Chapter 13

Selena Thorne slumped on the sofa, feeling a mix of emotions. At this point, she had already agreed to become Eloise Rhodes’s girlfriend. There was no point in worrying about who had leaked the number. She rubbed her sore back and said weakly to Adrian Thorne, “Adrian, could you fill the bathtub for me? I’m too tired to move.”

Adrian Thorpe immediately stepped forward, his gaze tinged with ambiguity and curiosity. He asked in a low voice, “Second sister, have you and Eloise Rhodes… been intimate?”

The question was so blunt and explicit that Selena Thorne’s cheeks turned red. She glared at her angrily. “What are you even thinking? I just went out with him for a walk. Nothing happened at all.”

“I knew it!” Adrian Thorpe immediately felt relieved, a smug smile appearing on her face. She turned around and rushed into the bathroom, skipping along happily. In her mind, she was younger, prettier, and more charming than Selina Thorpe. If even she hadn’t caught Eloise Rhodes’ attention, how could Eloise possibly choose Selina, who was inferior to her in every way?

Selena Thorpe didn’t hear the muttering behind her. All she felt was exhaustion. In her eyes, Adrian Thorpe might be a bit vain and spoiled, but he wasn’t really bad-hearted. She never imagined that her own sister would scheme against her behind her back.

Meanwhile, at the Rhodes family villa, Eloise Rhodes returned home unusually early—at 1 a.m. It was the first time in his adult life that he’d come home so late. Usually, at this time, he would either be at a bar socializing or in some woman’s bed, returning home in the morning to change clothes before going to work.

It wasn’t that the Rhodes parents didn’t care about him. It’s just that once a child grows up, they can no longer be controlled by their parents. The Dragon Mother used to constantly nag him, but no matter what she said, Eloise Rhodes paid no attention. Frustrated, the Dragon Mother took her husband on a world tour, thinking that if she couldn’t see him, she wouldn’t have to worry about him. The head of the Rhodes family could only do nothing but let things be. After all, he had been young once himself and knew how young people behaved: the more you try to control them, the more rebellious they become.

In Eloise Rhodes’s room, the sound of water filling the bathroom was heard clearly. The cold showerhead poured down refreshing water, providing the perfect relief on a hot summer day. The cool droplets fell onto his fair-skinned body, sliding down his muscular chest and arms, highlighting his distinctly masculine contours.

He closed his eyes and turned off the faucet. He wiped the water droplets from his face, grabbed a large towel from nearby, and wrapped it around his lower body before stepping out of the bathroom. His wet short hair was still dripping. He wiped it off casually before sitting down on the bed. The clock on the bedside table just showed 1:30. The entire bed was neatly made, with no signs of anyone having slept there—he had almost never slept in that bed alone.

Eloise Rhodes lay down, her nose filled with the fresh scent of the sheets. It wasn’t the kind of smell one might expect from a hotel bed—nothing temporary or superficial. Nor was it like the beds of those women, always filled with strong perfume. Suddenly, she missed the scent of her own bed.

A slight soreness in his legs reminded him of the “stupid thing” he had done that night. He thought that if he took Selina Thorpe to luxury stores and jewelry shops, she would reveal her true nature, just like all the other women. She would demand things from him greedily, and if he paid, she’d give him her affection in return. For years, his relationships with those women had always been based on such monetary transactions.

To his surprise, after shopping all night, he was completely exhausted. Meanwhile, Selena Thorp didn’t want anything he bought her. He had carefully chosen the most popular brand bag of the year, thinking she would be overjoyed. After all, he had already given away countless identical bags this year. But Selena Thorp took one look, said “I don’t like it,” and simply hung the bag back where it was.

Later, when they visited a jewelry store, he picked out the most expensive and dazzling diamond jewelry. But she refused again, saying it wasn’t attractive enough. He then chose a more subtle and simple piece that suited her style. Yet, she dismissed it as “too fancy to wear to work” and put it back on the shelf untouched.

Eloise Rhodes frowned, thinking to herself. It seemed he’d been too hasty and too obvious in his intentions. That had alerted Selina Thorpe. This woman was far more cunning than he’d imagined. To resist the temptation of designer jewelry was impressive enough to make him see her in a new light.

“Hmph, she acts pretty convincing.” Eloise Rhodes snorted coldly, a hint of amusement in her eyes. “I’ll invite her out again tomorrow and let her decide where to go. I don’t believe she can keep up this act forever. Sooner or later, her true nature will reveal itself.”

After the two-day holiday, Selena Thorp returned to work at the hospital on time. Logically, just two days apart shouldn’t have caused any changes among her colleagues. But as soon as she stepped through the hospital doors, she felt uneasy. Everyone was looking at her with a strange, ambiguous gaze. She was sure of that look.

The uncle in the guard room at the entrance sized her up from head to toe, his gaze complicated. In the end, he simply shook his head and turned back into the guard room. It wasn’t just him; the nurses and cleaning ladies he encountered along the way also looked at her in a suggestive manner, whispering to each other from time to time. After each of them glanced at her, they would subconsciously shake their heads.

Selena Thorne began to wonder: Could something bad have happened related to her during those two days when she wasn’t around? But if there were any changes at work, Maddix Rhodes, who always cared about her, surely wouldn’t fail to let her know.

With a mind full of questions, Selena Thorpe entered the obstetrics and gynecology office. But what she saw there left her stunned: Around the three desks, there were red roses everywhere. They were so numerous that they practically filled the entire office, leaving barely any space to move around.

“What the hell?” Selena Thorp frowned, her tone full of exasperation. “With all these roses around, how are we supposed to get work done?”

“That’s something you should ask her yourself!” The two obstetricians and gynecologists who worked with her—Chen Yufen and Li Juan—looked at her with angry expressions, their eyes filled with jealousy. “Selina Thorpe, you’re really good at hiding things!”

Both of them were extremely annoyed inside. Throughout their lives, they’d never received so many roses. Let alone being pursued by a gorgeous bachelor like Elliott Rhodes. Selena Thorpe, on the other hand, received all those flowers and acted all innocent. It was absolutely infuriating.

“Me?” Selena Thorne pointed at herself in an exaggerated manner, looking completely confused. “I just got back from vacation. These roses clearly haven’t been delivered for two or three days. I wasn’t even at the hospital at that time. Who would send me so many flowers for no reason?”

“Besides you, who else has the character ‘Qing’ in their name?” Chen Yufen grabbed her hand and pulled her into the rosebushes. She pulled out a few cards and read aloud, “‘Dear Qingqing, please sign for this——Eloise Rhodes’; ‘For my beloved Qingqing——Eloise Rhodes’!”

With each name read out, Chen Yufen’s tone grew more sarcastic. Selena Thorp’s mind went blank in an instant—Eloise Rhodes actually brought flowers to the hospital? She must have done it on purpose, to let everyone know that she was her boyfriend’s girlfriend!

Looking at the room filled with roses, Selina Thorpe felt like her head was about to explode. She had only agreed to be his girlfriend out of necessity. She wanted to get through these few days peacefully, and then break up once his interest wore off. But Eloise Rhodes’ actions had undoubtedly pushed her right into the center of the storm.