She Left She Thrived She’s Worth Billions novel Chapter 418

Sleeping soundly in the themed hotel suite until the sun was high in the sky, Melanie finally woke up to find that Preston had pulled back the heavy blackout curtains, leaving only the sheer panels to filter the light.

Without the heavy, erotic red lighting flooding the space, Melanie realized the room was actually quite normal and surprisingly clean.

She let out a soft yawn and turned her head, immediately meeting Preston's gaze.

He was staring at her with a remarkably tight expression, looking almost angry.

Melanie pouted slightly, genuinely confused.

They had been incredibly compatible in bed last night. And while they hadn't spent the entire night without sleep, his stamina had far exceeded her already high expectations.

So... what on earth was he upset about?

Melanie closely studied his striking face. The longer she looked, the more she realized he wasn't just upset; he looked deeply remorseful.

"What's wrong? Already regretting becoming my boyfriend?"

Melanie asked, her tone light and teasing.

She knew he didn't regret it, of course. She trusted his feelings for her just as much as she trusted her own judgment.

But she honestly couldn't decipher the dark look on his face.

The room fell into a heavy silence. Preston stared at her for a long time before his lips parted, his voice rough.

"You were married to Dominic for four years... and he never touched you."

Melanie blinked in surprise, then gave a slow nod.

"Yeah, so?"

Preston ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

"If I had known it was your first time, I would have held back last night. And I sure as hell wouldn't have taken you in some cheap themed hotel..."

Melanie finally understood.

Preston was furious with himself. He felt he had robbed her of a beautiful, romantic first time.

Sure, there had been no imported roses, no vintage wine, no five-star presidential suite. But Melanie truly couldn't have cared less about those superficial details.

The right person was the only thing that actually mattered.

Honestly, if she had actually given her first time to Dominic back then, she would have regretted it for the rest of her life.

"Oh, stop pouting. Don't knock the love hotel. The fact that it gave us a place to be together is good enough for me."

Melanie tried to sit up, only for a sharp wave of soreness to radiate through her body.

Preston's earlier comment about not holding back was entirely accurate.

"By the way, your hand..."

Melanie glanced over at his injured hand.

She had been so entirely distracted by their intense intimacy last night that she had completely forgotten to check on his wounds. A handsome man truly was a dangerous distraction.

But she noticed Preston had already put a fresh glove back on.

Room service had arrived.

Preston walked over to grab the bags, and Melanie used the distraction to pivot.

"What did you order?"

"Two orders of beef noodle soup and two lychee sodas."

Preston answered casually as he began pulling the containers out of the plastic bags.

Melanie gave a small shrug.

Message received.

It was glaringly obvious he had zero intention of answering her previous question, smoothly ignoring it and moving right along.

In the past, Melanie never pried into his personal life because they were simply a landlord and a tenant.

Even when they became friends, she felt strongly about giving each other space.

But things were entirely different now.

They were officially together.

They shared the most intimate connection two people could have.

That was the only reason she had felt comfortable enough to finally voice the question that had been eating at her.

Still, looking at Preston's closed-off posture, it was clear he wasn't going to satisfy her curiosity anytime soon.