Chapter 133: You're Reluctant

Hannah and Jimmy left the Cooper Building together. Rose remained at her desk, sorting papers.

"Go home early," Hannah advised.

"I'll leave after finishing the materials for tomorrow's meeting," Rose replied respectfully.

Hannah nodded. Despite never having been directly involved in business in her previous life, she possessed a thorough understanding, thanks to her upbringing and subsequent marriage to Charles. She knew instinctively that cultivating relationships was paramount to a mall's success; therefore, she'd prioritized building connections.

She drove Jimmy's car back to Oscar's villa, surprised to find it brightly lit. The secluded villa seemed to radiate a warm, almost beacon-like glow in the night. Entering the hall, she found Oscar, Max, and herself as the only occupants.

Oscar's behavior struck her as incongruous. He was watching television—not relaxing in his room with Theodore, as she expected.

"Hannah?" he said, upon seeing her, making her feel oddly like an old married couple.

"Hmm," she replied flatly.

Max, the servant, quickly presented her with bird's nest soup. "Madam, please enjoy," he said, gently placing it on the tea table.

Hannah frowned; she usually ate at the dining table. Eating so close to Oscar at the tea table felt too intimate. However, not being overly fastidious, she sat beside him and ate the soup Max prepared nightly.

"Is it good?" Oscar asked.

"Yeah," Hannah replied, acknowledging Max's culinary talent and attentiveness. His meals always brought her warmth and happiness.

Oscar then leaned in and directly consumed the remaining soup from her spoon. Hannah felt awkward; he had just used her utensil.

He finished the soup, commenting, "It's really good," before adding innocently, "Why don't you eat?"

Hannah felt that criticizing him now would damage his self-esteem, so she remained silent, uncomfortable sharing a spoon.

"You hate it?" Oscar finally realized something was amiss.

Relieved he'd noticed, Hannah reached for a new spoon.

"You're reluctant to touch my saliva, but I'm not reluctant to touch yours!" Oscar exclaimed, feigning disbelief.

Hannah thought he was an excellent actor, yet she couldn't believe he was so petty. Ignoring him, she stood to get another spoon.

Suddenly, Oscar grabbed and pulled her onto the sofa, kissing her fiercely. She resisted, but his passionate kiss overwhelmed her. Max, witnessing this, flushed and quickly retreated upstairs.

Hannah eventually pushed him away. The lingering sensation of their lips parting was quickly broken.

"Oscar, are you a dog?" she said, wiping her mouth. "Why do you bite whoever you see?" Her lips were swollen and slightly sore.

"I'm your dog," Oscar replied, "Only for you."

Hannah was furious. She stormed off the sofa, her heart pounding wildly, her thoughts in disarray. She attributed her rapid heartbeat to impatience.

"That's the last one, the thing you did on the roof," Oscar said behind her, his words striking her as both demanding and condescending, a tone her father never used.

She paused, bristling at his implied authority.

"I know you're trying to gain a foothold in the Cooper Group, so others won't threaten you. It works, but..." he paused, shifting from a serious to an affectionate demeanor, "...but I have a bad heart. I'm afraid I can't stand it."

Hannah swallowed her retort, finally saying calmly, "Don't tease me."

Oscar's gaze was intense.

"I won't be tempted," she declared, resolute in her commitment to avoid romantic entanglement in this life. Her ambitions outweighed any desire for affection.

She left quickly, almost fleeing, afraid of Oscar, this devil who was so manipulative. She heard him call out from downstairs, "I don't know if you have feelings for me, but I'm falling for you." She doubted the sincerity of those words, imagining countless women hearing the same line.

She rushed to her room, locking the door, and decided to take a bath and go to bed. As she prepared to undress, she saw her reflection in the mirror. Instead of anger, she saw rosy cheeks and a captivating glow. The lingering scent of Oscar on her lips made her bite them softly.