Chapter 159: Chapter 159: Open Your Mouth
The next day, true to his word, Kenneth Yates carried Summer Lancaster into the bathroom before she’d even opened her eyes.
Consequently, Summer Lancaster, who had a terrible temper when she woke up, threw a fit. She went completely limp, eyes shut, threatening to collapse the moment Kenneth Yates stopped supporting her. This made Kenneth sigh in exasperation. ’It feels like I’m holding a giant rag doll.’
"Open up!" Kenneth Yates said, having already squeezed toothpaste onto the brush. He held Summer Lancaster steady with his right arm and brought the toothbrush to her lips with his left. Summer didn’t budge. In truth, she had been awake for a while. She just wanted to see Kenneth look flustered; she found it hilarious. She would even secretly peek at him through one eye when she thought he wasn’t looking.
Seeing she had no intention of moving, Kenneth Yates tilted her chin up and, before Summer Lancaster could process what was happening, captured her lips in a domineering kiss. A deep, French kiss, at that!
Summer Lancaster’s eyes flew open, and she stared at him in disbelief. His own eyes were mostly closed, but she could clearly see the sly smile that appeared on his face the moment she showed her surprise.
When the kiss ended, a cunning smile touched Kenneth Yates’s lips. With a wicked, provocative glint in his eyes, he teased her, "So? Are you going to open up now? Or should we go for another round?" He leaned close to Summer Lancaster’s cheek, his warm breath ghosting over her lips.
Mortified, Summer Lancaster hastily covered her mouth, eyeing the man warily.
"What are you so afraid of? Open up, and I’ll brush your teeth for you." Kenneth Yates found her reaction amusing. ’What’s she hiding for? It’s not like I’m going to eat her, is it?’
Summer Lancaster seemed to see through Kenneth Yates’s ploy. She kept her hand firmly over her mouth and just shook her head, communicating her staunch refusal with her eyes.
Kenneth Yates had no other choice. He waved the toothbrush in front of her. "Fine, you do it yourself, then?" Summer Lancaster’s eyes darted about before she pointed a finger at the door.
"Alright, alright, I’m leaving." Kenneth Yates had to admit defeat.
As soon as Kenneth Yates was out, Summer Lancaster quickly locked the bathroom door and got ready in peace. Afterward, she changed into the tracksuit Kenneth had left for her. The corners of her mouth drooped, her expression reluctant. ’I’m really not good at exercising, and I really don’t want to go.’
But she had no choice!
Kenneth Yates was already waiting at the door. The moment Summer Lancaster came out, he grabbed her hand and took off running. The man in front ran with refreshing, vibrant energy, while the woman being forcibly dragged along behind wore an expression of utter reluctance and fatigue.
Summer Lancaster struggled to keep up with Kenneth Yates. He was tall with long strides and ran very fast. In contrast, while Summer Lancaster stood at a respectable five-foot-six, there was still a significant height difference between them.
"Kenneth Yates, can you slow down? I can’t keep up!" Summer Lancaster panted, hands on her hips, her feet almost dragging on the ground with a SCRAPING sound.
"Honey, you really do need to exercise. This won’t do. Come on!" Kenneth Yates reached out, grabbed Summer Lancaster’s hand again, and slowed his own pace while pulling her along, forcing her to speed up.
Gazing at his smiling face, backlit by the sun, Summer Lancaster was momentarily lost in a daze. He always had a way of saying things that, while perhaps casual to him, struck a deep chord within her, setting off tumultuous waves in her heart.
When they reached the spot where Kenneth Yates had been mobbed by onlookers before, Summer Lancaster stopped in her tracks. "Let’s go back!"
"Why? Let’s just run over there and then head back. We have plenty of time today; we won’t be late for work!" Kenneth Yates was confused. She’d been holding his hand just fine a moment ago, but now she had suddenly let go.
"Because I have some unpleasant memories of this place," Summer Lancaster said haughtily, looking down. Ignoring Kenneth Yates, she turned and started walking back the way they came.
Kenneth Yates caught up with Summer Lancaster, a playful glint in his eye as he took in her angry expression. "Is this about that incident? I’d almost forgotten about it. Still holding a grudge, my little jealousy queen? That was ages ago. Besides, it’s a well-known fact that I’m handsome. Are you saying people aren’t allowed to appreciate beautiful things?"
"Appreciation is one thing, but I’m worried your self-control won’t be enough and someone will whisk you away. Who would I cry to then?" Summer Lancaster stopped walking and stood there seriously, giving Kenneth Yates a focused, educational lecture.
"Don’t worry. If I get whisked away, I’ll take you with me." Kenneth Yates was actually quite pleased with her reaction. Her fear of losing him, of others setting their sights on him, only proved how much she cared.
’That actually wouldn’t be so bad,’ Summer Lancaster thought. ’But he’d probably just find me a nuisance then, wouldn’t he?’
Summer Lancaster hoped that one day, he would feel like he couldn’t live without her, too.
It had been a long time since Summer Lancaster had driven her own car. Today, once again, she went to the office with Kenneth Yates. The streets were packed with rush-hour traffic, but Kenneth’s car always seemed to glide through every congested intersection without a problem.
Summer Lancaster hadn’t been to the office in days, and everyone had assumed something had happened to her. Many even believed Reina West would seize the opportunity to take her place. But when they saw the President and Summer Lancaster walk into the company looking as affectionate as ever, those rumors were instantly dispelled.
