Free Web NovelChapter 13: Chapter 13: No Limit, Swipe as You Please
Maplewood Estate was far from the city center, and it was hard to get a cab nearby.
The nearest bus stop was a ten-minute walk away.
Sophie Shaw planned to walk to the bus stop and take the bus home to save money.
She hadn’t expected Alaric Blackwood to follow her.
When the Maybach pulled up beside her, she froze completely.
"Get in."
The man’s tone was utterly domineering.
Sophie Shaw composed herself. ’A big celebrity is at his house,’ she thought. ’Why isn’t he keeping her company? What’s the deal with him coming to give me a ride?’
"Won’t this be too much trouble for you?" she asked politely.
"No trouble. It’s on my way."
"..."
Maplewood Estate and the Kane Family residence were on opposite ends of Kingsport, north and south. A cab ride home from here would cost over a hundred yuan. ’On his way?’
The excuse was a bit of a stretch.
"What are you spacing out for? Want me to carry you in?"
Alaric Blackwood suddenly dropped a provocative line.
Sophie Shaw wasn’t one to be coy, and besides, her wallet was empty. She simply opened the rear door and got in.
Just as she closed the door, a magnetic voice came from the front seat. "Come sit up front."
She mumbled an "oh," too lazy to get out and go around. Instead, she climbed over from the back into the passenger seat, sat down, and buckled her seatbelt.
After they had been driving for a while and were waiting at a red light, Sophie Shaw was tilting her head to look at the streetscape outside when a large hand suddenly reached over, a black card held between two long fingers.
"Take it."
Sophie Shaw’s eyes slowly turned to Alaric Blackwood. "For me?"
"Maplewood Estate is far from the city. Take this card and get yourself a car. It’ll be more convenient to get around."
Sophie Shaw gasped. "Get a car?"
The man turned his head, his tone teasing. "What else? You expect me to let you use your own two feet every day? My wife—Alaric Blackwood’s wife—can’t be doing that."
’Does he think I’m too poor and pathetic without even a daily driver? That it cheapens his image?’
Sophie Shaw raised her hand, about to take the card, but after a moment’s thought, she silently pulled her hand back.
"Mr. Blackwood, do you remember that we have a contract marriage? We just signed the agreement and got our certificate today."
"I haven’t forgotten. But our marriage certificate is legally binding. You’re my wife. It’s only natural that I spend money on you. Is there a problem?"
’That doesn’t sound wrong...’
"Are you worried I’ll embarrass you, Mr. Blackwood?"
"Yes. Terrified."
"In that case, I’ll accept it."
As she spoke, Sophie Shaw held out both hands and reverently accepted the black card.
"Is there a limit?"
Alaric Blackwood rested one hand on the steering wheel, tilting his head slightly to look at her. "No limit. Swipe it as you please."
"Alright. But don’t worry, I won’t buy a car that’s too expensive."
"Don’t buy one that’s too cheap, either."
Sophie Shaw froze for a second, then immediately understood what he meant. "Don’t worry, I definitely won’t. It has to have a certain class, right? Something befitting the wife of Mr. Blackwood."
She carefully tucked the scorching-hot card into her bag, her heart pounding.
She felt a pang of guilt, as if she were taking huge advantage of Alaric Blackwood.
The Maybach drove to the gate of the Kane Family’s estate and came to a steady stop.
Sophie Shaw unbuckled her seatbelt and, before getting out, turned to glance at Alaric Blackwood.
The man’s charming peach blossom eyes narrowed slightly, crinkling with a smile that was both teasing and seductive. "Goodnight, wifey."
"Goodnight."
"Hm?"
"...Hubby."
The word felt scorching on her tongue.
Sophie Shaw’s face flushed red as soon as she said it.
Alaric Blackwood nodded in satisfaction. "Go on inside."
Sophie Shaw got out of the car and watched the Maybach drive away.
