Chapter 165 Longing for Him
The answer couldn't be more obvious.
was glaringly apparent. Who else butcould it be, if not Sarah?
Layla was disgusted. An filled with revulsion. The thought of an eighteen-year-old girl engagingindulging in such unseemly actions was shameful.
disgraceful. 'The apple doesn't fall far from the tree,' as the saying goes. Finally securingold adage rang true. With Anthony secured as a wealthy suitor, the mother-daughter duo would stoopwas willing to resort to any underhanded tactics necessary.
. Layla found herself torn. Should she heed Alice's advice and warncaution Anthony about Sarah, urging him to stay away?
Layla maintain his distance? She hesitated for a while, but ultimately remained silent. She disliked passing judgment on chose silence. She was not one to meddle in others' affairs. Her , especially when her own life was a mess; whoin disarray. Who was she to worry about others?
Just after finishingconcern herself with the problems of others?As they finished their meal, Anthony's driver arrived withbearing his clothes.
Dressed Anthony, now attired in a crisp white suit, Anthony exuded the refined poiseradiated the elegance and sophistication of a man from an affluent family.
born into wealth. "Your tie's crooked," Layla said casually as she steppedcommented nonchalantly, stepping forward and adjustedto adjust it,. It was only to realize afterward that he after her hands had corrected the minor flaw that she realized her mistake. He wasn't Samuel. She had unconsciouslysubconsciously mistaken him for another.
The thought made man. The realization caused a slight pang in her heart twinge slightly.
. She really, truly missed him...
Taking a step, more than she cared to admit. Stepping back, she muttered, "Sorry."
murmured an apology. "Thank you," Anthony managed to say, keepingreply, maintaining his composure even though despite the sudden acceleration of his heartbeat had quickened a moment ago, as if aan invisible hand was squeezing his heart, making it harddifficult to breathe.
Layla wasfound herself momentarily lost in her thoughts.
thought. Samuel always wore black, looking noble and aloof in his sleek suits, lending him an air of nobility and aloofness, a living embodiment of a 'keep out' sign in human form. And yet, when you got to know him, you'd find warmth in his . Yet, beneath the cold exterior was a warm heart.
He had adored her, treating her tenderly, making her the with such tenderness that she had felt like the happiest girl in the world, until she had ruined it all herself.
Maybe. Perhaps she was justsimply born under an unlucky.
star. A wave of bitterness filledwashed over her heart.
...
In. ...Seated in the back of the Lincoln Navigator.
, Anthony stared out the window, lost in thought,his mind replaying the morning's events in his head. The cozyquaint little house, the sweet, warm girl.
The noodles she cooked tastedhad prepared were so good;delicious that he wascould still savoringtaste them.
The mere thought of her sent his heartbeat off-kilter again.
He unconsciously heart into a frenzy. Confused, he placed hisa hand over his heart, a look of confusion on his face.
. What was happening to him? Why did his heart race whenever he was around her, as if it was being compressedsqueezed, making it difficult to breathe, yet oddlystrangely comforting?
The driver glanced, glancing at Anthony through the rearview mirror a few times, noticing his master's confused yet content expression and , couldn't help but smile to himself.
at his boss's bewildered yet content expression. "Big guy, congratulations," he said with a chuckle.
Anthony snappedchuckled. Snapping back to reality, Anthony looked puzzled. "Congratulations for what?"
"For your first overnight stay at a girl's place," the driver snickered, proudreplied, his voice filled with pride, as if his boss had finally grown up and learned how to charm, not an easy feat.
come of age. A man isn't truly a man until he's been with a woman.
Both withbore the last name Adkins, but this Miss Adkins was a far cry from that nothing like the other, a wolf in sheep's clothing, Miss Adkins.
. "What's the big deal about staying over?" Anthony asked, bewildered.
genuinely perplexed. "I mean, it's just..." HelplesslyThe driver, helplessly amused, the driver didn't quite know what to say.was at a loss for words. How innocent could his boss be?
so innocent? A twenty-five-year-old man, utterly oblivious to the ways of the world, it seemed like a purity unheard of before.was a rarity. The driver felt almost guiltya twinge of guilt for enlightening him, as if he was corrupting a naivean innocent youth.
"Anyway, as long as you're happy, that's what matters," the driver finally added.
