CHAPTER 144: CHAPTER 144: SHE PRETENDS TO SLEEP, HE FOLLOWS

Blake Sinclair had just set the dishes on the table when he heard the sound of someone entering the door with a password.

Holly Crowe pushed the door open and came in.

He stepped forward and took her bag, his movements a bit tense.

After Cole Tanner reported the trending topic "Good News at The Sinclair Family" in the afternoon, he immediately had someone remove it.

But the speed of information spreading online is hard to control, and he worried that she might still have seen it.

Even more so, he worried she might misunderstand it as a deliberate hint from him, something like a subtle pressure.

"Let’s wash our hands and eat," he said as he pulled out a chair for her.

"Okay."

Holly responded, washed her hands, and sat down at the table, her expression appearing no different from usual.

Blake Sinclair ate somewhat absentmindedly, but his gaze lingered on her face.

Finally, while she was looking down sipping her soup, he asked casually, "How was it at the Lunar Lotus Studio today?"

Holly’s hand paused for a moment, and the soup dripped from the spoon, creating ripples.

"It was fine. We’ve been busy preparing for the Blue Orchid Cup. Why do you ask all of a sudden?"

Seeing her unperturbed expression, Blake felt a bit relieved.

Perhaps, she really hadn’t seen it.

He quietly breathed a sigh of relief, adding a spoonful of soup for her along the way: "Nothing important, just afraid you might be too tired. Is your tummy still bothering you this first day of your period?"

"Much better," Holly smiled, her tone light, "I’ve had so much brown sugar ginger tea; it’s not as bad as before."

"That’s good."

After dinner, they cuddled on the sofa and watched a movie.

Blake noticed that Holly spent most of the time with a vacant look in her eyes, her thoughts elsewhere.

Before bed, as usual, he massaged her lower abdomen, and Holly quietly nestled in his arms. Listening to her gradually even breathing, he slowly fell asleep too.

The night grew deep and silent.

Outside, the wind rustled the leaves.

Under the covers, Holly shifted a little, opened her eyes, and carefully removed Blake’s hand from her waist after confirming he was asleep, sneaking out of bed.

The door closed.

Blake opened his eyes.

In fact, he had woken up when she got out of bed but kept his eyes closed.

Listening to her quietly get out of bed and leave, with footsteps gradually fading away, seemingly heading.....

to the second floor.

A suspicion brewed in his heart.

He waited a few minutes before getting up to follow her.

The hallway on the second floor was dark, only soft light seeped through the crack of the door at the end.

Blake walked over and pushed open the slightly ajar door.

Holly stood in the middle of the room, dressed in a thin night dress.

Moonlight streamed through a gap in the not fully drawn curtains, her eyes a bit unfocused as she looked around the empty room, her fingers tracing lightly in the air.

Blake recognized the outline of the design on his tablet.

She was so absorbed that she didn’t notice him approach.

Afraid to startle her, he deliberately made his footsteps heavier.

Sure enough, Holly’s shoulders flinched at the sound, and she turned around.

She looked at him, a little surprised: "You... Why are you up?"

Blake walked up, wrapping her hands, his voice especially deep in the quiet night, "Why are you here in the middle of the night? Aren’t you afraid of catching a cold?"

With that, he led her out, closing the door behind them.

Holly let him guide her, murmuring, "You knew I wasn’t asleep?"

Blake sighed, somewhat helplessly, "Don’t I know if you’re asleep or not? It’s so quiet tonight; it’s not like you."

Holly looked down, her eyelashes casting shadows below her eyes, offering no retort.

Tonight, she was unusually compliant.

On the first day of her period, she would typically complain like a ruffled cat in bed for a long time.

First, she would lament the inhuman design of sanitary pads, then complain of backaches from lying down, afraid of leakage when on her side, finally indignantly asking why period cramps couldn’t get lost from China.

Only after completing this routine would she be ready to sleep.

But tonight, she simply found a spot in his arms and "fell asleep" quickly, the deliberately controlled breathing blatantly feigned sleep.

