Chapter 99
Almost instantly, Jude opened his eyes, wide awake. He checked the time. An hour had passed. He got out of bed and walked out of his room, pausing to listen at Emma's door. It was silent.
He pushed the door open and walked in.
The room was dim, and Emma was fast asleep.
He walked over and shook her awake.
"Huh?"
Emma groggily opened her eyes and reached for the bedside lamp. When she saw him, her little face scrunched up. "Hey, what are you doing?"
Jude stood by the bed with a stern expression. The thought of Victoria leaning against the headboard with Emma in her arms, reading her a bedtime story, made him furious.
"You can't sleep," he said curtly.
Emma's eyes widened. "Why? Is this how you treat a guest? I'm a guest, and you won't let me sleep? I'm going to tell Ms. Victoria!"
She had been sleeping soundly, only to be woken up by him. What a nasty kid!
"No wonder Ms. Victoria doesn't want him anymore! Hmph, I wouldn't want to be friends with a kid like this, either. So annoying!"
Jude stopped her going back to sleep, his eyes fixed on her. "What story did she tell you?"
Emma snorted. "You're so mean! Why should I tell you?"
Jude declared, "You said I was mean so I can tell my dad to kick you out, and she has to listen to him."
Emma's brow furrowed. She stared at him for a moment and said, "You're such a nasty kid. If I were Ms. Victoria, I wouldn't like you either."
Jude's face darkened. "If you say that again, I'll have my dad kick you out right now."
Emma didn't want to cause trouble for Victoria and she wanted to go back to sleep. Exasperated, she blurted out, "Snow White."
Julde frowned and thought for a moment, then suddenly said, "Tell the story to me like my Mom told you."
Emma was on the verge of tears. "You're so annoying! I want to sleep!"
She pulled out her phone. "When Ms. Victoria told the story to me, I recorded it. I'll send it to you, just don't bother me anymore!"
Jude's eyes lit up. He immediately took out his phone, received the recording file she sent, and then turned and left the room.
Emma rolled around on the bed several times in frustration, then got out of bed, ran to the door, and locked it. Only then she could sleep on the bed with peace of mind.
Jude returned to his room and lay down properly again, then clicked on the recording file.
Victoria's unique, gentle, and pleasant voice came, telling story that he thought were incredibly childish.
Eventhough he knew this story, not only did he not feel the slightest bit annoyed, but also he felt something in his heart when he listened to his Mom's gentle voice. He gradually became sleepy.
After Victoria finished reading Emma her bedtime story and left the room. She went straight to the guest room, locked the door, and then took a shower. When she came out, she saw her phone light up.
It was a picture from Sarah.
[Mrs. Harrison, Jude suddenly asked me to read him a bedtime story. I hope you don't mind. Look how soundly he's sleeping.]
"What a freaking psycho," Victoria thought, rolling her eyes. But then she recalled Sarah's previous behavior, and her eyes narrowed.
This woman was really starting to get on her nerves with her constant attempts to get under her skin, kept provoking her!
She pondered for a moment, phone in hand, and then suddenly, her eyes lit up. She had an idea.
Victoria opened the door and cautiously peeked out. The living room was empty, the main bedroom door was still open, and the study door was closed, which meant Henry was still working.
She immediately went into the main bedroom and entered the walk–in closet. Seeing the dazzling array of clothes hanging inside, she opened the box in her hand, took out a small bottle, and sprayed it on the clothes. This was her secret scent.
However, if sprayed directly into someone's eyes, it would cause a stinging pain. If sprayed on a wound, it would become incredibly itchy, making it impossible to resist scratching, and the wound would not heal.
Henry must had gone to see Sarah every day.
As long as they had a moment of contact, the fragrance would cling to Sarah.
It was a minor punishment for her, a way to disgust her.
After spraying, Victoria put away the bottle and turned to leave.
But just as she stepped out of the closet, Henry's tall figure walked in. He walked inside, unbuttoning his shirt as he went.
His healthy skin and firm, well–defined muscles were exposed before her eyes.
Her breath hitched. Why was he back now?
Henry's eyebrows rose when he saw her. He kept unbuttoning his shirt and asked in a calm voice, "Here to warm the bed?"
Victoria's face instantly darkened. "You're overthinking it," she said. "I just wanted to see if there were any clothes I could wear."
With that, she tried to walk past him.
Henry's voice came out low and cold. "You think you can come and go from my place as you please?"
With a slight tug, he pulled her close, gripping the back of her head as he leaned down.
Victoria's eyes widened. She tried to pull away, but his hand held her head firmly in place!
He captured her lips in a demanding kiss, thoroughly claiming her mouth.
Victoria's body tensed, worried he might lose control despite her being on her period.
Luckily, he seemed content with just kissing.
When he finally pulled away, his eyes had darkened with desire. Looking at her flushed face, he said in a husky voice, "Stay here tonight."
Victoria shot him a glance and replied, "What if you can't control yourself, and I end up getting sick?"
Getting intimate during that time of month could easily lead to infection!
Henry's Adam's apple bobbed as he took in her appearance. Fresh from the shower, her skin was soft, even more translucent and delicate without makeup, like a peeled egg.
Her eyes were clear, now watching him with wariness. Despite trembling from his kisses moments ago, she still kept her guard up around him.