Chapter 344

Night rolled in.

Richard cruised home and spotted a sleek figure on the second-floor windowsill from a distance.

He grinned, killed the engine, and bounded upstairs.

When Richard swung the door open, the room lights cut out, the window flew open, and the mountain breeze whipped Elodie's skirt around.

Richard saw that figure step onto the windowsill, glance back at him, and then move like she was about to jump.

"Nina!" Richard's heart skipped a beat, and he bolted over. Without a second thought, he hopped onto the windowsill and grabbed her.

With Elodie in his arms, Richard clung to the window frame. They dangled in mid-air, in a super close and awkward position.

"Nina." Richard looked down at Elodie, but his face changed when he saw her clearly.

The sound of a car engine came from below. Nina drove into the yard and saw the dramatic scene on the second-floor windowsill from afar.

Richard was in black, and Elodie wore a soft white nightgown. They looked like a pair of star-crossed lovers!

Nina got out of the car, shut the door, looked up for a few seconds, then got back in and drove away from Richard's yard.

"Nina!" Richard shouted.

But he could only watch as Nina's car disappeared from view.

"Richard." Elodie clung to him, her arms around his neck. "I'm so sad. Mom hit me today for some outsider! Look, my face is still swollen!"

As she spoke, Elodie whimpered.

Richard frowned, barely hearing a word Elodie said. He pulled on the window frame, and they managed to get back into the room.

As soon as his feet hit the ground, Richard pushed Elodie away and turned to leave.

Richard thought, 'I gotta go after Nina! She must've totally misunderstood that scene!'

Elodie lunged from behind, hugging his waist tightly. "Richard, don't go. Don't leave me alone. I'm so sad and upset, stay with me, please?"

Richard's body stiffened. He said coldly, "Let go!"

"I won't!" Elodie shook her head, crying. "If I let go, you'll go find that Nina! What's so great about her? Whatever she can give you, I can too. Look at me, touch me, and I promise to make you happy."

Elodie felt a sharp pain in her fingers as Richard pried them open one by one, almost like he wanted to break them.

Elodie couldn't bear the pain and let go after a few seconds.

Richard turned back, giving her a cold stare. "Guess your time in the dungeon wasn't enough!"

Elodie bit her lip. "Richard, if you dare treat me like this, I'll tell Dad! If he finds out you locked me up, he'll skin you alive!"

Richard sneered. "Go ahead. Tell him!"

With that, Richard grabbed a long coat from the rack and stormed out.

By the time Elodie got downstairs, Richard had already driven off.

She clutched her wrist and stomped her foot in frustration. "Richard, you'll be mine sooner or later!"

Richard chased Nina all the way to the Nina and Isabella Jewelry Company.

The lights in the building were bright. When he went in, Nina was sitting at her desk, looking through some documents.

She was so wrapped up in her work that she didn't even notice him barging in.

There were still folks burning the midnight oil in the outer office. Richard locked the door, pulled down the blinds, and then swooped in to lift Nina out of her chair.

Nina, still clutching her documents, was caught off guard. She blinked at him. "Richard, what are you doing here?"

Richard locked eyes with her. "I followed you."

Nina looked a bit puzzled. "Is there something you need? You didn't have to come all the way here; you could've just called."

Richard didn't say a word, just narrowed his eyes, giving her a deep, intense look.

Nina was thrown off by Richard's stare. "What's up?"

Nina was rocking a pencil skirt that day, showing off her curves. Richard's hand instinctively moved to her hips. "You mad?"

Nina replied, "No, I'm not."

"Really?" Richard's hand roamed over her hips, slow and teasing. "It wasn't what it looked like. Why didn't you let me explain and just walked away? Is that all the trust we have?"

Nina pressed down on Richard's wandering hand, her cheeks flushing. "I'm really not mad. I turned back earlier because I had a great design idea and wanted to sketch it out."

Richard clearly wasn't buying it.

As he spoke, he slowly lifted Nina's skirt. "You saw me hugging another woman and didn't get jealous, but thought about design? Nina, you're something else!"

Richard placed Nina on the desk, spread her legs, and leaned in for a kiss.

Nina had to tilt her head back to kiss him.

Just then, someone knocked on the office door, and a voice came from outside. "Ms. Miller, are you there? The initial design draft you requested is ready. Can I bring it in for you to review?"

Nina had just pushed Richard away when he grabbed the back of her head and deepened the kiss.

Richard's dominance almost overwhelmed Nina.

But she still had a bit of rationality left. She gathered her strength and pushed hard against Richard's chest, finally getting him to back off a little.

Afraid he'd kiss her again, Nina immediately lowered her head, resting her forehead on his chin.

Richard's breathing was heavy, and he still held Nina tightly. "Nina, you really drive me crazy!"

Richard never hid his feelings, always straightforward.

Even though Nina had heard similar words countless times, she still felt embarrassed.

Nina caught her breath and said, "Stop it. This is the office!"

"So what if it's the office?" Richard lowered his head, his fingers brushing her sensitive spots. Seeing her shiver, he smiled with satisfaction. "I locked the door and pulled the blinds. Even if I pressed you against the window, no one would notice. Nina, wanna try?"

Nina glared at him, her tone more serious. "I still have work to do. Can you wait until I'm done?"

Richard pinched her cheek. "Okay. I'll wait inside."

With that, he kissed her cheek again, then walked into the lounge behind her.

Nina rubbed her temples, feeling a headache. Richard's desires were sometimes really hard to handle.