Chapter 56

She came to the bar for a legitimate reason. As she recalled about what she went through during the day, this man hardly cared at all. It was her archenemy who came to her rescue.

Winnie felt a bit annoyed and bitter. She coldly said, "Fine, then just be a decent roommate. Ignore me and let's maintain our personal space."

The man's breath hitched, his eyes turning pitch black.

Winnie understood that he was angry but before she could react, he effortlessly picked her up and placed her on the chest of drawers next to the bed.

"What are you doing?" Unable to sit still, she instinctively put her hand around his neck, afraid of falling.

He seized the opportunity and enveloped her in a tight embrace and saw her legs next to his.

Being in this position, he really wanted to toss her onto the bed.

"Do you really want to make me unhappy?" He coldly lifted her chin, narrowing his eyes threateningly.

"How about I show you what it is like to have a provocative roommate?"

Seeing his dominant demeanor and the way he was about to "punish" her, Winnie knew what it meant. She struggled to break free as their bodies got closer. She felt his breath grow heavier.

"Are you in a hurry?" he said wickedly.

Winnie blushed and immediately turned to look at Olivia, afraid that she would suddenly wake up.

She didn't dare to look at his face and in a small voice filled with shame and anger, she said, "Mr. Rodriguez, what do you want from me? Let's discuss this outside."

"No, right here." He smirked as he held her securely in his embrace.

Winnie pressed against his chest, her cheeks flushed. He subtly glanced downwards and lowered his voice. "Tell me, what trouble are you causing now?"

Tonight, he came looking for trouble, and Winnie was almost driven to madness by him.

She yearned to break free from his embrace. With a pale face, Winnie explained. "Ava accused me of plagiarism, didn't she? Today, the truth unfolded for everyone to see and it brought me immense joy. I just went out with Olivia to connect with people. The awards ceremony has created quite a stir during the day, Mr. Rodriguez. Surely, you noticed?"

The man glanced at her, and coldly replied, "I didn't notice."

A chill swept over Winnie's expression as she bowed her head in disappointment. He didn't even pay attention to the news, showing how little he cared about her.

She pursed her lips, feeling a sense of loss in her heart, and a smile formed at the corners of her mouth. "It's all right. If you didn't notice, as long as other men did."

"Who?" he deliberately asked.

"My archenemy helped me clear my name." Winnie couldn't help but flaunt her success as she suppressed her anger. "Mr. Rodriguez helped clarify things for me. It moved me deeply."

"How deeply?" he smirked.

She cast a brief glance toward, the young woman snorted angrily. "Certainly deeper than you, at least."

The assistant saw the CEO's face visibly darken at an alarming rate.

Silently, he felt it was really unnecessary for the CEO to be this jealous.

The man pinched Winnie's chin. "Am I not good enough? Haven't I helped you before? Who was the one who wanted to establish boundaries and play hard to get?"

"I wasn't being elusive. Really, I wasn't. I just wanted to keep a distance from you." Winnie protested, pouting as she gently pushed against his sturdy chest. She was determined not to lose herself.

"There you go again mentioning distance. It's practically your signature phrase now." His expression turned frosty in an instant as he menacingly closed the gap. "What kind of distance are you seeking? Should I grant it to you?"

Amid her confusion, the man teasingly pinched her cheeks, forcefully drawing her into a kiss.

Winnie was trapped by his grip on both her wrists, unable to move at all. "You!"

At that moment, the man paused for a second and a cold gleam flickered in his eyes.

Bryan, who was standing frozen in the doorway, inexplicably shivered.

The CEO raised an eyebrow, and asked him in a cold tone, "How come you still want to see the paid content?"

"Oh no, Mr. Rodriguez. My apologies." Bryan blushed and hurriedly retreated, thoughtfully closing the door behind him.

"Understood," Winnie whispered with a mix of defiance and amusement. She knew she couldn't evade the impending kiss. She felt her cheeks flushed and her heart in a whirlwind of emotions.

She teased, "Mr. Rodriguez, you have no shame."

"If I were shy, I wouldn't be able to conquer you."

The man's low chuck resonated, his eyes heating up, and he kissed her again.

After a long while, Winnie covered her lips and followed closely behind the tall man.

His elegant shirt had been wrinkled by Winnie. He charmingly raised an eyebrow and said, "You will have to go back and iron my shirt for me."

Winnie just wanted to retort, her lips still red.

As they entered the elevator, she had left Olivia in the hotel room.

The man leaned against the elevator wall with his tall and perfectly proportioned figure, making it hard to look away.

He gazed at her innocent and delicate appearance and he said something even more shameless, "Does Ms. Winnie still approve of the distance just now?"

He was like a cunning fox in sheep's clothing. His words carried sophistication, yet his motives lurked in the shadows.

Winnie glared at him, and he led her to the car.

Along the journey, all she could think about was the kiss that never should have happened.

It wasn't until they returned to the villa that Winnie's mind slowly cleared, and an important question came up.

She had wanted to ask him earlier but the chaos in the bar prevented her from doing so.

"Mr. Rodriguez!" Winnie suddenly stopped him, catching up to the man.

"You said in the bar that you hadn't been paying attention to today's news? You were lying. You were aware of the significant event that took place at the awards ceremony.

"A thought had crossed my mind, Lawrence and I aren't familiar with each other and I never sent my manuscript to his email.

"And only you knew about my manuscript because I consulted you. So, did you give the manuscript to Mr. Rodriguez?"

The man's demeanor stiffened.

Bryan was there when he heard about what Winnie just said. He thought to himself, 'Ms. Winnie's logical thinking is amazing!'

He worriedly looked at Mr. Rodriguez.

Winnie circled around the man, feeling a bit happy. "So, you act cold but have a warm heart. You secretly helped me, right? You know Mr. Rodriguez, don't you?"

Beneath the man's mask, his gaze deepened and he denied Winnie's question. "What are you talking about? Why would I help you? I can't be bothered with you."

Winnie doubted if the person in question could be him. She furrowed her brows and considered.

"Apart from you, no one else should have my manuscript. Given the unresolved issues between Mr. Rodriguez and me, it's perplexing why he would extend help. When I inquired this afternoon, he skillfully avoided the question. Honestly, both of you exude arrogance... the two of you must be acquainted."

Mr. Rodriguez's hand trembled as he listened to what Winnie had just said. Bryan was shocked and frightened that his boss's identity was about to be recognized.

"Shut up." Lawrence swiftly changed the topic. "I'm hungry, go to the kitchen and cook for me."

As he said that, his hand trembled.

She walked toward the kitchen and responded with a rhetorical question. "I don't want to cook. You saved me during the charity banquet the other day. Since you didn't save me this time, why should I cook for you?"

"Roommates who don't pay rent?" he quipped.

Winnie glared at him and wanted to tell him that she already paid too much at the hotel just now.