Chapter 32

Lawrence's gaze turned cold, and he looked at her, saying, "You knew how much she was looking forward to having a grandson. Do you even take this child seriously, Winnie?"

Winnie was speechless, frozen in place. The presence of a child in her belly was so sudden hence, she didn't have much feeling for it yet.

"Why are you scolding her? Look, Winnie is crying because of you," Melissa said when she opened her eyes.

Winnie immediately ran over and held the old woman's hand. Her nose tingled, and an overwhelming sense of guilt came over her.

After her mother's death, no one had treated her with such warmth. She didn't expect that a little lie from her would have caused Melissa to be rushed to the hospital.

Prior to this, she was unaware of how fragile Melissa's health actually was, but now, it appeared even more delicate than she had envisioned. The man anxiously gazed at her youthful face with cold eyes.

"Son, come here and support me," Melissa said as she tried to get up. Thankfully, it seemed to be just high blood pressure. She was still in good health.

With Lawrence's support, she walked out, saying, "I need to go to the bathroom. You should accompany your wife. She is pregnant, so don't argue!" After shouting, Melissa, even had Lawrence close the door.

Dimly illuminated, the room fell into silence. Lawrence released Winnie's hand and moved toward the window, standing tall and upright. His imposing figure exuded a cold presence, the chill lingering persistently.

Winnie knew why he was so angry. She knew that he was furious because she had neglected his mother, who had fallen seriously ill. There was no doubt that she had committed a serious crime in his eyes. He couldn't comfort her anymore.

"Mr. Rodriguez, I'm really sorry." She bit her lip and took the initiative to apologize, her face noticeably pale. His momentum weakened instantly.

After a long pause, he turned his gaze back and stared coldly at her pitiful appearance. "What are you sorry for?"

Winnie sincerely said, "I only thought about myself, and neglected the feelings of my elders."

"What else?" he demanded.

Winnie's eyes were watery. After reflecting for a moment, she shook her head. She was willing to acknowledge her mistakes when she was at fault, but if she wasn't, she saw no reason to explain further. Her resolute demeanor elicited a laugh from the man. Mr. Rodriguez's figure obstructed her path, cornering her against the wall.

He questioned her in his gloomy voice, "Why didn't you answer the phone or reply to my messages?"

Winnie froze, and she averted her gaze. "My phone is broken."

Suddenly, her slender waist was enveloped by his large hands. Caught off guard, she didn't have time to react before he took out her phone from her pocket to check.

"Mr. Rodriguez! Give it back to me."

The man immediately turned on the screen, which was still intact and undamaged. Olivia's Facebook was still open. His eyes were clouded with gloom. "So, you intentionally didn't reply or answer? How do you defend yourself about that?"

Winnie attempted to tiptoe and retrieve it, but he towered over her with strength. In her frantic struggle, the man's chest unexpectedly heaved, and he subdued her restless body, holding her still. He squinted his eyes and said hoarsely, "What are you trying to gain? Do you want a special punishment?"

Winnie instantly understood. He was radiating heat, and she quickly blushed and retreated. Taking a deep breath, she replied coldly, "I haven't done anything wrong, so why should I be punished? Please don't joke around with me. We are in a professional relationship, and if we cross boundaries, it will be hard to handle. Just like how I don't know which women have sat on your lap. I don't care, and I won't sit either!"

The man stared at her and suddenly leaned down, smiling mockingly. "Why do I feel like you're angry?"

Winnie immediately denied it. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"How many women have sat on my lap? Why don't you give it a try and find out?" He raised an eyebrow and grabbed her wrists, and his anger seemed to somewhat dissipate.

Winnie blushed at his ambiguous words. "I won't sit on your lap. I've said it before, we need to set boundaries."

"Fine, since you're adept at settling scores, how about giving yourself to me today, Ms. Winnie?" He had a knack for teasing, and she recognized she was no match for his wit. Enraged, Winnie pushed his chest, but the man enveloped her in an embrace.

Catching a whiff of her soft fragrance, his Adam's apple rolled slightly. "Shouting at me when you've done something wrong. I think you need to be punished." He pinned her small hands behind her back, and Winnie had to straighten her back. The man smiled and kissed her.

"No!" She had clearly said that they needed to set boundaries, but she couldn't resist. The man kissed her, his deep gaze staring into her eyes, which flickered like startled fireflies in the night as she tried to resist him. However, a blush crept up her face which tempted him even more.

Winnie's eyes widened, yet she found herself ensnared by his broad chest. Over time, her legs grew increasingly feeble, forcing her to clutch onto his opulent shirt and belt with her small hands. The man took hold of Winnie's petite hands and playfully pressed them against one end of the belt, teasingly remarked, "Do you fancy this? Then hold on tight!"

Winnie blushed, her face burning, but she didn't like it at all. Not even one bit. She didn't know how she had ended up like this again. She was extremely annoyed and bit him.

The man slowly released her, frowning and touching his lips. "Is that all you've got? Good girl gone rogue?"

"You bullied me first!"

"Do you even know what it means to be bullied?" He lowered his head, his dark eyes turning even more intense.

"I do..." Winnie was afraid of being burned by his gaze and pounded her small fist against his firm chest.

The man took a deep breath, and wrapped his strong arm around her, his gaze momentarily icy as he warned her, "Remember, even though the agreement is only for a year, you're now my wife. If something like today happens again, I won't go easy on you."

Winnie nodded. "I'll behave for this year. Can you let go of me now?" Winnie was angry. "You're acting like a thug."

The man was about to let go of her, and put his hands in his pockets when the door was pushed open and someone entered. "Mr. Rodriguez, what are you doing?"

Benjamin froze in place, immediately covered his eyes with his hands but purposefully left a small gap and shouted, "Mr. Rodriguez, were you just about to kiss? I didn't witness a thing!"

"Let me see." Melissa happily ran over.

"Get lost." The man blocked her with his body.

"Alright, I'm leaving."

The door slammed shut. Winnie was blushing while the man remained calm and composed. After releasing her, he playfully scanned the bathroom and said, "Should you wash up first, or should I?"

The petite woman looked at him warily. The man raised an eyebrow provocatively. "You don't need to freshen up after coming back from the hotel? So, Winnie, what romantic thoughts are swirling through your mind?" He playfully pinched her earlobe with his large hand before heading into the bathroom.

Winnie bit her red lips as she had given up on arguing with him.