She Was Never Just a Pretty Face novel Chapter 33

Night fell.

Hilda was teaching the child how to paint.

Luther, fresh from the shower, sat on the bedroom sofa watching TV. The little thing, probably sensing his coldness, wasn't clinging to him as much. Whenever she saw him, she looked completely deflated, every hair on her head practically drooping in dismay.

—That was fine by him.

He had no desire to play stepdad.

Tonight, Luther was in the mood.

Hilda was his legal wife.

He felt no psychological pressure.

So what if she had strayed?

So what if she had another man's child?

He didn't love her. To Luther, Hilda was just a clean woman. She was beautiful, with luminous skin and perfectly slender legs that were incredibly appealing. Though they hadn't been fully intimate, they had shared all the requisite touches and kisses.

A romance drama was playing on the TV. After a frantic make-out session, the male and female leads tumbled onto the couch.

Their heavy breathing filling the silence...

Luther couldn't help but shift in his seat.

He began flipping through the channels.

Suddenly, his gaze locked onto the screen—

[Breaking News: Harrell Judson of Fairview Capital has invested 500 million to establish Erudite Arts, exclusively signing the rising artist, The Bibliophile. Will The Bibliophile replicate the success of Zoltan Varga and rise to global fame, or crash and burn against market realities... We'll have to wait and see. Furthermore, the true identity of The Bibliophile remains a complete mystery.]

Luther was just about to dial Harrell's number.

They had just seen each other; why hadn't Harrell mentioned it?

Luther was a great admirer of The Bibliophile as well.

Before he could make the call, Jolie's name lit up his phone.

The woman's voice buzzed with excitement. "Luther, I never expected Harrell to be so capable! He actually tracked down The Bibliophile's true identity before we did and successfully signed them to his company... Luther, getting your hands on The Bibliophile's artwork will be a piece of cake for you now, won't it?"

Luther smiled faintly.

"Harrell certainly pulled off something major," he replied with aristocratic poise.

On the other end, Jolie said briskly, "Why don't we organize a gathering with Harrell? We can invite Mr. Sutton as well. I heard Naomi Zeller is also in Alpha City; we should invite her too. Given The Bibliophile's talent, I'm sure Naomi wouldn't refuse... She's also from Jadeport City, after all."

The Hilda who used to blush just at the sight of Luther had been killed by him on their wedding night.

Seeing Hilda enter.

Luther glanced toward the door.

The little burden hadn't followed her.

He stared at Hilda, his dark eyes sharp and tinged with a distinctly masculine desire. His voice was incredibly deep and raspy. "Go take a shower and come here."

The atmosphere froze.

They both knew exactly what was about to happen between them.

She just didn't know what kind of game he wanted to play tonight.

Hilda got the feeling that Luther was still holding back.

She didn't know if he was trying to preserve his fidelity.

Or if he just wasn't used to bearing his soul to a woman he didn't love.

—Much less showing any vulnerability.