"Answer it for me," Stanley said to Jewel.
"Okay." Jewel was always obedient in front of him. She answered the phone, and after a hum, she handed the phone to him. "Anthony said that he has something to tell you. Maybe it's about work."
Stanley took the phone and said in a stern voice, "Anthony, you'd better have something important to say."
"Uh..." Anthony didn't expect his boss to be so grumpy. "Madam called me to ask about your whereabouts. Does this count as an important matter?"
Hearing this, Stanley raised his eyebrows, and there was a flash in his deep eyes. "She called you to ask where I am?"
"Yes."
The gloom suddenly disappeared.
"What else did she say?"
Anthony thought for a moment and said, "She said... Hazel was worried because you haven't returned home yet, and that you don't have to go back anymore if you don't want to..."
Stanley's handsome face suddenly darkened.
"What else?"
Anthony could sense that Stanley was getting upset, so he decided to stop right there. "No, nothing. She ended the call without saying much."
"Beep..."
A busy tone came from the other end of the phone.
Anthony stared at the phone, bewildered.
Once again, Stanley hung up on him. When could he learn to break that bad habit?
Stanley ended the call and put his phone into his pocket with no expression on his face.
The house became quiet again. Jewel was sitting next to Stanley, so she could hear the conversation on the phone. She lowered her head to shield the triumphant sneer in her eyes.
Sharon Cruz.
This woman again!
Her hands that she put on her knees were tightly gripping the bathrobe until veins popped up on her slender hands, looking rather ferocious and horrible...
"Don't you want me to stay here?"
In a trance, she heard Stanley speak. Jewel came to her senses and said in a daze,
"What?"
Stanley tilted his head and looked at her with a dark look in his eyes. "You want me to accompany you, don't you?"
Jewel soon understood what he meant and her hands trembled with excitement. "A-Are you staying here tonight?"
"Why? You don't want me to?"
"No, no, no! Of course, not! It's just that you haven't spent the night here for a long time. I'm so excited..."
Stanley chuckled, which made Jewel mesmerized in a daze. He reached out and touched her cheek very gently... There was a flash in her mind that she suddenly thought of something and pushed him away. "I- I haven't taken a bath yet."
She did not dare to look into his eyes because she was afraid that he would find something suspicious.
However, Stanley turned over and pressed her down. Jewel nervously grasped the collar on her chest. "Stanley..."
Jewel closed her eyes. Stanley's face darkened as he glanced at her hand and flipped it, seeing the visible bruises and hickeys on her skin. "What happened?"
He asked in a cold voice, but she couldn't pinpoint his real emotion.
Liam left these bruises on her body. When she went to see him the other day and heard the secret, he didn't do anything to her. Instead, he had sex with her that was rougher and more intense than ever. That was how she had all these bruises on her body.
Jewel felt her throat dry as the man glared at her intensely. "1-1 have a shooting these days, and there are several intimacy scenes. The director doesn't want to use a substitute to capture the real feeling, so... Stanley, don't worry. It's just kissing. We didn't do the deed."
His gazes were as deep as a bottomless pool that sent chills down Jewel's spine.
"Be careful and protect yourself. Use a substitute if you can."
Said Stanley, who had helped her to pull up her clothes.
Jewel breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay."
She was afraid that he would get angry after seeing the bruises, but she found an excuse to fool him, so she was no longer afraid and took the initiative to curl her arms around his neck and leaned over to him. "Stanley, I-I'm ready."
However, Stanley brushed her hand away and stood up, trying to keep a distance from her.
"It's getting late. Have a good rest. I'll go back."
Jewel was stunned. Looking at his back, she mumbled, "You obviously wanted to sleep with me just now! Is it because of these bruises? I got them at work, not..."
"No, I didn't." As he was walking to the door, he stopped and leaned to one side, looking indifferent and leisurely. "I just want to test something."
He wanted to see how much he could do to other women and how important Sharon was in his heart.
Jewel was stunned on the sofa.
Test? What test?
Because of his words, Jewel was uneasy.
Stanley didn't stay any longer. He turned around and left. When he came to the door, something flashed across his mind, so he stopped.
Jewel was glee to see him stop, thinking that he had changed his mind.
"I forgot to tell you last time, Jewel, I hope you don't disturb Sharon anymore from now on."
Stanley looked at her with deep gazes. He spoke in a calm and indifferent manner, but it was actually a warning in disguise.
Jewel sat on the sofa in a daze. The joy on her face faded away, blood slowly draining from her face.
"You've done something and you know it. I didn't expose you and let you stay in the entertainment industry like a lady boss is all for the sake of your late brother Jensen."
Stanley's gazes became deeper and deeper. He hoped that she would listen and think before she did anything.
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