Chapter 191: Chapter 191: Carrying a Pig
Just as the elevator doors were about to close, Yuri stuck out his hand, blocking them.
WHOOSH. The doors slid back open.
Yuri stepped into the elevator. His deep gaze fixed on Sophie Shaw’s face, flushed from the alcohol, as he said softly, "What kind of gentleman lets an intoxicated lady leave by herself? It’s too dangerous. Let me take you."
"No, thank you."
"I insist."
"..."
The elevator doors closed and began to ascend slowly.
The image of the two of them sitting at the bar in their hotel robes, drinking, and the scene of them entering the elevator were all secretly captured by a man in black hiding in the shadows with a camera.
Inside the elevator.
Sophie Shaw leaned weakly against the elevator wall, her one-track mind still caught up in her earlier turmoil.
She couldn’t help but ask Yuri, "Your cousin’s son... his last name is Zane?"
"Yes, he took my cousin’s last name."
"Your cousin had a child out of wedlock?"
"Miss Shaw, this is the 21st century..."
"I know, I’m not criticizing her. I’m just..."
"Yes, she had a child out of wedlock."
"Then the father of her son..." ’Is it Alaric Blackwood?’
The words were on the tip of her tongue, but Sophie Shaw couldn’t bring herself to ask.
She hoped it wasn’t true, but all her suspicions forced her to consider the possibility.
When she had previously heard rumors that Alaric Blackwood might have an illegitimate child in Unisia, she hadn’t paid them much mind. After all, they were going to sign a marriage of convenience agreement. Before she decided to marry him, she already knew he was a player and had been with many women.
But after they got their marriage certificate and exchanged medical reports, Alaric Blackwood told her that he was still a virgin...
’There’s no way to verify a man’s first time, is there?’
’At any rate, I don’t know how to.’
’He’s such a flirt and has a way with women. He had me completely charmed. He’s clearly very experienced...’
He also said that if anything happened between them, he would take responsibility for her.
And so, he threw the marriage of convenience agreement into the shredder, and it was no more.
After there were no longer any contractual constraints between them, the man had become doting, clingy, and considerate. Her heart had been moved. But just then, Shayla Zane and a Daniel Zane had to pop up...
Sophie Shaw’s thoughts were in a complete mess.
She desperately told herself that she couldn’t fall for a man’s tricks a second time. She had to stay calm and rational, and re-evaluate her marriage to Alaric Blackwood.
But she couldn’t control her emotions at all.
The elevator reached the twelfth floor. The moment the doors opened, she stepped out, but after just two steps, her vision suddenly went black.
Yuri’s reflexes were quick, and he caught her. "Miss Shaw, are you all right?"
Sophie Shaw struggled, trying to push away the hand he had on her waist. "You don’t have to help me. I can walk on my own."
"You don’t look like you can walk. You almost fell flat on your face just now."
At this moment, Sophie Shaw was at a complete loss, unable to even stand steady on her own. She needed Yuri’s support.
"You’re drunk."
Yuri steadied her, draped one of her arms over his neck, then bent down, scooped his arm under her knees, and lifted her into his arms.
"What are you doing?"
"Let go of me."
Sophie Shaw struggled instinctively.
She wasn’t used to a stranger’s scent, wasn’t used to being held like this by any man other than Alaric Blackwood.
"Put me down."
Yuri frowned but said nothing. He carried her out of the elevator and down the long, quiet hallway, searching for Suite 1202.
"Mr. Yates, please put me down. I can walk by myself."
Sophie Shaw felt her boundaries had been crossed, and the shock sobered her up a bit.
The woman in his arms wouldn’t stop struggling. Yuri clenched his jaw and shot her a helpless look. "Miss Shaw, you’d better stop moving. You’re not exactly light, you know. If I drop you, I’m not taking responsibility."
As he spoke, he forcefully hoisted her up a little higher before catching her securely in his arms again.
Afraid of falling, Sophie Shaw was startled when he lifted her. She instinctively grabbed the collar of his robe, her heart pounding and her breathing quickening.
The scene of the man carrying the woman down the hotel corridor was precisely captured by the man in black, who had followed them. Wearing a hat and a mask, he hid in the dim stairwell. Even when Yuri stopped in front of a suite door, the camera lens remained trained on the two of them.
