Time seemed to fly past and it was the night of the 28th in the blink of an eye.
It was six o’clock in the evening and the handsome man, who sat at the dining table at the Lowry Residence, was dressed in a suit that was tailor made for his tall and slender frame. He kept his usually icy demeanor aside tonight and adopted the look of elegance. When he placed his cutlery down on the plate, it made a crisp sound that reverberated throughout the room.
He drew the napkin up to his face and gently dabbed at the corners of his mouth. Then, he lifted his gaze as he said slowly, “Didn’t the old madam say that she would be back on the night before the banquet? Where is she now?”
The maid who stood at one side was respectful as she answered, “Old Madam Lowry said that she would not be staying here at the Lowry Residence tonight and that she will meet you and Miss Jackson at the banquet tomorrow.”
The initial plan was to host the banquet at the Lowry Residence, but seeing as they were expecting a large number of guests tomorrow, they opted for a different venue instead.
Upon hearing the maid’s explanation, Mason nodded and said nothing else before turning to address Janet. “By the way, the company’s fashion design department has prepared a dress based on your drawing. You should try it on to see whether it fits.”
Janet briefly looked up at him. Then, she nodded as she answered, “Thank you.”
She returned to her bedroom after dinner whereupon she tried on the dress that she would wear to the banquet tomorrow. As expected, the dress fit her perfectly.
She glanced at herself in the mirror before slowly removing the dress.
At that moment, the hot water for her bath had been prepared. She stepped into the bathtub and having submerged herself in the relaxing hot water, she closed her eyes.
Meanwhile, the man in the bedroom from across the hall was feeling restless.
It was hard enough for him to ignore the thought of her wearing the cheongsam. Now that he knew she was in the room across from him, he was ready to abandon all his chivalrous restraint.
Before long, Mason opened the door and left his bedroom without hesitation before coming to a stop in front of Janet’s room. He stood there silently for a few seconds, pondering on what he was about to do. Then, he turned the doorknob anyway.
When the door swung open, he was greeted by the faint scent of shower gel that came from the adjoining bathroom. It was a light, pleasant scent with a trace of vanilla in it.
Mason’s eyes darkened and he swallowed slightly.
Although his body cried out for him to burst through the bathroom, he refused to give in to his primal instincts. He instead loosened the buttons on his shirt and climbed onto the bed before getting into what he could only assume was a seductive pose.
Janet, on the other hand, had quickly wrapped the towel around her after she heard the faint clicking sound of her bedroom door being opened. She was wary as she ventured out of the bathroom.
“You—” She blinked, slightly taken aback by Mason’s posture on her bed. “What are you doing here?”
Mason lifted his head and gazed at her with longing. Her hair was in damp, wavy locks past her shoulders as the water dripped onto the floor.
He was at a loss for words and his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “I…” he trailed off while still staring at her.
She noted the roguish look in his eyes and tightly gripped her towel. The tips of her ears also turned a light shade of red. “Can you leave the room for a bit?” Her voice was demure—she did not sound as cold as she usually did.
“Janet,” Mason called out while maintaining his gaze on her. He seemed adamant on staying in her room for the night. His voice had traces of pity when he asked her. “Do you know what day it is? I want you to be the first one to wish me a happy birthday.”
Upon hearing that, Janet could feel her fingers twitching by her side. She did not ask him to leave the room a second time and instead handed over the towel in her hand. “Then, help me to dry my hair,” she said with an air of authority.
His eyes brightened after listening to her words. He took the towel and drew her into his arms.
After a while, the lights in the bedroom were growing dim.
Janet lay in bed next to Mason; she felt the warmth that emanated from his body. Her gentle gaze fell upon his features as the light played across his face.
Later that night, the phone rang with a ‘ding’, indicating that it was midnight.
