Rose lifted her eyes to meet his, her expression frosty. "Morrison, this event was meant to end on a high note, and you just had to go and ruin it."
Morrison pursed his lips awkwardly. "I didn't think it through at the time."
When Rose pushed against him, he held on tight. In the midst of the bustling crowd, his hands pressed firmly on her waist, drawing her close into his embrace.
Feeling his body against hers in such a public display made Rose's ears burn with embarrassment, but Morrison seemed oblivious to the impropriety, gazing down at her intently. "Where were you just now? I went looking for you at the press conference."
Rose, with her arms braced against his chest, blushed even deeper under his unwavering gaze. "Are you sure you weren't there just to mess with me?"
"Am I really that much of a jerk? To go out of my way to mess things up for you?"d2
Rose raised an eyebrow, meeting his stare. "You think pretty highly of yourself, don't you?"
Morrison nodded confidently. "Of course, how could you love me so much if I wasn't a good man? To honor your love, I must be worthy."
With a sideways glance and a scoff, Rose remarked, "I didn't realize until now just how shameless you can be."
Murmurs and gasps echoed from the onlookers.
Morrison's dark eyes never left her. As everyone braced for his temper, he finally spoke. "Then you'd better get used to it. I’m very shameless."
Rose's lips twitched. "Have you no shame at all?"
Morrison tilted his head with a grunt. "Shame won’t get my a kid."
Everyone fell silent. Was this the same man they all feared? And what on earth was going on? Wasn't it said that this couple was incompatible? That since their wedding, Mrs. Witt of R City had been subjected to his cold indifference, living like a widow?
This wasn't at all like the rumors.
Someone shifted their gaze to Mona, who was standing aside. At first, the appearance of Morrison's ex-girlfriend seemed like a delightful surprise for the birthday boy, and perhaps the two would finally make up. But now, it appeared quite the opposite.
Especially considering what Rose had said. With Rose's online reputation, anyone else would've avoided such a controversial time to appear at the banquet. Undoubtedly, this made everyone believe that she and Morrison were the real deal.
Had Rose not cunningly intervened and married Morrison, none of this would have transpired. That was what everyone had believed.
They believed that Rose was the one who should step aside, and she was the true wrecker of a relationship.
Now, people's perceptions began to subtly shift. The seemingly unobtrusive ex-girlfriend now seemed a tad unethical.
Morrison wasn't concerned with what others thought. His heart was overflowing with joy. For the first time in his life, just seeing her brought him an insane amount of happiness. No one knew how excited he was deep down right now.
"You still haven't answered me. Where were you just now? Why couldn't I find you at the venue?"
Rose bit her lip. "One has to dress up a bit for a banquet."
Dressing up? Morrison's expression faltered, and he relaxed his hold to scrutinize her from head to toe. His eyes filled with satisfaction.
"You dressed up for me, didn't you?"
Rose's lips curled slightly. "Wishful thinking. I just didn't want to tarnish my own reputation."
"Well, preserving Mrs. Witt's reputation. How thoughtful of you."
Rose looked away, unsure how to respond to Morrison's comment. She lowered her head slightly, her cheeks still flushed.
Morrison's gaze lingered on her. Her hair was styled beautifully, and her white ball earrings trembled like snowflakes against her smooth skin. She also had a faint, delicate fragrance, as if she had spritzed on some perfume.
He rarely saw her so meticulously adorned.
From years ago, he found it too easy to be captivated by her, never wanting to admit that he found her stunning in every way. Her figure and features seemed tailor-made for his tastes. How else could he explain his growing fondness and the sense of danger he felt?
He always knew getting too close to her would be his undoing. And now, it seemed that even maintaining a distance couldn't save him from falling into her grasp.
After staring at Rose for a while, Morrison lifted her chin to better admire her face. Rose had nowhere to hide, forced to meet his intense gaze. The emotions in Morrison's deep gaze caused a sudden shiver in her heart, and her eyes trembled.
The warmth of his fingers brushed her jawline, tracing the elegant contours of her slender neck. He relished the soft touch under his fingertips.
"You're beautiful," he said slowly, his eyes tracing her exquisite face before locking onto hers. Pure and unblemished, her dark eyes reflected nothing but his image.
Rose was momentarily stunned, unable to break away from his gaze.
As the couple stood there, their interaction left the onlookers puzzled.
"Can't figure out what's going on. Is this all an act for the Witt family's image?"
"Do you think Mr. Witt would let a woman he despises call him shameless, even if it's just an act?"
"Uh. so they're actually on good terms?"
"It seems that way."
"Wow..."
A low murmur rippled through the crowd.
Just moments ago, the two were locked in a tender gaze, but now they were locked in a kiss.
Rose was caught off guard as Morrison leaned in. She had never imagined that one day he would be bold enough to do such a thing in public. It wasn't until his kiss deepened that she blinked out of her stupor, her blood rushing to her face in a hot flush.
The crowd cheered them on, and though she tried to push him away, he was unyielding. Finally, after a firm pull, he seemed satisfied and let her go.
Rose's cheeks were so red they could've steamed. Head lowered, she dared not look at anyone. Her forehead rested unnaturally against Morrison's chest.
Morrison couldn't help but feel a damn, inexplicable sense of achievement as he watched her blush. The same girl who used to butt heads with him every day, never showing signs of backing down, was now showing her shy side.
"Hmph!"
He used to hate anyone flaunting their romances, but he now found himself in the thick of it without the slightest hint of embarrassment. Instead, he gently nudged Rose's chin upward, noticing the smeared lipstick on her lips and reached out to tidy it up.
Though touched by Morrison's gesture, Rose's warm feelings were quickly chilled by his next words.
"Hope this lipstick isn’t toxic. Wouldn't want to be kissed to death."
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