Chapter 159
Chapter 159
Chapter 159
At Maple Villas.
Olivia awoke feeling unusually refreshed, as though she had been nestled in a warm furnace all night.
She had slept so soundly that nightmares had not besieged her before daybreak, as they typically did.
Blinking awake, she realized she was, in fact, embracing a furnace a living, breathing one named William.
–
Instantly alert, her arm was draped familiarly around his neck, her leg slung intimately across his waist.
What in heaven’s name was happening?
She reflexively tried to pull away, but William drew her near again as she rose up, encircling her in his arms.
“Sleep well, my dear?”
He held her hand, flashing an unabashed, roguish grin that intimated things no proper gentleman should.
“Why are you in my bed?”
She had kindly taken him into her home, yet this scoundrel had surreptitiously snuck into her bedroom, taking untoward
advantage!
The audacity!
Worried about Caroline’s nefarious schemes and heartsick for Luci back home, she had brought Ezra to Maple Villas last night
Jameson and Reed also felt her physical condition was stable enough, so they “supported” her discharge from the hospital
overnight.
Only William had stubbornly insisted on coming along, supposedly because he was gravely concerned for her fragile health.
She could not dissuade his accompaniment and reluctantly acquiesced.
After all, injured as he was, it would be unduly cruel to banish him to a cold, lonely hospital couch.
But she most certainly had not invited him into her bed!
“See for yourself – this is my bed, is it not?”
William lay casually on his side, head propped up on one elbow, grinning at her most amusedly.
The blankets had slipped down to his waist, revealing a flawless, exquisitely muscular physique.
Taut pectorals, rock-solid abdominals, and just the faintest glimpse of a bandage adorning his nearly healed battle wound.
He unintentionally exemplified the quintessence of a dashing, romance novel heartthrob.
And he was not even wearing a shirt!
Yet still exuding raw, irresistible appeal!
“If you cannot sleep, feel free to come embrace me anytime. I, along with my bed, will be ready and waiting.
He reached out, lightly patting the empty space alongside him, brazen in his persistence.
Flustered, Olivia reflexively fired back.
“And who would desire to embrace you? Do go on dreaming!”
Her face flushed a deep crimson.
Regaining a modicum of composure, she realized – this was not her quarters, but William’s room.
She had meticulously arranged it thusly last night, with herself on the second floor and him on the third.
So how on earth did she end up here?
What was she to do now?
After explicitly warning him to remain in his own room last night, she was the one who had furtively crept into his bed and
proceeded to sleep soundly straight through the night.
Even Olivia felt a pang of shame at this discovery.
“What you say is hardly equitable – one ought to have dreams, for what if they come true unexpectedly, as mine did last
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Chapter 159
glorious night!”
William did not bother hiding his profound delight at their predicament.
“I assure you, this particular dream will not come to pass again. You had better find a new one.” Olivia glowered at him severely,
steel in her eyes.
“Now if you would be so kind, do get dressed. It is cold and I would prefer you not catch chill.” Olivia hastily grabbed his shirt
from where it lay draped over the nearby sofa and lobbed it in his general direction, then beat a hasty retreat from the room as
though escaping.
Downstairs, Olivia’s face still burned brightly.
She was at an utter loss to explain how she could have possibly ended up in William’s quarters last night.
After hastily retreating back to her own quarters, Olivia raced to the computer on her desk and swiftly logged into Maple Villas’
surveillance system.
The monitoring footage instantly popped up on the desktop screen.
Her slender fingers flew rapidly across the keyboard as she prepared to carefully comb through the footage and uncover the
truth about last night’s puzzling events.
Just then, Ezra came bounding excitedly into the room, clutching his cherished kid’s tablet.
“Mom, did you and Dad get back together? Can I start planning for a baby sister now?”
“Whatever gives you that idea?” Olivia had a grave inkling she already knew.
“I was checking the security cameras just now to see where I left Bally, and I saw you go into Dad’s bedroom in the middle of the
night! Let’s get one thing straight first though – if you’re having another baby, I absolutely must have a sister this
time!”
Ezra held up the tablet decisively, voicing his appeal with the utmost seriousness, his bright eyes brimming with eager
anticipation.
Ever since discovering he was the youngest child in the family, born mere minutes after his siblings, Ezra had fantasized
endlessly about one day having a little sister to dote on.
He hadn’t dared dream his wish might come true so soon.
Ezra was absolutely over the moon!
“You’ve mistaken the situation, dear. Your father and I have not reconciled. I merely went to his quarters to retrieve an item I
required.”
Yes, that excuse should suffice!
This entire villa belonged solely to her after all – how could she possibly be barred from any room within her own abode?
Olivia felt her spur-of-the-moment justification was shaping up nicely.
“But Mom, the footage shows you entered Dad’s bedroom last night and didn’t emerge again until this morning. The timestamps
don’t lie! You can’t fool me so easily!”
Ezra’s eyes narrowed with childlike shrewdness, his head tilted as he scrutinized his mother closely.
“Of course I would never attempt to deceive you, darling.”
“Well then, when can I expect my baby sister to arrive?”
“Let us discuss this again after your father has fully recovered from his injuries.” Olivia blithely bluffed, keeping her expression
neutral.
“H ooray! I’ll hold you to your word on that!”
“Mmhmm... Olivia nodded along obediently.
Privately, she breathed a sigh of relief, thinking this troublesome line of inquiry was finally concluded.
My, how persistently inquisitive children become as they mature!
Just as she began relaxing, Ezra piped up again.
“Dad, be sure to get completely healed super quick my future sister is depending on you!”
Dad?
Hearing this unexpected epithet, Olivia whirled around in alarm, coming face to face with William’s infuriatingly roguish
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Chapter 159 grin.
She couldn’t restrain an astonished gasp, the surprise nearly giving her a heart attack!
That conniving scoundrel!
Ezra, you play much too slyly! A tide of despair welled up within Olivia
“No need to worry, son. I will do everything possible to provide you with a linde sister posthaste
“H ooray!” Ezra cheered jubilantly, now wholly uninterested in his tablet. He scampered straight to the ICU to share the joyous
news with Luci
William had condescended to finally put on a shirt, albeit with only the topmost button casually fastened, baring a wide swath of
his toned physique and emitting a palpable aura of allure.
He sauntered over, picked up the tablet Ezra had abandoned, and settled comfortably next to Olivia on the sofa. With a roguish
twi nkle in his eye, he pulled up the incriminating footage depicting a disoriented Olivia cuddling a pillow as she blundered
straight into his quarters in the dead of night.
His adorable Olivia, never one to do things by half measures. Amused, William hit play.
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