Chapter 35: Anniversary Love

Hotel lobby.
Eric looked down at Monica's hand and asked, "It's not very cold, so why are you wearing gloves?"
"This is the current fashion, you wouldn't understand." Monica casually made up an excuse, pushing him forward to change the subject. "Hurry up, I'm hungry."
"Just wait, Steven hasn't come down yet." Eric said.
Upon hearing Steven's name, Monica instinctively touched her neck. When she returned to her room earlier, she had deliberately applied thick concealer to cover up the kiss mark.
Although it didn't look very natural, it managed to hide the red mark, making it difficult for others to figure out.
What wouldshould Steven dodoes? He couldn't possibly go to dinner with a visible hickey, right?
Lost in her thoughts, Monica noticed a tall and straight figure approaching.
Monica stood behind Eric, pretending to play with her phone, appearing nonchalant. Only when Steven approached did she sneak a glance.
Sure enough, he didn't do anything to hide it at all. Although the kiss mark on his neck had faded slightly compared to when she had sucked on it earlierjust now, it was still eye-catching.
Eric also noticed it with a raised eyebrow, unexpectedly saying, "You had quite a good time, huh?"
Steven remained calm and composed, as if he was not the one with the kiss mark on his neck. "You flatter me."
Monica: ?:?
Eric's comment wasn't a compliment.
Just as she was shocked by Steven's shamelessness, Eric continued, "Where's the person? Aren't you going to introduce her?"
Monica's heart skipped a beat, nervously looking at Steven.
He didn't answer directly, "There will be plenty of opportunities in the future."
"Monica, did you hear that?" Eric smiled. "Don't find a boyfriend like your brother Steven. He's too afraid to introduce his girlfriend to everyone, probably doesn't want to commit and is just playing with her feelings."
Monica didn't hesitate, "Absolutely not."
Steven's gaze swept over them intensely. "You two siblings are quite in sync."
A deeper smile appeared on Eric's lips as he retorted, "You flatter me."
Monica: ?:?
Steven's words hung in the air,
It didn’toesn't seem like his words they were are praising them... Although it was is interesting to listen to these two engage in a high-level battle, Monica only wanteds to finish eating and quickly go get her nails done.
Wearing gloves wasis both ugly and stuffy, it was's really uncomfortable.
Eric walkeds out with a raised leg, "The car has arrived, let's go first."
Monica followeds closely behind Eric, but Steven didn’toesn't move. "I'll make a phone call,call; you guys wait for me."
Saying that, he took akes out his phone and walkeds towards a secluded corner on the other side of the hotel lobby. Monica didn’toesn't suspect anything and gotets into the car with Eric.
Twenty seconds later, she receives a WeChatFacebook message from Steven:
"The side garden, come over."
She wasgets startled by his message and quickly covereds the screen, looking towards Eric who hasn't noticed anything. She carefully turns her body, blocking any possible glances from him, and quickly replied:es:
"What do you want? I'm not going."
Steven replied: : "Are you sure?"
WithIn just three words, Monica senses a blatant threat. With Eric right there, she didn’toesn't dare to explode, she couldan only grit her teeth and type:
"We're about to leave for dinner, if there's something, let's talk when I come back."
Steven: "Come over now, we can resolve things faster."
Steven: "One minute."
Monica ddidn’toesn't understand what had 's gotten into this person, holding onto her phone in distress. Seeing that the one minute wasis almost up, she becameomes increasingly anxious, fearing that Steven wouldill expose her and ruin everything.
So, with a determined heart, she openeds the car door and jumped s out, saying, "Brother, I'll go to the bathroom and be right back."
Without waiting for Eric's reply, she quickly ran uns into the hotel lobby, with her fluttering dress passionately flowing in the wind.
There wasis a small garden next to the lobby of this hotel, but not many people go there, especially not during lunchtime.
Monica hurried in the direction of the garden,ly reaching es the entrance she saw and sees Steven standing there alone, it was's quiet all around, with nothing but the faint sound of water from a small pond could be heard. .
She was clearly out of breath from the run overpants, "What's the matter with you? Why did you bring me here?" she demanded an explanation.
Steven glanceds behind her to make sure there was 's nobody around,, then he pulled s her into his arms, clasping the back of her head, and lowereds his head to kiss her.
The kiss cameomes fiercely and with some force, catching Monica off guard.
"Mmm..." Monica struggleds and pushed s him, "Steven!"
Their heavy breathing echoeds in confusion when suddenly footsteps interrupt their intimate atmosphere. Monica becamegets startled by the interruption, , and Steven released s her lips, putting his hand around her as hend turneds his head to see the hotel manager from last night, standing there..
The manager sawees the two hugging each other and looked s surprised, but quickly displayed a s high level of professionalism, quickly lowering his gaze. "Sorry to disturb you both, would you like me to temporarily close off this garden?"
What kind of service does this hotel even provide?! Monica was surprised by the offer.
"No need, we're leaving right away." Steven's response was is brief.
"Alright, I wish you both a happy anniversary and a pleasant stay at our hotel," the manager saidys with a sincere smile as he exitednd exits the garden.
"Anniversary" was is obviously a very strange and peculiar term at this moment, but it also remindeds the two individuals of the roles they had played in front of the hotel staff.
After the person left, Steven didn't continue, and Monica let out a breath of relief. But she quickly questioned, "Did you call me here just for this? Are you a pervert?"
"It's nothing, just confirming." Steven smiled as he replied.
"Confirming what?" she asked suspiciously.
Steven calmly said, "Someone said they would never have a boyfriend like me, but here they are, kissing me, and even celebrating an anniversary?"
"What anniversary?" Monica clenched her teeth. "I made that up on the spot to deceive them. We both know it. Don't take advantage of the situation."
"Is that so? Well then, the manager is still nearby. Do you want me to call him back so you can clarify?" Steven showed a very magnanimous attitude. "Do you need my help to stop him?"
After saying that, he pretended to walk towards the door, but Monica was scared and quickly covered his mouth, holding his arm to pull him back. "Steven, are you crazy?"
How could Monica admit to her lie? Where would she put her face? Would she still be able to stay in this hotel again? If the manager took it seriously, she would be seen as a bad person, right?
"You don't want to clarify? Then I'll take it as you admitted it."
She pressed her lips together, momentarily unsure which consequence would be harder to bear.
Losing face in front of the hotel or losing face in front of Steven.
She chose the latter.
Monica held back her anger, her cheeks turning red. With a mix of anger and a hint of grievance in her beautiful eyes, she stared at him.
Steven pinched her cheeks and pretended to contemplate. "Just celebrating for one day doesn't seem enough, baby. Tonight, I'll be waiting for you in the room."
Monica slapped his hand away, furious. "You pervert! You think... you think too highly of yourself!"
He wasn't surprised by her tough act. Instead of arguing back, he lifted his wrist and pointed to his watch. "Eric is waiting. You should go back first,first; I'll join you later."
Only then did Monica remember the main matter at hand. She turned around to leave, but the anger still lingered in her heart, and she threatened him before leaving, "Steven, wait for me."
"Sure," Steven put his hands in his pockets, a smile on his lips. "I told you,you; I'll be waiting for you tonight."
**Chapter 36: Worry**