Forbidden Encounters: Passion Unveiled

Chapter 9

She clearly wasn’t listening at all.

Rachel looked up slightly and added, “There’s a very difficult person next door. Don’t go out if you don’t have to.”

Nisha’s eyes immediately widened with interest. “Is he a monster, Mommy?”

With Ethan’s arrogant appearance in mind, Rachel, who had always been reticent in nature, said slowly, “Well, this monster is as beautiful as a woman and has a mole at the corner of his eye, but it seems that his brain isn’t working very well.”

“Oh.” Nisha waved. “I definitely won’t go out, then. I don’t play with dummies.”

Rachel laughed. Then, she closed the door and got ready to go to the elevator. However, when she looked behind her, she immediately froze.

At some point in time, Ethan was actually standing behind her.

The man’s tall figure made the spacious hallway seem a bit cramped. His dark eyes were staring at her, and even the mole at the corner of his eye seemed to be exuding a bone-deep chill.

He was probably going out. An assistant and a bodyguard followed behind him. There were only the three of them, but his presence was no weaker than yesterday’s.

Rachel raised her eyebrows.

To be honest, her aunt had given her a thousand reminders and warnings before she returned to the States.

Here, she could protect her, no matter who she provoked. However, the only person she mustn’t mess with was Ethan Wright!!

She had given a sarcastic reply as Ian last night, but that was because they were separated by the Internet. But now…

Rachel cast her cat-like eyes downward slightly, and she explained in a careless and sloppy tone, “Mr. Wright, I was just joking with the child. I definitely wasn’t alluding to you or anything like that.”

“…”

The corner of Alexander’s lips spasmed a little. Can that woman’s tone get any more perfunctory? Is there any monster out there that has a mole at the corner of its eye? That monster’s last name is probably Wright, right?!

There was no visible emotion on Ethan’s face, making people unable to tell what he was thinking. He merely cast a long look at Rachel before taking the lead and walking ahead.

Rachel deliberately dawdled where she was, and waited for them to enter the elevator before she walked out and let out a sigh of relief.

That man had only given her a simple glance just now, but she had sensed fierce murderous intent.

He was indeed trouble. It was best that she stayed far away from him.

In the elevator.

Ethan narrowed his eyes slightly.

The lighting had been bad the previous night. He was nearer to her today and discovered that the woman was astonishingly fair. Her cat-like eyes were casually downcast, and her curly eyelashes were long and black. She appeared sweet and docile, but how was it that he found that wild energy around her when she dissed people without using expletives a little familiar?

—

At the same time.

After John was sure that the demon lord was gone, he immediately dialed the neighboring room’s phone extension number.

Someone picked up, and a young voice sounded. “Hello?”

John paused. “I’m staying next door. Can I visit you?”

The little girl was surprised. “So, you’re the little dummy from next door?”

“…”

As the youngest genius in the field of finance, this was the first time someone had called him a dummy.

However, the little girl quickly spoke again. “Can you play games with me?”

The light in John’s dark eyes flickered a few times, and he replied, “Yes, I can.”

The lobby of Hotel Finest was lavishly decorated, and the neat and clean marble floor reflected light.

Ken sat on the sofa and stared in the direction of the elevator.

The Wrights’ hotel management was strict, and the front desk refused to sell their customers’ information. Thus, he could only come over early in the morning to wait, in hopes that he could catch the woman.

His hard work paid off, and he finally found her.

He jumped onto his feet when the graceful figure carelessly came out. With a bouquet of roses in his hands, he blocked her path in what he thought was a very charming manner. “Hello, beautiful. What a coincidence, I didn’t expect for us to meet again!”

Rachel was rendered speechless.

They had already annulled their engagement, so why was this guy still showing up in front of her again and again?

Ken, who didn’t notice her annoyance at all, said with a smile: “Since it seems like we’re destined to be, surely you should tell me your name now?”

Rachel narrowed her eyes.

She originally couldn’t be bothered to pay him any attention, but when she thought of how he had also been in the delivery room back when she was giving birth… Perhaps she could try sounding him out.

Her lips slowly parted. “Isabel Anderson.”

Anderson was her mother’s last name.

Ken’s eyes lit up. “Are you free, Miss Anderson? Coincidence is a wonderful thing. How about going to the cafe next door and having a chat?”

Rachel nodded without much care.

Ken walked in front eagerly. “This way, Miss Anderson… By the way, where’s your younger sister?”

