Bogus Billionaire novel (Caroline and Kirk) novel Chapter 131

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Chapter 131

Caroline was so exhausted that she fell asleep as soon as het head hit the pillow

Finished with his shower, Kirk walked out of the bathroom. He found Caroline asleep on the bed with a smile on her face, as though she were having a sweet dream.

He felt the sudden urge to do something, yet he didn’t want to wake her up. In the end, he simply hugged her from behind and suppressed his urges.

“You ungrateful brat,” he muttered with a smile, kissing her gently on her lips. Doing so helped quench his desire a little.

The night pa**ed silently. When Caroline woke up, it was already morning. She tossed and turned a little in Kirk’s arms, stirring him from his sleep. Still, he didn’t open his eyes.

His warm palms were pressed against her tummy, and he pulled her closer to him.

It made Caroline blush. “Kirk,” she murmured. She sounded sluggish, but her voice was music to his ears.

Kirk opened his eyes and moved closer to her until their noses touched. “Call me honey,” Kirk said

teasingly in his raspy voice.

Caroline opened her mouth slowly as she playfully hit his chest with her fists. “No way,” she said, although she totally wanted to call him that.

Kirk propped himself up on one elbow and raised an eyebrow at her. The mole at the corner of his

eye made him look as if he were trying to seduce her.

“Really? Are you sure about that?” He pinched her waist and added, “Who are you going to call ”

honey” then?”

Caroline was particularly sensitive when it came to her waist. She’d almost squealed when he’d pinched her just now. “Stop that. Dad’s waiting for us.”

This made Kirk pinch her again, and he said, “It’s so easy for you to call my dad yours, eh? Why is

it so hard for you to call me “honey“?”

Caroline didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, so she scrambled away from him instead. “Quick, go

and freshen up.”

Kirk didn’t move an inch. “Give me a kiss, and I’ll go,” he said stubbornly.

Caroline pressed a hand to her forehead. She’d never known Kirk could be so childish. Regardless,

she closed her eyes and kissed him on the lips. “Now-”

Before she could finish her sentence, Kirk pressed his lips against hers and deepened the kiss

Blushing, she tore her eyes away from him and urged, “Go.”

Satisfied, Kirk happily got out of bed. He had suffered the whole night trying to hold himself back Everything was worth it now that he’d received a wake–up kiss from her.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Caroline recalled the kiss and felt her cheeks start to burn

Just then, her phone rang. She picked it up hastily and answered the call before even seeing

caller’s name.

the

When she finally glanced at the screen, she saw that it was Gwen. It made her feel guilty.

“Carol,” Gwen said, sounding sluggish as if she were sick. “Is it done?”

“Yes. Last night.”

“Sorry, I drank so much that I forgot to call you,” Gwen explained.

Caroline laughed. “Your company’s having a team–building activity?”

Gwen hesitated for a brief moment before replying, “Y–yes”

Suddenly, Gwen’s eyes widened with enthusiasm She leaned closer to the phone and demanded

What’s the color code of that lipstick you have on? It’s so pretty!”

Dumbfounded, Caroline couldn’t respond. She tried to change the topic. That was when she

suddenly noticed a red mark on Gwen’s neck. “Gwen, why’s there a red mark on your neck?”

Shocked, Gwen immediately moved back. It was awkward, so she covered her neck with one hand

and tried to explain. “Um there were too many mosquitoes last night. I must’ve been bitten.”

“I see. Caroline didn’t doubt her. Gwen knew when to draw the line, even though she liked going

out with men.

She enjoyed looking at the handsome faces of men, but pleasure and desire were entirely

different. To conclude, she might have lots of ex–boyfriends, but she had never done it with them

“I’m going to work,” Gwen mumbled as she covered her phone’s camera with her fingers Ill call

you after work”

Caroline hadn’t questioned Gwen’s words. But once the call ended, she realized that it must be

midnight back in Easton now

How come Gwen had work even though it was already so late?

