She Was Never Just a Pretty Face novel Chapter 85

Aegis Group.

The top-floor executive suite.

Luther gently twirled his phone in his hand—

He had stared at that last text for quite a while.

Without realizing it, a faint smile curved his lips. He actually felt a hint of sweetness from Hilda's message. It seemed that married life didn't require profound love to function; as long as the sex life was fulfilling, it could make up for a lot of emotional shortcomings.

Just then, the office door was pushed open.

Jolie appeared at the door.

Lori hurried in after her, apologizing profusely to Luther, "I'm so sorry, Mr. Sanford. This is my fault."

Luther lifted his chin. "Wait outside."

Lori hesitated for a second before stepping out.

The office door clicked shut.

Once they were alone, Jolie's voice trembled slightly. "Luther, you're having Hilda accompany you to the gala? In the past, I was always your date. We've always worked so well together, haven't we? Why replace me with her?"

Luther looked at her calmly. "Because Hilda is my wife. Jolie, we're both adults. Some things don't need to be spelled out, do they? Annie is my biological child. If I divorce, she becomes the child of a broken home. Sometimes, romance has to make way for family."

Tears slipped down Jolie's face.

"So I have to be the sacrifice."

"So you only took me home that night out of pity?"

"You sat outside my apartment building half the night, Luther, and you still dare say you don't love me?"

...

Luther merely stared deeply at her.

He didn't offer another answer.

He had said what needed to be said.

And he had said what shouldn't have been said.

For Jolie, he was willing to compensate her through career advancement, but she didn't want that. She wanted to play the role of the devoted wife. But Hilda was the very model of a devoted wife. If all he wanted was a doting wife, why had he neglected Hilda in the first place?

After a long moment, he picked up a tissue from the desk and handed it to her.

His voice was hoarse. "Stop crying."

The living room was quiet, but faint sounds were coming from the master bedroom. Luther took off his coat as he walked, heading into the walk-in closet. He saw Hilda organizing things. Likely due to the influx of new purchases, she was completely reorganizing several of the cabinets. It looked like quite a chore. He set his coat down, walked up behind her, and pulled her body flush against his, murmuring low, "Let's move to a villa after the holidays. Let the housekeeper handle this stuff from now on. When you have free time, go to the spa, go shopping. And when the time is right, let's have another baby."

Hilda was just about to speak.

When the scent of Chanel No. 5 hit her nose.

It was Jolie's favorite perfume.

A faint smile touched her lips. "We'll talk about that later."

Luther seemed to be in a very good mood. He found the clothes she bought him and insisted on trying them on immediately. Hilda said softly, "They need to be dry-cleaned tomorrow. You can wear them after they're washed."

Luther's dark eyes locked onto her.

His stare was direct and heavy.

A moment later, he lifted her onto the dresser, kissing her while untying her robe, wasting not a single second.

Luther went at it twice.

It was year-end, and his workload was heavy.

Afterward, he sequestered himself in the study.