11 Hand laundry

''I have zero interest in touching you,'' Archer let go of her hand and his footsteps came to a halt in front of the car.

As he turned around to look at her, Elvina closed her eyes.

The glow in her eyes disappeared and they turned to their usual blue the next moment when she opened them.

However, what greeted her view was this annoying human male elegantly pulling out a handkerchief from his pockets and wiping his fingers carefully.

Elvina blinked.

'Rub rub'

As if the wiping was not enough, she watched him rubbing the handkerchief on his palm.

He was rubbing his palm like there was some virus weaving its house on it in form of algae.

She instinctively glanced at her wrist to check if it got dirty somehow.

But there was nothing on it.

She tilted her head to look at the man who looked satisfied with all the hand laundry that he did.

He held the handkerchief between the tippiest tips of his thumb and index finger before throwing it aside.

Elvina felt her blood boil.

This ungrateful human! This was the very first time someone touched her wilfully and went unscathed. He should be honored instead.

It was not every day that she was this tolerant.

''So, my point of very reluctantly holding your hand is…'' Archer glanced at her wrist in the headlights of the car.

Elvina followed his gaze.

There was a beautiful pearl bracelet sitting on her wrist and the pearls were glistening under the light.

When one looked closely, the pearls appeared pale, a pinkish hue was there on them.

''Do you know that one of these pearls was kept in a museum in France?" he stepped towards her.

Initially, he had not noticed this pearl bracelet on her hand but yesterday when she came to the terrace, crying, she hugged him and the rest of the conversation that followed.

When she turned around to leave, her bracelet sparkled under the moonlight. He noticed it then but he did not pay much attention to it.

Earlier this day, when he carried her out of the resort, the reporters surrounded them and she covered her face in her hair.

At that time, he paid attention to the bracelet on her hand briefly.

He was just making a wild guess when he spoke in French, assuming that these pearls are the same ones he was talking but her expressions told him that his guess was right.

Elvina's brows tugged together. In France…

''I have no interest in these things…'' Archer paused for a moment and he observed her expressions before speaking, ''…But my fiancée… ex-fiancee… As in the woman whom you replaced as the bride, she is a designer and this pearl caught her attention. She had asked me to get it for her.''

His words were somewhat unpleasant. She wondered if he was calling her a replacement because he was frustrated with the whole situation, if he was naturally a rude person or simply because he did not like her.

But that did not hold her attention for long as she heard his next line.

''Did you get it? Do you have it now?" the words left her mouth before she realized it.

Archer quietly observed the expressions on her face.

''I guess you gave it to her,'' she hoped she did her best in hiding her disappointment.

Elvina let her hand hang on her side. She nodded at him, ''I have been to France before with my Aunt when I was young. I was lost and the streets were crowded that day. While looking for her, I crashed into someone and my bracelet broke. I thought I collected all these pearls…''

''It is kept in the museum because it is rare and precious. You know that right?'' Archer squinted.

When he looked into the information, the origin of the pearl was unknown. And it was one of the most valuable treasures in that museum before he acquired it.

It took him around half a month to get his hand on this tiny thing.

And here she was, having a bunch of it and acting like they were just some random veggies.

''How would I know?" Elvina stopped looking at the bracelet on her wrist. As she tilted her head to look at him, she shrugged, ''We live in a small house nearby the sea and I found a bunch of these while playing. I loved it so I made it a bracelet before putting it on,'' she waved her hand at him, flashing her pearl bracelet with a smile, ''Who knew they would be so precious? I feel rich and happy,'' her smile got wider.

Archer: ''_"

''For how long did you live in France?"

''Around a few weeks?"

''And you learned French.''

''I'm a fast learner,'' Elvina flipped her hair, ''I'm smart and super-intelligent.''

This woman…! Archer forced a smile on his face.

''You don't believe me?" Elvina acted shocked, ''Teach me business and watch me taking over your company in a few months,'' she glanced at him with starry eyes.

And hell, he could see the dollar bill flashing in her wide blue eyes.

Archer was speechless, the smile slowly slipping off his face.

He could not believe that the first impression of her in his mind was like that of a bunny.

She was looking nothing less than a sly fox now.

''And what about this character development of yours?" Archer took another step towards her.

Elvina frowned, ''What character development? Are we in some novel or what?''

''Exactly, we are not in some novel then it leaves us with only two choices,'' Archer said, ''Either, you have multi-personality disorder or you did that to get my attention. I remember you crying on the first day, looking all meek but behind the closed doors, you were arguing with me. From the very first day, I knew you are not like how you show.''

She nodded and took a step back from him, ''I believed I would get your attention by playing white lotus. Looking at us now…'' she pointed her chin at their wedding outfits, ''I guess it worked.''

Archer closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Inhale.

Exhale.

This is not the end of the world. No. Don't strangle her. It won't look good.

Inhale.

His eyes snapped open and the usual calmness in his eyes was replaced by sheer coldness.

''Is it time to stop going in circles?" Elvina asked in a breath.

''Hah~'' Archer scoffed, ''Fine, I'll make it clear. Let this be a no-strings-attached…''

''No-strings-attached relationship? You want to sleep with me?" Elvina hurriedly covered her body, her blue eyes visibly widening ''Then, sleep with me again and again and again and run away without taking responsibility in the end?"