On the other end, Gwen’s heart was still beating wildly in her chest as she hung up the phone A moment later, she remembered the hickey on her neck and darted into the bathroom

She 100ked into the mirror and saw the red mark in the reflection. She immediately tried to rub it off forcefully

She knew she shouldn’t have agreed to have dinner with Sean last night..

She had been upset enough to begin with, and the alcohol had made her drunk. When she woke up, she found herself lying beside Sean

Her whole body felt as though it was going to fall apart. There was no need for an explanation to know what had happened.

She didn’t have the courage to wait until Sean woke up, so she grabbed her belongings and ran away.

When Caroline and Kirk got downstairs, they saw Avery and Ivan chatting in the living room

Avery noticed how red Caroline’s lips were and felt something twist inside of her The feeling was so intense that she thought she would explode at any moment

Despite that, Caroline didn’t notice the change in Avery’s expression She smiled and greeted them “Good morning, Dad Hi, Ms Mendeley. Sorry, I slept in and kept you two waiting

Hearing that, Ivan beamed He silently wished they would sleep longer so that he could get himself a grandchild soon

“No worries. You must be hungry. Hurry and have some breakfast,” he told her He and Avery had already eaten

Caroline and Kirk went to have breakfast while Avery carried on chatting with Ivan Still, she couldn’t focus during their chat, so she excused herself

“Ivan, I’m going to talk to Caroline about the party1

Lowering his voice, Ivan said, “I gave it some thought last night Even if Kirk and Carrie faked their marriage, risking her life to find out the truth is simply wrong We’ll leave things as they are

Avery’s expression shifted instantly. Putting on a smile, she started to speak “But-

“I won’t object if you’re just thinking of inviting them to the party. “Ivan waved his hand dismissively “But let’s leave it at that ”

His insistence made her hands ball into fists. Once again, het expression changed, but she still smiled at him

“Alright, I understand. To be honest, I’ve thought about that too Even if there are prevention measures, it’s still risky Don’t worry, though I won’t do it if you don’t want me to

ivan nodded and went fett. As she watched him disappear upstairs, Avery could no longer hide the hatred in her eyes.

Ivan summoned Kirk upstairs after breakfast Hence, Caroline watched the TV alone in the living

room. Since the shows were in Faladorian, she couldn’t understand anything and kept switching

channels.

Out of the blue, a plate of sliced fruits appeared before her. She looked up to see Avery smiling at

her

Even though Caroline didn’t have a good impression of her, she was Kirk’s friend. She didn’t want to make things awkward between them.

Smiling, Caroline asked, “Ms. Mendeley, aren’t you going to work?”

It was idle talk, but to Avery, those words stung. Although she smiled at Caroline, it didn’t reach her eyes. “My friend’s holding a pool party tonight Care to join?”

“I don’t like crowds,” said Caroline.

“But Kirk’s friends will all be there. Don’t you want to get to know him a little better?”

That was all it took for Caroline to reconsider the offer.

Today’s Bonus Offer

Chapter 132

Once she agreed to attend the pool party, Caroline started to worry. She hadn’t brought her

swimsuit with her, and buying one here would be quite difficult since she wasn’t familiar with this place.

Just as she was deep in thought, she spotted Kirk coming downstairs. “Are you heading outside?” She asked

“Yep. I’m going to the city for a while.”

He had occasionally flown back from Easton to deal with work. Still, the company was big, and leaving it without showing up for too long would affect the influence he had–Ivan had just called him to the study to discuss that too.

“Can I tag along?” Caroline asked, to Kirk’s surprise.

Caroline lowered her head and shifted from foot to foot. “I’m… thinking of buying myself a

swimsuit.”

Her words made Kirk raise both eyebrows now. “I’ll go with you then.”

His intention was obvious. Needless to say, he wanted to see her in a swimsuit.

“But didn’t you say that you have something to attend to there?”

“I can do it in the afternoon,” replied Kirk.

He hooked an arm around Caroline’s waist, and they both walked out of the house.

As she got into the pa**enger seat, Caroline was still concerned. “Are you sure I’m not taking up

too much of your time?”