But he hadn’t mentioned it then, going along with her, wanting to see what she intended to do.

Blake led her back to the bedroom, seating her on the bed.

He crouched in front of her; this position allowed him to look directly into her eyes.

Blake held her hands, his tone nervous yet certain, "Holly, you saw that trending post today, didn’t you?"

Holly was silent for a moment, making no denial.

She indeed saw it, though it was quickly removed.

She had intended to pretend not to know, but then Laurel Sinclair’s congratulatory call, Ian Sinclair’s WeChat inquiry, even Josie Jacobs’ call to congratulate her.

All of it was impossible to ignore.

Seeing her acknowledgment, Blake promptly explained, "Holly, that was never my intention. I assure you, I never wanted to hint or pressure you in any way. That room, I’ll lock it up tomorrow, okay?"

He hurriedly expressed his sincerity, fearing she might misunderstand.

Listening to his flustered explanation, Holly’s heart felt both sour and soft.

She reversed her grip on his hands, looking directly into his eyes, "Blake, what about you? Do you want it?"

The question was sudden, but Blake didn’t hesitate for a second, "I only care about what you think. Only if you genuinely want it, will I look forward to it."

"Holly, remember, you will always be my number one, the only priority. Nothing and no one can surpass you."

These were not just sweet words but his heartfelt promise.

His love for her surpassed everything.

Holly, hearing his declaration, took the initiative to wrap her arms around his waist, inhaling the reassuring scent emanating from him, her voice muffled, "Give me a little more time, will you? I need some time."

She needed time to convince herself.

It’s not that she didn’t trust Blake, on the contrary, the love and security he provided exceeded her expectations.

But, the shadow of past betrayal required time to heal.

She wasn’t opposed to having her own child, but she had once lost disastrously.

Blake made her willing to believe in love again, but adding a child to the mix...

This gamble she couldn’t afford.

She feared that what-if, even if it were one in a billion.

Blake sensed her tremors and vulnerability, his heart felt like it was pricked by a needle.

He enveloped her in his arms, "No rush. We have a whole lifetime; you can take your time to think and prepare. No matter how long, I’ll wait for you. As long as you’re by my side, nothing else matters."

His promise dispelled the coldness of the night.

Gradually, Holly relaxed, nodding within his embrace.

The long night was more than half over, and dawn was breaking.

The ambiguous panting finally subsided, the air still thick with the sweet scent of post-passion.

On the disheveled bed, Shannon Yarrow’s face was flushed, yet her eyes held a tinge of emptiness.

The man beside her threw off the covers and got out of bed, strolling to the window and lighting a cigarette.

He took a drag, his narrow eyes squinting as he looked through the smoke at the woman lying on the bed, a playful smile on his lips.

He walked back to the bed, bending down, and suddenly grabbed Shannon’s chin, exhaling the smoke into her mouth.

"Cough! Cough, cough...."

Shannon was caught off guard, coughing violently.

She glared at him angrily, swatting his hand away.

The man chuckled dismissively, unfazed by her resistance, his fingers teasing her chin like a teasing a cat.

"So proactive today? Feeling down?"

"You crossed the line!"

Shannon turned away to avoid his touch.

She picked up a robe from the floor, wrapping it around herself, and walked to the wine cabinet, pouring herself a glass of strong liquor, downing it in one go.

The burning alcohol scorched from her throat to her stomach, clearing her chaotic thoughts a bit.

"Mind your own business about mine."

She said coldly, back turned to him, "How’s the thing I asked you to do coming along?"

Her voice carried a commanding tone.

The man leaned against the bedhead, lazily blowing smoke rings, "You asked so eagerly; how could I not handle it for you? Rest assured, this trending post will have ample time to ferment, you’ll be satisfied."

Shannon turned around, looking out at the dawn breaking in the sky.

The heavens split into light and dark halves.

Dawn was coming, and the undercurrents had already begun to stir.