"Summer Lancaster! Where have you been off having fun these past few days?" The moment Serena Monroe heard Summer was back at work, she was the first to charge into her office to "brutally interrogate" her.
Summer Lancaster put down her bag and looked up at her friend. "What do you mean ’having fun’? I’m a good, hardworking woman trying to make a living here, and you make me sound like... like that!"
Serena Monroe pouted. "You have the nerve to say you’re hardworking? I’m the one who’s been doing all your work, okay? I mean, you’re the wife of a tycoon now. Why are you even still working? It’s more important to stay home, dote on your husband, and raise a family. Or maybe sign up for a cooking class. The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, you know."
"Even so, I need to have my own career. I can’t rely on him for everything. He’d get tired of that kind of woman very quickly—someone who never changes and only knows how to spend money. I look down on women who just sit back and reap the benefits of others’ work!" ’Besides, didn’t he seem to really enjoy the noodle soup I made him yesterday? It’s not a given that he’d prefer something made by a professional chef.’
"Yes, yes, you’re the boss, whatever you say is right! So what on earth were you doing these past few days? The office has been in an uproar while you were gone. The rumor was that President Yates had dumped you. A lot of people felt it was unfair, saying Reina West was just a shameless opportunist. ’Poor Summer Lancaster,’ they’d say, ’only got to be the President’s wife for a few days before getting kicked to the curb.’ Everyone was lamenting your fate!"
Summer Lancaster put down her pen. "Right, I’d almost forgotten until you mentioned it. What exactly is going on with Reina West? I saw the news, too. Isn’t the Yates Group going to do any PR to handle it? The whole thing seems a little fishy."
Serena Monroe leaned closer to Summer Lancaster, glanced around, and whispered in her ear, "Possibility one: Reina West is creating hype for herself. Possibility two: President Yates is creating hype. Possibility three: It’s a real story. But I think President Yates can’t stand Reina West, so even if he wanted to pull a publicity stunt, he wouldn’t do it with her. That rules out number two. So, what does that leave?"
"Huh? Reina West? But even if she wanted to tie herself to Kenneth Yates for publicity, he’d never agree to it. Like you said, Kenneth can’t stand her." Summer Lancaster was getting confused. Everyone could see that Kenneth Yates had never been polite to Reina West; he obviously wouldn’t want anything to do with her. ’No, wait. It’s not just her. He can’t be involved with *anyone*!’
Serena Monroe shrugged. "You should just ask the man himself. You’re not going to let a potential cheating scandal slide without even asking, are you? Be careful, or someone else might snatch President Yates away. It never hurts to be a little vigilant."
’That’s right. I have to ask Kenneth at lunch,’ she resolved. The issue lingered in her mind, a persistent, tangled knot.
She spent the morning absentmindedly dealing with some leftover work, her mind entirely preoccupied with Reina West. When noon finally arrived, Summer Lancaster went straight to the top floor. The secretary didn’t stop her, instead offering a knowing smile as Summer passed by and entered the President’s office unimpeded.
Kenneth Yates was lost in thought when the door swung open softly and Summer Lancaster appeared before him.
"What’s wrong? Have you had lunch yet?" Kenneth Yates stood and walked over to Summer Lancaster, straightening a few of her slightly messy strands of hair. ’Why was she in such a hurry? We’re just in the office.’
"Reina West. I think I need an explanation," Summer Lancaster said, her face devoid of expression, her voice cold.
The hand Kenneth Yates was using to smooth her hair froze.
"You saw the news?" Kenneth Yates walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window, a hint of disappointment in his voice.
"Of course. News about you, Kenneth Yates, always dominates the headlines on every major website, as if you’re afraid the world might not know your business!" His cool demeanor stung her. ’A simple explanation is all it would take to put my mind at ease, so why is he avoiding the subject? Could the rumors be true? Did Reina West really succeed in taking my place and winning back the President’s heart? Then who was it that I was so passionately entangled with last night?’
"Mm," Kenneth Yates said, offering nothing more.
Summer Lancaster waited for him to explain, but a long moment passed, and Kenneth Yates said nothing more. Her heart leaped into her throat, and her gaze lost focus, unsure of where to look.
"Is there nothing you want to explain?" The words came out in a tremble. Summer Lancaster felt her body go rigid. She wanted to move closer to him, but her feet felt as heavy as lead, refusing to obey.
Kenneth Yates spun around to face Summer Lancaster, his sharp, unfamiliar gaze threatening to pierce right through her. "I thought you would trust me. It seems I overestimated myself. Do you really think something could happen between me and Reina West? It’s just one of her schemes. I haven’t done anything about it because I want to let her walk right into her own trap. I didn’t think I needed to explain anything, because I trusted *you*!"
An unnatural smile touched Summer Lancaster’s lips. ’I should have trusted him. I was wrong.’
Finally, Summer Lancaster walked up behind Kenneth Yates and wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her cheek against his back. "I trust you!"
Kenneth Yates turned and pulled Summer Lancaster into his arms. The midday sun streamed in, illuminating their figures and making them shine like a perfectly matched couple, a sight to be envied. Only love built on mutual trust can last. Suspicion and jealousy are often the very things that drive two people apart.
An embrace should be a promise, given from the place closest to the heart, of absolute security and acceptance.
