Where is the necklace I gave you????
He looked at the “flower” and asked softly, “Lily of the valley?”
“Yes.”
“This is the gift you’re giving me?”
Lily of the Valley lowered her face. “Will you like it?” Perhaps he had long grown accustomed to all kinds of dazzling gifts—she was, in truth, taking a gamble.
Mo Zhicheng looked at her, tipsy and a little entranced under the glittering lights. He turned her face toward him, making her meet his gaze, yet his grip unconsciously tightened, as if he might crush the woman in his hand. His voice was hoarse. “Do you want me to remember your flower, or to remember you? Or…” His gaze swept over her figure. The strapless gown revealed her delicate collarbones and her pale shoulders and back. Around her neck, the string of pearls was lustrous and full, matching perfectly with her attire.
He glanced again; the gown accentuated her curves, a faint shadow between her breasts rising and falling with her breath. When he looked up, her lightly made-up face was still innocent, utterly oblivious as she gazed back at him. It was that very look—her dark eyes seemed to brim with water, as if ripples were spreading within them. The scene from the banquet hall flashed in his mind, and his breath grew heavy and thick.
She answered softly, “Of course, the lily of the valley—it has a lovely meaning. I thought you’d like it, President Mo.”
Mo Zhicheng’s lips curled faintly. “Can you drive?”
“Yes!”
“I’ve had too much to drink. I can’t drive. You’ll take me home.”
Before she could process it, he had already pulled her out of the hall and forced her into the driver’s seat. The next moment, he was in the car as well.
They drove in silence. She gripped the steering wheel carefully, the air inside the car eerily quiet—a stillness like the calm before a storm, so suffocating it was hard to breathe. She occasionally glanced sideways at him; Mo Zhicheng sat with his eyes closed, resting, but his low, controlled breathing could still be heard, as if he were suppressing something.
Her heart pounded wildly, almost leaping into her throat. When she braked, she turned her head—he was still resting his eyes. Lily moved closer. “President Mo, we’re here.”
He opened his eyes slowly at her voice, his features chiseled in the dark night, but now they seemed even colder. He turned, and seeing the smoldering fire in his eyes, Lily’s heart trembled—she’d seen that look before. Instinctively, she edged backward until her body pressed against the car door, her voice barely above a whisper. “President Mo, you’ve had a lot to drink. You should go upstairs and rest early.”
Mo Zhicheng frowned, reached out to the nape of her neck, and pulled her close. The two of them were pressed tightly together, their breaths mingling. She stared at him, stunned, seeing her own startled face reflected in his eyes. Then, in a rough, broken voice, he shattered the frozen air between them. “You owe me an explanation.”
What explanation?! Her breath quickened.
He reached out with his other hand, the back of his hand gently caressing her flushed cheek.
She responded, “What? About the flower? Everything was supposed to go as planned, but then it changed. I’m sorry the banquet upset you, President Mo. Truly, I am.”
His brow remained furrowed as his forefinger slid down her fair neck. He noticed a tiny red mark on her soft skin and stroked it absently, all the while listening to her apologies, until his gaze fell on the necklace. Lifting it, he examined the pearls’ matte sheen and abruptly interrupted her. “Where’s the necklace?”
“—” Lily was stunned.
“I’m asking you, where is the necklace I gave you?” His low, urgent growl was so intense he could hardly believe it himself. Meeting those innocent eyes, a rush of anger surged straight to his chest.