Chapter 28

A tiny osmanthus blossom drifted silently through the gaps between the branches and landed on Richard’s shoulder.

He didn’t even take his eyes off her. He simply lifted his free hand and brushed it away.

Elena’s already-racing heartbeat somehow sped up even more.

She rubbed her sweaty palms together and tried to look composed.

“When… when did you get here?”

“About ten minutes ago.” Richard answered calmly. “You looked so focused that I didn’t want to interrupt.”

Elena’s ears immediately went hot.

During that deep backbend, her shirt had slipped down quite a bit.

And during some of those high kicks and jumps, her trousers had nearly slipped too.

Worst of all, toward the end, she had gotten so hot that she’d unconsciously licked her lips several times.

He had seen everything.

“I thought your time was valuable.”

Richard raised an eyebrow.

“It is. That’s why I spent it on something worth watching.”

Elena couldn’t help putting her hands on her hips.

“…Fine. It’s your property. You can do whatever you want.”

Richard looked at her flushed face, a faint trace of amusement appearing in his eyes.

“Anything?”

Elena: “?”

Here we go again.

She pressed her lips together.

“You could at least give me a heads-up. I… I was only doing basic exercises. It wasn’t anything interesting.”

Richard gave no indication of whether he agreed.

He slipped his phone into his pocket and walked toward her.

As soon as he stepped out from the shadows of the rocks, the morning sunlight fell directly across him.

The black athletic tank top, still slightly damp with sweat, made him look even more rugged than usual.

The veins along his arms stood out subtly with each step, while his broad shoulders and narrow waist made his athletic build almost impossible to ignore.

Richard stopped two steps away from her and looked down at her.

At nearly two meters tall, he completely blocked the sunlight in front of her, leaving Elena standing in his shadow.

“I thought it was beautiful.”

His voice was low and slightly husky, carrying the lingering laziness of early morning, yet there was absolute certainty in his tone.

Elena’s heart pounded.

She lightly dug her fingernails into her palm.

“Mr. Sterling, you’re too kind… Did you just finish working out?”

Richard looked down at her.

“Yeah. I finished my workout and came out for some air. Then I happened to spot a little stray cat sneaking into the garden without its owner noticing.”

Elena was speechless.

“I wasn’t sneaking around! I came in openly!”

A second later, though, she realized there was something strangely suggestive about the whole owner and little cat comparison.

Was he talking about the owner of the house?

Or the owner of the cat?

Elena: “…”

Her face grew even hotter.

Richard’s gaze lingered on her face for a few seconds before drifting slowly down to her neck and finally resting briefly on the rise and fall of her chest.

His gaze made her skin prickle.

Elena quickly turned away and pretended to straighten her top.

“Go back inside,” Richard said casually. “You’ll catch a chill.”

Elena nodded quickly and hurried back toward the mansion.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

She took a quick shower in her room.

Standing beneath the warm water, she covered her burning cheeks with both hands.

By the time she had dried her hair and changed into a white printed one-shoulder T-shirt and light-colored fitted pants, the dining room was already filled with the smell of breakfast.

Richard had clearly showered as well.

The wild-looking athletic tank top was gone, replaced by a perfectly tailored dark-gray suit.

He was obviously getting ready for work.

At the head of the long dining table, he sat reading financial news on his tablet, a cup of black coffee and several dishes arranged beside him.

Crispy bacon, thick-cut toast, and fragrant German sausages were served alongside a rich pumpkin cream soup and a large seafood and vegetable salad dressed with vinaigrette.

“Morning.”

Elena pulled out the chair to Richard’s right and sat down.

“Mm.”

Richard gave a slight nod.

“Eat.”

As soon as he said it, the kitchen staff brought out several more dishes.

Golden, pan-fried soup dumplings, thin-skinned steamed dumplings filled with savory pork, and thinly sliced braised beef served with a spicy-sour dipping sauce.

There were also several refreshing cold dishes to balance everything out.

Elena’s eyes immediately lit up.

She picked up her chopsticks and eagerly took a bite of one of the soup dumplings.

“Mmm—so good!”

Her cheeks puffed out as she chewed, her eyes narrowing into happy crescents.

She looked up at Richard.

“Mr. Sterling, your chef is seriously amazing!”

She immediately reached for another one, dipping it generously into the spicy sauce.

Richard finally looked up from his tablet.

The tip of Elena’s nose had begun to glisten with a fine layer of sweat, while the spicy sauce had made her lips look even redder and fuller.

A faint smile touched his eyes.

He calmly cut another piece of toast before casually asking,

“What kind of car do you like?”

“Huh?”

Elena was still swallowing a piece of beef.

Without thinking, she answered,

“An Audi RS7.”

Richard: “…”

That answer clearly caught him off guard.

He had expected her dream car to be something a little more ambitious.

