The Substitute Bride: Doted by My Billionaire Husband Chapter 21: Flirting with Me?
Olive mistakenly sent a picture to Elvis instead of North. She immediately tried to delete it, but it had already been sent. A surge of heat flushed her as she paced the room, hand to her lips.
North’s message arrived:
“I needed your picture to ascertain which pajamas will fit you. PURPLE STILI just released new sexy nightdresses. I've sent you pictures of the pajamas; choose one in your size and that your husband would like. Let me know when you've decided.”
“Oh, that’s why he needed my picture,” Olive muttered.
She opened the pictures. A velvet pink one caught her eye, but then she saw another equally beautiful one, leaving her indecisive.
Miles away, in a skyscraper's conference room, Elvis sat among executives. The CFO analyzed the year's sales reports. Everyone listened attentively. Despite their focus, their gazes kept drifting to Elvis in his VIP seat.
Elvis, in a black suit with a white silk scarf in his pocket, had impeccably styled hair that enhanced his handsome face. His appearance was alluring yet powerful. The room was silent; then, a phone beeped.
“Ding!” All eyes turned to Elvis. He glanced at his phone; it was a message from Olive (whom he'd added the previous night). He gestured for the CFO to continue, then opened the message.
The picture showed Olive in a green and floral swimsuit. Her long, silky black hair draped wetly over her glowing shoulders, but her face was still masked. Since their meeting, Elvis had never seen her bare skin. Even while sharing a room, she'd covered herself completely. Nevertheless, her beautiful figure was visible even through her loose clothing.
Elvis typed and sent a message: “Flirting with me?”
Olive, awaiting his reply, felt embarrassment flood her face.
Another message popped up: “It’s still daytime here.” (It was night for her, day for him.)
Olive touched her flushed face. “Would you believe I didn’t mean to send it to you?” she replied.
Elvis frowned: “Who did you intend to send it to?”
Feeling cornered, Olive quickly screenshotted her conversation with North and forwarded it.
North replied: “You can buy them all and try them on. I’ll tell you which I like later.”
Olive reread his message three times before replying, “Rogue.” He chuckled at her reply, knowing her to be smart and calm; anger indicated anxiety.
His next message: “Go clean up.” That was the last she received.
Olive lay back on the bed, curled up, his last message echoing in her mind. She closed her eyes, trying to distract herself from the day's events. Then she remembered Derrick.
She was certain his reappearance was a taunt. He was now among Los Angeles's four major families—powerful and difficult to deal with. The situation was unfavorable. She pondered his calling her "dirty" and a "ragged shoe."
She messaged North: "What should I do about him?"
North replied: "To be honest, perverts aren't difficult to deal with. He's just bitter he didn't end up with you." Olive didn't reply but understood his implication.
Later, Derrick took Gabriella to the hotel's presidential suite. He’d just showered, wearing a white bathrobe, and sipped red wine. Gabriella hugged him from behind.
"Derrick, do you think my father loved Olive's mother?"
Derrick looked at the ceiling. "Why do you say so?"
"My dad keeps a picture of Olive's mother in his wallet. It's very precious to him; he never lets anyone touch it. He values his reputation, yet he slapped my mother outside the hotel…"
A beautiful face flashed in Derrick's mind. "Olive's mother was a legendary woman."
Gabriella had never met Olive's mother; it was as if she'd vanished, all information about her life and death erased. The more Gabriella thought about it, the more scared she became.
"My mum was right, Olive is a lustrous woman. First a gigolo, now the CEO of Augustine's Corporation," Gabriella muttered as Derrick turned to look at her.