how you're going to wriggle out of this?

After uttering these words, a long silence filled the car.

But now that she had said it, Wendy indeed felt a sense of relief.

This was the right decision.  She and Dirk were from different worlds.  Look at all the trouble she had to deal with by being around him.  She should focus on her job, work hard to get a promotion, pay off her mortgage, have love if it came her way, remain single if it didn't, maintain her good routines, and occasionally travel to relax.

The more she thought about it, the more she realized she shouldn't have made that proposal in the first place.

Wendy seemed visibly more relaxed, but Dirk's expression wasn't as favorable. she just wanted to get home quickly at this moment.

The driver tried to drive slowly, and they were approaching Golden Coast Estates.

Finally, they stopped at the entrance of the residential area.  Wendy got up without even glancing at Dirk, only expressing her gratitude to Roan and the driver.  She then closed the car door and limped her way back home.

Roan swallowed hard and turned to look at Dirk, saying, "Mr. Dirk."

He was worried that Dirk might be upset about being rejected by the woman.

Dirk didn't respond, and the back seat appeared as if it were empty.

Roan felt like he was sitting on pins and needles, waiting for some reaction from his boss.

Wendy slowly returned to her home, finding that the chaos and mess from earlier had been cleaned up. The air was filled with a pleasant scent. Normally, she expected the crime scene to be preserved for police investigation, but it seemed that Dirk had arranged for someone to tidy up.

Suddenly, guilt washed over her.

As the door closed, Wendy scratched her head and thought, well, since the words were already spoken, let it end like this.

She took off her shoes, and her feet, which had been confined in high heels all day, felt incredibly comfortable when they touched the ground.

However, she still had her suspicions and carefully examined every corner of the room for hidden surveillance cameras. She focused on tissue boxes and concealed corners, checking both the bathroom and the bedroom thoroughly.

After confirming that the creepy Glen hadn't left anything behind, she finally turned on the lights.

While she was in the process of folding her clothes from a couple of days ago on the balcony, she thought that Dirk must have left by now and didn't pay much attention.

But if she wanted to check, all she had to do was glance, and she would notice that the car was still there.

Wendy returned to her room and felt a slight unease when opening her closet. She mustered up the courage and swung the closet doors open, then calmly picked up fresh clothes and headed for the bathroom.

She even thought that in the future, opening her closet might always come with such a lingering shadow, thanks to that despicable Glen.

Wendy gently removed her makeup, placed a bath oil ball in the bathtub, turned on her tablet to continue watching the variety show she hadn't finished, poured herself a glass of red wine, lit some scented candles, and prepared a plate of fruit salad. She relaxed and enjoyed the moment.

She didn't notice at all that the front door of her home had been opened, and a man's polished shoes and long legs had entered.

Dirk stood in the hallway, visiting for the third time, and finally had the chance to take a closer look at this small room.

It was clear that Wendy put effort into her appearance. A unique jewelry storage box was neatly placed in the entryway, and the whole place had a creamy color theme. A white sofa with scattered blankets was in the living area, and you could imagine her reclining on the couch, hugging a pillow, watching TV in a relaxed manner under the floor lamp's warm glow.

The kitchen seemed to be used often, with even the milk pot being pink, creating a cozy atmosphere. On the double-door refrigerator were various fridge magnets from different places, along with some Polaroid photos.

Dirk's gaze settled on a few old photos.

They appeared to be a younger Wendy, with long, straight black hair. Her face looked serene and innocent back then.

He took out his phone and snapped a picture of that photo, along with some scenic shots from her travels. Each photo had some handwritten notes on the back.

As Dirk looked at them, he couldn't help but let out a laugh, as if these pictures were filling in some blanks about Wendy in his mind.

He placed the items in his hand on the coffee table and casually picked up a document she had left there. As he listened to the occasional sounds of water and laughter coming from the bathroom, Dirk's stern expression softened.

The fact that she could gradually decorate this home with her meager salary showed that she cherished it. As a robotic vacuum cleaner moved by his feet, Dirk suddenly pictured her taking a shower, then passing through the living room on her way to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee. He thought about her morning routine of preparing sandwiches in the kitchen.

Wendy sang a song, waiting until she felt thoroughly relaxed in the bath before applying body oil. She loved things with a grapefruit scent. Somehow, she found herself thinking about Dirk's fragrance, shook her head, and, while her hair was still wrapped in a dry hair cap to absorb excess moisture, she applied a sheet mask.

The bathroom door suddenly swung open, and Wendy, humming a song, emerged from it.  She was startled to see the man sitting on her living room couch, reading through her documents.  The shock was so intense that even her recently applied sheet mask developed cracks due to her scream.

"How did you get in here?!"  Wendy exclaimed.  She promised herself that if Dirk were Want to strangle her now, she would steer clear of all men from then on.

Dirk, however, remained composed and calmly said, "I kicked down your old door lock. Roan replaced it and gave me a spare key."

Wendy hadn't even noticed!  The lock had been replaced with a new one.

"Why are you so surprised?  Didn't you notice that the lock was changed?  No wonder someone entered your home, and you didn't even know.  You were singing so carefreely inside.  With your level of caution, living alone suits you?"

What was with Dirk's reproachful tone?

After a moment, Wendy realized and said, "Mr. Dirk, even if Assistant Roan gave you a key, you shouldn't have come in without my consent, right?"

Dirk didn't directly respond to her.  Wendy continued, "I just told you we're done."

At that moment, Dirk lifted his eyelids to look at her and then handed over a stack of documents.  "Take a look."

Wendy, still suspicious, accepted the papers.  When she looked at them, she gasped.  It was a contract that detailed the money involved in the business dealings with Jefferson.  If Wendy were to terminate the relationship, she'd have to repay an uncountable sum.

How had she ever considered Dirk a gentleman?  He was clearly a refined scoundrel.

Sitting there, looking all innocent, he turned into a total beast as soon as he undressed.

Dirk thought she might be fuming, so he raised an eyebrow and asked, "Have you figured out how you're going to wriggle out of this?"

Unexpectedly, Wendy simply tossed the documents aside, lay down next to Dirk, and looked like she'd given up, like a resigned fish out of water. "You're here for that, right? I just finished showering. If you're coming, then come quickly."