Clarissa and Ryler exited the room in a hurry. If Ryler didn’t stop her in her tracks, she could’ve forgotten to disguise herself.
She said, “I’m sorry, Ry. Maybe you should leave first. We’ll have to be careful of those paparazzi.”
However, Ryler was concerned about another matter.
“Clarissa, is it true you have a boyfriend?” His gaze was fixated on Clarissa’s face, searching for any traces of uncertainty.
To his disappointment, Clarissa gave him a firm answer. “Yes.”
Ryler fell silent as he stared at the woman in front of him. The atmosphere was still and time seemed to be frozen.
Clarissa couldn’t bring herself to look at him in the eyes, as they would be full of hurt and disappointment by then.
“Who is it? Do I know him?” Ryler lowered his voice while Clarissa shook her head instantly. “I’ll introduce him to you one day. Ryler, we have to leave.”
Turning around, she started heading toward the exit, but Ryler gripped her arm tightly as he was reluctant to part with her.
She glanced back and saw Ryler’s deep eyes. He didn’t say anything, but Clarissa was flustered.
It was as if she knew what he would say.
Before Ryler could say anything, Clarissa changed her tone. “Ry, aren’t you happy for me?”
She called Ryler “Ry” ever since they were young and they treated each other like siblings, but now Ryler knew what she meant.
Ryler froze as the both of them fell silent. After a while, he forced a smile. “Clarissa, I’m happy for you.”
Clarissa’s expression softened, and she said, “Yeah. Ry, I’ll be counting on you to determine if he’s the one for me. You’ll have to beat him up if he bullies me.”
Releasing Clarissa’s arm, Ryler smiled and rubbed her head lovingly. “I’m not someone so rude. There are plenty of other ways to punish him for bullying you.”
“Alright.” Clarissa smiled delightfully. The smile on her face was still so beautiful.
All these years, Ryler loved her and wanted to make her his, but he didn’t dare to do it while Clarissa had found another man to be with.
“Let’s go,” he spoke. But Clarissa shook her head and replied, “Leave first. I’ll hail a cab and return later. I’ll text you when I get back.”
Ryler nodded as he didn’t force Clarissa to do as he said. At that moment, he needed some time for himself to calm his broken heart.
Right after Ryler left, the cab Clarissa hailed arrived. However, before she could get into the car, someone closed the door from behind.
And she was dragged to the side.
“Eh? Lady, are you okay? Do you need me to call the police?” The kind-hearted cab driver couldn’t help but voice out his concern when he saw Clarissa being dragged away by someone else.
Clarissa shook her head. “I’m sorry. Please wait a moment.”
After saying her words to the cab driver, she lifted her head and looked at the man in front of her. “What are you doing? Let me go! I’m going home.”
Clarissa was obviously displeased and struggled to escape from his arms, but she failed to do so no matter how hard she tried.
“I’ll send you home.” Matthew’s low voice had made it clear that it wasn’t a suggestion, but a statement.
Clarissa frowned and glared at him. “I don’t want you to send me back. Who are you to me? Let me go, or else I’ll shout and cause a scene.”
Matthew cast a fierce glare at her, and she immediately fell silent.
Reluctant to back down, she scrunched her nose up in irritation and pursed her lips, wearing an upset expression.
The driver saw everything that happened and sighed. I came for nothing. The people in this area must be rich or with high status. He didn’t dare to request for some compensation, so he left quickly, resigned to his fate.
“Eh? Driver…” Seeing that the car sped away, Clarissa could only stomp her foot in anger and glare at the man who made her miss her cab home.
However, meeting Matthew’s sharp gaze, Clarissa could only give in and suppress the reluctance in admitting defeat.
Taking the lady’s hand into his, Matthew brushed the back of her hand with his thumb.
“Wow, Clarissa must miss Matt. See how she is waiting here for him.” A familiar voice came from the other side of the road.
Why is Jeremy always so nosy? There’s nothing to gossip about.
Following behind Jeremy and others were those people from the private room just now.
Scanning the people standing in front of her, she wanted to distance herself from Matthew, but their fingers are laced together, so she looked at Justin awkwardly.
However, they weren’t surprised to see Clarissa being so close with Matthew. They even greeted her.
Clarissa found herself unfit of receiving their respect, as they were all big shots. Smiling awkwardly, she wished the earth could swallow her up. Jeremy has a big mouth, so he must’ve told them everything.
Detecting Clarissa was feeling awkward, Matthew finally spoke. “That’s enough. Now leave. I’ll introduce her officially next time.”
What he meant was that he had set his eyes on Clarissa to be his wife.
They sized up Clarissa. Who knows? She might become Mrs. Tyson in the future.
After bidding farewell to each other, Jeremy left with others.
