Filed to story: When His Wife Can’t Forgive
Cliff sighed, yielding to her wishes.
After Laney was content, she still held onto him, her eyes wandering hesitantly over his body.
Cliff stood up, carrying her to the wardrobe to choose new pajamas. “You don’t need to help me,” he said, noticing her lingering gaze.
“Even if you wanted help, I might not know how, but I’m willing to learn,” Laney replied, her cheekiness earning a playful swat from Cliff.
Laney touched her backside, shocked. “Did you really just spank me?”
Cliff responded coolly, “Keep up that sass, and you’ll find yourself in real trouble.”
He sifted through the colorful pajamas, finally selecting a nightdress for her.
Laney looked puzzled. “You’re letting me wear dresses again?”
“You can wear them around me,” Cliff replied.
Her delicate skin displayed obvious marks from Cliff’s pinches, deepening his inner conflict. He regretted letting his desires take over.
Always the one to lecture Laney, Cliff now found himself struggling with mixed emotions. “From now on, come to me if your desires overwhelm you. Only me, not others. Understand?”
Laney silently agreed. “Of course. I have never considered anyone else.”
Cliff was still dissatisfied. “Nod your head.”
Laney nodded solemnly, then asked curiously, “Why didn’t you scold me today? Even after I was so bold?”
Cliff’s lips twitched. “Don’t talk like that again.”
“Oh.”
He gently settled her into bed. “Sleep now. I’m leaving.”
Laney closed her eyes with a smile. “Goodnight, Cliff.”
As Cliff turned to leave, his gaze fell on the storybook on the bedside table. On impulse, he opened it. His expression grew grave as he read the contents. The book contained tales of the seven dwarfs and the princess’s marital bliss, alongside stories of the Big Bad Wolf and Little Red Riding Hood’s daring escapades, all illustrated with risqu? imagery.
Cliff bit back his criticism, his curiosity piqued by the author, Ryder Boyd. What a pervert.
Cliff confiscated the book and all related items from Laney’s room, locking them securely in his study drawer. A stern verbal reprimand followed.
Laney frowned, clearly displeased. “How am I supposed to learn about intimacy without reading? Look at how little I’ve read, yet I’ve already mastered Mr. Boyd’s essence. It’s a qualitative leap in our relationship.”
Cliff arched an eyebrow. “Getting proud now, are you?”
Laney grinned shamelessly. “Well, you like it anyway.”
“No, I don’t. From now on, if you want to learn something, I’ll teach you. No need to read,” Cliff replied coldly.
Laney’s face lit up with delight. “Really?” she asked, her eyes sparkling like an eager puppy.
But her expression shifted, and she hesitated before asking, “Do you actually know everything?”
“Yes, everything,” Cliff answered, his tone calm and certain.
Laney’s excitement dimmed slightly as jealousy crept into her voice. “Oh, so you just naturally knew everything?”
Sensing her change in tone, Cliff glanced at her. He knew exactly what she wanted him to say but chose to withhold it. “No. It’s accumulated experience,” he said casually.
Laney’s eyes narrowed. “With whom did you accumulate it? Gerry said you’ve never been in a relationship.”
Cliff’s expression remained neutral. “Being intimate doesn’t always require a relationship.”
Laney’s face scrunched up in frustration. “But the family rules say you shouldn’t fool around. Have you been with a lot of people?”
Cliff suppressed a smirk, keeping his cool facade intact. “When I was younger, during a few monotonous assignments, I had some admirers.”
Laney stared at him, stunned into silence. She wanted to argue that he wasn’t that kind of man. Cliff’s clean private life had always been his most attractive quality-everyone admired his self-restraint. But then again, he was almost thirty. How could he still be a virgin?
Laney’s conflicted thoughts eventually gave way to stubbornness. “You’re just trying to upset me, aren’t you? You’re making me think you’re not clean so I’ll give up on you.”
Cliff raised an eyebrow slightly, acknowledging the truth in her words. “So, what do you think of me now?” he asked calmly.
Laney stared at his face-mature yet detached. She, on the other hand, was impulsive and childish, unable to mask her feelings. “Wait for the notice. I’ll let you know when I stop liking you.” Cliff chuckled, amused by her words.
Later, when Laney recounted this to Kailyn, Kailyn looked puzzled. “So, Cliff’s just your human toy now?”
Laney’s mouth twitched. “That’s too much! I like him, which is why I like the way he touched me. It’s not just some shallow thing.”
Kailyn’s expression turned serious. “Do you think he likes you back?”
Laney propped her chin on her hand, her voice tinged with sadness. “I don’t think so.” Everything that happened between them felt like her own doing-her willfulness forcing him to indulge her whims. Whatever she asked for, he gave, but only to appease her, like a child.
