Chapter 314: Chapter 314

Susan Wilde opened the door and found Simon Rhodes standing there with a hotel staff member. It looked like he thanked the staff member, who smiled and said something before turning to leave.

"How did you find me here?"

Simon Rhodes looked at her, just waking up, wearing pajamas, her short hair a bit messy, and she seemed spiritless. He didn’t answer her question, just lifted the takeout food in his hand and said, "Last time, I noticed you enjoyed these dishes."

Susan Wilde stood there dumbfounded at the door, not knowing whether to say thank you or something else.

"Can I come in and sit for a while?"

Hearing this, she moved slightly to the side to let him into the room, then seemed to gather her senses and said, "You should go back, in case Shawn Rhodes finds out, I..."

"I just saw him in the restaurant, with another woman."

Susan Wilde hesitated, watching as Simon Rhodes had already walked over to the table by the window. He took the food out of the bag, seemingly preparing servings for two.

She closed the door, walked inside, and said to him, "Don’t you worry about the gossip people might spread?" ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ NoveI★Fire.net

Instead of answering, he asked, "Are you worried?"

Susan Wilde frowned slightly as she walked over and sat across from him, thinking for a moment before saying, "It’s not about being worried, just feels inappropriate. After all, I’m a married woman now. Isn’t the relationship we have considered an affair?"

Simon Rhodes chuckled, "In an unhappy marriage, I believe everyone has the right to pursue their own happiness. If he treated you well, I probably wouldn’t interfere, but it’s obvious how he treats you, and you know better than anyone else. I don’t want you getting hurt. The only reason I’m expressing my stance is to let you know that I’m a fallback option. If you can’t take it anymore, you can always choose to leave with me. There’s no need to suffer those pointless injuries."

Susan Wilde looked down, as if trying to figure this out, but the more she thought about it, the more confused she became. When he handed her a bowl and chopsticks, she finally stood up and said, "I’ll go brush my teeth."

She naturally felt who was good to her, but her status was here, and many things couldn’t be done just because she wanted to. If everyone acted recklessly, who would bear the consequences?

During the meal, she didn’t bring up these matters with him again. After eating, he naturally began tidying up the table, and Susan Wilde felt awkward doing nothing, so she stood up to help. He reached out and took what she was holding, saying, "Go take a shower and change clothes, something got on them."

Susan Wilde was taken aback, not reacting at first. She looked down at her white bathrobe, then turned around to inspect the back, only to find a stain on the seat.

Her face turned red in an instant, and she quickly took a clean set of pajamas from her suitcase and rushed to the bathroom.

She simply cleaned herself, washing away the sweat, changed into clean clothes, and came out of the bathroom to see him standing on the balcony, making a phone call.

She sighed gently and sat down by the bed, looking at his back, her mind in a whirl.

Being with a man , she should be very happy, right?

Professionally successful, good-looking, not a womanizer, gentle in nature, considerate and attentive...

When Shannon Quinn was with Vincent Rhodes, every time Shannon mentioned Vincent, she couldn’t help but feel envious, always wishing she could meet such a man one day.

But now that she’s met one, she’s too scared to own it.

He hung up the phone and walked into the room from the balcony, picked up the jacket from the sofa, and said to her, "I might have to leave. There’s still work to deal with. You should rest; don’t go out alone at night. Call me if you need anything."

Just as he finished speaking, someone knocked on the door.

They both froze, and Susan Wilde immediately panicked, realizing who it might be: "It might be Shawn Rhodes."

Simon Rhodes, however, remained calm, as if it wouldn’t matter even if Shawn saw him.

As Susan Wilde was about to check the door, Shawn’s voice rang out: "Open the door, it’s me."

"What do we do?" Susan Wilde asked Simon Rhodes softly.

Simon Rhodes indeed seemed ready to confront, confident and fearless. Susan Wilde, on the other hand, had no such courage.

She looked around, then pushed Simon Rhodes out onto the balcony: "You hide out here, don’t come out."

He stayed put, simply smiling and teasing her: "We’re not doing anything wrong, but it feels like we’re sneaking around."

Susan Wilde exclaimed anxiously, "If Shawn sees this, there’s no explanation. Don’t cause trouble for me; hide and don’t make a sound."

With that, Susan Wilde went back inside, locked the balcony door, and drew the curtains tightly.

Shawn was getting impatient, so she hurried over to open the door. "Why did it take so long?"

"...I was taking a shower."

Shawn walked inside, looked around, and sat on the sofa. "We’re heading back tomorrow, on an afternoon flight. Here’s your ticket. A car will pick you up from the hotel. I’ll be on the same flight as you, but Laura is also there, so travel separately and don’t say we’re together."

"Oh." Susan Wilde felt guilty and dared not say more, reaching out to take the ticket and glancing towards the balcony when Shawn wasn’t looking.

She assumed Shawn would leave after explaining, but instead, he lit a cigarette and asked, "Where have you been these past few days?"

"...Just wandered around nearby."

Shawn didn’t doubt she was lying, but said, "I saw Uncle during dinner earlier. I thought you two were meeting here secretly."

Susan Wilde was startled, then feigned calm to respond, "You’re overthinking it."

"I hope I’m overthinking it. Don’t let me catch you two with some sort of shady relationship. Don’t think just because I’ve been nice these past few days that you’ve got me fooled. Behave yourself."

Susan Wilde remained silent, just hoping Shawn would leave soon.

He glanced around, then started walking toward the balcony, muttering, "Why are the curtains so tightly drawn?"

Saying so, he reached out and opened the right half of the curtains with a loud swoosh. Susan Wilde’s heart nearly burst.

Fortunately, Simon Rhodes was standing on the left side, or else he’d have been exposed already.

Susan Wilde quickly walked over, afraid Shawn might decide to step out onto the balcony for some fresh air, and said, "I drew them just now when I was changing clothes."

He glanced back at her, then turned and stepped further into the room, away from the balcony. Susan Wilde breathed a sigh of relief.

Feeling bored, he walked over to the vanity, picked up her cosmetics, and commented, "Women are all the same kind of troublesome, going out with all this junk."

Susan Wilde stood a little behind him, too embarrassed to rush him out. From her angle, she could just barely see Simon Rhodes hiding on the balcony, worrying that if Shawn continued to wander, he’d run into trouble.

Luckily, his phone rang in his pocket; it was Rowan Alder calling, prompting Shawn to leave swiftly.