Chapter 11

Nick Arthur glanced quietly at Simone Milton. His gaze was so sharp, as if he wanted to see through this woman completely. In the end, he decided to give up.

He let out a deep sigh and said, “Since you’re not willing, I won’t force you! But I still hope that one day you’ll realize that environment isn’t right for you.”

“There’s nothing that’s suitable or not suitable. It’s simply a matter of whether one is willing or not. So, Mr. Arthur, please stop saying such things to me in the future!” Simone Milton said this with a smile. “If I hadn’t known any better, I might have thought that you had improper thoughts toward me, Mr. Arthur!”

She made a casual joke, and even she couldn’t help but laugh out loud. She thought to herself that what she said was simply hilarious.

Who is this Nick Arthur anyway? He can’t get what he wants no matter how hard he tries. Simone Milton’s saying these things only to bring shame upon herself!

With these thoughts in mind, Simone Milton said to Nick Arthur, a little embarrassed: “In short, Mr. Arthur, I appreciate all your kindness toward me. But unfortunately, I cannot accept it.”

After saying those words, she simply sat down in her chair and waited for the work to proceed.

But to her surprise, this time, Nick Arthur didn’t seem to have any tricks up his sleeve. He didn’t get straight to the point like he usually did. Instead, he clearly wanted to continue the conversation with her.

Nick Arthur suddenly grabbed Simone Milton’s hand and said seriously, “I hope you won’t reject my kindness…”

It was clear he wanted to say something more, but in the end, he failed to bring his thoughts to completion. He stopped speaking halfway through.

Perhaps at that moment, Simone Milton’s gaze was filled with determination, leaving him unable to say anything further. Or maybe he was moved by Simone Milton’s attitude. In any case, he suddenly realized that forcing Simone Milton like this was actually pointless.

“Never mind, you can get to work now…” Nick Arthur said, then leaned his head on Simone Milton’s shoulder and fell asleep comfortably.

No matter how many times she watched it, Simone Milton always found it odd that Nick Arthur could fall asleep so quickly. She really couldn’t understand why she felt such an attraction to Nick Arthur.

This might be a profoundly mysterious question, perhaps one that can never be answered.

With these thoughts in mind, Simone Milton couldn’t help but stare at Nick Arthur’s face, covered completely by the mask.

Perhaps because it was covered too tightly, Simone Milton always felt a kind of indescribable mystery about him. This made her extremely curious about what Nick Arthur’s lower face actually looked like.

Logically speaking, Nick Arthur, with such beautiful eyes, should have a fairly good appearance. But the original story clearly states that Nick Arthur isn’t good-looking at all.

Such contradictory feelings made her feel restless. Especially when she saw this once cold man sleeping peacefully in her arms, her longing grew even stronger.

She wanted to remove the man’s mask. She wanted to see what his true face really looked like.

In her mind, a voice kept repeating: “I’ll just lift a corner slightly, take a quick look, and then put it back. Nick Arthur definitely won’t notice what I’ve done. So, I can give it a try, right?”

Perhaps because this voice had been repeated too many times, it completely brainwashed Simone Milton into thinking: Yes, that’s right. Just taking a quick look won’t cause any problems.

With this thought in mind, Simone Milton, who usually behaved nicely, deliberately glanced at the driver sitting in front. She noticed that neither the driver nor the bodyguard sitting next to him were paying any attention to what was happening behind them. She knew her chance had come.

If she misses this opportunity, it’s likely she’ll never have another chance to see what Nick Arthur really looks like!

With such thoughts in mind, her hand trembled slightly as she slowly lifted Nick Arthur’s mask. For the first time, she saw Nick Arthur’s true face completely.

To her surprise, Nick Arthur wasn’t ugly at all. In fact, he could even be described as handsome.

“Stunning” was a word that would firmly remain in her mind, causing her to completely forget the original text in the book, as well as all her previous speculations.

On his smooth, fair chin, his naturally rosy lips were slightly raised. His nose was very straight and handsome. Combined with his beautiful eyes, it’s hard to find a man in the world who could be more handsome than him.