The driver drove to their front, and Matthew dragged Clarissa into the car.
Once they got into the car, Clarissa immediately flung Matthew’s hand aside and sat in the seat far away from the latter, her head facing away from him.
Matthew frowned and turned his body toward her. Looking at her with a sharp gaze, his voice was icy. “Why are you making a fuss?”
Clarissa was stunned by his words. What the… I’m the one making a fuss?
He’s the one that was angry.
Clarissa didn’t glance back and stayed silent to show her dissatisfaction while Matthew’s dark eyes gleamed. “Clarissa Quigley!”
“What?” Hearing Matthew call her by her full name, she knew the former was angry, but she didn’t care. Turning around without fear, her eyes met his, but her resolve was a tad too weak.
A glint flashed across her eyes, and she snorted. “Why bother calling my name? Just say whatever you want.”
Matthew pursed his lips and smiled coldly. “Tell me. What are you throwing a fit for?”
Hearing his question, Clarissa’s fury exploded from within. “I’m the one who’s making a fuss? When and what did I even do? Matthew, you’re shifting the blame! I’ve made it clear before. We don’t know each other well and we won’t get along. Let’s just break…”
Clarissa couldn’t get the last word of her sentence out, as her mouth was covered by Matthew’s hand.
“Hmmph! Mmm!” Clarissa could only let out a muffled noise in defiance.
Matthew pulled her closer to him while covering her mouth with her hand. Glaring at her coldly, he asked, “Break up? Because of Ryler?”
Clarissa widened her eyes in anger.
Matthew whispered in her ears, “Clare, no matter what, you won’t be able to break up with me.”
Well, there was no way of running after being trapped in his clutches. She would’ve to abide by his rules unless he let go of her himself.
“Ngh…” Matthew didn’t take his hand away from her mouth as he locked Clarissa into an embrace, his other hand fiddling around the hem of her skirt. It was as clear as day what he was hinting at.
“Argh!” Clarissa glared at Matthew while kicking her petite legs. She was scared, yet mad at the man’s actions.
However, he was just doing it to scare her. Soon, he hugged her waist and released her mouth from his grip.
“Matthew, you despicable, nasty, bastard, scumbag…” Having a taste of freedom, a series of curses broke free from Clarissa’s mouth.
They didn’t have any rhyme or rhythm, nor did they make any sense. It was just that Clarissa wasn’t used to scolding people, so she had used similar words over and over again.
Matthew listened to her grumbles until she ran out of words to use. It was perhaps she found herself not able to form any new words, and she stopped.
“You’ve gone overboard! If you continue to do this, I’ll break…” Clarissa stopped her sentence halfway, as she didn’t have what it took to threaten the man in front of her.
Noticing Matthew’s darkened expression, Clarissa pursed her lips.
Wanting to express her stance, she said, “Anyway, you’re too much. I’m just out with my friend for a meal. Nothing wrong with that, right? Don’t accuse me and Ryler. And am I the one who was throwing a fit? It was you! Don’t push all the blame on me.”
Matthew argued, “Ryler likes you!”
It wasn’t a question coming from him; it was a statement.
Clarissa retorted immediately, “No. I’ve always treated him like my brother. And that’s all.”
Frowning, Matthew insisted, “Does he think the same way?”
Clarissa fell silent, as it was indeed the truth that Ryler had feelings for her. She recollected her thoughts as she turned to look at Matthew and pouted. “No matter what, we knew each other for such a long time, and I can’t be jumping to conclusions for things he didn’t say, let alone cutting all ties with him. We’ve been friends for so long, and we’re like siblings. Besides, I didn’t demand you to cut ties with Shermaine.”
Tsk! Tsk! Her words were dripping with jealousy.
Matthew’s brooding expression disappeared into thin air after sensing the jealousy in her words.
He curled his lips and pinched her chin, turning her head to face him. “Are you jealous?”
Clarissa blushed slightly and asked him in return. “You’re the one that’s jealous, no?”
Matthew chuckled softly. “Yeah.”
Clarissa was stunned at how briefly he admitted, and it was until Matthew bit on her lip that she let out some soft moans.
Matthew looked at her in the eyes and smirked. “From now on, stop meeting Ryler. He’s someone famous. I’ll make you suffer… in bed if you make it to the headlines, having a scandal with him.”
“Y-y-you…” Clarissa was so embarrassed that she blushed and kept stuttering on her words.
And she could only protest softly. “You pervert!”
The man whispered, “Yes. Only for you.”
“I don’t want it…” Clarissa turned away, completely flustered, while Matthew cupped her face. “You don’t get a say in this!”
“You… You…” Forced to make eye contact with the man, Clarissa continued to stutter as her head was in a mess from all the teasing.
Leaning in, Matthew covered her lips with his to block her protests.
