Chapter 08 Can I Go Up And Sit?

The light suddenly grew dim. Yvonne awkwardly chuckled, realizing that a thunderbolt had struck her.

How did these two men end up together? She had just slept with Elijah last night, and now she was on a blind date with Ryan. Would Elijah think poorly of her?

She glanced at Elijah discreetly. His eyes were filled with contempt. Was he going to spoil things here?

Ryan's thoughts were quick, and he had already sensed something from their expressions. He looked at Yvonne and asked, "Do you know Elijah?"

Before Yvonne could respond, Elijah spoke in a low voice, "Miss Brooks and I are not just acquaintances."

His words trailed off, leaving room for speculation.

"Since everyone knows each other, why not add another seat to the table and eat together? It'll be livelier." Yvonne quickly changed the subject, fearing that Elijah would expose their situation.

Elijah's eyes narrowed, and he fell silent. He simply looked at Yvonne with a mocking gaze.

Ryan and Elijah were quite familiar, and they seemed to have no interest in Yvonne. They talked mostly about digital industries and online games and used many professional terms that Yvonne had never heard before.

Yvonne gradually relaxed her tense heartstrings and looked down to scroll through her phone.

The headlines on Winslow's major websites were filled with news of the Collins and Davis families' union. The men on the phone screen were refined and elegant, while the women were beautiful and dignified; they truly made a perfect match!

Yvonne's eyes felt a tinge of sourness. She decided to put down her phone and pick up her cutlery to eat.

Suddenly, Ryan's phone received a WhatsApp voice call request. Ryan and Elijah were engrossed in conversation, so he opened the message without looking. It was a flirtatious voice saying, "Ryan, the room is ready and waiting for you."

Ryan swiftly ended the call and chuckled awkwardly. "It must be a mistake, definitely a mistake."

Elijah lifted his coffee and took a sip while his peripheral vision fell on Yvonne.

Yvonne was busy eating her meal, seemingly unaffected by anything.

Knowing that a woman was waiting for him in the hotel, Ryan couldn't sit still. In less than three minutes, he found an excuse to leave.

Yvonne finished the last bite of her pasta and looked up, meeting Elijah's gaze.

"Miss Brooks just got off my bed and embarked on a blind date journey. Isn't that tiring?" Elijah asked coldly.

Yvonne burped and retorted, "Why would I be tired? With high-quality men like you and Mr. Winston, a few more dates won't be a problem."

Anger flickered in Elijah's brows, and his expression turned serious. "Miss Brooks takes pride in playing with men as if it were her capital."

"Think whatever you want." Yvonne lightly laughed as she stirred the coffee in her cup and brought it to her lips.

He had been so flirtatious in bed with her last night, and now he had the audacity to say this to her.

Elijah's face darkened. He got up and walked away. Yvonne sat for a while, and when she stood up to leave the Western restaurant, she noticed that only her plate was empty while Elijah and Ryan hadn't even touched theirs.

This blind date wasn't in vain, after all. Ryan was willing to let her take care of the renovation of his two-story villa.

Back in her rented place, George bombarded her with his phone calls, asking about her progress with Mr. Winston.

"It's just average. Mr. Winston is more suited to be a friend," she said.

"Being friends won't do! Yvonne, you have to win him over and make him marry you. Learn from Grace. She keeps Elijah under her control at all times."

Before George could finish, Yvonne's body was covered in goosebumps, and she hung up the phone immediately.

The phone rang again. Yvonne assumed it was George and answered, "Are you annoying me—"

"Yvonne, it's me." The man's voice was deep and magnetic.

Her gaze fell on the phone screen, showing a number she used to know by heart.

"I'm busy, I have to hang up." Yvonne had just finished speaking when the other person urgently stopped her.

"I'm on the second floor of the city library, at our usual spot. If you don't come, I'll wait until closing time."

The second floor of the city library, the place she used to visit the most when studying.

It held too many memories for her, which seemed ludicrous now.

Yvonne felt suffocated in her heart, and with a slight flick of her finger, she added the person's number to the blacklist.

He would only wait until closing time.

She didn't care for this kind of deep affection!

At three-thirty in the afternoon, Yvonne started calling Ryan, but he didn't answer.

It was five o'clock now, and that unreliable Ryan still hadn't sent any messages. Yvonne felt disheartened as she lay on her bed, scrolling through her phone.

Philippe messaged her on WhatsApp, asking if she had time in the evening. She replied, "Yes," and immediately received a voice message from Philippe.

"Yvonne, we're having a barbecue at Flower Lake Villa. Come and join us!"

Yvonne asked who else would be there, and Philippe answered, "It's just a few of us hanging out. Mr. Winston will join us too."

"Ryan?" Yvonne quickly got up from the bed.

Philippe responded with a "Hmm," and added, "If you come, I'll save you a spot with a view of the lake."

"I'll be right there." Yvonne put down her phone and started looking for clothes in her wardrobe.

After a careful selection, she chose a red knee-length dress that accentuated her figure. Before leaving, she applied exquisite makeup, exuding charm and allure.

Flower Lake Villa

After Philippe finished the call with Yvonne, he glanced at Elijah who was about to leave and grinned mischievously. "Dinner hasn't even started yet, why are you in such a hurry? Yvonne is coming over soon. Don't you want to see her?"

"See her? Am I sick or what to want to see her?" Despite Elijah's tough words, his body was honest. He sat back in his wooden chair and picked up a can of beer, taking a sip.