At least in Simone Milton’s eyes, even Alberta Arthur couldn’t compare to the man standing before her.

Without a doubt, such a handsome face is a wonderful gift from heaven. The man before me is clearly heaven’s favorite.

Once Nick Arthur reveals his true self, I’m afraid no woman in the world will be able to refuse his requests. It’s simply a devastating weapon, without equal.

Moreover, her initial impression of Nick Arthur was that of the villainous man with a disfigured face, who was also lame and disabled, as depicted in the original story. But reality gave her a harsh wake-up call.

The man isn’t only not disfigured or ugly, but actually quite handsome. This makes people wonder why he hides his face behind a mask.

Why would someone rather endure others’ guesses about their ugly appearance than show their true face?

That’s impossible. It must be some kind of quirk unique to that big shot!

Lost in thought, Simone Milton stared at Nick Arthur’s face, while a storm of emotions swept through her mind.

“What are you doing? What are you doing to my husband?” The bodyguard, who glanced back occasionally, was shocked upon seeing Simone Milton’s actions. He immediately demanded to know what she was doing.

Caught red-handed, Simone Milton, in her excitement, completely removed her mask. She quickly tried to explain, “Please, I can explain everything…”

And before she could finish explaining, Nick Arthur, who had been sleeping soundly, suddenly opened his eyes.

Nick Arthur, who was awakened by the noise, soon realized that the mask he relied on for his daily needs was gone. This was extremely uncomfortable for him, and he even felt like losing his temper.

“Where’s my mask? Who took it without my permission?” Nick Arthur, suddenly awake, spoke in a panicked voice.

“Sorry, Mr. Arthur. I didn’t mean to. I was just too curious…” Seeing how shocked the other man was, Simone Milton realized too late that she might have done something wrong. She immediately tried to calm him down.

She immediately picked up the mask that had accidentally fallen off and handed it to Nick Arthur.

She apologized to Nick Arthur with sincerity: “I’m truly sorry, Mr. Arthur. I know my actions offended you deeply. Whatever punishment you want to impose on me, I’ll accept it! Please, don’t be angry anymore.”

After receiving Simone Milton’s apology, Nick Arthur acted as if he hadn’t heard anything. He simply put on his mask. With the mask in place, he was finally able to get rid of his previous state of anxiety.

“I’m truly sorry, Mr. Arthur. If you want to punish me, I accept everything. It was indeed my fault. Please forgive me! I was just too curious, which led to this mistake. I’m sorry for offending you!” Simone Milton kept admitting her mistakes.

She wasn’t afraid of Nick Arthur, nor was she upset that he took his anger out on those around her because of what happened this time. What really troubled her was realizing how awful it felt to have one’s privacy violated.

It’s indeed her fault in this matter.

She clearly knew how uncomfortable it was when someone snooped into one’s privacy. Yet, she couldn’t resist her curiosity and couldn’t control her hands from crossing the line.

That’s why she’s willing to admit her mistakes so openly.

Nick Arthur, who had his mask on, wasn’t as furious as Simone Milton had expected. He sat there listlessly, saying not a word.

Nick Arthur in this state is completely abnormal.

Simone Milton would rather have Nick Arthur scold her for her shamelessness, rebuke and punish her, than ever see him again, after she had crossed the line and become such a strange person.

“Mr. Arthur, I’m truly sorry… Please don’t do this. I’m worried about you…” Watching Nick Arthur, who seemed utterly depressed, Simone Milton felt overwhelmed with guilt.

For a moment, she didn’t know what she could do to help Nick Arthur return to his normal state. But one thing was certain: Nick Arthur must have gone through something that caused him to become like this.

It must be something extremely serious. Otherwise, Nick Arthur would never be so downcast over something as simple as not having a mask.

“I…” Simone Milton, somewhat panicked, stepped forward, trying to touch Nick Arthur. But Nick Arthur, who was very sensitive, pushed her away forcefully.

Nick Arthur didn’t hold back his force in that strike. As a result, Simone Milton’s hand was now so sore that it felt almost numb.

