CHAPTER 32: CHAPTER 32: IS THERE AN AFFAIR BETWEEN HER AND LACHLAN WYATT?

Iris Crawford didn’t expect Lachlan Wyatt to suddenly do this.

Originally, she and he were just living together amidst a whirlwind of thrilling passion and confusion.

Lachlan was handsome, Iris was beautiful. People are inherently visual creatures, which is why their everyday life was always tinged with a trembling, heart-stopping ambiguity.

Ambiguity, yet carrying an oppressive intent to kill.

The more dangerous something is, the more irresistible it becomes.

Iris’s breath was in disarray; Lachlan licked her ear, and her whole body bristled.

Lachlan had touched her before, and there were occasional intimate physical contacts. For adults like them, those emotions hidden within the friction of their bodies may have fleetingly crossed their minds.

On a daily basis, she could feel Lachlan’s gaze on her, like that of a wild animal. But that gaze was both intense and indifferent, because it was solely a man’s gaze toward a woman — without any emotion.

Iris knew, that if it were only based on visual and desire, they were too perfect for each other’s needs.

But if they were to purely follow instinct, what difference would there be between them and animals?

And now, Lachlan’s action was equivalent to directly piercing that thin layer of paper.

Iris took a deep breath when Lachlan whispered in her ear, "Has Jordan Jacobs touched you?"

Iris struggled to recall the child she had with Jordan Jacobs; its arrival was unnoticed, its departure equally unknown.

Back then, only she knew that within her broken body, a life and hope had once been nurtured.

"Drank too much... don’t remember." Iris closed her eyes, trying hard to resist Lachlan’s invasion of her thoughts, but the more she fought, the tighter she seemed to be entangled with him.

This man knew too well how to entice a woman. He was inherently rebellious and unfettered by worldly conventions, so why would he care about Iris’s marital status?

Lachlan hadn’t acted on Iris simply because he didn’t want to, not that he couldn’t or wouldn’t dare.

As he reached to undo Iris’s clothes, Lachlan asked, "When should I send you back to Jordan Jacobs’s place?"

Iris was shocked, feeling her heart turn cold, "What do you mean?"

"Jordan Jacobs already said, you’re still his wife..."

Lachlan traced down her neck like a vampire, just needing a push to pierce her skin, to break her flesh.

Seeing Iris bleed would excite him greatly.

Yet, Lachlan made no further moves. He just observed her expression, as if testing.

"I won’t return anymore."

Amidst the chaos, Iris held onto her sanity, "You don’t need to test me, I won’t relent."

"If now you still retreat, fear, regret.

Held hostage by one’s weaknesses, then considering oneself blameworthy.

Don’t blame the future for being lowly, humble, kneeling.

Being a title for entertainment, reversing rumors with make-believe."

At that moment, Iris finally opened her eyes, the light within blindingly bright, seemingly capable of slicing through all darkness in front of her, she said, "I will never yield in this life. I want Jordan Jacobs to suffer more than death, no one will ever hold my weakness again!"

Lachlan contentedly rose from Iris, but before doing so left a kiss upon her neck, saying, "Seems like you still have a brain."

The skin he kissed burned like fire, painful and scorching.

He did it deliberately, Iris finally understood, Lachlan was testing her feelings towards Jordan Jacobs.

The woman instinctively reached to cover her neck, then looked at Lachlan, "What were you trying to do just now?"

Lachlan remained composed, smiling strikingly, "Wanted to sleep with you."

Iris’s breath paused, her heart skipped a beat, after a moment she clenched her teeth, "With so many women, Young Master Wyatt wouldn’t ruin his reputation over a married woman like me, right?"

Lachlan stuck out his tongue, licked his sharp canines, and said playfully, "Reputation? Do I have one?"

"..." There’s no reasoning with someone shameless.

Iris could only pull out a charming smile to face Lachlan, "Should’ve told me earlier, Young Master Wyatt, if you’re lonely, I can arrange for you tonight."

Lachlan sneered, "Lost interest now."

He just wanted to enter her body, but not her life.

That’s why Lachlan hadn’t acted, because having to be responsible would be a hassle.

Lachlan is someone who hates responsibility, he only acts on his whims and dislikes being bound.

He would rather Iris be a toy, unable to speak, without thoughts, without a brain, just having that face and body for him to play with would be enough.

"Take back that toy-obsessed gaze."

Iris sensed Lachlan’s filthy inner thoughts, he was merely having those physical thoughts towards her because she happened to fit his criteria for a bed partner, and nothing else concerned him.

Human or ghost, irrelevant to him.

Lachlan chuckled, "Don’t say that, even if you’re a toy, I’m still very fond of you. After all, you have high utility value."

Only Lachlan could openly lay the word ’utility’ bare.

Like a glaring knife drawing near Iris, pressed against her chest, tempting yet dangerous.

He genuinely liked playing with ambiguity, yet sincerely loved no one.

Is wandering on such edges so thrilling?

"Don’t you just want me to tamely submit when I’m free, to relieve your boredom in bed." Iris squinted, then spat out two words, "Dream on."

"You have spine."

Lachlan reached to touch Iris’s face, using a newly learned nickname, "You understand me well, Birdie, even more lovable."

To use ’Birdie’ at a time like this, made Iris feel nauseous, she said, "If there’s nothing else, leave now, this is my ward."

Lachlan said, "You’re fooling yourself; are you really making yourself the patient?"

Iris said expressionlessly, "I’ve fallen ill, with a disease of love. The one who harmed me is Jordan Jacobs."

Lachlan’s smile didn’t reach his eyes, "Hurry up and die from it."

******

That night, Yvonne Jennings received a report. It was the ultrasound report when Iris was examined years ago, indicating the fetus’s date. She checked that day again, it seemed Iris and Jordan Jacobs attended a drinking event, and Lachlan happened to be present.

Yvonne suddenly thought of something and descended from the study to approach Jordan Jacobs, "Jacobs..."

Since being driven out of the ward by Iris, Jordan Jacobs was heavily impacted, sitting on the living room sofa, head bowed. His refined handsome face was filled with desolation and unwillingness. He looked up, saw Yvonne coming down from the second floor, opened his mouth to speak, his voice hoarse, "Yvonne..."

Since Yvonne left early, she hadn’t witnessed the ensuing conflict and thought Jordan Jacobs feared Iris might dredge up past grievances. She immediately came down to comfort him, "Jacobs, I’ve discovered something — it’s quite possible that Lachlan Wyatt around Iris two years later was premeditated, because when Iris went out drinking with you that day, Lachlan was also there. Now that Iris has narrowly escaped death, Lachlan is assisting, what do you think..."

Jordan Jacobs’s expression changed; he faintly felt something shattering within his heart.

"Do you think back then, Iris might have already... betrayed you with Lachlan?"