novelraw Chapter 38: The Gentle Lure
Chapter 38: The Gentle Lure
Celia deliberately refrained from calling him ’Silas’ in front of June Coleman.
She stood at the main entrance of the Shepherd Family estate. At first, June Coleman waited with her and tactfully inquired:
"Is Kade coming to pick you up, or is it the Eldest Young Master Norwood? Cece, if you don’t like the environment at the Shepherd’s, I can arrange a private table for you in the second-floor restaurant so you can have dinner before you leave. You barely ate anything at the banquet."
"It’s not my brother, and it’s not Declan Nash," Celia murmured. "If you’re busy, Mom, you can go. Don’t worry about me."
June Coleman was about to speak when the butler hurried out. "Madam, Miss Nia just tripped on her dress and fell. She’s scraped her knee."
"Oh, that child..." June Coleman’s face filled with worry. Without even a thought of saying goodbye to Celia, she rushed back into the banquet hall.
Celia watched her back until she disappeared, noting that she never once looked back. She slowly withdrew her gaze. Despite wearing a long gown, she felt a chill in her heart as the night wind swept over her.
A black Phantom came into view.
Celia’s gaze swept over the license plate, a symbol of wealth and power, and the discreet Norwood Family crest on the car’s body. Once the car came to a steady stop at the Shepherd Family’s main entrance, the tall and imposing driver respectfully opened the rear passenger door for her.
Celia got into the car. In the back seat, Silas Norwood was dressed in incredibly well-made black casual wear, giving him the air of a devoted family man. His gentle gaze fell upon her.
"New car?" Celia asked casually.
The car started, and the privacy partition slid up.
Only then did Silas hum in agreement. "I bought all the classic models from this brand. I just don’t usually drive them."
He studied her expression. "You didn’t eat well?"
Celia hummed, her voice glum. "I feel exhausted every time I see Ms. Coleman."
Silas chuckled when he heard her refer to her own mother so formally. "Still in the mood for a movie?" he asked softly.
Celia nodded. "Yes. And I don’t just want to see a movie—I want popcorn, too."
Silas: "Okay. We’ll get it."
His voice was crisp yet gentle, and Celia’s mood instantly brightened. "Can I get a Coke, too?" she added.
A smile was in Silas’s eyes. "Done."
Celia’s spirits soared, though she felt a little sheepish. "Making you eat all this junk food with me..."
"A little indulgence now and then is fine. What’s most important is that you’re happy, Cece." Silas paused briefly. "We’ve still got half an hour until we get to the theater. Would you like to rest against me?"
Celia looked at him. He always buttoned his shirts all the way to the collar, but today—perhaps because it was his day off—the top two buttons were undone. The look gave him a relaxed air, and his posture was less formal than usual, touched with a hint of languor.
The space in the car was tight, and they were already sitting close together. Wisps of a crisp, clean scent wafted from him. Celia couldn’t resist leaning closer, so close that his unique fragrance seemed to tickle at her heart, until she finally cleared her throat.
"Silas, I’ll be giving you a gift in a couple of days."
A flicker of light, like a fleeting shadow, passed through Silas’s amber eyes. He didn’t ask what the gift was, but his pleasure was obvious. "I’m looking forward to it, Cece."
Celia fell silent. She sat nestled close to him, her gaze uncontrollably drawn to the collar of his shirt. Out of professional habit, she began to mentally deconstruct his unique scent.
But being that handsome was practically a sin.
Even though Silas’s expression was composed and his bearing refined, Celia found herself growing mesmerized. Her gaze drifted from his collarbones to his sharp Adam’s apple, and then upward to that Moonlight face of his...
Silas, seemingly oblivious, slowly toyed with the black thumb ring on his finger. It was only when Celia unconsciously leaned closer and closer that he casually reached up and fastened the top two buttons of his shirt.
Celia snapped back to reality and immediately sat up straight.
"Cece," Silas said, as if he hadn’t noticed her momentary lapse. He continued with casual small talk, "Do you want ice in your Coke?"
Celia was stunned for a second, only then realizing they had arrived at the entrance to the movie theater.
She felt a little awkward. "Yes, please."
The Norwood Family had its own chain of movie theaters. The Phantom took a private access route directly into an exclusive parking area at the very back. Silas got out and offered her his hand.
After a moment’s hesitation, Celia hooked a single one of his fingers and walked with him into the ultra-VIP screening room. The theater manager was already waiting inside, respectfully holding a tablet.
"Wait here a moment, Cece. I’m going to get the popcorn and Coke." Silas motioned for the manager to hand over the tablet. "These are all the latest releases. You can go ahead and choose, Cece."
"Just have a bodyguard bring them in," Celia said, looking at the dizzying array of films. She was having trouble deciding. "You can help me choose."
"If I let the bodyguards do something as simple as getting popcorn and Coke," Silas sighed, "then what good am I as a boyfriend?"
He’d said ’boyfriend,’ not ’fiancé.’ Though his tone was perfectly casual, Celia’s heart gave a little jump.
Silas soon returned with a large bucket of popcorn and two Cokes.
Celia waved him over. "Silas, I’ve narrowed it down to three, but I can’t decide. Come take a look."
Silas lowered his gaze and obligingly read the synopses for the three films. "Cece, just go with your gut and pick one for now. We can come back for the others in a few days."
Celia looked at the three movies she’d chosen. They were all arthouse dramas or corporate thrillers, the sort of thing that seemed suitable for a ’flower on a high peak’ like Silas. She had even discussed it with Quinn Sinclair yesterday, and Quinn, a veteran film aficionado, had given advice that smacked of someone trying to stir up trouble:
"Going to the movies with your personal ’Mr. Fireworks’? For the first time? You absolutely have to pick something steamy! Get the emotions running high, and then... dry tinder meets a blazing fire, am I right? Tsk, tsk..."
"Shut up. No sex scenes," Celia cut her off. "He’s conservative. It would scare him. I don’t even dare use my usual crude language around him."
"He’s *that* innocent?" Quinn sounded skeptical. "Celia, no man is that pure. They might look all prim and proper, but who knows what kind of trash is running through their minds..."
"He’s the pure Moonlight in the heavens, and you want me to drag him into the gutter." Celia was getting annoyed. "Just picture Silas Norwood. Be serious for a second."
"Well, if he’s like Silas Norwood, then of course one wouldn’t dare to have impure thoughts." Quinn dropped the teasing tone. "As for clean films, I do know three or four..."
And one of those three or four movies was right there on Celia’s selection screen.
"Let’s go with this one," she said, pointing at the screen. Then, she asked the manager out of curiosity, "Your film library seems a bit incomplete, though. I can’t find a lot of the newest releases on here."
The manager replied seriously, "The ultra-VIP theater only shows curated masterpieces."
And they were the uncut versions, which could typically only be seen overseas.
"Go and prepare it," Silas instructed casually. "Everyone, leave."
The bodyguards and the manager filed out. In the enormous screening room, Silas chose a seat with the best view, placed the popcorn and Cokes on the coffee table, and settled next to Celia on a luxurious loveseat.
A few minutes later, the massive screen lit up.
"Quinn told me about this movie. She said it has a real arthouse vibe," Celia said, turning to Silas during the opening credits. "Do you think you’ll like it, Silas?"
Silas was elegantly taking a sip of his Coke. In the dim light, his lips glistened slightly from the drink, and his expression was hard to make out, but his reply was earnest:
"I’m sure I will."