But even so, she couldn’t show it. She endured the pain and smiled at Nick Arthur. “Mr. Arthur, don’t be afraid. I won’t do anything to you. I just want to see how you’re doing right now.”

As if completely waking up from the chaos of earlier, Nick Arthur looked at Simone Milton with a somewhat apologetic expression.

“I’m sorry, I might have made you hurt by asking you to take photos. I hope you don’t mind… That’s all for today’s work. I’ll take a day off…” Nick Arthur said this while asking the driver to take him home.

Simona Milton, who had been given a day off, wasn’t happy at all. She felt that her behavior was truly unacceptable, and she wanted to make amends for the harm she had caused.

So, on a whim, Simone Milton hugged Nick Arthur, who was clearly still full of anger.

She said, “I know that it’s truly despicable of me to do such things and then pretend to apologize. I don’t expect Mr. Arthur to forgive all the trouble I’ve caused. But I want to make amends in my own way. Consider this hug as a gift for you!”

After saying those words, Simone Milton got out of the car without looking back.

After being hugged tightly, Nick Arthur’s expression of surprise hadn’t faded yet. He even felt like he couldn’t understand this woman anymore. Before this, he had known every detail about her by heart.

This feeling is absolutely wonderful. And what’s most amazing is that, when this woman touched and hugged him, he didn’t feel the disgust he used to feel.

This woman is truly amazing. She’s so incredible that he, who initially saw her merely as a temporary source of comfort, now finds himself instinctively pursuing her presence.

It wasn’t until Simone Milton’s figure completely disappeared that Nick Arthur reluctantly told the driver to drive back.

On the way back, the driver glanced in the rearview mirror and asked Nick Arthur, who seemed in a very good mood: “Boss, should we do something to Miss Milton…”

He wanted to ask Nick Arthur whether they should get rid of Simone Milton, who now knew Nick Arthur’s true identity. This would ensure that Simone Milton would never be able to reveal Nick Arthur’s secrets.

Although this was a cruel act, the driver didn’t see anything wrong with it. If anyone was to be blamed, it was Simone Milton herself, for being careless enough to do something she shouldn’t have.

After pondering for a long time, Nick Arthur realized that he couldn’t bring himself to get rid of Simone Milton, who now knew his greatest secret.

Although he still wasn’t sure what the reason was, he decided to follow his heart and told the driver to ignore the matter altogether.

“I have my own opinions on this matter. You shouldn’t meddle!” Nick Arthur said. Then, he couldn’t help but recall that warm embrace from earlier.

The driver, being an outsider, could see everything clearly. But after taking a glance, he clearly seemed lost in his own memories. Nick Arthur, who was smiling, ultimately didn’t express his thoughts.

In his opinion, there are some things that Nick Arthur needs to figure out on his own. No matter how much advice others give, it won’t be very effective.

Nick Arthur, who had no idea what the driver was thinking, had his mind wandering wildly. He even began to look forward to meeting Simone Milton the next day—a thing he had never done before.

But whenever Nick Arthur thought of such a scene, he couldn’t help but smile from the bottom of his heart.

Just as Nick Arthur had faintly hoped, the next day finally arrived. Time seemed to pass slowly by. In the afternoon, he received another call from Simone Milton.

But this time, Simone Milton’s attitude toward him seemed even more cautious and distanced. This left Nick Arthur, who had been full of anticipation, feeling as though someone had poured a bucket of cold water on him.

He didn’t like her at all. She was overly cautious around him, and even seemed to be trying to please him in a somewhat insincere way. Simone Milton.

But in reality, over the years, he’s experienced plenty like this. Logically speaking, he should be used to it by now.

Nick Arthur couldn’t figure it out. Or rather, he actually had a vague suspicion, but he didn’t dare to admit it.

After a long silence, Nick Arthur finally couldn’t hold back any longer.

He said to Simone Milton, “Please don’t treat me in this way. You treated me the same way before, and now you’re doing it again! Your behavior makes me very uncomfortable.”

Upon hearing this, Simone Milton’s expression remained unchanged. She lowered her gaze and said, “No, I still think it’s better if we keep our distance, so as to prevent what happened yesterday from happening again.”