Rachel raised her brows. “My younger sister?”

“Yes, that little girl who came out of the airport with you yesterday. You look only about 20 years old; surely you can’t possibly have a daughter who’s already that age, right?” Ken jested, thinking he was being humorous.

“…” Rachel couldn’t be bothered to explain. Instead, she replied, “Let’s go upstairs.”

“It’s just as well that she isn’t here. That way, she won’t bother us… The cakes from the cafe over there are pretty good. You can bring some back for your sister later…”

The way to chase a woman was to please everyone around her.

Ken was very experienced in this.

Nearby, Ethan, who had just inspected the hotel, stared coldly at the two of them from the back.

Behind him, Alexander, his assistant, curled his lip. “That woman’s too much, Mr. Wright! Never mind that she had deliberately approached John to please you, but she’s actually two-timing?

“And, she even referred to her daughter as her younger sister when she was lying to someone else! I didn’t even see her putting in that much effort when she was lying to you!”

The bodyguard behind him had question marks all over his face. Was this really something to be compared?

Ethan’s expression darkened. A sharp look flashed across his deep-set eyes, and even the temperature in the entire lobby seemed to drop a few degrees.

He said frostily, “Look her up.”

“Yes, sir.”

After walking into the cafe, Rachel found a table by the window. In a matter of a few words, she had made Ken turn the topic to the matter of his engagement.

Ken was eager to explain himself, yet his tone was mocking and awful.

“I’m really not a scumbag, Miss Anderson. You don’t know how ugly that fatty is. There’s so much flesh on her face that even her eyes were nearly squeezed shut. When she walks, it’s as if the whole place is shaking.

“She even insisted on using the excuse that her obesity is due to hormonal injections. Hah, she speaks as if she’ll be a beauty if she slims down.

“She’s also mentally ill. She dropped out of elementary school in third grade, and stayed at home ever since, cooping herself up every day in her room. She doesn’t even kick up a fuss when anyone hits or scolds her, much less retaliate.

“It’s unfair to make me marry an uneducated, illiterate, and mentally impaired fatty like that, isn’t it?!”

Rachel was close to nodding off as she listened to him with her cheek in her hand.

She had known since she was a child that crying and kicking up a fuss were useless in a home as biased as theirs.

The reason why she hadn’t fought back despite being hit was that she had always kept her mother’s last words firmly in her mind—she must be plain and mediocre, and that she was not allowed to show her wit and ingenuity before she became of age. She had said that this was the only way her life could be saved.

“I really hate the Parkers’ behavior. If it weren’t for that company, I wouldn’t be humoring Serina now, either…”

Ken, who realized that he had said too much, hurriedly asked, “Oh, what am I saying such things for? Where are you from, Miss Anderson?”

Rachel casually made up an answer. “New York.”

The Andersons from New York?

Ken swallowed hard. That was a big-name family comparable to the Wrights!

Ken fawned on her even more. “I didn’t expect you to come from such a wealthy family. No wonder you have such a compelling presence and air of elegance around you.”

Rachel didn’t care about his assumptions and continued to sound him out.

Her disposition seemed casual, but her grip around her coffee cup had tightened slightly. “I heard that your fiancée gave birth to a child five years ago, but it was abandoned. I’m really curious—where did that child go?”

Ken hurriedly explained. “That’s just a rumor, Miss Anderson! That fatty took the child abroad!”

What the Parkers publicly announced was that Rachel had only given birth to a baby girl.

After all, they would incur the people’s wrath if anyone knew that they had done something like abandoning a newborn infant.

Rachel scoffed. “I’m just curious. Since you don’t want to say it, then forget it!”

She put the coffee cup down heavily on the table and pretended that she was leaving, vividly acting the part of a rich, spoiled princess.

Sure enough, Ken panicked. He reached out to grab her. “That’s not what I meant. Don’t get mad—”

Rachel subtly evaded him and raised an eyebrow. “So, are you going to answer me or not?”

Her behavior didn’t raise Ken’s suspicions. After all, such secrets about wealthy families were what many people liked to talk about idly. Just like gossip about celebrities, a lot of people would find it interesting.

He spoke reluctantly. “Uncle Henry—Henry Parker—was the one that handled it back then. I really don’t know anything.”

Seeing that Ken didn’t seem to be lying, Rachel lost interest right away.

What a waste of her time that she could’ve spent sleeping.

She got up and walked out straightaway.

