Chapter 25: Chapter 25 Cover her up
Stephan frowned.
Seeing her dressed so revealingly, he felt an urge to grab a piece of cloth and cover her up completely.
“Dressed like that, taking a cab?"
“Aren’t you afraid of encountering a pervert?"
If any lurkers were about, they wouldn’t be as gentlemanly as him, chatting her up for this long.
Alana fell silent, instinctively glancing down at herself.
The tightness across her chest made her glance down, where the full curves seemed poised to spill free.
Her cheeks flushed involuntarily, and she instinctively raised a hand to shield herself.
Stephan snorted, finding her gesture rather pointless.
“What’s the point of covering up? Is there anything left of you that I haven’t seen? Covering up won’t do any good." Alana’s cheeks flushed even deeper.
Good heavens, did he have any tact whatsoever?
Seeing her flushed cheeks, Stephan said nothing. He decisively removed his coat and draped it over her.
The long coat enveloped her, conveniently concealing those overly prominent and revealing traces.
Stephan’s tightly furrowed brows finally relaxed. This was far more pleasing to the eye.
Suddenly enveloped in the man’s coat, she felt its warmth, still carrying his body heat, along with a faint scent of pine.
It was a scent uniquely his.
Alana’s breath caught, and she looked at him helplessly. "You..."
Why on earth had he given her his coat to wear?
She couldn’t comprehend it.
Stephan’s expression remained stern. "Wear it properly."
Alana had intended to refuse, but the thought of appearing on the street in such revealing attire made her reconsider.
“Thank you," She said. "I’ll wash it and return it to you."
Stephan was about to say it wasn’t necessary, after all, he seldom wore clothes twice.
But when she mentioned washing it before returning, he found himself agreeing without thinking.
“Very well."
“Come on, I’ll walk you home."
Alana instinctively declined, "No need, I’d rather..."
“I won’t say it again."
Why did he feel like he was meddling?
Was it because he had too much time on his hands?
Though she harboured such thoughts, she kept them to herself.
After all, a free ride was on offer, why not take advantage?
So Alana added, "Thank you."
Stephan replied coolly, "I’d prefer action over mere words of thanks."
Alana froze, not quite catching him. "What?"
Stephan watched her bewildered expression, holding back his frustration.
“Never mind. Let’s go."
Stephan’s car was parked right outside the bar entrance, just a few steps away.
It was a black Bentley.
Alana intended to take the back seat, but Stephan opened the passenger door for her. She felt awkward refusing and climbed in.
This time, she remembered to fasten her seatbelt.
Stephan settled into the driver’s seat and started the car immediately, pulling away. Fearing he might forget her address, Alana spoke up, "By the way, my place is..."
Before she could finish, he cut her off. "I know."
His memory was nothing short of extraordinary.
On the road.
Neither Alana nor Stephan spoke. She sat demurely, while he drove with a stony
expression.
The atmosphere was unbearably awkward.
Alana kept glancing out the window.
Why on earth was the car moving so slowly?
They still hadn’t reached home after all this time.
Feeling thoroughly uncomfortable, Alana glanced at the sharp-featured man beside her and couldn’t resist breaking the silence.
“Er... how did you end up in that sort of place?"
Stephan’s dark eyes swept over her, their depth intense. "What? Are you interested in my personal life?"
Don’t read too much into it, she’d merely wanted to find a topic to break the awkward silence. But it seemed the more they spoke, the more awkward it became.
“I was merely inquiring. If you’d rather not discuss it, then don’t."
The man paused for a moment before suddenly speaking up, "When the family starts nagging about marriage, I come out to meet up with the lads to take my mind off it."
Alana blinked, her clear eyes brimming with disbelief.
A man like him, actually facing pressure from his family to marry?
He certainly didn’t look the type who needed matchmaking or marriage pressure?
“Oh, I thought you were here to select a consort."
After all, the manager had just ushered a line of women into the private room for him to choose from.
With so many women at his disposal, it was practically like an ancient emperor selecting a consort.
So she hadn’t exactly been wrong.
Stephan frowned. Had she misunderstood something?!
Did she think he was a man of loose morals, willing to choose any woman?
He couldn’t help but explain, "I wasn’t selecting a consort. That was merely me..."
Alana kindly interjected, "Er, well, you don’t need to explain to me."
Stephan choked on his words, his dark eyes narrowing in irritation.
A suffocating sensation gripped his throat, neither rising nor falling.
Alana looked at him, her expression utterly innocent.
Had she said something wrong?!
Why was he glaring at her?
He looked as though he might strangle her.
A chill ran down her spine.
Stephan watched Alana’s reaction and couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.
Indeed, why should he explain himself to her?!
She wasn’t his anything, so there was absolutely no need.
Gritting his teeth, the man suppressed his rising anger and slammed his foot down on the accelerator...
This time, in less than five minutes, the car pulled up outside Alana’s residential complex.
Alana reached to remove her coat and return it to him.
Stephan’s expression darkened. "Keep it on."
“I’m home now, there’s no need...”
“You haven’t washed it properly yet. Return it once it’s clean."
What? Does he think it’s disgusting that she’s worn it?
If he disliked it so much, couldn’t he just chuck it in the bin?
Though inwardly grumbling, she forced a smile outwardly. "Right, I’ll give it back once it’s clean."
“Thank you for bringing me back. Goodbye."
Without another word, the man floored the accelerator and sped off with a whoosh.
Alana was left choking on a carload of exhaust fumes.
Watching the Bentley vanish before her, Alana wrinkled her nose and muttered under her breath, ’What a bloody idiot.’
Then she turned and walked back.
*********
The next day.
Somehow, word had spread throughout the entire company that Alana was working at a bar alongside Vera.
Rumors swirled that she’d been taken fancy to by some wealthy chap and spent the entire night entertaining him.
As for the nature of the companionship, well, adults need no further explanation.
The moment Alana stepped into the office, colleagues began pointing fingers and hurling insults at her, the barrage of filthy remarks raining down on her like beans spilling from a sack.
It caught her completely off guard.
“Look, it’s Alana. Heard she was working as a hostess at a nightclub last night, entertaining several men before ending up in a hotel room with one of them."
“Is that true? She looked so innocent. How could she be so loose?"
“Don’t judge by appearances. Some people look the most innocent on the surface, but are the wildest in private!"
“Bloody hell, I thought Alana was pretty and innocent. I fancied her and was thinking of asking her out. Never imagined she was so wild behind closed doors. Disgusting!"
“Exactly! Sleeping around with so many men, she’s bound to have some STD. Best keep your distance from her from now on!"
Alana’s face turned ashen. She didn’t need to guess who’d started the rumour.
After all, apart from Vera, no one else knew she’d gone to that bar with her.
Gritting her teeth to suppress her rage, she confronted Vera, immediately.
“Vera, is it you who’s been spreading rumours about me around the office?"
Vera glared at Alana, her face twisted with envy. "What do you mean ’spreading
rumors? I’m just telling the truth. Didn’t you leave with that Stephan guy last night?"
Alana gritted her teeth. "We merely left the bar. Nothing happened between us."
Vera sneered coldly, "Who’d believe nothing happened? I didn’t see it with my own eyes. For all we know, you went off to a hotel with him and got used by him.”
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