“If it’s because of what happened yesterday, I don’t blame you… You don’t need to be so careful around me!” Hearing Simone Milton say this, Nick Arthur sighed and continued speaking.

In an impulsive moment, in an attempt to prevent Simone Milton from saying anything else he didn’t like, Nick Arthur actually hugged her.

This embrace lasted only a few seconds. Soon, Nick Arthur released Simone Milton from his arms. He said awkwardly, “You said yesterday that you wanted to give me a hug. Now, I’ve given you one in return! So, let’s go back to how we used to get along.”

Perhaps it was Nick Arthur’s nervous demeanor that touched Simone Milton a little. Or maybe it was simply the fact that Nick Arthur seemed so endearing that she couldn’t help but find him funny.

With a “pfft”, she couldn’t hold back her laughter anymore and burst out laughing right in Nick Arthur’s face.

Realizing her mistake, she gently turned her head, blinked her eyes, stuck out her tongue, clasped her hands together, and apologized to Nick Arthur with a smile on her face.

“Sorry, sorry! Mr. Arthur, who seems so formidable, has such a side to him as well. It’s really amusing. I just couldn’t help myself. I hope you won’t mind too much!” Simone Milton said in a playful manner.

“Is that so surprising?” After hearing Simone Milton say that, Nick Arthur started thinking subconsciously. Although he didn’t understand what Simone Milton found funny, it seemed like she liked him just the way he was.

Thinking that Simone Milton might prefer him this way, his heart started trembling violently, and his heartbeat became completely uncontrollable.

Nick Arthur subconsciously shook his head, trying to get rid of all those chaotic thoughts in his mind.

But his mind simply couldn’t get rid of these thoughts: What am I thinking? Why am I thinking these things? After all, the relationship between us is merely one of employer and employee. How could Simone Milton possibly like him like this? It’s completely ridiculous!

Simone Milton had no idea how Nick Arthur’s expression kept changing from moment to moment. Nor could she figure out what Nick Arthur was thinking at that moment.

When she suddenly saw Nick Arthur shaking his head, she thought he might be displeased with her flirtatious behavior.

“Uh… Mr. Arthur, do you not like it when I say these things? If I’ve offended you, then I won’t say such nonsense again next time!” Simone Milton promised earnestly.

Nick Arthur, coming back to his senses, coughed a few times, feeling a bit guilty after hearing Simone Milton say that. Then he said coldly, “No, you look just fine like this.”

“Is that so?” Simone Milton was skeptical about what Nick Arthur said.

No matter how you look at it, Nick Arthur’s attitude just now doesn’t seem to suggest that he thinks she’s fine the way she is.

Could it be that Nick Arthur was thinking about how to hurt her? Such thoughts flashed through her mind, but she quickly dismissed them.

Apart from the initial moment when Nick Arthur acted like a human pillow, and her slight resistance at that time, as well as her inadvertent offense against Nick Arthur yesterday, it seems like she hasn’t offended him anywhere else…

As she thought this, she wasn’t comforted in the slightest. On the contrary, the more she thought about it, the more she believed that maybe Nick Arthur pretended not to care on the surface, but actually hated her deeply inside.

That’s terrible… Simone Milton felt like she was doomed.

Simona Milton, who had been lost in thought for too long, didn’t notice that Nick Arthur, whom she suspected of having ulterior motives, was staring intently at her changing expressions the entire time.

Perhaps tired from staring, Nick Arthur reached out his hand and gently swept it in front of Simone Milton’s eyes.

“What are you thinking? Why does your expression keep changing?” Nick Arthur couldn’t help but ask Simone Milton.

The more he observed Simone Milton, the more he realized how much she brought to him in terms of new experiences and surprises.

Before this, he never thought that one day he would be able to stare at a girl for a long time without feeling bored.

It’s as though this person was born with the ability to restrain themselves, to break away from the rules that governed their actions in the past.

Still not fully recovered, Simone Milton replied casually, “I wonder why Mr. Arthur keeps wearing a mask!”

In such a moment, when the words were spoken without any thought, Simone Milton, who realized what had happened only later, noticed that the atmosphere in the car had suddenly become tense.

