CHAPTER 18: CHAPTER 18: IF I SAID I FELL IN LOVE WITH YOU AT FIRST SIGHT, WOULD YOU BELIEVE ME?

"What if I break the contract?"

Break the contract?

Renee Winslow laughed as if she had heard a joke.

"You won’t," she said with a smile, "Mr. Yates, you won’t break the contract."

Jack Yates squinted his eyes: "How do you know I won’t?"

Renee didn’t argue with him anymore, but she knew Jack wouldn’t, because he couldn’t let go.

Two years might be too short in a lifetime expectancy of a hundred years. However, in a romantic relationship, two years is enough to wear down that bit of affection caused by hormonal surges.

Moreover, Jack Yates didn’t even like her; it was just a momentary thrill induced by adrenaline.

After that impulse, it all became tasteless.

It’s not that she underestimated herself, but she could feel whether Jack had feelings for her or not.

And it was very clear that he didn’t.

Jack Yates was always calm and composed in front of her, completely at ease, with an undisguised aloofness that showcased the demeanor of someone in a high position of power to the fullest.

His calmness, his composure, his unhurried demeanor, his casual elegance, and his proud, aloof attitude all told her that he was just in it for the thrill.

Just like an arrogant, cocky child who fancied a toy someone else held in their hand, determined to snatch it away no matter how others felt, simply for his own amusement.

But once he got it, he might not even treasure it, perhaps playing with it for a little while and then discarding it like an old shoe.

Thinking of it this way, Renee Winslow suddenly felt at ease.

Two years was not that hard to endure.

During these two years, she could completely utilize Jack Yates’ power and connections to make herself more successful, opening up broader, wider paths for herself.

For example, right now, even though Jack was teaching her to swim and ride horses with ulterior motives, if she didn’t mind his intentions, it wasn’t a bad thing for her; at least, she acquired two skills.

Things like swimming and horseback riding, without meeting Jack, she couldn’t afford it with her identity as a poor student. She couldn’t even dream of horseback riding, let alone learning to swim.

Thinking like this, Renee Winslow suddenly felt enlightened, and quickly thought of a good way to get along with Jack Yates—acting, or pretending to submit, while staying clear-headed inside.

The reasoning was simple. Someone like Jack Yates, born with a silver spoon in his mouth, could have whatever he wanted—money, power, fame—and it was all at his fingertips.

From the moment he was born, he never encountered a bit of setback. Coupled with his early fame, people like him are inherently proud, domineering, with a strong desire for possession and control. The more unattainable something is, the more it triggers his desire to conquer.

If she had shown a flattering, vain face from the start, Jack Yates might have lost interest in her, maybe even grown disdainful.

Precisely because she showed resistance to him, blatantly resisted, that made him want to keep her by his side, breaking her spirit, making her yield and submit.

Isn’t it just about compromise? What’s so hard about that?

In life, you have to go through this sooner or later. Even if she doesn’t compromise now, she will have to compromise to life when she steps out into the real world in the future.

With her eyes curved like peach blossoms, a sweet smile rippling through her gaze, she actively took Jack Yates’ arm, tilted up her face, and looked at him coyly: "Could you buy me the newest iPhone?"

Jack Yates was initially annoyed by her saying "you won’t break the contract," but hearing her soft, sweet voicecatch him off guard for a moment, even as quick-thinking as he was.

"Okay." He lowered his eyes in a fluster.

Renee didn’t notice Jack Yates’ subconsciously tensed back, nor did she see the flash of tension and embarrassment in his eyes.

She tiptoed with a smile, kissed his firm jaw, and then stepped back with a blushing face, shy.

Jack Yates’ eyelids suddenly lifted, his eyes surging like ink.

In just a few minutes, Renee Winslow’s attitude changed drastically, and Jack Yates couldn’t help but fall into the tenderness of this moment, even though he noticed it.

"What else do you want?" Jack Yates reached out to hook her waist and pulled her into his arms. "Bags, clothes, jewelry, do you want to choose by yourself, or should I just buy them for you?"

-

Renee Winslow thought Jack meant choosing in person would be taking her to the mall counters to buy; unexpectedly, he directly took her to an auction site, spending twenty million to bid on a non-burn pigeon blood ruby and then hired a top domestic jewelry master to custom-create a necklace exclusively for her.

Upon receiving the ruby necklace, Renee Winslow held the high-quality red velvet box in trembling hands.

She suddenly didn’t dare to act anymore; the cost of this performance was too high, an act too grand for her to handle.

"This... this is too expensive." She didn’t dare to wear it, didn’t even dare to take it out, carefully placing the red velvet box with the gem necklace on the table. "Let’s just leave it here."

Jack Yates took out the ruby necklace from the box, stood behind her, lifted her soft hair, and fastened the necklace around her neck.

Renee Winslow made an attempt to take it off, but Jack held her hand down: "Wear it; when you’re tired of it, we’ll change to something else."

Besides this custom ruby necklace, Jack Yates also bought her over a dozen other branded gemstone necklaces in various colors, and all kinds of styles of diamond necklaces, bracelets, bangles, and other exquisite jewelry.