“No, you’re not.”

He started the car and then asked, “Why do you want to buy one all of a sudden?” He smiled

inwardly, thinking that she was finally starting to learn to please him.

“Ms. Mendeley invited me to the pool party,” explained Caroline.

Kirk’s face darkened instantly.

“So, you’re buying a swimsuit because of the party?

“Yeah.” Caroline failed to notice the change in his expression.

Kirk snorted and started driving in silence.

Soon, Caroline sensed that the atmosphere in the car was rather tense and that Kirk was upset.

make things worse.

They finally arrived at the city center Kirk had to take several detours before they finally found a

mall his family hadn’t invested in.

As they got out of the car, they captured the attention of many pa**ersby. Quite a few men made catcall sounds when they saw Caroline.

That only made the scowl on Kirk’s face deepen. He pulled her into his arms to block others from seeing her face,

Their proximity unsettled Caroline. Given how close they were, she could catch his scent as they

walked. When he finally let go of her, they were already standing in a swimwear store.

The owner of the store was a pretty woman with long blonde hair. She eyed Caroline from head to

toe, then took out a few bikinis for her.

When Caroline saw what the woman had gotten for her, she winced and politely asked for

something more conservative, like a one–piece suit.

The woman looked as though she had been given a tough problem to solve.

“Um… it’s kind of hard to find that here. My customers usually ask for something like this. But

look at your body! You’d look super good if you wore these. What do you say, mister?”

She glanced at Kirk, who swallowed a couple of times as he stared at the bikinis.

“We’ll take all of these,” he said.

“Kirk-”

Caroline was interrupted by the store owner, who said, “Alrighty.”

“And find her one that shows less skin,” he added, his voice low.

This time, the store owner relented and rushed off to the back of the store to check the inventory

Now, Caroline finally had the chance to put in a word “I won’t wear those. Why did you buy so

many of them?”

Kirk leaned close to her and bit her earlobe. His warm breath fanned out on her neck as he

whispered into her ear, “Put them on for me.”

Caroline shuddered, and her cheeks flushed red

She wanted to say something in response, but the door to the inventory opened with a creak She leaped away from him as if he were some kind of bomb that was about to explode.

The store owner had a swimsuit in her hands Indeed, it was a one–piece suit, which was exactly

This is the only one left”

“Wrap this up and send it here.” Kirk gave her their address, scooped up the bag containing the bikinis, nnd pulled Caroline out of the store.

The store owner watched as they left, thinking that the man looked kind of familiar.

Kirk led Caroline back to their car Confused, she asked, “Why didn’t you bring all of it back?” It wouldn’t have taken much time for the store owner to pack the swimsuit.

Kirk’s voice was raspy as he started the car and said, “Because I can’t wait any longer.”

A vein pulsed on his temple. He didn’t think he could bear it much longer just by imagining

Caroline in a bikini.

Only now did the realize that his eyes looked bloodshot, as if he were a wild wolf that had been

starving for days.

Achill ran up her spine when she realized that the road they had taken was completely

unfamiliar to her.

“Where are we going?” she asked, but Kirk pursed his lips in silence.

A moment later, they parked in front of a luxurious–looking hotel. Kirk lifted her out of the car and

strode to the lobby. He tossed his ID to the staff in charge of registration at the front desk.

When the staff saw Kirk’s name, he started to bow and greet him. “Mr. Mor-”

“Get me a room. Now.” Kirk was already impatient and didn’t bother to wait for the staff to finish.

The staff shuddered in fear. He didn’t even dare to look at Caroline. After getting his job done, he

handed Kirk the access card to the room with trembling fingers.

Kirk grabbed the card and headed straight to the presidential suite. Once they got into the room,

he pushed Caroline against the door. Soon, she found herself overwhelmed by his pa**ionate

kisses.

The room was engulfed in darkness when she woke up. Startled, she shot up from the bed. Pain washed over her entire body, so much so that she inhaled sharply.

Kirk caressed her back with one hand and locked his other hand around her waist, trapping her in his embrace. “Why are you in such a hurry?”