"Miss Shaw, use the wristband on your wrist to open the door."
Yuri reminded her patiently.
This hotel used electronic wristbands with magnetic chips instead of key cards. Every guest was given one corresponding to their room number upon check-in.
Sophie Shaw belatedly lifted her left wrist and tapped the electronic wristband against the lock.
BEEP.
The door clicked open.
Yuri kicked the door open with his foot and strode inside, still carrying her.
He had expected the room to be empty, but surprisingly, Anne was there.
Seeing Sophie Shaw, her cheeks flushed and eyes glazed with drunkenness, being carried in by Yuri, Anne froze.
"Miss Shaw had too much to drink."
Yuri acted very calm. He walked straight to the sofa and placed Sophie Shaw on it.
"I’ll leave her in your care, then. I won’t disturb you any further."
After his gentlemanly words, Yuri tactfully excused himself.
The room fell into a dead silence.
Sophie Shaw lay slumped on the sofa, her eyes bloodshot. Her breathing was ragged, her chest heaving violently.
Anne took a bottle of water from the mini-fridge and walked over to Sophie Shaw.
She twisted open the cap and held the bottle to Sophie Shaw’s lips. "Have some water."
Sophie Shaw obediently took a sip, swallowing it with some difficulty. The next second, tears streamed from her eyes.
"What are you crying for?"
Anne panicked. "Did Yuri do something to you? Did he touch you?"
"No, he just brought me back."
"Then why are you crying?"
’You were fine when we were in the hot springs.’
Sophie Shaw shook her head, wiped away her tears, and flopped onto the sofa, turning to face the backrest, unwilling to say another word.
"Don’t sleep here. Go sleep in the bedroom."
A thirty-five-thousand-a-night luxury suite, and she was going to sleep on the sofa instead of the soft Simmons bed?
"Get up."
Anne helped her up.
But Sophie Shaw leaned against her like a pile of jelly, mumbling, "Just leave me be and go to bed."
"How could I just leave you?"
After her massage, Anne had returned to the suite to find Sophie Shaw gone. She had picked up her charging phone, about to call her, when Yuri happened to bring her back.
"Be good."
She coaxed Sophie Shaw, and when she saw her start to cry again, she quickly used the sleeve of her robe to wipe her tears.
"What on earth happened?"
"Can you please tell me what’s wrong?"
She had just gone to the lounge bar with Shayla Zane to watch a performance and then gotten a massage. It was only a little over an hour. What could have possibly happened in that time?
"I’m fine. I’m just in a bad mood. I’ll be okay after some sleep."
Sophie Shaw wiped her face haphazardly and fell back onto the sofa.
She curled up into a ball on the sofa, her face turned toward the cushions, looking utterly pitiful. Anne put her hands on her hips and let out a long sigh.
She pulled Sophie Shaw up again and, using every ounce of her strength, the five-foot-three Anne managed to heave the five-foot-seven Sophie Shaw onto her shoulder.
She gritted her teeth as she lifted her, her face contorted with effort. "Sophie, you need to talk to your Mr. Blackwood. Tell him to stop feeding you so well. You’re too heavy."
"Your weight has seriously skyrocketed!"
She felt like she was carrying a pig.
"Don’t mention Mr. Blackwood. Don’t mention him."
Hearing the name "Mr. Blackwood," Sophie Shaw suddenly seemed to snap, coming to life. Lying on Anne’s shoulder, she started flailing her arms and kicking her legs.
Anne was already struggling to carry her. Annoyed, she smacked her on the butt. "Stop it! What’s with this drunken tantrum? If you keep it up, I’ll really give you a beating!"
Her best friend’s stern tone quickly made Sophie Shaw settle down.
The alcohol rushed to her head. After being tossed onto the large bed in the room, she passed out within moments.
Anne’s back ached with exhaustion. The hot spring soak and the massage had been for nothing. And she still had to get a wet towel to wipe Sophie Shaw’s face.
"Why is my life so hard!"
"Being broke is hard enough. I spend all day waiting on my ’God of Wealth’, and when I finally get a night to relax, I still have to wait on you."
"You’re all a bunch of high-maintenance princesses."
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