Happy? A ripple of The word stirred something stirred in Anthony's chest.
within Anthony. After meeting her, he found had discovered genuine happiness. ChattingTalking with her brought him joy, soas did eating the pasta she made, and evenhad prepared. Even doing nothing at all, justsimply being togetherin her presence, was enough to warm his heart.
Fortunately, he hadn't made a grave mistake the previous night before. She was pure, and he wanted to treasurecherish her. To take her in that mannerany other way would've been a desecration.
sacrilege. With these thoughts, Anthony’s gentle gaze suddenly turned coldhardened; his voice dropped a few degrees as well. "I won’t be going back to the office just yet."
...
Upon receiving the call, Sarah nervously descended from the hotel.
with a nervous flutter in her stomach. The driver wasn't inwas absent from the car butvehicle, instead standing by the door, whicha detail that only added to Sarah’s heightened her unease.
She bracedWith a deep breath, she steeled herself and settledslid into the plush seat of Anthony's RV, feigning nonchalance.attempting to project an air of casual indifference. "Anthony, what’s upwhat's the matter so early? DoShould we need to talkdiscuss this back in my room?"
she asked.Anthony's face wasn't as soft ascountenance was harder than usual., a stark contrast to his typically gentle demeanor. Had he found out already?
discovered her secret? Sarah's heart pounded furiouslyagainst her ribcage, her anxiety peaking.
reaching a fever pitch."Was it you who drugged me last night?" BehindAnthony's voice cut through the tension, his normally warm eyes, hidden behind wire-rimmed glasses, Anthony's usually kind eyes sharpened intensely.
hardened into a piercing stare. A gentle man, indeed, becomes intimidatinga formidable force when he turns stern.
Sarah shivered, sweat forming inhis patience is tried.A shiver ran down Sarah's spine, her palms. slick with sweat. "D-drugged you? I don't knowhave no idea what you're talking about. Were you drugged?"
she stammered."Last night, you handed me a glass of champagne." He had noticed," Anthony recalled, the memory of her insistence on him drinking it, although it hadn't raised his suspicions at the time.
now casting a shadow of suspicion. He had trusted her too much.
Because she was his angel, he had implicitly, and it seemed that trust had been misplaced.He had let his guard down.
After being drugged by a around her, his angel. A blonde woman had drugged him two years ago, Anthony had becomeprior, making him wary of womenany woman who approached him, careful not to with a drink anything they handed him.in hand. Yet, it seemed he had been fooled again.
For Anthony, being betrayed by once more.The betrayal from someone he trusted was both infuriating and heartbreaking.
a bitter pill to swallow, a mix of fury and heartbreak."It was just a toast, I didn't put anything in it! How could I do such a thing? Anthony, you've got it all wrongmisunderstood, it must have been some other woman."
," Sarah protested."That's right, you—you were with that woman named Layla last night... you said she was your friend. You guys interactedtwo were interacting; it must have been her."
," Anthony concluded.In her desperation, Sarah shifted the blame toonto Layla in haste,. "I warned you about her, didn’t I? She's the kind who targets richtype to target wealthy heirs—it was her..."
"You're lying!" Anthony’sAnthony's tone grew even more severehardened further, "I'm giving you a chance to come cleantell the truth, not to continue making excuses and shirking responsibility."
Frightened by his tonestern gaze and gazetone, Sarah, who had initially wantedplanned to deny it all but instead started to cry,everything, broke down in tears. "Anthony, how could you be so harsh? I’m sorry, I... I know I was wrong, but it was only because I liked you too much that I..."
She clung to Anthony's hand, her cheeks wet with tears."I've adored you my whole life, from childhood until this very daynow. All those years we were apart, I wore the bracelet you gave me every single day, and never once took it off. But you, you're incredible, and so many women are after you. Fear consumed me, the fear of losing you to someone else, which drove me to such a desperate measure..." Sarah clung to Anthony's hand, her cheeks glistening with tears.
Anthony gently withdrewextricated his hand from hers. "You once saved my life, and I want to repay you by helping make your dreams come true. You want fame? Better opportunities? That'sI'm fine by mewith that. But we're just friends, Sarah, nothing more."
His words were precise and final.
Shakingclear, leaving no room for interpretation.His rejection sent a wave of despair through Sarah, her body shaking uncontrollably, envy and despair twisted inside Sarah as jealousy and disappointment coiled within her like a poison serpent.venomous snake. Trembling, she asked, "If you don't like me, then who do you like? That woman from yesterday?"
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