Caroline was kind of pissed. “I told you I wanted to join the party tonight. It’s so dark already. I’m late for sure.”

smiling, Kirk pulled her back into his arms is warm chest pressed against her bars hack.

He took out the remote control and pressed a button. The curtains alid open, lighting up the entire room. It’s only 12 pm.

Caroline finally saw just how huge the room was. Besides the bedroom, there was also a living room, gym, and tearoom. Realization dawned on her, and she asked, “Is this a presidential suite?”

“Mhmm” As Kirk’hummed in response, he pressed his lips against her back.

His reply made Caroline start worrying about his wallet “Isn’t it a bit too expensive?”

“Nope.” Kirk smiled as he relished how thrifty she was

“But-” Caroline’s words were cut short when Kirk pressed his lips against hers.

“Stop overthinking,” he muttered.

Time pa**ed, and it was past 1 pm now.

Caroline was famished, so Kirk called for the hotel’s room service. Lunch was very sumptuous, and Caroline happily gobbled it all up.

She wanted to get off the bed, but Kirk stopped her by pulling her and moving on top of her.

Helpless, she said, “Kirk, I’m full.”

“But I’m not.”

However, Caroline was worn out already. “Strenuous exercise after meals is bad for digestion,” she said.

Kirk pressed his nose against hers and paused for a moment before turning and lying down beside her. “You’re right, my darling.”

Before she could heave a sigh of relief, she heard him say in his raspy voice, “Since we can’t do it yet, you should put on the bikinis. You’ll have time to digest the food while you’re at it.”

Speechless, Caroline got out of bed and went into the bathroom to change.

When she took off the bathrobe she wore, she looked into the mirror to see countless red marks all over her body. Her face instantly flushed red at the sight of them.

Chapter 133

Kerk lay on the bed and stared patiently at the frosted bathroom door Caroline had been in there for half an teen steady

When he spoke, There was a very noticeable hint of glee in his raspy voice. “Babe, I’m going in if You’re not coming out”

Caroline had already put on one of the bikinis in the bathroom Startled, she almost jumped in fright when she heard him say that

Heshly, she placed one hand on the bathroom door and yelled, “Don’t! I’m coming out now.

She closed her eyes, opened the door, and finally stepped out of the bathroom. Slowly, she walked out into the bedroom while trying her best to cover her body with both hands.

A hungry look flashed through Kirk’s eyes once again

Caroline was wearing a red bikini. Her skin was fair enough, and the red color made her skin glow even more. It also emphasized the red marks all over her body.

She looked very enticing, like a strawberry he wanted to gobble up in a single bite. He couldn’t Jestrain himself any longer

Reaching out to her, he pulled her into his arms and easily removed the straps on her shoulders.

Blushing, Caroline held on to the thin cloth of the bikini as if it were her last sliver of hope. “Kirk… “she muttered

It was sunset when Caroline finally got up from the bed.

“What should I do now?” She put a hand behind her waist to support herself.

“How am I supposed to go to the party tonight?”

“Don’t go then. Kirk smirked.

Caroline shot him a sideways glance and said, “You did this on purpose, didn’t you?”

A smile hung on his lips, but he remained quiet. It seemed as though he was admitting it. He

kissed the side of her head and asked, “Why don’t I send you home?”

“No!” She exclaimed and moved further away from him. “Ask them to deliver the swimsuit here. I’ll go to the party straight from here.”

Caroline needed to find a way to cover all the red marks on her body.

TATE HS

60 min re he agreed to it say is here someone bring it here wait

An Ive samuting to settle

“Aren’t you coming with me tomah

04 course “Burk put the clothes, looking all prim and proper again “But I’ll be a bit late If you

don’t want to go also, you can just wait for me

In your dreams, the blurted.

Kirk walked over to her and pecked her lips

“Alright then. Don’t wait for me il meet you when I get there. He kissed her gently on the joehead and left

Caroline sighed in relief. She sat on the couch and refused to move a muscle.

