The Illegitimate Flame: Bride of Ashes

Chapter 31: Chapter 31- Sleep

Janet felt as if she had been granted a pardon; without looking up, she dashed out of the bathroom. Soon after, Robert came in. She heard the faint sound of running water from the bathroom, but the burning heat in her heart did not ease one bit.

Tonight, would they share the same bed?

Realizing this question, Janet’s face showed hesitation. She didn’t even notice Philip being helped to the bed by Robert.

Only when a subtle, elegant scent of bath lotion filled the air did Janet look up. She saw Philip, handsome and composed, wearing a gray bathrobe, already lying on the bed. With a slight understanding, she approached him, casually parted his legs, and her slender hands began to move.

"Time for your medicine!" When the clock struck the right moment, Janet picked up the medicine bottle from the bedside table, placed two pills near his mouth, then handed him a glass from her other hand.

In the past, Janet would leave right after giving him his medicine. But starting today, this would be their shared room. She wanted to hide, but there was nowhere to hide.

Philip’s eyes were half-closed, and even when Janet helped him lie down, he showed no sign of displeasure. Only the furrow between his sharp brows deepened slightly.

When Janet came out of the bath and walked around to the other side of the bed, even at some distance, she was surrounded by Philip’s scent. Suddenly, she remembered Derrick’s warning about Philip’s feelings for her. Biting her cherry-red lips, her stiff body slowly leaned closer to Philip.

The temperature in the room was warm. The early autumn night brought a cool breeze through the floor-to-ceiling curtains, casting graceful arcs of light and shadow. Under the gentle moonlight, there was an added softness in the air.

Philip felt her icy body temperature—it was not the sweetness her outward appearance suggested. When she came close to him, all he felt was bitterness and helplessness.

"Janet, don’t force yourself!" Philip suddenly opened his eyes as Janet’s hand rested on his waist. The room was dimly lit; only the soft yellow glow from the crystal bedside lamp illuminated her fair skin, making her look even more alluring.

"I’m a flawed man. Sleep." The problem he had always refused to face was exposed once again in front of a woman—his vulnerability laid bare. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to admit it, but he lied to her. Only he knew the true response his body gave to her touch. Was he normal?

Having received his assurance, Janet fell into a deep sleep like a defenseless child, her curled lashes resting on her eyelids. Watching her, Philip almost wanted to cry. For the first time, a woman was willing to stay by his side—but she wasn’t truly his.

If only Charles hadn’t liked her, maybe he could afford to be selfish once more.

After resting through the weekend, when Janet returned to the company, several former colleagues from the design department greeted her with smiles. Perhaps it was because of her changed status, basking in Charles’s influence, or perhaps it was her entirely new, refined appearance. The Janet now bore no resemblance to the girl who once wore thick black-rimmed glasses.

She wore a white Givenchy long dress, cinched at the waist, revealing delicate collarbones and slender, elegant legs. Her innate pure aura drew attention wherever she went.

Back at the office, Janet found a large bouquet of stunning blue roses on her desk. The petals were vibrant and dripping with life, the fragrance fresh and pleasant. Janet picked up the card nestled among the flowers, but when she saw the sender’s name, she was stunned.

Charles, dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit that hugged his athletic frame, had just stepped out of the elevator and saw the beautiful woman holding the striking bouquet of blue roses...

Manfred?

When Janet saw the sender’s name was his, accompanied by his signature rogueish smile, a surge of inexplicable anger burst through her. Without a second thought, she tossed the bouquet into the trash bin.

"Boss, the bid for Phase Two of Golden Harbor has been submitted. There’s an eighty percent chance we’ll secure it!" Giles, who was following behind Charles, reported the results as they walked.

"Wait for me in my office!" Charles didn’t seem to be paying much attention, his gaze piercing as it fixed on the pure white figure ahead. Giles seemed to sense something, and without a word, he went ahead into Charles’s office.

Charles lifted his foot and headed straight toward the secretarial room near the elevators.

"What a pity to throw away such beautiful flowers!" Even Charles himself didn’t realize that the tone of his voice was completely uncharacteristic—and that there was a faint trace of jealousy hidden within.

Had he underestimated her charm so much that someone else dared to flaunt it right under his nose?

Hearing his voice suddenly, Janet fought the urge to retort. She didn’t understand what Manfred meant; she hadn’t truly taken his words to heart. She also didn’t want to explain or clarify anything, especially since his actions could easily be misinterpreted by Charles.

"If it’s not from someone I like, I don’t feel sorry about it," Janet answered gently but firmly. Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, Charles suddenly leaned in close. The faint scent of Dior men’s cologne filled her nostrils. She realized she was becoming more and more accustomed to his fragrance.

"Oh? Then who is the one you like?" Charles brushed away the gloom clouding his mind, his seemingly harmless question laced with a triumphant smile. He saw the flicker of panic in Janet’s eyes—and he took pleasure in seeing right through it.

Without even needing to look, he could guess who had sent the flowers. And they—were already beginning to move, weren’t they?

"Elwin..." Janet cooled her expression, about to say his name outright but stopped herself. "Boss, I don’t think my personal matters are something I need to report to you."

Charles simply smiled at her pretty face. The blue bouquet in the trash no longer seemed to irritate his eyes. Just when Janet thought he was going to leave, his seductive presence wrapped around her heart once more. Charles suddenly tilted her smooth chin upward; his deep eyes met her shimmering almond-shaped ones, and his breath like orchids whispered by her ear, "Could it be... the one you like is me?"

His low laughter accompanied his retreating figure. Janet touched her chin, still warm from his touch, and after a long moment, she whispered a single word, "You..."

"Which other companies are participating in the bid for that plot?" The moment they returned to the office, Charles’s smile vanished, replaced by a cold, commanding demeanor full of authority and maturity.

Giles placed the bidding documents in front of Charles. After carefully reviewing them, his eyes landed on the SK Group, neck and neck with Black Rock Co. A meaningful smile tugged at the corner of Charles’s lips.