CHAPTER 156: CHAPTER 156: DOESN’T SEEM FAKE

"Where did you take them?"

"No one did anything to them. I just didn’t want to have a tail following me every day, so I had someone lock them up temporarily. They should be back in a couple of days," Melody Thorne responded coolly.

Jared Quinn leaned down, propping his hands on either side of her, his dark eyes narrowing. "What secrets can’t you let me know? Who helped you capture them?"

Melody’s hand circled around the man’s neck. "I’m full of secrets from head to toe. Which one do you want to know?"

"Who helped you?"

"A woman as beautiful as me always has someone willing to help, no matter where she goes."

"Speak properly," Jared said, pinching her chin.

"Can’t understand human language? Do I need to bark twice for you?" Melody grabbed a fruit knife from the table and held it up.

Jared glanced down, chuckled softly, grabbed her hand, and kissed it. His kiss, mixed with a bit of anger, invaded her mouth like a warrior claiming territory, certain that she wouldn’t dare use the knife.

The few people in the hall tactfully turned their backs.

Melody struggled against his lips and tongue, her whole body rejecting his closeness, but the more she resisted, the deeper Jared’s kiss became, almost depriving her of all her breath. His hand ventured under her clothes to touch her second off-limits zone.

Melody’s face turned crimson; she kicked her leg up, but Jared had anticipated it, trapping her leg between his.

"Mmm..." Her breath was getting thinner and thinner.

There’s no denying Jared’s kissing technique was superb. An intense French kiss lasted a full ten minutes.

Melody, inexperienced, melted into a weak mess until she stopped struggling. Only then did Jared release her lips, tilting his head to kiss her neck and collarbone, continuing downward.

"Shameless," Melody gave up struggling, looking at him with lowered eyes.

Let’s see how he treats her!

"You better put some effort into it," Melody sneered, slipping her hand into his hair.

Jared stood up, scooped her into his arms, and looked at her limp, powerless form with a low chuckle. "I didn’t expect you to be so direct."

"Would you have let me off if I wasn’t?" Her words dripped with sarcasm.

Jared seemed to have changed, too lazy to bicker, and uncharacteristically explained, "I have many enemies in the business world."

"So?" Melody’s tone grew colder. "What’s that got to do with me? Don’t forget your official girlfriend is Sheryl Lancaster. No one knows about us. Don’t you think it’s ironic what you’re doing?"

Jared’s hand encircled her waist. "Are you jealous?"

Melody was speechless!

"Let me go, get away from me!"

"Can’t get far," Jared’s face darkened. "If I stay away, won’t you just be a lonely, empty woman?"

He had read psychology books. Melody’s current aversion to him—all those behaviors—were because she once loved him too deeply, leaving her psychologically empty now.

Empty and lonely?

"Do you know what a lonely, empty woman needs most? Someone to respect her wishes," she retorted with a smile on her lips.

That smile... didn’t seem fake.

This was the first time she’d smiled at him.

The anger boiling in his chest was doused like a bucket of cold water.

"Let go," Melody pointed to his hand fixed on her waist.

Jared hesitated for a moment. Holding her was as comforting as hugging a pillow. Without her, even his heart, barren for over twenty years, felt empty and tasteless.