At around 7 pm, someone sent her swimsuit over It wasn’t the same person who had met them at

the airport Still, he was very respectful toward her

“Mr Kuk asked me to drive you to the party before he left.”

“How much will the ride cost?” Caroline asked.

Fursing his lips, the staff recalled Kirk’s orders and told her, “Don’t worry. This service is included, in the presidential suite’s package. No extra fee is required.”

Caroline couldn’t help but think that the service offered here was way better than when they were back in Easton Still, she winced inwardly at the thought of Kirk paying a lot for this.

After getting into the car, she unlocked her phone to check if she had missed any important

information

It was exactly as she had expected. She had several missed video calls from Jude. It was rare for him to video call her, and she started worrying if something urgent had come up. She quickly called him back.

“Grandpa. She greeted him when he answered the call.

Jude smiled. “Where are you? I’ve had my men search for you, but they can’t find you anywhere.”

“I’m not in the country now.” Caroline didn’t have the courage to tell him that she was visiting Kirk’s family with him.

If she did, it would seem like she was pouring salt on Jude’s wounds. After all, he had once wished that she’d become Eddy’s wife.

The smile on Jude’s face faltered momentarily, but he smiled again and said, “Really? Where are you? Why didn’t you tell me that you were going abroad?”

min onze, aaid caroline. She wanted to say something atter that, but the car came to a halt Mat then

The driver said, “Miss, we’re here.”

Caroline looked out the window to see a white castle and nodded at the driver in the rearview

mirror.

Then, she said to Jude, “Grandpa, I’ve got something to do. If there’s nothing else, I’ll call you after I’m done with my work here, alright?”

It was silent on the other end of the line. When Caroline looked at her screen again, Jude appeared to be in a daze. He finally snapped out of his thoughts after she’d called him a few times.

“Sure. Go ahead.”

This made Caroline worry about him. “Grandpa, are you okay?”

Why did he look upset?

Jude wiped a hand over his face and smiled. “It’s nothing. Go and do what you have to.”

Hesitating, she asked him a couple of times if he was okay before ending the call.

After she hung up, the smile on Jude’s face vanished instantly. He was certain that the person she had married was indeed Kirk.

“Grandpa Eddy came into sight.

He had heard Caroline’s voice when he’d been by the door just now. He quickened his footsteps and approached Jude. “Did Caroline finally answer your call?”

As he talked, he inched closer to see Jude’s phone, but the screen was black now.

Jude raised his eyes to look at this useless grandson of his. He could feel the comers of his eyes twitching in annoyance.

“Didn’t I ask you to go after Caroline? You don’t even know that she’s gone overseas!”

“Overseas? Why has she gone overseas?” Eddy was puzzled

“She’s gone to meet her in–laws.”

Now anxiety washed over Eddy’s face. “I–in–laws?

It took him a moment to gather his thoughts and ask, “Is her husband a foreigner?” That must be why they hadn’t been able to find out who her husband was.

“Grandpa, did you meet her husband?” he asked

the date and they turn the wh s

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Fafallus get mit of the car and followed the Butler schrections until she finally saw Avery

Avery was wiseady in her swimsuit, which revealed most of her body and emphasized her fati

ship Even Cartine blushed as she stood beaute Avery

“You’re heir” said Avery

Caraline nodded “Where can I change?”

Avery pointed in a direction She pretended to sound casual when she asked, “Isn’t Kirk coming?

Didn’t you two get married just recently?”

“He’ll be here ‘Caroline smiled. “But he’ll be late I go and get changed”

As she spoke and turned to leave, a breeze blew over Her hair moved in the wind, revealing the

red marks on the fair skin of her neck

Avery noticed them right away and gritted her teeth. “Lily Amy!” She screeched

Two women in bikinis rushed over to her “Avery, what is it?”

Follow our plan. When she comes out, push her off

“Aren’t we going to wait for Kirk?”

“No!” Avery no longer wanted to find out if Caroline and Kirk were married for real. Those marks on Caroline’s neck said enough

The sight of them pushed Avery to the very edge of sanity.