The driver and bodyguard sitting in the front didn’t even dare to breathe loudly. They couldn’t help but turn their heads and cast sympathetic glances at Simone Milton.

That look wasn’t concealed at all, and Simone Milton saw it clearly. This made her feel even more uneasy.

She couldn’t help but want to travel back in time and knock out that silent version of herself!

Feeling completely hopeless, Simone Milton covered her face with her hands. Her voice was weak and trembling as she said to Nick Arthur, “Mr. Arthur, I didn’t mean any of what I said just now. Please, don’t take it seriously! I didn’t…”

Simone Milton hadn’t finished her explanation when she heard Nick Arthur, sitting next to her, ask her after a long silence, “Why are you so curious?”

She slightly parted her fingers and peeked at Nick Arthur through the gap. Thinking that he might not be too angry, Simone Milton replied in a trembling voice, “I just think it’s a shame. Mr. Arthur is quite good-looking. It would be a pity if no one got to see that!”

After saying those words, Simone Milton felt like dying again. She couldn’t help but want to slap herself a few times.

The little voice in her head was screaming frantically: “Simona Milton, Simona Milton! What on earth is wrong with you?! If you can’t speak, then don’t talk at all! Oh no, Mr. Arthur will definitely think you’re trying to flirt with him. He’ll be even angrier!”

When she saw Nick Arthur raising his hand, she became even more certain of her guess. She even instinctively closed her eyes, trying to block the upcoming slap.

However, the expected slap never landed on her. Instead, she felt a warm hand placed on the top of her head.

“Since you seem so disappointed, then from now on, I’ll allow you to admire my face alone, how about that?” Nick Arthur’s deep, slightly distant, yet magnetic voice echoed endlessly in Simone Milton’s ears, instantly making her blood rush to her head.

Simona Milton, whose ear tips felt like they were being scalded, couldn’t help but wail inwardly: “That’s a foul! How can Mr. Arthur be so unfair!”

A moment later, Nick Arthur pushed aside Simone Milton’s hands, which were covering her face. He gently lifted her chin, meeting her eyes with a determined gaze. His tone made it impossible to refuse.

Nick Arthur said, “Now, tell me your answer! Let me make it clear up front: I won’t accept any refusal as an answer.”

When her eyes met Nick Arthur’s star-like, mesmerizing gaze, Simone Milton’s cheeks turned red, unable to hide her reaction. This man’s hormones were completely out of control.

Why didn’t I notice before that this man is so good at flirting?

“I am willing, Mr. Arthur,” Simone Milton replied, though her voice was extremely soft.

Even so, such a faint sound was still captured by Nick Arthur.

“A clever answer.” There was a hint of approval in Nick Arthur’s voice.

Although this was exactly the answer he wanted to hear, hearing Simone Milton give such an answer still filled him with joy.

Fortunately, he’s already accustomed to not showing his emotions. Even better, he’s wearing a mask on his face right now. Otherwise, it would be too embarrassing.

As if trying to hide something, he cleared his throat and casually glanced at the clock in the car. Only then did he realize that he had already spent nearly two hours interacting with Simone Milton.

According to his plan, he wanted to talk with Simone Milton for half an hour, so that Simone wouldn’t be so awkward around him. But in the end, he ended up spending much more time than he had planned.

And yet, he didn’t feel the slightest bit distressed. He thought that even if he continued to chat with Simone Milton like this, spending all the working hours specified in the contract on talking, it wouldn’t matter at all.

In the end, Nick Arthur gave in to his thoughts. Pretending as if he hadn’t noticed that he was interacting with Simone Milton too much, he continued to interact with her.

“Then do you want to see me take off my mask now?” Nick Arthur said, his hand already on the edge of his mask. If Simone Milton said she wanted to see, he would fulfill her wish.

Even now, his hands were trembling slightly. Even though his heart was filled with tension and even resistance.

He thought that as long as Simone Milton wanted to see it, no matter how difficult the process might be, he would surely be able to overcome it.

In his self-deceiving thoughts, the reason he was willing to go to such extremes for Simone Milton was simply out of admiration for her.

