After Rebirth, I Accept The Arranged Marriage

Chapter 200: Old Rogue

At a most inopportune time, Jessie’s mind drifted back to what Victor had said before dinner. Back in the car, before they left the company’s underground parking garage, he had practically nibbled on her ear as he spoke.

"If this weren’t the wrong place..."

Even though Victor didn’t finish the sentence, Jessie knew exactly what he wanted to say.

’Where’s that strait-laced official now?’

Jessie couldn’t help but grumble inwardly.

But she soon had no mind for such stray thoughts. When Victor noticed she was spacing out even at a time like this, his movements grew a little rougher.

Jessie lowered her head and bit down on the man’s shoulder.

Maybe it was the flowers she’d received that night that put her in such a good mood. Or perhaps her recent career success made her wrap her arms around Victor’s neck with a little extra passion.

When Victor felt the woman in his arms take the initiative, he froze for a second. The next moment, he held Jessie tight, as if they had walked straight into a tempest.

The storm had arrived, and it raged all night without rest.

Jessie had no idea what time she had finally fallen asleep last night. All she remembered was tussling with Victor for a long, long time—so long that it seemed every corner of the room bore their traces.

Even the expensive, air-freighted tulips hadn’t escaped the storm. When Jessie woke up, she saw scattered petals all over the floor, looking utterly tragic.

Clutching the blanket, Jessie’s face flushed red.

’I didn’t even get a good look at them after we got back last night. What a shame.’

The sound of running water came from the bathroom, surprising Jessie.

Although it was the weekend, Victor usually woke up early to exercise. It was rare for him to still be showering this late, with it being nearly noon.

But soon enough, Jessie figured out why.

It was the height of summer, but their courtyard home always had its climate control system on, so it wasn’t hot.

When Jessie saw Victor walk out of the bathroom, not a single wisp of white steam followed him out.

As Victor came over and sat beside her on the bed, Jessie reached out and touched his arm. Her fingertips were met with an icy chill.

"You..." Jessie frowned. "Took a cold shower?"

Victor grunted in affirmation, then stood up and walked around the wall into the walk-in closet.

The sound of hangers clinking against the rod came from not far away. Jessie got out of bed, slipped on her slippers, and pattered over to the walk-in closet, looking like Victor’s little shadow.

"Why would you take a cold shower? That’s so bad for you!" she said.

That’s what Victor used to lecture her about! After swimming at home, she always wanted to take a quick cold rinse, but Victor caught her in the act once and gave her a talking-to. Only then did Jessie change her bad habit.

And now the very person who had lectured her was being careless with his own body.

Jessie was a little angry and poked him right in the chest.

Victor: "..."

He grabbed Jessie’s mischievous little hand, his eyes a mixture of resignation and depth.

"We’re different," Victor said in a low voice.

Jessie wanted to ask what was so different. Was this a case of "do as I say, not as I do"?

But before she could get the words out, Jessie felt Victor guide her hand downward.

Jessie: "..."

A split second later, once she realized what was happening, she let out a shriek and fled the walk-in closet.

After her escape, Jessie’s voice, laced with exasperation, echoed from the other side of the room.

"Victor Morgan! You old pervert!"

Victor, still standing there, realized his title had been upgraded once again. He’d gone from "deceptively proper" and "holier-than-thou" to... this.

However...

Victor furrowed his brow. ’Pervert is one thing, but why "old"?’

He was not pleased.

Jessie hid in the bathroom.

When she looked up and saw herself in the mirror, she froze.

She tilted her head, and the charming woman in the mirror, her face flushed like a peach blossom, tilted her head back.

She curled her lips into a smile, and the woman in the mirror, whose eyes still seemed to carry the flush of passion, smiled back.

’Is this how I look in front of Victor?’

Jessie was a little startled.

She had almost forgotten what the woman she’d seen in the mirror looked like back when she woke up in that big bed at the old house in Southaven.

In just over a year, she seemed to have changed so much.

The bad memories from her past seemed to have stopped bothering her ever since Victor appeared.

It was as if she had completely severed ties with her former self and no longer cared.

Like she had completely let go.

This thought suddenly barged into Jessie’s mind, leaving her stunned for a good while.

Standing under the showerhead, memories of last night came flooding back.

Jessie thought of the once-again-empty drawer, and of Victor’s frustrated yet forcibly restrained movements last night. The water from the showerhead suddenly felt too hot, making her whole body burn.

While they were having lunch, Jessie suddenly received a call from an unknown number.

She answered it, and after hearing what the person on the other end said, she walked toward the main gate, curious.

The courtyard gate was rarely used. As Jessie took a large bouquet from the delivery person, it suddenly clicked.

Yesterday, she had been lamenting the fate of all those tulips in the car. Victor had said that if she liked them so much, he would send her a bouquet every day from now on.

She had thought he was just saying it casually. But now, looking at the enormous bouquet in her hands, she realized that Victor never said things he didn’t mean.

When Jessie returned to the dining room with the flowers, Victor didn’t seem surprised.

He glanced at Jessie’s expression, and upon confirming that the bouquet had hit the mark, he let out a subtle sigh of relief.

Ordering tulips on such short notice was impossible, even with air freight. He’d been a little worried about whether he could even get a bouquet of Freud roses.

"Will I get these every day?" Jessie asked as she sat back down next to Victor.

"If you like them, you will," Victor replied.

Jessie smiled.

"So, are we really going to the island next month?" Jessie asked.

She changed subjects quickly, but luckily, Victor was able to keep up.

"Yes. If you want to go, we’ll go," Victor said.

Jessie: "Just the two of us?"

Victor gave her a strange look. "Isn’t this a make-up honeymoon? Who goes on a honeymoon with three people? Or four?"

Victor was genuinely worried that Jessie would, on a whim, invite someone like Lynn Jennings along. It might end up like their New Year’s ski trip, where the two of them were followed by a massive entourage.