She needed to give Caroline a piece of her mind

Chapter 134

Caroline changed into her swimsuit. Embarra**ed, she walked slowly out of the room toward the

swimming pool.

Her swimsuit was more conservative compared to what the other women wore, but her long and slender legs showed beneath the skirt. They shone under the light, and she instantly took the spotlight.

Quite a number of men approached her and invited her to drink with them. Caroline had never liked being so close to strangers. So she tried her best to refuse them.

However, more and more people crowded around her, and she found herself helplessly surrounded by them.

Glancing around for help, she tried to find anyone who looked familiar. She kept searching, but

her efforts were in vain

Meanwhile, Avery stood on the second floor, looking down at Caroline.

Caroline was being flocked by a group of men, and she was steadily moving back toward the pool. The gentle smile on Avery’s face was now replaced by a cruel smirk.

The group of men continued to close in around Caroline. Taking a deep breath, she told them she‘

was married in an attempt to stop them from getting closer.

One of the men with a gla** of wine in his hand laughed. “Why are you saying that when we’re all

trying to have fun here? I just want to invite you for a drink.”

His words were the opposite of his actions. His eyes were glued to her exposed skin.

Caroline frowned. It was unsettling, and she thought that things were getting out of hand.

“I don’t want to drink,” she said, voicing her stand once again as she turned to look behind her.

Behind her, the water rippled in the swimming pool. There were lots of people in it. All of their

attention was on her thanks to the commotion. However, none of them tried to help.

Caroline took another glance at the pool and turned to look at the people who were surrounding her like vultures. When they spoke, she could hear all sorts of obscenities and vulgarities.

Eventually, she clenched her jaw and jumped into the pool.

She would just swim to the other side of the pool and go back home right after that.

She’d thought that Kirk’s friends would be courteous and polite. But her time here confirmed that wasn’t the case.

they behaved like hooligans and scumbags. She started to doubt if they were truly Kirk’s friends,

The smile on Avery’s face became more twisted when she noticed that Caroline was already in the

pool.

Fortunately, Caroline was good at swimming. With just a couple of strokes, she managed to reach

the other side of the pool in no time.

Just as she placed both her hands on the edge of the pool to push herself up, she felt something

wrap around her leg. It yanked her down into the water.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she glanced down to see two women grinning at her underwater.

Before she could respond, they pulled at her legs once more. Their hands were like the tentacles of an octopus, clinging onto her and yanking her deeper underwater.

Caroline wasn’t prepared, and she accidentally took a gulp of water. It made her lose control of her breathing, and she started flailing her arms like a person about to drown. “H–help… me!”

Amused, the people standing around the pool watched on. The two women in the water became bolder and continued their attack with more force. They grabbed Caroline by her hair and pulled

her head underwater.

Caroline felt as though she had lost control of her limbs. She could no longer move, and darkness

closed in on her.

All this time, Avery stayed on the second floor and watched the show.

From the corner of her eye, she noticed a person clad in black quickly move forward. Her expression changed instantly, and she rushed downstairs.

When she reached the ground floor, she happened to bump into Kirk. “Kirk-” she greeted him.

with a smile, only to be completely ignored.

Kirk rushed over to the edge of the pool with long strides. He started searching for Caroline, but to

no avail.

Finally, he caught sight of a pair of hands thrashing about on the surface of the water.

A shadow flitted across his face, and he hurried across the pool to where he’d seen the hands.

Realizing that he was going to jump into the water, Avery immediately grabbed his arm to stop him. “Kirk, what are you doing? Have you forgotten that you get claustrophobic underwater?”

Yanking his arm away from her, Kirk dived into the pool without even the slightest hint of

hesitation.

As soon as he was in the pool, he felt the pressure of the water bearing down on him. It enveloped his entire body.

He felt as though he were suffocating. For a moment, his vision turned black,

In spite of that, he thought he could still hear Caroline’s cries for help. She yelped over and over

again, and her cries echoed in his ears and in his mind.