Ken was stunned for a moment before he went after her. “I’m telling the truth, Miss Anderson… Are you busy with something? In that case, why don’t you give me your number? We can contac—”

“I don’t think so.”

Rachel left behind only four words and went straight out, got into a taxi, and left.

A confused Ken was left behind frozen in place. His expression couldn’t help but darken.

Were the temperaments of all the girls from top-class wealthy families this volatile?

She was too hard to chase!

—

Rachel got a few private investigators in California to try and look for clues. It wasn’t until the evening that she finally dragged her tired self back to the hotel.

Beep.

As soon as she opened the door, she heard the conversation between Nisha and another child coming from within:

“The princess is here! Everyone, step aside! The little dummy is there to escort her!”

“… Okay.”

“Heh heh, do you want to try my cannon? Little dummy, tank the damage from the defensive tower. Go!”

“I’m out of HP.”

“Hey, why are you running? Tank the damage for me, and I’ll be able to get the five kills!”

“I’ll die.”

“Are you a man or not? You’re so cowardly even in a game. What are you so scared of?”

“…”

Nisha was usually very cute and well-behaved, but once she started playing games, she would become very irritable and foul-mouthed. Her behavior today was already considered rather self-restrained.

Whose kid was this playing mobile games with her, though?

Rachel walked into the living room and saw Nisha in her pajamas holding a cell phone. She was sitting cross-legged and was playing happily with the game’s audio turned on.

Hearing the sound of the door opening, the little girl turned and looked over.

Seeing that Rachel was about to get mad, she put on a bright smile and blinked her big round eyes. “Mommy, you’re finally back. I was so bored. I missed you so much!”

“…”

Rachel sighed silently.

Wasn’t the reason why Nisha played games every day exactly that she was either busy or sleeping, and didn’t have any time to spend with her?

She resisted her drowsiness and desire to immediately jump into bed, and said, “Clean up the place, Nisha. Let’s have dinner outside tonight.”

Mrs. Yuan asked, “What would you like to wear tonight, Nisha?”

Nisha thought about it seriously. “The little Huang suit from Gucci!”

Rachel frowned. “Are you wearing boys’ clothing again?”

Nisha had a quirk—she liked going out with her dressed like a little boy.

She continued to stare at the phone. “Uh-huh. This round’s ending soon. Mommy, what are we having?”

Rachel reached over and grabbed her cell phone before she answered, “We’re having pizza downstairs.” Then, she turned off the game.

“Hey! We’re raiding soon. You—”

An irritable Nisha was about to throw a tantrum, and she was even about to curse. However, when her eyes met Rachel’s, the little girl pursed her lips and squeezed out two words from in between her teeth: “Let’s go.”

In the room next door.

John stared at the cell phone. ‘sweetNisha’ had logged off the game, and the voice call had also been disconnected.

He felt a small sense of loss at the bottom of his heart.

Salina Wright, who was sitting on the sofa, breathed a sigh of relief at the sight. “Kiddo, you’re done at last. My tyrant of an elder brother is coming back soon, so hurry and clean up the place!”

John, who looked sullen, didn’t speak.

Salina came over and looked at his cell phone. “Who are you playing with? You look so reluctant to log off. If you want to play it again, why don’t I play with you next time? I’m really good. I’m ranked among the top ten players on the local server. The top player on the server, sweetNisha, is our team leader, and the two of us are online buddies. I’ll get him to let you join and play together next time…”

At the sight of him looking over, John turned off the screen and stood up. “Uncle Salina, I wanna have pizza.”

Salina suddenly felt a headache coming on. “C’mon, behave, kiddo. Ethan’s not gonna agree to that!”

As the only grandson of the Wrights, John was treated like a VIP. His daily schedule was scientifically planned, and he executed it in strict accordance with the timing.

Although he didn’t attend classes, he was busier than even adults.

As Ethan wasn’t around today, and Salina felt really sorry for this poor little nephew of his, he risked his life and indulged him in playing games all afternoon.

But… Eating out?!

This was definitely testing the limits of Ethan’s patience!

Salina tried painstakingly to dissuade him. “You forced him to take you out for cake yesterday by refusing to take your medication, but this method isn’t going to work today. C’mon, kiddo, behave…”

It was as if John didn’t hear him at all. He went straight back to the bedroom and opened the closet. He was about to take a random piece of clothing to change into when he suddenly spotted the limited edition little Huang suit from Gucci.

He put on the suit impulsively and walked out.