Larissa began to look for information about new real estate projects in the city during her spare time with the intention of buying a house. She would take note whenever a property piqued her interest so that she could view the place when she had time off.Lana came to give her a gift brought back from Corinthia and happened to see her looking at properties on her computer. "Are you planning to buy a house?" Lana asked in surprise.It wasn't not something to hide or be secretive about so Larissa admitted, "Yes.""Why?" Anxiety flashed in her eyes as she asked, "Aren’t you going to marry Kevan?"Larissa was taken aback. "No. I just ... I’m investing in property now." She couldn't tell Lana that she was buying the house for herself, or else Lana would definitely suspect her relationship with Kevan. "Oh." Lana accepted her explanation without any suspicion, and added sheepishly, "Are you really not coming back to Bartham?""Yes," Larissa didn't want to delve deeper into this su
Lana squeezed in front of Larissa and shook the large bag in her hand. "Good evening, Dylan! I got this for you!"Dylan was startled by her sudden appearance but quickly regained his composure. He took the bag and smiled, saying, "That’s so thoughtful of you. Come in and have dinner with us."Kevan was waiting in the dining room, and Lana hurriedly sat next to him before Larissa and Dylan could. "Mr. Rogers, this is for you." She blushed and placed a small bag in front of Kevan.Kevan glanced at it and said, "It's too expensive." Then, he pushed the bag back and added, "Ms. Seymour, you should keep it for your boyfriend."The smile on Lana’s face froze and she explained sheepishly, "I don't have a boyfriend. Besides, I personally chose this for you. It’s not that expensive." "Even the cheapest product from this brand would cost thousands. I heard that you’re working as a manager at StreamWave Studios. The pay there isn’t that high, right? How could you afford to buy something
Larissa stiffened up and held her breath. She didn’t dare move, fearing that Dylan and Lana would see through their façade. She forced a dry smile and placed her left hand on Kevan's arm, giving it a gentle pat."What's the matter? There are other people here!" She pouted playfully. "What's wrong with that?" Kevan raised an eyebrow, his cold gaze sweeping over Dylan, who was focused on eating.Dylan buried his head even lower, and before he finished chewing the rice in his mouth, he hurriedly said, "You can ignore my entire existence!"But Larissa became even more self-conscious after hearing him say that. She tilted her head slightly and gave Kevan a sign out of Lana’s sight. Kevan gave her a warning look and then smirked, and picked up a shrimp, carefully removing the shell."Ah ..." He fed Larissa the shrimp, and she helplessly opened her mouth. While biting the shrimp, her tongue accidentally grazed his fingers. It happened quickly, and it was a short interaction. Even Lariss
Her racing heart immediately fell, and Larissa silently ate throughout the whole meal. Dylan could sense the tension in the atmosphere and tried to bring up a light-hearted topic, asking Larissa, "Do you have any plans for Christmas?""I have to work overtime," Larissa replied without hesitation. "I'm busy right now, and I probably won't be able to catch a break until after New Year's.""Oh ... So, you won't be able to come to my Christmas party?" Dylan sounded a bit disappointed. Larissa didn't want to dampen his spirits and replied, "I’ll join you guys if I get off work early that day." "Great! Remember to bring a gift for the gift exchange session. It’s quite fun!" Dylan immediately brightened up. Larissa was just being polite, but hearing him say that further strengthened her determination not to go. She suspected that his friends were probably all wealthy, and anything she bought would either be too cheap for their liking or too expensive for her to afford.Perhaps, Dylan
Before going to Dylan's house, Larissa took a trip back home to change into some comfortable clothes and took the gift she prepared. She had planned to meet Kevan at the entrance of Dylan's house, and when she arrived, Kevan was already waiting there. He stood there with his hands in his pockets, leaning against the wall.As she approached, he straightened his body and lowered his gaze onto the paper bag she was holding onto tightly. "Is this the gift you prepared?" he asked.Larissa nodded, "Yes."She glanced at his completely empty hands."Are you not joining the gift exchange?" "No, it's too boring." Kevan turned away and pressed the doorbell. Larissa pursed her lips at how stubborn he was. …Kevan and Larissa’s appearance caused a small uproar in the party. The guests present at the party were all old friends of Dylan. They were very familiar with Kevan and were very well aware of his dating life. To them, Kevan’s girlfriend was akin to a unicorn—non-existent. However, r
As Kevan spoke, the crowd burst into laughter."Oh my, who would have thought the great Mr. Rogers would be whipped by his girlfriend?""Finally, someone who can tame Kevan!""Larissa, you’re so awesome!""Any old punishment won't do! You should whip him!" A few of them chimed in among the crowd. Larissa joined in playfully, saying, "I'll consider it next time."She spoke very lightly and her laughter seemed genuine, she did not look like she was putting up an act. Kevan stole a glance at her and saw the faint smile on the corner of her lips. Her eyes were filled with joy as she no longer looked as tense as before. Perhaps the room was rather warm, as her face had turned rosy. The bright light illuminated her eyes, making them twinkle in the dimly lit room. Kevan tightened his grip around her waist, and his mouth and throat turned dry. He licked his lips and raised the glass in his hand, gulping down the remaining vodka in one go. The ice-cold liquid slid down his throat, r
She watched as Kevan downed an entire bottle of vodka with a straight face. Despite the strong alcohol, it seemed to have little effect on him. He remained upright in his seat, and his hand never loosened its grip on her waist. As the others called for another round of whiskey, Dylan interrupted and announced the next activity. "It’s time for the exchange of gifts!" This session had always been the least popular activity at his Christmas party for a very simple reason. It was an activity where a group of adult men had to prepare their own gifts out of sincerity. Oftentimes, there would be more creative gag gifts rather than actual thoughtful gifts, and almost everyone would be forced to accept whatever they were given. During such times, Dylan would always capture their exciting expressions with his camera and share them in their group chat. In previous years, everyone always lacked enthusiasm, but this year brought about a dramatic change."Great! I want to pick Larissa’s gift
In the end, Larissa left Dylan's house happily, holding a whip and a bunch of miscellaneous household items they had bought for her as a welcoming gift. Kevan walked with her, and after they left the house, she noticed that he was carrying a somewhat familiar paper bag."Isn't this the gift I brought?" she asked.She clearly remembered that the guy who drew her gift was the one who teased Kevan endlessly and poured him drinks. But how did the item end up in Kevan's hands after such a short while?"He didn't want it, so he gave it to me," Kevan said calmly.He was telling the truth, albeit omitting certain unnecessary details, such as blackmailing the guy with some information. Larissa had long noticed that he was quite well-respected amongst the group. Although they teased and joked with him, they ultimately wished him well. So, the intense commotion over her gift just now was probably just an act, a way to push his buttons. Regardless of who got it, it would eventually be give