He gritted his teeth and made his way toward Caroline.

Stunned by it all, Avery stood frozen on the spot. Her heart twisted and writhed in spite, so much

so that she forgot how to breathe.

All the onlookers were stupefied by Kirk’s actions. The two women underwater were so astonished that they immediately let go of Caroline

Now that nothing weighed her down anymore, Caroline could finally catch her breath. She broke

the surface of the water and gasped for air.

Her sight had been blurred by the water, but she’d thought she had seen Kirk underwater.

Relief washed over her as she thought that she finally had someone to rely on. Smiling, she called

out, “Kirk!”

Before she could utter another word, she saw him lean forward and drop to the bottom of the pool.

Shocked, she dived into the water and swam to him at top speed. She dragged him up to the surface and yelled frantically, “Kirk, what happened?”

Avery finally snapped out of her daze. She started yelling, “Lifeguard! Where’s the lifeguard?”

Only then did she remember that she had sent all the lifeguards away out of anger after Ivan had refused to let her continue with her plan.

She’d wanted to make Caroline suffer since she couldn’t check if her marriage to Kirk was real.

It had never crossed Avery’s mind that Kirk would ignore his claustrophobia and dive in to save Caroline. Everyone else started fretting. Some of the calmer people helped carry Kirk to the edge

of the pool.

Caroline was so worn out that she thought she would collapse on the spot. She lay sprawled out on the ground for a moment as she tried to catch her breath.

Then, she crawled toward Kirk and pressed both her hands against his chest.

She had no strength in her anymore. The helplessness she felt made her sway to the brink of

consciousness.

“Kirk … wake up …” She mustered every ounce of strength she had left to do chest compressions. However, Kirk only managed to cough out a little bit of water. He still looked like he was in a deep sleep.

Overwhelmed with anxiety, Caroline glanced around for help. Her eyes tell on Avery, who was standing in a corner.

Caroline’s gaze snapped Avery out of her stupor, and the latter responded by rushing over to Kirk.

She shoved Caroline aside, her eyes red with rage, “It’s all your fault! You almost killed him!” She forced those words through gritted teeth.

Caroline was stupefied, but she knew this wasn’t the time to talk about it. “Hurry and take him to the hospital.”

“Stop being a hypocrite!” Avery shapped at Caroline. Then, she ordered two brawny men to carry Kirk into the house.

Caroline followed after them but was stopped by Avery once again.

“You’re not welcomed here. Get lost.”

Caroline was stunned, but she managed to retort. “Kirk is my husband. Why can’t I go in there?”

Because you almost killed him!” Avery spat and called over a bodyguard. “Get her out of here!”

Caroline tried to resist. She struggled against the two well–built bodyguards, but it was of no use. She stood no chance against them and was tossed out like trash.

Chapter 135

Caroline was soaked from head to toe, and she was only dressed in a swimsuit. But she didn’t notice it at all. The only thing she was focused on was the gigantic castle in front of her.

Kirk was inside, and she couldn’t be sure if he was going to be alright. She couldn’t force her way into the building. If only she could contact Ivan right now.

However, her clothes and phone were still inside. Glancing around at the desolate street, she felt chills in her heart as she recalled everything.

Flonza was known for its vast land and tiny population. It would be difficult for her to find someone to borrow their phone.

All of a sudden, she remembered the hotel staff who had driven her here tonight. Perhaps she could get help from the hotel staff.

Besides, the hotel wasn’t too far from here. It had only taken about ten minutes or so to reach here by car. If she walked there, it would probably take about an hour.

Time was of the essence, and Caroline’s mind was set on going to the hotel. She tried to recall the way there and hastened her footsteps.

This area was kind of deserted. She had to walk for a long time before she finally came across a street lamp.

Night fell. As she pa**ed a few houses, she realized that people were starting to turn their lights off for the night.

Everything was becoming darker.

There wasn’t a single shadow of a person on the streets now. She felt as though she were treading through a bleak and godforsaken desert.

Since she didn’t have her shoes, her feet were bare. They left light footprints on the ground with every step she took.