It’s no exaggeration to say that even if she wore one a day, every day for thirty days in a month, she wouldn’t repeat a piece.

Renee Winslow didn’t refuse, accepted everything with a smiling face and said a bunch of grateful words.

Jack Yates was very pleased. For him, if money could solve the problem, it wasn’t a problem at all because he had no lack of money.

Spend money to buy her smile, whether genuine or not, as long as she smiles.

Jack Yates looked at the young girl’s delicate and gentle appearance, his heart softened, and he lifted her onto his lap, lovingly kissed her lips.

"There’s a gathering with a friend tonight, want to come with me?"

Renee Winslow raised her head in surprise, "Is it appropriate for me to go?"

The days she spent with Jack Yates, she had never met his friends. Even at the stables learning to ride, there were only staff.

Originally, she thought with their kind of relationship, Jack Yates wouldn’t let her appear in front of his friends. She was content with this, after all, she didn’t want to get involved in his circles or let others know about their relationship.

"As long as you want to go, it’s appropriate." Jack Yates touched her face, "Unless you don’t want to go."

Renee wrapped her arm around his neck, "Of course I want to go, but I’m not good at socializing. I’m afraid I might sit there like a blockhead next to you, embarrassing you."

Jack Yates curled his lips, "You coming along is the only way to make the occasion grand."

Renee knew Jack Yates was lying, yet still acted shyly flustered, blushing as she buried her head in his chest, playfully complaining, "You’re annoying, always so improper."

Jack Yates looked at the girl in his arms, her face flushed shy as a rose in early summer, such that he lost himself in observing her.

It’s often said that a girl’s blush speaks louder than any words of love.

Jack Yates felt as if something had struck his heart, leaving it trembling.

Renee raised her head, accidentally catching Jack Yates’ deep abyss-like gaze, her heart trembled, and she hurriedly lowered her eyes, shaking his arm, "Are you going out or not?"

Jack Yates restrained his emotions, his Adam’s apple rolling, he spoke low and huskily, "Let’s go."

Sitting in the car, Renee happily hummed a tune.

Stopping at a red light, Jack Yates turned and called her, "Renee."

"Hmm?" Renee met his gaze, "What is it?"

Jack Yates held her hand, his eyes burning as he looked at her, "I’ve never been impulsive for anyone or anything, you’re the exception."

Even during adolescence, he was calm and rational, never acting impulsively.

Renee was scorched by his gaze, timidly lowering her eyes, "Actually, I’ve always been curious if we’ve met somewhere before?"

She was certain she hadn’t seen Jack Yates before, but couldn’t guarantee he hadn’t seen her.

The green light came on, and Jack Yates released her hand, turning to look through the windshield, "Do you really want to know?"

Renee: "Yes."

Jack Yates’ hand tightly gripped the steering wheel, his tongue heavily pressing against his cheek, his voice low, "The first time I saw you was at Kyoro Hotel, on your eighteenth birthday."

He then added, "Saw you a few more times after that."

But those times afterwards, two were by chance encounters, four were his intentional approach.

He didn’t want, nor did he wish to admit, he was attracted to an eighteen-year-old naive girl who was also his nephew’s girlfriend.

During that time, he felt he was ill, greatly so.

Afterward, he forcibly restrained his desires, stopped thinking about her, ceased secretly watching her.

But the more he restrained, the more he thought; one night he even dreamed of her, in the dream she was soft as water, enveloping him. Waking up, he was driven mad, longing for her madly, yearning to get her at all costs.

Jack Yates had lived twenty-eight years, never once tormented by not obtaining something.

Anything he wanted, if not readily accessible, he would acquire it as long as he desired.

Yet, Renee Winslow was the only one he wanted, for whom he had to suppress his desire.

The more he restrained, the deeper his obsession grew, his body and mind suffering dual torment.

Later, while driving home, distracted, he rear-ended another car. Neither party was hurt, everyone safe, only the other car was damaged. He compensated the owner twice the car’s value before retreating to Thatcher Manor, hiding here for over half a month.

He thought calming down for half a month would help him release his obsession, but upon learning Renee was returning to The Yates Family home with Caleb Yates, the evil desire in his heart finally swelled, roaring to break free.

The storm was the "right time," Renee appearing at The Yates Family’s old residence was the "favorable location," and capturing those three kittens was "human concord."

A perfectly timed, favorable, and harmonious trap, ensuring she can’t escape.

Sure enough, she appeared at his courtyard, from the moment she stepped in, he never intended to let go.

Jack Yates, almost thirty, both physically and mentally matured to the extreme, had long passed the youthful stage of infatuation.

He knew well, his obsession with Renee Winslow was more of a physical yearning.

Shameless or despicable, he admits, as long as he can have her.

Another red light.

Jack Yates leaned over to look at her, a playful smile on his lips, "If I said it was love at first sight, would you believe?"

Renee pursed her lips, changing the subject, "You said you saw me a few times afterwards, but I never saw you once?"