Chapter 37 Dare Not Touch Alexander's Lover
Owen had another passenger in his car.
Elizabeth shook her head in refusal. She replied, "Thank you, Mr. Tudor. But I'll just take the bus."
"I won't trouble you! This is my good friend Samuel! Get in!" Owen didn't speak to her in a negotiating tone, but rather stated it as an order. "I know you had a heavy workload today. Every new employee goes through this. It will get better over time. Get in, I'll drive you home!"
Elizabeth bit her lip reluctantly and got into the car.
The man called Samuel looked polite and refined. He showed Elizabeth a certain amount of respect. He greeted, "Mrs. Windsor, it's a pleasure to meet you."
Elizabeth gave a slight smile and then lowered her head.
The two men in the front seat were from wealthy families, people she never before encountered. Unfamiliar with their ways, she was unsure how to interact with them or cater to their desires.
Elizabeth simply chose not to speak.
"To Alexander's place?" Owen asked.
Before Elizabeth could answer, her phone rang. She glanced at the unfamiliar number and answered, "Hello, who is this?"
A middle-aged man's voice came from the other end. He greeted, "Hello, is this Miss Spencer? I'm from the rental company..."
Before he could finish, Elizabeth cut him off, becoming tense and speaking quickly, "I'm sorry, sir. But I still need to use your camera for a while longer."
Halfway through her sentence, Elizabeth covered the phone and asked Owen, "Excuse me, Mr. Tudor. When does our company pay salaries?"
"The fifteenth of every month. You'll have to wait until the fifteenth of next month, which is seventeen days away," Owen calculated.
"Sir," Elizabeth uncovered the phone, "I need the camera for another seventeen days. You can charge me the daily rental rate or even a higher rate if you want. I'll return the camera in seventeen days. Thank you."
Elizabeth hung up quickly, fearing the man would disagree.
Owen and Samuel both turned to Elizabeth.
"Did you lose the camera you rented?" Owen asked.
Elizabeth simply replied, "Yes."
Samuel smiled gently and asked, "Why are you still renting a camera? Why not just use your phone?"
Elizabeth shook her head as she mentioned, "No." She offered no further explanation.
In fact, her phone had been damaged when she first went to prison, and the camera function no longer worked.
Samuel didn't ask further.
Owen, however, had no qualms about being rude. "How unlucky can you be? The cameras rented out by the company are all professional-grade. Even the most basic DSLR costs over ten thousand dollars. Your salary won't cover it."
Elizabeth revealed, "I rented a $1,500 digital camera."
Owen fell silent.
After a few seconds, he opened the glove compartment, grabbed a wad of cash, roughly counted it, and tossed it to Elizabeth.
Elizabeth was silent for a few seconds before she smiled and said, "I don't want it."
In fact, she desperately needed the money.
Owen seemed to see through her thoughts and said nonchalantly, "I'm giving you less than three thousand dollars. What's the big deal? Are you afraid I'm buying your body for three thousand dollars? Don't worry! I'm not interested in you! I just feel sorry for you. Consider it charity. If you feel bad about it, you can pay me back in installments after you get your salary."
Elizabeth clutched the money, her face slightly red from embarrassment. She replied, "Thank you."
"Besides, my time is often limited. When I say I'll drive you, don't waste my time by hesitating," Owen said, looking at Elizabeth's flushed face in the rearview mirror.
Elizabeth obediently nodded, replying, "Got it."
She then turned her head to look out the window, her face calm and silent.
In truth, she was trying to calm the emotions stirring within her.
Since her release from prison, she had faced rejection everywhere. The Guise family despised and manipulated her. Alexander intimidated and coerced her, and even Simon, who had given her a business card and offered to help, had only been toying with her.
But Owen was different.
He was nonchalant and rude. Every time he spoke to Elizabeth, giving her nicknames and calling her a country girl, it was a mild form of verbal abuse. Yet, it was Owen who had helped her keep her job when she desperately needed it.
It was Owen who had driven her from The Windsor Manor back to the city.
And now, it was Owen who was willing to give her thousands of dollars to compensate for the camera.
Elizabeth suddenly felt that Owen was wicked on the outside but kind on the inside.
Her heart felt a bit warmer and moved by his actions.
In those few minutes of daydreaming, she realized Owen was driving in the wrong direction. He was taking her to Alexander's place, but she wanted to go to the hospital where Esme was.
"Mr. Tudor," Elizabeth suddenly raised her voice and then shyly smiled at Owen. "I'm sorry, I need to go to the hospital."
"To see Esme?" Owen asked.
Elizabeth smiled, then spoke gently, "Yes. I'm sorry, Mr. Tudor. Could you please turn around and go to the hospital?"
Owen said, "That's right. Talk to me sweetly like that from now on."
With that, he made a sharp U-turn and drove to the hospital where Esme was. When they arrived, and Elizabeth was about to get out of the car, another car parked not far away.
Elizabeth stood by the car door, shyly smiling at Owen. She remarked, "Mr. Tudor, thank you. I promise I'll pay you back as soon as I get my salary, and I'll treat you to a nice meal."
"Remember what you said. You better treat me to something good! If you go back on your word, I'll come after you!" Owen said with a smile.
"Yes, definitely," Elizabeth replied and nodded enthusiastically, like a fan admiring her idol.
Owen chuckled and drove away.
As the car left the hospital, Owen said to Samuel, "So, Samuel. I will definitely make Elizabeth like me. She'll willingly give me her heart, and then I'll reel her in! You’re going to lose our bet."
Samuel replied, "Why are you toying with such a conservative country girl?"
Owen shrugged, and jested, "I have strange tastes!"
Samuel warned, "Be careful, Alexander might skin you alive!"
"If Alexander had any interest in Elizabeth, I'd gouge out my own eyes and give them to you! Do you think I'd dare mess with Alexander's woman? No way!" Owen scoffed.
However, Owen didn't know that as soon as his car left, Alexander got out of a nearby car.
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