Elena looked at him in confusion.

“You don’t like Audi?”

“No.”

Richard paused, apparently deciding how to put it.

“I just had a higher budget in mind. The RS7 has good performance and a nice design, but it’s more of a…”

He paused again, searching for the least offensive way to say it.

“…younger performance car.”

Richard seemed satisfied with that description.

Elena blinked.

“What?”

Before transmigrating, her biggest car-related dream had simply been to work hard, save enough money, and eventually trade in her used Audi A4 for an RS7.

What was this guy even talking about?

Then, a few seconds later, realization hit her.

“Wait… are you trying to buy me a car?”

“Why not?” Richard said casually. “It would make things easier for you.”

Elena stared at him, conflicted.

If she managed to survive this period, she already had plans for making money. Eventually, she would be able to afford a car herself.

But—

She suddenly realized something.

If she wanted to use this man to escape the death ending waiting for her, she would inevitably have to spend more time around him.

And the more time they spent together, the more things would inevitably slip beyond the boundaries of her original plan.

After all, this was a world she couldn't predict.

Elena grabbed her glass and took a large drink.

“…Maybe you shouldn't buy me one.”

Richard frowned slightly.

“Why?”

Elena felt uneasy.

Somehow, accepting too many things from him made her feel as though she were taking advantage of him.

“Honestly, I was planning to save up some money and buy a little two-door electric car for a few thousand dollars. Something small, easy to park, easy to drive. And I wouldn’t even have to spend much on gas.”

“Was?”

Richard raised an eyebrow.

“Before you met me?”

Elena nodded, her cheeks turning slightly pink.

The original Elena’s plan, of course, had been to marry into the Cole family and live a life of luxury.

But she wasn’t the original Elena.

So if she said this was her plan, then this was her plan.

Richard gave her an amused look.

“And now?”

“Now… I just hope you’ll stop giving me so many things. Otherwise, I feel like I owe you too much.”

Richard didn't seem bothered.

“If that makes you uncomfortable, dance for me a few more times. Consider everything I give you payment for your performances.”

Elena: “…”

Richard set his knife and fork down with a soft clink.

“RS7. I’ll have someone arrange one for you. I’m guessing you want it in black?”

“Yes, but you really don’t have to—”

“You can use the RS7 for everyday driving. Park it at the university if you want. I’ll also arrange a private driver and another proper car for you when you need one. When they’re not in use, they can stay here. Maintenance, insurance, fuel—you won’t have to worry about any of it.”

Elena froze.

“Two cars?”

Richard nodded as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“The RS7 isn’t suitable for every occasion. Pick another one.”

Elena tilted her head.

“Then I want a little Fiat 500e in mint green. That color is adorable. You should get me one of those!”

Richard: “…………”

He had meant for her to pick another proper luxury car.

The enormous dining room fell completely silent.

The butler standing nearby lowered his head and pressed his lips together, desperately trying not to laugh.

Whether Miss Hayes was joking or not, she had actually asked the chairman for a tiny city car.

Richard took a slow breath.

He could feel his temple twitch.

He looked at the butler.

“Bring me the custom vehicle catalogs those dealerships sent over last month.”

“Yes, sir.”

Less than a minute later, the butler returned carrying a heavy, beautifully bound catalog with an embossed gold cover.

He respectfully handed it to Richard.

Richard didn't even bother opening it.

He simply placed the thick catalog on the table with a solid thud.

“Pick one.”

His tone was calm.

Elena had been deliberately messing with him.

Now, however, she suddenly felt a little guilty.

She opened the catalog.

She had barely turned two pages when her eyes widened.

This wasn’t a car dealership catalog.

It was practically a traveling exhibition of money.

The first thing she saw was a bespoke Rolls-Royce Wraith in an outrageously extravagant color scheme, its Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament gleaming prominently.

Then came the Aston Martin Valkyrie, looking less like a car and more like a spaceship straight out of a science-fiction movie.

“…”

One breathtaking supercar after another appeared before her.

Even the starting prices were followed by enough digits to give her a heart attack.

Elena pushed the catalog back toward him as though it were something dangerously hot.

“No way. If I drove something like this around, everyone would think some old guy was sponsoring me—cough, cough!”

Richard’s expression darkened.

Old guy?

He folded his arms and leaned back in his chair, looking down at her with an almost threatening calm.

“You can refuse.”

He paused.

“But then I’ll pick one for you.”

A faint, wicked smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

“I seem to remember there’s a limited-edition Barbie-pink Maybach in the garage. Six thousand Swarovski crystals are set into the body.”

Elena: “?”

“Since Miss Hayes refuses to choose for herself, starting tomorrow, I’ll have the driver take that car to your university every morning and every evening.”

Richard raised an eyebrow.

“How does that sound?”

Elena: “…………”