”

It took her more than an hour to reach the hotel. When the manager in charge of night duty, Henry Diaz, saw Caroline’s state, it gave him a fright. He was the one who’d brought her her swimsuit in

the afternoon.

Caroline was in her swimsuit, and her face was rather red from exhaustion now. There were water droplets on her forehead. No one could tell if it was sweat or water from the pool.

Quickly, he strode to her. “Madam–Mrs. Morrison, what happened?” He signaled for one of the other staff members to bring her a towel immediately.

Caroline recognized nim trying to catch her breath, she asked, “U–can you help me make a call?

“Certainly Who do you want me to call?”

Help me call. Her voice trailed off, and she furrowed her brows.

“Are you okay?” Henry asked, concerned

A shadow fell across Caroline’s face. She took a deep breath and waved one hand in the air to dismiss the thought “Never mind.”

She was so worried about Kirk that she became muddle–headed. She didn’t have Ivan’s number.

Glancing up to look at the couch in the lobby, she bit her lip and asked, “Can you give me a map of the state?” Maybe she could walk back to Kirk’s house based on her memory.

Henry guessed what she was worrying about. “Did you forget someone’s number?”

Caroline forced a laugh. “No. I don’t even know his number.”

“It’s okay.” Henry a**ured her and continued, “We have the best search tool to look for someone’s number. Just tell me who you’re looking for. Perhaps we can a**ist you.”

Caroline was stunned. “Isn’t this a hotel?”

Henry smiled expectantly, which made Caroline hesitate for a bit. In the end, she decided to give it a try. “I don’t know his name, but his son’s called Kirk.”

No more than a minute later, he came back to her with a printed copy of an address book.

“The person you’re looking for is the first on the page,” he told her.

and esked. “Miss, would you like se to prepare a fresh set of clothes for you?’

refused them “Nope. Thanks for everything fra going back

“Back? Where to?” Henry blurted

“The pool party”

“If you leave,” he continued, “my superiors will surely put the blame on me. Take pity on me. Please have a change of clothes before you leave.”

Now, Kirk and Avery were the only ones lett in the room, Sitting beside him, Avery held one of his

hands. Her heart broke a little to see him in such a state.

“You did it on purpose, right? You were just pretending, right? You once told me that only a fool would sacrifice himself for another person.”

Avery sobbed. “Surely, you wouldn’t do that. You did it just so we would believe your relationship with Caroline is real.”

Just then, Kirk started coughing violently. His lips opened slightly, and he started mumbling,” Carrie…”

She flung Kirk’s hand away and yelled, “Carrie, Carrie, Carrie! You’ve only known her for such a short period of time! Do you even know what kind of person she is?”

Right after that, she fell to her knees beside him and held on to the edge of the bed for support. Her face was full of anguish as she spoke next.

She cried, “Just wake up, alright? Caroline doesn’t deserve you!”

Avery was to mad that she thought she would explode After a mavent, she clenched her jaw and

Kirk, why can’t you just believe me? We’ve known each other for 27 years! You’ve only just met her Why don’t you believe me, even if it’s just for once?”

Kok flung her hands away from him. His voice was as cold as ice when he said, “Avery, I’m married. You’re crossing the line”

Kirk didn’t want her to worry about him. He leaned closer to her and whispered into her ear,

Maybe it’s because I indulged myself a little too much with you around.”

Instantly, Caroline’s face flushed red. “This isn’t the time to joke!”

Kirk kissed her on the lips, only to discover just how cold they were against his. They were even

He glanced at Caroline and lifted her up bridal–style. “I’m taking you home.”

Avery watched their interaction from the second–floor balcony. Jealousy seeped into every inch of her body.

“Dad’s on the way here. You should call him now that you’re alright. Don’t let him worry about you.

However, Kirk shot him a glance and said, “Get some hot chocolate ready.”

Then, Kirk took Caroline up to the presidential suite and placed her on the bed. Soon after, Henry came with a flask of hot chocolate, two mugs, and a bag of medicine.