Free Web NovelChapter 37: Chapter 37: Alaric Blackwood Is Poisonous
"Spend it on whatever I want?"
"Mhm."
"Any amount?"
"Of course."
...
It sounded very tempting.
"Do we have to... sleep together?"
Alaric Blackwood hadn’t expected to bait her so quickly. He said seriously, "Do you remember the terms of the agreement you signed?"
"Then what are your demands?"
"Kissing, hugging, touching. Whenever I want, you must cooperate."
"No sleeping together?"
"No sleeping together."
"That sounds like another form of... selling myself."
Alaric Blackwood chuckled. "We both get what we want. That’s also in the agreement."
Sophie Shaw felt a stir in her heart. She recalled Alaric Blackwood’s unrestrained kiss on the day of the wedding rehearsal, and her heart suddenly pounded. Her gaze involuntarily fixed on his lips.
She had to admit, Alaric Blackwood was a very good kisser.
She pursed her lips, suddenly wanting to find out just what kind of kissing, hugging, and touching he had in mind.
When the thought flashed through her mind, her face burned red. She deliberately put on an aloof air. "I’ll think about it."
Knowing she was thin-skinned, Alaric Blackwood patiently coaxed her, "No rush. Take your time to think it over."
"Let me know when you’ve made up your mind. It’s getting late, so I’ll be going now. Rest well, wife. Good night."
Sophie Shaw stood rooted to the spot, her face flushed so crimson it looked like it could drip blood, and watched Alaric Blackwood’s tall figure leave the courtyard.
The Maybach quickly drove away. She collected herself and turned to go inside.
After returning to her room to wash up, she lay down in bed early and fell asleep in no time.
She had a dream.
She dreamed of Alaric Blackwood. freēwēbnovel.com
In her dream, the man was wearing a flamboyant nutmeg-purple shirt with the collar unbuttoned, revealing a large expanse of his cool, pale skin. His sexy collarbones, Adam’s apple, and the faint outline of his pectoral muscles were on full display before her eyes.
A blatant temptation.
"We both get what we want..."
The man’s magnetic voice lingered in her ear.
The world spun, and she was pinned against the door by Alaric Blackwood, who kissed her fiercely...
"Don’t..."
Realizing she was muttering shameful things in her sleep, she snapped her eyes open.
It was already bright daylight.
She was lying in bed with the blanket kicked into a ball at her feet. Not only was she completely uncovered, but she had also hiked up her own pajamas, leaving her waist entirely exposed to the air.
She quickly pulled her pajamas down, unable to believe she’d had such a dream.
’Alaric Blackwood must be toxic.’
She scrambled out of bed and dove into the bathroom. She deliberately lowered the water temperature by a few degrees, letting the cool spray wash over her from head to toe, completely extinguishing the restless heat inside her.
After washing up and changing, she went downstairs, marched straight to the kitchen, and opened the fridge. She grabbed a bottle of mineral water and GULP, GULP, GULP, chugged the entire thing...
After breakfast, she received a call from Mandy Halloway, who invited her for a beauty treatment and a full-body spa day. She agreed immediately and, following the location Mandy sent her on WeChat, drove to the salon.
Mandy Halloway had arrived before her and was waiting in the lounge area. The moment she saw Sophie walk in, the older woman immediately stood up with a smile and came forward to greet her.
"With the wedding just around the corner, our bride-to-be needs a full day of pampering."
Mandy Halloway linked arms with her and led her upstairs. The package she had booked for Sophie was a complete head-to-toe treatment.
After the full-body treatment, there was also a complimentary relaxing massage from the salon.
Sophie Shaw lay on the massage bed, enjoying it with her eyes closed.
’The lives of wealthy wives are truly amazing!’
Mandy Halloway was on the adjacent bed. Seeing Sophie’s cheeks flushed and looking so comfortable she was about to fall asleep, the older woman reached out and poked her arm. "Sophie, do you have plans for lunch?"
She opened her eyes and smiled at Mandy Halloway. "No."
When Anne was working on set, she usually didn’t have anyone to meet up with.
"Then have lunch with me?"
"Okay."
"After we eat, let’s go shopping at the mall. I want to buy you a few things."
With that, Mandy Halloway started booking a restaurant on her phone while continuing to enjoy her massage.
After leaving the salon, she sent her driver home and got directly into Sophie Shaw’s car.
The entire lunch was more relaxed than Sophie Shaw had expected. Mandy Halloway didn’t have the slightest air of a wealthy socialite; she had a kind face and was a gentle woman who smiled often.
"You and my mother were best friends. Could you tell me a little about her?"
Sophie Shaw had lost her mother when she was eight years old. As the years passed, her memories of her mother had grown increasingly faint.
At the mention of her best friend, Mina Ford, Mandy Halloway’s eyes reddened.
"How should I put it... Mina and I grew up together, as close as two peas in a pod. We even promised that when we grew up, we’d get married around the same time, and if we had a boy and a girl, we’d arrange their engagement to make our families even closer."
"I never thought this wish would be about to come true, but Mina is already gone..."
At this point, Mandy Halloway suddenly choked up.
She pulled a tissue from the dispenser on the table and wiped her tears, trying hard to compose herself. She gave Sophie Shaw an embarrassed smile. "I’m sorry, I lost control of my emotions."
"It’s okay."
"Whenever I think of Mina, my heart just aches. She was so stubborn, like a moth to a flame for love, never considering the consequences. She was so talented, yet she was willing to give up her career to help your father with all her heart. It’s not that I have a grudge against Joseph Shaw, but he truly failed my Mina."
Mandy Halloway’s tears fell uncontrollably.
Sophie Shaw watched her pull one tissue after another, her tears unstoppable, and her own eyes began to turn red as well.
"Your mother worked herself sick because of him. Even after she got pregnant, she didn’t reduce her workload. She was busy running around, managing the household and the company. Your father just isn’t cut out for business. If your mother hadn’t helped him with all her heart, his company wouldn’t have lasted so many years. The moment your mom was gone, he stopped caring about anything and just let it all fall apart."
Mandy Halloway looked down on Joseph Shaw from the bottom of her heart. It wasn’t because he started with nothing, but because he abandoned the career Mina Ford had built for him. She despised him because just a few years after Mina was gone, he married into another family.
Back then, their love was passionate and tumultuous, an undying devotion. They eloped several times. Each time Mina Ford ran off with him, the Fords would catch her and bring her back. But even so, she was set on Joseph Shaw and insisted on marrying him no matter what.
For his sake, she didn’t hesitate to have a complete falling out with the Fords.
She gave her all, but now, Joseph Shaw probably has little affection left for her memory. His mind is completely focused on the Kanes.
"Sophie, I know you aren’t treated well by the Kanes. Alaric knows it too. The reason Quentin and I came to propose marriage was so you wouldn’t have to stay with the Kane Family and be bullied by them."
As soon as Mandy Halloway said this, Sophie Shaw could no longer hold back. Tears instantly welled up and streamed from her eyes.
"You’re Mina’s daughter, which makes you my daughter. I hope that after you and Alaric get married, you can live a good life together."
The older woman held Sophie’s hand as she spoke. "That boy, Alaric, he may seem carefree and unreliable at times, but he’s not a bad person. He just has a sharp tongue and is a bit cunning. Don’t pay too much attention to those rumors about him online. The media these days will make up stories about anyone at the slightest provocation."
