Chapter 37: Chapter 37 Full of energy
Alana froze for a moment, momentarily unable to process the sight.
How small was this world, after all?
How on earth had she run into him again?
Stephan had come to the golf course today simply because he felt restless and needed to get out and unwind.
Coincidentally, Jules had been full of energy these past few days, constantly pestering him. She claimed it was her first time in this country and insisted he take her to see the city’s famous and outstanding sights.
He couldn’t be bothered with sightseeing, so he’d simply brought her to the golf course instead. They played several rounds together, with him winning every single one, utterly pointless.
Yet Jules’ competitive spirit had been ignited. She was determined to beat Stephan at least once and was now diligently honing her skills.
Stephan grew weary after a few rounds and headed to the lounge for a brief respite.
During the break, he nibbled on fruit offered by his attendant, his mind drifting into blank spaces.
He couldn’t pinpoint what he was pondering, yet a slender, ethereal figure kept flickering through his mind, refusing to fade.
Stephan couldn’t help but wonder if he was ill, whether he ought to visit the hospital and have his brain examined by a neurologist.
Why else would he keep thinking about that heartless woman?
Three days now, three whole days without contact, without seeing each other.
He couldn’t fathom why, but he found himself craving her presence more intensely than ever.
Lost in these tangled thoughts, Stephan suddenly sensed a gaze resting on him.
He turned his head slightly and immediately caught sight of its source.
The girl possessed exquisitely delicate features and skin as pure and white as snow.
She wore a white shirt and blue jeans.
The high-waisted design accentuated her slender waist, her legs long and shapely.
Her demeanour was clean and elegant, radiating an indescribable purity.
He froze momentarily on seeing her.
It seemed he hadn’t expected the girl who had just been in his mind to appear in the next moment.
Yet the moment she met his gaze, she promptly averted her eyes, as though caught in the act of wrongdoing.
As though she wished to have nothing whatsoever to do with him.
Stephan gave a low snort, a vague irritation stirring within him.
What was this?
Was she so unwilling to see him?
The moment the man looked her way, Alana promptly averted her gaze.
She didn’t know why she’d looked away; it had been an instinctive reaction.
She didn’t want him to catch her stealing glances at him.
Yet the man’s gaze seemed to cling to her, burning intensely like a blazing fire that made Alana feel utterly uncomfortable.
Just then, Alana spotted Jules turning back, seemingly exhausted from his workout, his forehead glistening with sweat.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted clean towels and bottled water on the rest area table.
She walked over, picked up a dry towel and a bottle of water, and approached Jules. "Miss Jules, you’ve worked up quite a sweat. Here, let me dry you off with this towel." Jules felt a flicker before her eyes, and a delicate, beautiful face appeared before her.
The girl wore her hair in a high ponytail, a faint smile playing at the corners of her mouth. Dressed in a white shirt and blue jeans, she radiated youthful vigour and exuberance.
Her presence was refreshingly uplifting.
She recognised the pretty girl instantly, a flicker of surprise crossing her eyes. "It’s you. I remember you. Your name was...A...Alana, wasn’t it?"
Alana smiled again. "It’s me. I’m honoured you remember my name."
Jules couldn’t help but laugh aloud.
“With looks like yours, I’d be hard-pressed to forget."
Alana’s cheeks flushed slightly.
Foreigners were so direct, compliments came effortlessly from their lips, nothing like the reserved, subtle manner in this city.
In any case, her praise made Alana feel rather embarrassed.
Alana shyly handed Jules a towel. "Here’s your towel."
“Thank you."
Noticing the blush on her cheeks, Jules couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow, tempted to tease her.
So she bent down, leaning her head closer to Alana. "How about you dry me off instead? What do you say?"
Alana froze for a moment, noticing the playful, teasing glint in Jules’ emerald eyes.
A faint sense of unease stirred within her.
But she didn’t dwell on it. Perhaps Jules was simply accustomed to being looked after.
Besides, Jules’ request might be a test of sorts.
If she passed this test, negotiating their collaboration would likely be much smoother.
With that thought, Alana immediately stood on tiptoe and gently draped the towel over Jules’ head.
Jules was exceptionally tall, standing at a full 1.8 metres.
At just 1.65 metres tall, Alana found it rather a struggle to dry her hair.
Jules lowered her gaze, observing the girl mere inches away.
The exertion of wiping her hair caused a flush of heat to rise, leaving her cheeks rosy.
Her skin was naturally fair and delicate, and now, with a hint of rosy flush against her pale complexion, she resembled a budding flower, utterly captivating.
Particularly as a faint, pleasant fragrance wafted from her, as soft and sweet as she herself. Jules stared intently at the girl before her, her desires stirring within.
Too beautiful, too tempting!
A feast for the eyes indeed!
What to do?
She desperately wanted to kiss her.
Girls kissing girls wasn’t illegal in this country, was it?
At this thought, Jules pouted her lips, ready to press them against Alana’s rosy, tempting little cheeks.
But before Jules could press her lips against Alana’s, a sharp, low cough echoed through the air, making Jules’ lips tremble.
She whipped her head round and, unsurprisingly, met Stephan’s piercing gaze.
Gloomy and terrifying.
As if his property were being coveted by another species, it brimmed with warning and menace.
Jules blinked.
And he claimed he had no interest in the young lady.
That possessiveness was overwhelming, boundless in its intensity!
Due to Stephan’s warning glare, Jules’ refrained from making any rash moves towards Alana for the time being, even though he desperately wanted to.
