CHAPTER 186: CHAPTER 186: SO WHEN ARE WE GETTING MARRIED?

Susan Wilde smiled awkwardly, nodded and replied, "Yes."

"By yourself? That guy just now was your boyfriend, right?"

"Yeah, he had something urgent and left first."

"How about this, I’ll call a friend. You can drive over and get the car fixed now, and it can be brought back to you tomorrow morning, so it won’t delay things."

"No, no, I’ll just have the driver take it."

Seeing Simon Rhodes being so courteous, Susan Wilde felt a bit embarrassed.

"I’m not busy right now, and I’m nearby anyway, so it’s convenient for me to take you there."

Susan Wilde thought about how she had no experience with car repairs and Owen Bellamy wouldn’t be home anytime soon, so she’d just be idle alone, not to mention she hadn’t forgotten the matter Owen Bellamy brought up. So she said, "Then I’ll trouble you, Mr. Rhodes."

"I’ll lead the way in front, just follow me."

"Okay."

Simon Rhodes didn’t drive too fast, and Susan Wilde followed him at a moderate distance. In a few minutes, they arrived at the repair spot.

Susan Wilde barely interacted with the staff there; Simon Rhodes handled all the communication, sparing her any effort.

"Alright, just leave an address, and I’ll have someone drive the car back to you by tomorrow morning."

"It’s too much trouble for you; I’ll just have a driver come fetch it."

"I’ve already inconvenienced you, just fill in your information please, and then I’ll give you both a ride back."

Susan Wilde truly didn’t expect Simon Rhodes to be so approachable, initially thinking that someone in his powerful position would be arrogant and unreasonable if any trouble arose.

After Susan Wilde filled out some basic information and her home address on the form, Simon Rhodes prepared to drive her back. Coincidentally, Susan Wilde’s driver’s house was nearby, so eventually, Susan ended up alone in Simon Rhodes’s car.

On the ride, Susan Wilde struggled for a long while before she finally spoke up to mention the matter Owen Bellamy had asked her to bring up. "Boss Rhodes, my boyfriend is in the construction materials wholesale business and recently undertook a new development project with friends. He wanted to ask if you might be interested in investing."

Simon Rhodes glanced at Susan Wilde through the rearview mirror, surprised that she would initiate conversation for her boyfriend’s sake.

"We can discuss it."

Susan Wilde smiled excitedly and said, "I’ll have my boyfriend contact you later since I’m not too familiar with this stuff. It would be better for him to talk to you directly."

"Okay."

Susan Wilde didn’t expect Simon Rhodes to agree so readily, unsure if he was agreeing because he felt it impolite to refuse.

"Is it the intersection ahead?"

Susan Wilde snapped out of her thoughts, took a look outside the window, and then nodded, "Yes, just pull over there, thank you."

"No problem, I’m staying at the hotel just ahead, so it happens to be on the way."

Susan Wilde got out of the car, just in time to spot Owen Bellamy’s car passing by. She hurriedly waved to stop him, quickly bade farewell to Simon Rhodes, and walked over to Owen Bellamy’s car.

Owen Bellamy opened the passenger door, and Susan Wilde got in. He asked with a hint of displeasure, "You just got to know this guy and already getting into his car?"

"No, I needed the car fixed, and he took me there and then gave me a ride back."

Owen Bellamy looked at Susan Wilde skeptically and drove towards the parking lot while saying, "Did you talk to him about the collaboration?"

"Yes, I mentioned it in the car; he said we can discuss it. I don’t know the specifics, so whenever he has time, you can talk to him directly."

"Alright, if we establish a long-term partnership with The Rhodes Group, we’ll be much more stable in the future."

Susan Wilde beamed hopefully and asked him, "Then when are we getting married? I’m already twenty-one; we can get the marriage certificate anytime."

"No rush, we haven’t finalized this deal yet. I just want to wait until things are more financially stable to give you a sense of security."

Susan Wilde pouted and said, "It’s because of your current attitude that I don’t feel secure."

"Alright, stop overthinking. We’ve been together so long; marriage or not isn’t that important. It’s bound to happen sooner or later. Besides, I need some achievements or else your family won’t agree to you marrying me, right?"

As Susan Wilde thought about her family situation, worry filled her mind, and she turned to stare silently out the window.

In her family’s eyes, they just wanted to wait for the right timing to have her marry a man who could bring them benefits.

Back home, Susan Wilde took a bath, and wearing what she thought was her most seductive nightwear, she pushed open Owen Bellamy’s room door, "I want to sleep together."

Owen Bellamy glanced at her, put his phone aside, and cajolingly said, "Don’t be silly, I still have work."

"Then I’ll wait for you to go to sleep together."

"Be good, go rest. I’ll take you to breakfast tomorrow morning."

Owen Bellamy gently pushed her back to her room, leaving Susan Wilde puzzled.

Having lived together for less than two months, Susan Wilde initially thought sharing a home would sweeten things, but she later found it wasn’t as she had imagined.

Both stayed busy with their own work daily, and only occasionally had brief interactions in the evenings.

Either he came home late, or, when he did, he immediately secluded himself in his own room.

Before living together, they at least exchanged texts every day. But now, those texts and conversations seemed to vanish.

Susan Wilde couldn’t figure out the issue, stared at her reflection, quite satisfied with her figure. Could it really offer him no allure?

She couldn’t even remember how many seductive outfits she’d bought in the last two months, but he never once touched her.

Back when they were passionately in love, she mentioned she wanted to wait until marriage before engaging intimately, simply because she was a traditional girl. Was it that he’s clung to her words, maintaining such restraint?

Susan Wilde threw herself onto the bed, helplessly staring at the ceiling.

She worried that if things continued this way, their relationship might suffer. Even if Owen Bellamy didn’t drift away, she herself found it hard to endure this cold atmosphere. Yet she didn’t know how to change it.

Criticizing him seemed unfair, as sometimes he did care for her quite a bit. However, at times when she proactively reached out, he stood still.

By his words tonight, it seemed he wasn’t planning on marrying anytime soon. Was this going to drag on?

Unable to sleep after over an hour of tossing, Susan Wilde concocted a plan and approached Owen Bellamy once more, "Cole..."

"Why aren’t you asleep yet?" His gaze rose briefly from the computer, looked at her, then returned to the screen.

Susan Wilde hesitated before saying, "My sister invited me to move in and live with her."

"But isn’t she staying at school?"

"She...she said she didn’t want to stay at school anymore, wanted to live with me."

Owen Bellamy paused his work, thought for a couple of seconds, and nodded, "Alright."

Susan Wilde instantly cursed him internally. "Sure my ass!" She regretted her lousy idea immediately.

"You really want me gone, huh?" She asked unwillingly.