Chapter 1571 In Front of Him, She Seemed to Have No Temper
Paul recalled Elara's parting words after he'd seen her off.
"Paul, I heard Ann's mother has a criminal record, and her stepfather just got out of prison a few days ago. Now he's already chasing women again. Should we help Ms. White?"
Her tone was sympathetic, but her intention was clear—to air all of Ann's family laundry before him.
A mother with a checkered past and a stepfather steeped in vice and debauchery—what kind of childhood had Ann endured? Or perhaps Elara was insinuating something darker: was Ann's relationship with her stepfather truly innocent?
Elara knew better than to be too explicit; subtlety served her purpose better.
"Though I suppose if she's seeking Alex's help now, she's probably hoping he can solve some of her problems," she had added, the implication hanging in the air that Ann might be setting her sights on Alex next.
As she spoke, Elara stole a glance at Paul's expression, relieved to find it impassive. To him, Ann might as well have been a stranger. Satisfied, Elara departed with a hint of triumph, convinced that Ann had been nothing more than a meaningless fling.
Paul remained, smoking one cigarette after another. The scattered butts at his feet testified to how long he'd lingered.
From the corner of his eye, he watched Ann slip into her car and drive away, acting as if she hadn't noticed him at all.
After finishing his final cigarette, he got into his own car. He still couldn't explain why he'd stayed.
The car pulled up to a familiar villa. Absently, he removed his trench coat and hung it on the nearby rack before realizing where his subconscious had taken him—the place where he and Ann used to rendezvous.
In the past, he'd meet Ann either at hotels or here. It was strange—Ann, so formidable in her professional life, became oddly docile in his presence.
No matter how cruel his words or actions, she never protested, enduring everything in silence. This had awakened something dark in Paul, a desire to discover her breaking point. She had proven remarkably resilient.
He reached for another cigarette before realizing he'd smoked too many already. An inexplicable restlessness had taken root in his chest, irritating him with its persistence.
Paul knew he didn't love Ann. If he had, he would never have allowed her to be humiliated as she had been.
Their brief entanglement had begun when he noticed her aversion to men. At the slightest touch, revulsion would flash in her eyes. Whenever he entered her, she would gag and retch, though she always fought to hide it.
Initially, Paul had struggled with his own demons. But seeing her suffer more than he did had, perversely, made his own pain more bearable. This twisted dynamic had sustained their relationship until the recent awakening.
That woman was truly insatiable.
A shadow of something deeper crossed his eyes just as his phone rang—the Adams family calling to inquire about his impression of Elara.
"She's fine," he answered flatly.
The caller was clearly delighted. Everyone had assumed Paul intended to remain a bachelor for life; his willingness to marry Elara came as a welcome surprise.
"If you don't mind, Paul, we'd like to handle the wedding arrangements. You'll just need to show up," the voice suggested eagerly.
Paul hesitated momentarily, running his fingers through his hair. "Go ahead and arrange it."
"Excellent! I'll inform the Reed family as well." The caller hung up, obviously pleased.
Paul stared at his phone as that inexplicable discomfort resurfaced. Just then, a text from Elara arrived—nothing but a shy emoji.
His restlessness subsided. Of course, the Adams family needed exactly this kind of woman: familiar, predictable, and obedient.
After they married, as long as she behaved herself and remained dutiful, the position of the Adams family matriarch would be hers indefinitely.
With that clarity, he tossed his phone aside and headed to the bathroom with newfound composure.
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