Chapter 40: Dissatisfaction
He transfers ownership of the hotel as naturally as if he was deciding what to wear. Avery stares at him. She knows she should refuse the hotel, but Nanny's face appears in her mind. If the hotel belongs to her, Nanny's medical bills will be easy to pay—regardless of what happens with the divorce.
Months ago, when Avery fell herself into the sea at the banquet, Evan assumed she was pretending to kill herself to attract his attention. Outraged by the media attention, the Howel cut her allowance. It became incredibly difficult to pay for Nanny's unending medical bills.
"Don't be too touched," Evan says, "It's your reward for cooperating for the physical examination this afternoon."
Evan feigns arrogance and sneers at Avery before walking toward the hotel. She knows that he's not a kind man, and he doesn't give gifts without an ulterior motive. After coercing her into going to the appointment, he is going to bribe her. Having no other choice, she follows him into the hotel.
The atrium is filled with the scent of flowers, and several small magpies eat on the ground. Upon hearing the footsteps, the small magpies flutter their wings and fly to the nearest perch.
Everything has been rearranged in the restaurant. The tables and chairs are no longer overturned and a fresh, white tablecloth embroidered with flowers flutters in the wind. A new bottle of wine sits beside a decanter.
Robert Tinder respectfully pulls the chair out for Avery. Just as Avery is about to sit down, Evan wraps his arms around her. He sits and pulls her onto his lap. Atop his muscled things, Avery can feel his warmth. Even though there are two layers of fabric between them, his heat burns through them and reaches her skin.
She frowns and turns around to show him her dissatisfaction, but finds that a waiter is standing behind them and looking down. It's a familiar figure—Michelle Cindy. The woman has changed into workwear and wiped the smeared makeup from her face. She holds a tray with a glass container.
It took three years for Michelle to work her way from waiter to the client manager, but now she's been forced to become a waiter again. Three years ago, she signed a ten-year contract with the hotel. When she tried to leave a few minutes ago, she was informed that the hotel would sue her for breach of contract. She knows she could get herself fired, but she doesn't want to damage her reputation that way.
"Did you do this?" Avery stares at Michelle but directs her question to Evan.
"She's not qualified to be the client manager or even an employee of the Zuri Hotel," Evan says, smiling slightly, "Why don't you ask me why I didn't have her fired?"
"I don't want to ask you," Avery says.
She feels hot and itchy, and she wants to take his hands off her waist.
"It's too easy for her if I fire her. She made you very unhappy, and she needs to serve as an example to others," Evan says calmly.
This is, of course, he's bought the Zuri Hotel for her. He wants everyone to know that no one can bully Mrs. Howel.
"You gave the Zuri Hotel to me to teach her a lesson?" Avery asks, "Aren't you worried that I don't have an interest in managing it? If the hotel shuts down one day, the Howel Group will lose a lot of money."
"You shouldn't be so dismissive of the Howel Group. Besides, I don't doubt that the hotel will profit under your management."
Avery doesn't know what to say to that. Michelle approaches them with a tray. Although she forces herself to smile, she looks unhappy. She is still trying to calm down.
Robert takes the glass contained from the tray and hands it to Evan. He removes an adhesive bandage from the tray and tears the wrapping off of it before handing it over to Evan.
"Give me your hand," Evan orders.
Avery doesn't know what he wants to do.
"Huh? Left or right hand?" she asks.
Grumpily, Evan grabs her left hand. She sees a small blackthorn protruding from her index finger. It's difficult to see, and she forgot it was there. She wonders how he noticed.
"Mrs. Howel, Mr. Howel saw on the security footage that you were pricked by a thorn," Robert explains, "He immediately asked for first-aid supplies."
"I didn't ask you to explain anything to her," Evan frowns.
He gently takes the back of Avery's hand and lowers it into the glass container to soak in warm water. After soaking it for a while, he takes the plush towel and dries it carefully. He picks up an adhesive and prepares to put it on her finger.
Robert shakes his head in disbelief, wondering if he's seen and heard everything.
"Why is Mr. Howel being so tender with Mrs. Howel?" he wonders.
"I can do it by myself," Avery says, trying to pull her hand away.
"I thought you wanted to show off with PDA," Evan smirks.
"When did I say that?"
She freezes, suddenly recalling a sarcastic comment from the morning. She said she was willing to endure the humiliation of PDA with him if it would kill her and take her out of the miserable marriage.
"Okay, fine, I like PDA," she says, "I'm not scared by it."
She quietly allows him to take her hand again. She hates the way the people around her react. They give her knowing looks as if she's enjoying some sort of special honor. Their eyes seem to say: Look at Evan Howel, heir of the Howel family, honor his wife when it should be her honoring him.
She doesn't feel honored or even enjoys his touch. She just feels smug when Michelle sees how affectionate Evan is being. She sighs. She can't refuse Evan.
Evan quickly takes a piece of adhesive and applies it to her finger. Gently, he lifts the adhesive, pulling the thorn out of her finger. He raises her hand high into the air, and Avery stares at her delicate fingers. Large drops of blood form on the wound and drip down her finger.
"Is it painful?" Evan asks.
He takes a towel from Robert, and she holds her finger out to him. He wants to personally wipe away the blood from her hands, but Avery dodges him. He stares at her, unable to guess what she wants to do. Unexpectedly, she places her bloody finger on his shapely lips.
Her finger is quite cold and Evan's lips are warm. She smiles and her face becomes mischievous.
"Darling, help me disinfect," she says lightly.
Avery's lips are touched with a rosy red, and Evan thinks her mouth looks like the flower itself. He's never seen someone so sexy. Avery gazes back at. Him, becoming distracted.
Recalling herself, she says insistently, "On TV people often put their fingers into their mouth to disinfect them."
Robert had been in the process of withdrawing the glass container, but Avery's words make his hands shake and he almost spills the warm water in the container.
"Mrs. Howel has asked Mr. Howel to put her finger in his mouth," he thinks, aghast, "Although the finger has been washed and soaked, there are still bacteria. Moreover, Mr. Howel has a thing about dirt. How can he let her put her finger in his mouth? Mrs. Howel is so entitled. Does she have any idea how hard it was for Mr. Howel to endure even touching her wounded hand."
Robert's hands are still shaking. "Why does she always do stuff like this?" he thought angrily, "Once Mr. Howel is angry, the lunch will be spoiled and he'll surely punish her."
Michelle looks at Avery critically. "This woman is so arrogant," she thinks, "It's a great honor for Evan to treat her wounds, but now she's insisting on putting her fingers in his mouth. It's no wonder everyone says he treats her coldly."
Everyone waits to see what Evan will do—push her away, bite her finger, yell. Evan sits motionlessly, he doesn't refuse or say anything as she rests her finger on his lips.