Philippe chuckled, "Don't delude yourself. She didn't want to come, but she agreed only after she heard that Ryan was coming."

At noon, when Elijah saw Yvonne and Ryan sitting together for a blind date, he felt uncomfortable.

After chatting with her for a while, he felt that they didn't share the same values. According to his way of doing things, he should stay away from that woman.

But now his mind was filled with the passionate scene they had last night.

She seemed so experienced, yet so naive...

"Elijah, what are you thinking about?" Philippe interrupted his thoughts. "Yvonne seems like a fun person, but she's not your type. Don't get too close to her."

Elijah didn't speak again. He drank two more cans of beer, feeling annoyed.

Mason, busy turning chicken wings, shouted, "Yvonne is here!"

Philippe went to greet Yvonne with a smile, while Elijah opened another can of beer and drank while looking at the shimmering lake not far away.

The sound of Yvonne and their laughter reached Elijah's ears. His face appeared calm, but his heart was in turmoil.

He liked women who were reserved and gentle. Yvonne was just a fleeting temptation.

When she deliberately approached him, he resisted completely.

But after last night, he clearly felt a desire stirring inside him.

This desire made him feel ashamed and helpless.

"Mr. Harper, care for some food?" Yvonne sat beside him, holding a plate of freshly grilled meat skewers and vegetable rolls.

Elijah ignored her, but Yvonne handed him a juicy beef skewer.

Elijah shook his head and glanced at her lightly, but his eyes couldn't look away.

Her skin was so fair, it was almost glowing. Her face was only worthy of being described as "astonishing." The wind blew by the lake, making Yvonne's chestnut curls sway with emotions.

Her figure-hugging red dress accentuated her waist, causing Elijah's memory to go back to last night when his hands tightly held her waist...

He felt like he had completely lost his senses!

"Mr. Harper, I heard from Mason that your old mansion is going to be renovated." Yvonne's words brought Elijah back to reality.

No wonder she came over with food, she was trying to get the contract for renovating the Harper family mansion!

Elijah frowned, "Yeah, that's right. It's a house with more than ten rooms, at least three to four hundred square meters. If the design concept satisfies me, I will contract the interior and exterior design and construction together."

"Mr. Harper, can you give me this opportunity? I studied architecture at Seattle University, so you don't have to worry about my qualifications."

Yvonne took out a business card from her bag and said, "It lists the awards I received during my time at school, two domestic ones and one international."

Elijah reached out to take the business card and quickly pulled his hand back when their fingers touched.

Elijah looked at the business card absentmindedly and said in a low voice, "I had a little too much to drink tonight, so let's talk about the renovation tomorrow."

Philippe had just told Yvonne that Ryan was being bothered by a model. The young model had a strong personality, and she had a tight grip on Ryan. It seemed like Ryan couldn't make it today.

Ryan was unreliable, so Yvonne didn't want to miss out on Elijah, the money tree. She smiled and said, "Since Mr. Harper had a lot to drink, let me give you a ride home."

Elijah hesitated for a moment before saying, "Sure."

Yvonne's car was a white Volkswagen. Elijah, with his long limbs, felt cramped in the passenger seat.

On the way, Yvonne kept asking about the decoration at the old Harper family mansion and when she could go and see it.

Annoyed, Elijah replied, "Tomorrow, on Sunday."

"Deal." Ryan stood her up, but she quickly found a replacement. Yvonne was surprisingly in a good mood.

As the car entered the Rhode Hills garage, Grace's WhatsApp messages bombarded Yvonne.

"Yvonne, you slut! Are you with Elijah now?"

"Yvonne! You're so desperate that you can't resist a man who's almost engaged!"

The more Yvonne read, the angrier she became.

Grace, I am a slut. What can you do about it?

Elijah had already opened the car door. Yvonne quickly got out and reached out to hold his arm.

Elijah tried to shake off Yvonne's grip, but she actively embraced his waist and her lips curled into a charming smile. "Mr. Harper, may I come inside and sit for a while?"

Elijah stared at Yvonne. Her petite and enchanting face exuded an irresistible allure.

"No." Elijah had been wrestling with this word for a while, but couldn't bring himself to say it.

Yvonne was perceptive. She could see intense desire in Elijah's deep gaze.

Neither of them spoke, but they knew an invisible game had begun.

Yvonne's lips wore a triumphant smile as she took out a cigarette from her pocket, but Elijah swiftly took it away before she could put it to her lips.

Elijah picked her up and walked briskly into the elevator.

Yvonne held onto Elijah, her mind filled with one feeling- excitement!

Elijah became wild, completely overturning Yvonne's perception.

Fortunately, Elijah had taken precautions this time.

When Yvonne got off the bed, her legs were still trembling.

She picked up the red dress from the floor and noticed that it had been torn from the zipper.

One can imagine that it was intense this time.

Elijah threw a nightgown at Yvonne, which was too big for her. She guessed it was Elijah's.

Yvonne glanced at her phone and said, "It's almost 2:30 a.m. I have to stay at your place for one night."

"There are disposable slippers in the living room, and you can choose any of the four bedrooms." Elijah regained his former aloofness and did not show excessive enthusiasm because they had slept together again.

Yvonne couldn't stand it when he acted indifferent after putting on his pants. She approached him with a smile and held his neck, saying, "I'll sleep wherever you sleep."