asked, bewildered.

"Do you want the truth or a lie?"

"The truth, of course."

"But..." ’She had promised Mrs. Ford that their meeting would be their little secret.’

’Should I tell Evan?’

She agonized for a moment before tilting her face up to look at Evan Ford. "If I tell you, this has to stay between us. You can’t tell anyone, especially not the person it’s about."

"First, answer me. Did someone give you a hard time?"

She had been crying so wretchedly on the phone; he had been worried sick.

"No one gave me a hard time."

"Then why were you crying?"

"Can’t a girl cry because she’s too happy? They were tears of joy."

"..."

Resigned, Evan Ford agreed to her condition, and she told him everything: that his grandmother had summoned her, and what they had talked about.

He was surprised.

He never expected his grandmother not only to refrain from giving Anne a hard time, but to actually comfort her instead.

"Your grandmother is so nice."

Anne mumbled from his embrace, "I hope your parents are this nice, too."

’After all, I’ve only met one of his relatives. There are still two more to go.’

"You can relax, then."

Evan Ford breathed a sigh of relief. "Ever since my parents dumped the company on me, they’ve been busy traveling all over the country, living their own sweet love story. They’re the real romance; I’m just the accident."

Anne sputtered with laughter. "I’m so jealous of you."

"Jealous of what?"

"That your parents are still around. It’s so nice. My parents are gone. I’ll never see them again."

As she spoke, her eyes started to sting.

Evan Ford held her tighter, stroking her head. "You have me now. My family is your family."

"Oh, Evan. You’re so good to me."

’I think I’m falling for him even more.’

"You’re wonderful, too."

His praise made her feel a little sheepish.

She tilted her head up again, meeting Evan Ford’s gaze. "Your grandmother had no intention of splitting us up, but I was panicking at the time. I was terrified she was going to slap a check on the table and say, ’Here’s two million. Leave my grandson.’ I’d already decided what I’d do. If that happened, I would just obediently take the check, give her a deep bow, and say, ’You got it. I’m on my way.’"

Evan Ford: "..."

’So I’m only worth two million?’

"Are you upset that I said that?"

"A little."

’Mostly because I felt I was being sold too cheap. How could I only be worth two million?!’

The corner of Evan Ford’s mouth quirked. "Next time, I suggest you negotiate. You should ask for at least two hundred million. Two million is way too low."

"Wow!"

Anne was stunned. She had just confessed her true, mercenary thoughts from that moment, and he wasn’t even angry.

"You’re so big-hearted!"

She made a soft fist and playfully tapped his chest. "Evan, what would you have done if your grandmother had tried to split us up?"

"I’d run away from home."

"For real?"

"For real."

"For me, you’d be willing to give up the Ford family fortune?"

"I would."

Anne was deeply touched. "But I would still want you to inherit it, though."

Evan Ford chuckled, amused. "I know. You’re my little money-lover. Even if you’d actually taken the check and left me, I wouldn’t have held it against you."

"Why?"

"Because you know how to love yourself first."

’Someone who loves themself first will eventually find someone else to love them.’

Evan Ford felt his words sounded a bit sappy, but it was what he truly thought. And that quality in Anne was exactly what had drawn him in.

He liked her little money-loving ways.

"If I ran away from home and became a pauper, would you still want me?"

"Yes! I’d support you! If I can support my little brother, I can support you."

As she spoke, Anne brandished a slender arm, poking at a barely-there bicep. "See? I’m that strong."

Looking at her grinning face, Evan Ford couldn’t resist pulling her close. Cupping the back of her head with his large hand, he bent down and kissed her.

She was so much shorter than him that he had to bend down awkwardly to kiss her. Deciding it was too much effort, he simply scooped her up in his arms, lifting her until they were face-to-face.

He pressed her against the wall in the entryway, parting her lips with his and kissing her until they lost all track of time...

After what felt like an eternity, Anne was gasping for air. She pushed hard against his shoulders until he finally let her go.

She went completely limp in his embrace, slumping against him and panting for air.

"Stay here with me tonight."

She nodded.

Evan Ford told her the code to the front door. He then opened the door again to register her fingerprint on the lock. Now she could come and go as she pleased.

"Which room is yours?"

A mischievous idea popped into Anne’s head.

He pointed in a direction. "There."

His gaze returned to Anne, a smirk playing on his lips. "What’s this? Planning on getting up to no good in broad daylight?"

"Well, it’s your fault for kissing me so fiercely."

"Then I am at your disposal."

Anne bit her lip. With a quick JANGLE, she pulled a pair of silver handcuffs from her purse, flashing him a wicked grin. "Give me your hands."

He obediently held out his wrists.

CLICK.

Both hands were cuffed.

She undid his leather belt, looped it around his neck like a leash, and grabbed the other end. She led him into the bedroom and shoved him down onto the large bed...

With the start of the New Year holiday, young couples in the first flush of love spent most of their time glued to each other’s side.

This was true for Nina Halloway and Ethan Austin as well.

Ethan Austin cooked an array of delicious meals for Nina Halloway every day. While he’d never enrolled in a professional culinary course, he’d learned plenty about cooking online.

Being so attentively cared for by him lifted her spirits. Nina Halloway’s appetite slowly returned to normal, and smiles graced her face more often. She was gradually forgetting the madman who had loved her so deeply—so obsessively—that he had plunged from a rooftop.

Sophie Shaw and Alaric Blackwood were the busiest of all during the Spring Festival.

They had a lively New Year’s Eve at the Halloway residence; Mandy Halloway had moved back in with her family after her divorce. Sophie Shaw met Alaric Blackwood’s maternal uncles and aunt, and on the second day of the Lunar New Year, they brought gifts to visit the Ford Family.

After the holiday, work returned to normal. Heart of the Ocean held ribbon-cutting ceremonies for its two new brick-and-mortar stores, which were now officially open. Flagship stores also went live on several e-commerce apps.

With a superstar like Nina Halloway as its brand ambassador, both brand recognition and sales saw a steady increase.

The investment Alaric Blackwood had promised also came through. Nina Halloway, however, remained the company’s majority shareholder. She didn’t interfere in the management or major decisions of Heart of the Ocean, content to simply collect dividends and earn money from the comfort of her home.

Meanwhile, at the Reid Group, Alaric Blackwood was also steadily cementing his authority.

One day, his phone rang the moment he stepped out of a meeting.

The call was from an unknown number.

He hesitated for a moment, then answered.

There was no sound from the other end of the line, just dead air.

He said, "Hello?" twice. When no one responded, he was about to hang up, but then a woman’s voice spoke. "Brother, Dad’s blood pressure is acting up. He’s been hospitalized."