Because of his admiration for this woman, he was willing to indulge her requests out of kindness. It was because of his admiration for Simone Milton that he felt so thrilled when she gave a positive answer.

“You don’t need to be polite with me. Since I’ve promised you, I’ll definitely keep my word!” said Nick Arthur.

To be honest, Simone Milton was very tempted by Nick Arthur’s words. After all, everyone has a love for beauty.

Just as she was about to answer, Simone Milton noticed Nick Arthur’s trembling hands and the fine sweat that kept beading on his forehead.

Nick Arthur was nervous! He was reluctant to take off his mask! Realizing this, Simone Milton immediately changed what she was about to say.

“No need. I’ve already seen it once yesterday, so my curiosity has been satisfied. Mr. Arthur, you don’t have to force yourself to take off your mask just because of some so-called promise!” Simone Milton said, wearing a radiant smile.

Hearing Nick Arthur’s reply, Nick felt relieved, yet also a sweet sense of pleasure, just like enjoying an ice cream on a hot day.

He felt as though his heart had melted like candy named Simone Milton. The smile of this woman was firmly etched in his mind.

Nick Arthur knew that, probably for the rest of his life, he would never be able to forget such a beautiful smile.

“Has anyone ever told you that your smile is beautiful? No one can resist your charm.” Nick Arthur said these words with a hint of admiration.

“No, this is the first time I’ve ever received praise like this. Thank you, Mr. Arthur.” Simone Milton said, her smile becoming even brighter.

She wasn’t really lying either. After all, since coming to this world, Nick Arthur was indeed the first person to praise her like that.

“Oh, before I knew it, I’ve been talking with Mr. Arthur for so long. In another hour or two, my working hours will be over. Mr. Arthur, you should take a break! I can see you have quite dark circles under your eyes…” Finally realizing that nearly half a day had passed, Simone Milton immediately spoke to Nick Arthur.

In reality, Nick Arthur had many more things he wanted to talk about with Simone Milton. But seeing her concerned expression, he ended up keeping everything to himself.

He nodded and rested his head on Simone Milton’s lap, just as he had done before.

But it’s also possible that it was because of the overly ambiguous words Nick Arthur had said to Simone Milton earlier. Although these actions were no different from those he had taken before, they made Simone Milton feel completely stiff.

She could even feel Nick Arthur’s gentle breaths on her arm.

Simone Milton felt quite uncomfortable. She even wanted to adjust Nick Arthur’s sleeping position so that she wouldn’t feel so awkward. But with the bodyguard sitting in the front row watching her closely, she ultimately decided not to do anything.

She tried hard to ignore that strange feeling, but the more she tried to ignore it, the more pronounced it became.

I’m doomed! That was the only thought that kept echoing in Simone Milton’s mind.

These one or two hours seemed incredibly long to her at that moment. When work finally ended, she couldn’t wait to wake Nick Arthur up, who was still asleep.

But before she could finish her gesture, the bodyguard beside her gently stopped her.

The serious-looking bodyguard spoke gently to Simone Milton, “Miss Milton, I hope you’d be willing to work overtime. We’ll pay you extra for it. Please let my boss rest for now.”

“But…” Simone Milton glanced outside, where it had become quite dark, and hesitated for a moment.

“Don’t worry, we’ll personally take you back when the time comes. Please understand our boss—he had a hard life when he was young…” The bodyguard paused for a moment before continuing.

“As you can see, the Boss feels secure only when wearing a mask. This is due to psychological issues from his childhood, which have led to his current state. Over the years, you’ve been the only one who’s been able to get close to the Boss like this. So, I hope you’ll continue to be close to him…” The bodyguard said this with a sigh on his face.

After finishing his sighs, he immediately turned to Simone Milton and said, “Of course, Miss Milton, please rest assured. I say this only because I hope that you’ll do whatever you can to help my boss. This is a personal request from me. Please, help him out!”

“Me? Really, can I do this?” Simone Milton hesitated. She wasn’t Katie Adams after all. Without any “heroic aura,” could she really help Nick Arthur?