Chapter 21 I've Liked You for a Long Time
Regina hadn't expected Douglas to utter such words. She was vaguely aware that her relationship with Douglas was gradually spinning out of control. She thought, 'I've fallen too quickly into this relationship.'
During the time with Philip, Regina had learned a lesson: wealthy men seemed most afraid of women who couldn’t see their own social standing and identity.
These loaded men could engage in love and intimacy, but they would never get serious. Although Regina's gut feeling told her that Douglas was different from Philip, she had traded many years for a cruel ending. Therefore, she couldn't easily let herself fall for Douglas again.
"Can I confirm with you again?" Regina looked at Douglas seriously and asked calmly, "Our marriage was indeed just a coincidence. and was your willingness to be with me now not out of mere compromise?"
"It was not by chance, nor was it a compromise," Douglas replied.
Regina pondered the implications of his words. "If it was not coincidence, then what was it?"
"I've liked you for a long time," Douglas said.
Regina thought, 'That's insane. I had never met him before we got married. Douglas is the kind of outstanding man who leaves a lasting impression on women. But before the blind date, I had no impression of him.
She looked up and met Douglas's gaze. Staring into his deep and beautiful eyes, Regina couldn't help but think, 'His acting skills were way too good! If I weren't determined, I would have been infatuated with him long ago.'
Regina changed the topic, "You should go take a shower first."
Douglas knew that Regina didn't believe he had liked her for a long time. Regina had already forgotten about him, so Douglas felt helpless.
He took his clothes and walked into the bathroom.
After showering, Douglas came out to find Regina gone. Sitting on the bed, Douglas took his phone and saw a photo of a diagnostic report, staring at it. It indicated that due to prolonged submersion, Regina had suffered from oxygen deprivation in her brain, leading to partial memory loss.
Douglas gripped his phone. He thought, 'Why am I so unfortunate to be forgotten by her?'
The next morning, Regina got up early. Actually, she hadn't slept all night. Glancing at the closed guest room door, Regina took her phone and went downstairs.
The place where Regina now lived wasn't as fancy as where Douglas lived, but nearby, it was bustling.
In the morning, the shops along the street had already started their business. Regina went to her favorite breakfast place and packed two meals. Since Regina hadn't spent much time with Douglas, she had yet to figure out his preferences. So, she could only try to choose a variety of options.
On her way back, Regina encountered her neighbor, Cindy. Cindy was the head of a matchmaking agency. She introduced Regina to a blind date.
"Regina, we meet again! Did you just go to buy breakfast, too?"
"Cindy, when did you come back?"
Cindy owned two houses in Oriant, so she didn't stay here a lot.
"I came back last night. I'm on vacation recently. Thinking about the tasty food here, I decided to stay for a couple of days."
When Regina saw Cindy, she had many questions. Regina asked Cindy about Douglas's information, but Cindy didn't find anything unusual and insisted that Douglas's information was fine.
Douglas was right. He hadn't falsified his basic information, like his age and job, but he had "modified" his description a bit.
"Cindy, you're usually busy with work, so I didn't want to bother you. Since we happen to meet today, I wanted to ask about my blind date."
"Sure."
"How did you get his information?"
"He initiated it. He's a premium member." Premium members definitely enjoy the best services and resources.
"Have you ever met him?"
"No. He seems to be very busy. But one time, he sent his assistant to meet me and look at some profiles. In the end, he chose you without hesitation from hundreds of profiles."
There were many women with better backgrounds than Regina, but Cindy was sure that Regina was the most beautiful. Regina had provided a photo of herself wearing a white shirt, and she still looked gorgeous. It was normal for wealthy men to choose a good-looking young woman.
"How is your relationship now?"
Cindy had asked Regina this question during their last conversation. At that time, Regina had said that she was still dating Douglas but didn't tell Cindy that they were married.
"It's good," Regina replied, still not telling the truth to Cindy.
Cindy smiled and encouraged Regina, "Trust me, Regina. Considering his conditions, it's good for you to have a relationship with him."
Regina nodded but remained silent. They kept chatting and entered the elevator together. Finally, they bid each other goodbye. When Regina entered the house with two large bags of breakfast, Douglas had just woken up.
"Have you finished washing up? I bought breakfast," Regina said, placing the breakfast on the table, which was almost full of various dishes.
Looking at Douglas walking towards the dining room, Regina asked, "Is there anything you like?"
"I'm not picky."
"Great."
It was still early. After having breakfast together, they would go to the company. As usual, they would go to the Century Group separately. The Century Group was large, with many employees, so Regina didn't have the chance to see Douglas every day.
Shortly after Regina arrived at the company, Janet approached her. "Regina, Mr. Semona wants to see you in his office. It's about the recent businessman from Frannice." Regina paused a second but quickly composed herself. She got up and went to Douglas's office. The door to the office was open. Douglas might have just finished his work. He was sitting on the sofa in the reception area, making coffee.
Standing at the door, Regina said, "Mr. Semona."
Douglas nodded, gesturing for her to come in. As Regina walked over to Douglas, she wanted to say something, but Douglas handed her a cup. "I made you a cup of coffee."
Regina hadn't slept well last night because she kept replaying the passionate kiss between Douglas and her at the Peace Club in front of Philip. Regina also thought about the night of their crazy and passionate sex. Regina was on the verge of losing her mind. She looked sleepy since morning. Regina thought, 'Douglas should have noticed my exhaustion, so he made me this cup of coffee to wake me up.' Regina didn't know what to say. Seeing Douglas's outstretched hand, she took the cup from him.
After Regina took the coffee, Douglas remained calm. Regina asked, "Mr. Semona, is there anything else? Ms. Liam said you wanted to see me just because of the businessman from Frannice."
"That was just an excuse," Douglas admitted directly. "I wanted to see you and give you a cup of coffee."
Regina instinctively looked back. Although Douglas's office was on a separate floor, Regina was afraid that someone might suddenly come in and see her with Douglas.
Douglas slowly poured the coffee into the cup. "Even if I were to do something more daring in this office right now, no one would come in."