Compared to the experienced Alaric Blackwood, who could flirt with the opposite sex with effortless ease, Sophie Shaw was a complete rookie. The man she’d had the most contact with was Damian Morgan, and their most intimate acts had only ever been holding hands and hugging. They had been dating for three years, which sounded like a long time, but her romantic world was still essentially a blank slate.
She walked into the house with her bag and was changing into slippers in the foyer when a little figure ran over and hugged her leg.
She looked down and saw Joel Kane in his pajamas, tilting his little head up to look at her with a wronged expression.
"Big Sis, why are you back so late?"
She reached out and patted Joel’s head, then noticed a faint handprint on one side of his face. She quickly touched it gently. "What happened to your face?"
"Second Sis hit me."
Vianne Kane?
She made a move to pull Joel upstairs to find Vianne Kane, but Joel quickly grabbed her. "It’s okay, Big Sis. It doesn’t hurt. Dad put ice on it for me, and the swelling has already gone down."
A knot of anger tightened in Sophie Shaw’s chest.
’From what Joel is saying, Joseph Shaw knew he was hit?’
"Why did Vianne Kane hit you?"
Joel bit his lip, hesitating to speak.
"Tell your sister, why did she hit you?"
"Big Sis..."
"What was the reason?"
"I said Damian was Big Sis’s boyfriend, and she hit me."
A pang of sorrow hit Sophie Shaw. She bent down and hugged Joel. "Stay away from them from now on. Also, Damian and I have broken up. He’s not my boyfriend anymore."
Joel looked at her, confused. "Did you two have a fight?" ƒreewebηoveℓ.com
"We didn’t fight. I just don’t like him anymore."
Joel lowered his voice and whispered in her ear, "I saw Damian and Second Sis kissing in the backyard garden."
"Ignore them."
She took Joel back to his room, tucked him in, and lulled him to sleep.
As she was leaving Joel’s room, she ran into Damian Morgan and Vianne Kane clinging to each other as they came up the stairs.
Damian’s lips were smeared with Vianne’s lipstick, which also stained his neck and shirt collar. The strong smell of alcohol clung to him, and he looked completely debauched.
When Vianne Kane saw him staring at Sophie Shaw, she immediately cupped his face with her delicate little hands, forcing his attention back to her.
"Damian, what’s so interesting about a block of wood? Look at me."
The man chuckled and kissed her, pressing her against the wall and kissing her fiercely.
Out of sight, out of mind. Sophie Shaw retreated to her own room and locked the door from the inside.
——
「The next morning」
Sophie ran into Vianne Kane the moment she left her room.
The woman was holding a multicolored silk scarf, which she was in the middle of wrapping around her neck to hide the obvious hickeys.
Their eyes met, and Vianne Kane smiled faintly. "I heard Damian never touched you."
"Sophie Shaw, you dated for three years. Did he not even kiss you?"
"What kind of woman goes that long in a relationship without a man even touching her?"
"You’re an embarrassment to women. With so little appeal to men, when you’re married into the Blackwood Family, isn’t Alaric just going to play you for a fool...?"
Vianne Kane was still sneering when Sophie Shaw raised her hand and slapped her across the face.
SLAP—
The heavy slap knocked Vianne Kane’s head to the side.
Sophie Shaw looked at her, her expression blank. "That slap was for hitting Joel last night. I’m returning it on his behalf."
The woman was stunned for a second, then she went berserk.
"Sophie Shaw, you’ve got some nerve! How dare you hit me!"
Vianne Kane lunged at her like a wild animal, eyes wide and mouth agape. She shrieked as she viciously grabbed and pulled Sophie’s hair, even slamming her head hard against the wall.
Sophie Shaw’s brows furrowed. Instead of pulling Vianne Kane’s hair, she went straight for her throat with both hands.
She squeezed Vianne Kane’s neck with the same amount of force Vianne was using to pull her hair and slam her head.
The two of them fought right there, neither giving an inch.
"Sophie Shaw, you... let go." freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
"You first."
Vianne Kane’s face was turning purple from the choking, and she could barely breathe. "Let go! Let go!"