Seeing Laney so troubled, Kailyn disappeared for two days and returned with a capsule in hand. “Drop this in water, let it dissolve, and make Cliff drink it. It’ll keep him hard for three days and nights.”
Laney’s eyes widened in shock. “Three days? That sounds dangerous! Are there any side effects?”
Kailyn shrugged. “Please, Cliff’s physique can handle three capsules at once. Don’t worry.”
Laney hesitated, turning the idea over in her mind. “Isn’t this a bit too much?”
Kailyn raised an eyebrow. “You and Cliff have no future anyway. Since it’s doomed, why leave regrets? If you have sex with him after the capsule takes effect, it’ll be a memory you’ll never forget.”
Kailyn sighed dramatically. “Seriously though, Cliff must have incredible self-restraint. With your beauty, he still only satisfied you with his hands.”
“Well, he clearly has,” Laney said.
“Maybe he’s impotent?”
Laney blinked. “Huh?”
“Lots of men use excuses to hide their inadequacies,” Kailyn added. Laney thought for a moment. “Probably not. He did react at that time.”
“And the size?” Kailyn pressed.
Laney shook her head. “I haven’t seen it.”
Kailyn groaned in disappointment. “You two have gotten that close, and you haven’t even seen it? He won’t let you?”
“Yeah,” Laney muttered.
“Then he must feel inferior. I bet he’s only two inches,” Kailyn concluded with confidence.
Laney glanced at her thumb, falling silent as the thought sank in.
Meanwhile, Cliff was busy managing work at the company. His schedule was packed with endless meetings, tedious projects, and the constant demands of managing interpersonal relationships, leaving little room for unimportant distractions.
One day, Juliet tried to invite Cliff to lunch but was stopped at the company entrance by his assistant. Disappointed, she left a message: “Let Mr. Hopkins know I’m free after six.”
The assistant conveyed some polite words on Cliff’s behalf.
As Juliet got into her car to leave, one of the Hopkins family’s cars pulled up.
Juliet spotted Laney arriving with a cheerful bounce in her step. Laney exchanged a few words with Cliff’s assistant but was also denied entry.
Juliet chuckled to herself, muttering, “Not even his beloved cousin can get through.”
Just as Juliet was about to drive away, she froze. Cliff himself emerged from the main entrance, walking over to personally escort Laney inside.
Juliet’s heart plummeted like a stone sinking in deep water. While she held no grudge against whoever had captured Cliff’s affections, the sting of being treated differently cut deep. Had he simply rejected her outright, she could have accepted it with grace. Instead, he dangled the possibility of a marriage of convenience before her, yet his coldness told a different story.
Something didn’t sit right with Juliet. Her instincts screamed that the relationship between Laney and Cliff ran deeper than mere family ties, far from the innocent connection they portrayed.
As Juliet navigated through traffic, she pressed her phone to her ear, reaching out to Kira for information about Laney’s personal affairs.
Kira was so agitated that she cursed Laney thoroughly.
“Must you use such language?” Juliet chided, her brow furrowing. “You’re grown now. A little restraint wouldn’t hurt.”
Kira responded with an inelegant snort. Emboldened by her sister’s perpetual indulgence, she continued, “Listen, Juliet, the moment you and Cliff tie the knot, your first order of business should be showing Laney the door. What business does a cousin have living with the Hopkins family anyway? Get rid of her!”
Understanding dawned on Juliet. “I need to go. Duty calls.”
But Kira’s mind was already racing. Why had her sister suddenly taken an interest in Laney? Had Laney stirred up chaos again? No. For her sister’s happiness, she’d need to clear the path of any obstacles.
When Cliff strode into his office with Laney, he turned to his assistant with an unwavering command. “From this moment forward, Laney has unrestricted access to my office. No appointments needed. Whatever I’m doing, let her through.”
The assistant managed a nervous smile. “Yes, Mr. Hopkins.”
Laney whispered, “Cliff, he was just concerned about your workload and fatigue. That’s why he hesitated to let me in.”
The assistant shot Laney a look of gratitude, but Cliff’s sharp eyes caught the exchange. “What did I say? Why are you so scared?”
The assistant remained silent, frozen in place. Cliff’s imposing presence was legendary, and the assistant had no choice but to comply.
The desire to test whether the rumors about his boss’s fierce temper-and equally fierce right hook-were true lingered in the air.
Once inside the office, Laney’s sharp eyes caught the subtle shadows beneath Cliff’s eyes. A wave of concern washed over her. “Am I interrupting? Perhaps you should rest…”
“Whether you’re interrupting or not, you’re already here,” Cliff’s tone softened imperceptibly. His gaze shifted to the shopping bag she was trying to hide behind her back. “What treasure are you hiding from me?”
Laney playfully tucked the bag further away. “Who said it’s for you?”