Alana, however, remained utterly oblivious to the currents swirling beneath the surface.
Her entire focus was on attending to
Jules’ needs, leaving no room for anything else.
Having wiped him clean, she slowly withdrew her hand.
“There, all done now."
The strenuous effort had left a thin sheen of sweat on her forehead, her fair complexion flushed with a delicate blush.
Jules chuckled, softly. "Thank you. You’re a real sweetheart."
Alana picked up the bottle of mineral water she’d placed on the floor moments before, blinking at Jules. "Would you like a drink?"
As she spoke, she unscrewed the cap and offered it to Jules.
Jules happened to be thirsty and accepted without hesitation, taking a large gulp from the bottle.
Dane and Vera, seeing that Alana had already made contact with the HG
representative, had no time for anything else. They hurried over to Jules’ side.
As Dane wasn’t very proficient in English, Vera took the initiative to speak.
“Miss Jules, we are representatives from Wells Beauty Company. My name is Vera Davis. Might we have a few minutes of your time to introduce our company?"
Jules’ brow furrowed.
Such a formal introduction meant they were undoubtedly here for business.
But her mind was set on having fun today, not work.
She found it thoroughly irritating when people brought up work while she was enjoying herself. Unfortunately, Vera failed to notice Jules’ impatience, instead striving to showcase her impressive capabilities.
Therefore, before Jules could utter a word, she launched into a passionate discourse on the company’s business philosophy and core principles.
Jules rew increasingly impatient.
But being a gentleman of refinement, he felt it would be rude to interrupt. Alana, noticing Jules’ furrowed brow, keenly sensed her displeasure.
So she spoke up, "Miss Jules, you’ve been exercising for quite some time now. Standing must be rather uncomfortable. Shall we head over to the lounge area and sit for a while?"
Jules had been thinking exactly that. Hearing this, she raised an eyebrow at Alana. "Very well."
With that, she paid no heed to Vera and strode straight towards the lounge area.
Alana was about to follow when Vera grabbed her arm.
Having been interrupted by Alana, Vera was thoroughly annoyed.
“Alana, what’s that supposed to mean? Can’t you stand seeing me outshine you?"
She was on the verge of persuading Jules to agree to collaborate with their company, yet Alana had to go and interfere.
Alana’s expression turned cold as she brushed Vera’s hand away without hesitation.
“Vera, have you gone blind? Can’t you see Jules is growing distinctly impatient with your remarks? Besides, she’s just finished exercising and is dead tired. Having to listen to you drone on must
be bloody annoying, don’t you think? Even if you’re eager to partner with HG, you ought to proceed gradually. Wait for the right moment, it’s not too late to bring up the collaboration then."
Vera was rendered speechless, unable to retort.
Alana couldn’t be bothered with this useless teammate and strode towards Jules.
However, the awkwardness was palpable.
Jules’ seat was positioned very close to Stephan’s, just one seat apart.
Alana bit her lip, hesitating whether to approach.
Jules beckoned her over with a friendly wave. "Alana, come sit with us."
He patted the empty seat beside him.
It was the very seat between her and Stephan.
Stephan’s deep, inscrutable gaze also turned towards her.
The man’s inscrutable gaze made Alana feel pressured. She smiled and politely declined, "No need, I’ll just stand here."
Jules chuckled. "Don’t be so formal. Besides, I don’t like people standing in front of me when we talk. Do come and sit."
After much hesitation, Alana relented.
She took small steps to the seat between them and sat down.
However, as she sat down, she deliberately shifted her hips slightly, distancing herself a little further from Stephan.
Stephan noticed her subtle movement and pressed his thin lips together.
Deliberately avoiding him?
It seemed he’d resolved to play devil’s advocate with her.
Stephan lifted his foot slightly.
With his gleaming black leather shoe, he deliberately brushed against the girl’s ankle. Caught off guard, she nearly leapt from her seat in alarm.
Yet she managed to restrain herself, preventing any major display of embarrassment. Only her clear, beautiful eyes, as pure as water, shot him a glare.
As if displeased by his teasing.
At last, he could no longer be ignored.
Stephan’s thin lips curved into a faint smile.
Jules iscreetly observed the subtle exchanges between them.
Curiosity and gossip stirred within her. What exactly was the nature of their relationship?
“Alana, do you know my friend?"
Alana turned to face Jules, instinctively retorting, "No, I don’t!"
She clearly didn’t want to be associated with the man beside her.
Stephan’s thin lips curled slightly as his shoe brushed against hers once more. Not too hard, not too soft.
It made Alana’s ears burn.
What on earth is this scoundrel up to?
Sneaking a nudge against her ankle, didn’t he fear being caught?
He might have no shame, but that didn’t mean she didn’t.
She shifted her foot discreetly.
Alas, the man’s leather shoes seemed glued to hers, scraping against her from time to time. It made her heart clench.
This man was thoroughly despicable to the core!
Jules pretended not to notice the spectacle unfolding beneath her feet, her gaze suggestive.
“You truly don’t know him?”
Alana bit her lip emphatically. "I don’t know him."
Jules hummed in acknowledgement, casting a meaningful glance at Stephan.
Judging by how desperately Alana was trying to distance herself from a certain man, it seemed likely that man was harbouring unrequited feelings.
Now that was rather interesting.
It was rare indeed that Stephan, who was perpetually aloof, ascetic man, like a cold, distant flower, had ever been unable to suppress his one-sided infatuation with a woman.
After all, he was famously unapproachable when it came to women.
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