Setting the Rules

The guest room, like the rest of the villa, was elegantly designed, predominantly in shades of upscale gray.    It seemed to be regularly cleaned, as there wasn't a speck of dust in sight.    Wendy closed the door, picked up her toiletries, and headed to the bathroom.

Initially, she had been anxious about how to face Dirk the next day, what to do about Glen at the police station, whether she should quit her job, and so on.    However, when she saw her reflection in the mirror, all those thoughts were pushed aside.

Did she really come all the way back with Dirk, bearing a face marked by domestic violence?    No wonder Dirk had that indescribable expression on his face earlier.

Her eyeliner had smudged all the way down to her lower eyelid, and even her lipstick had spread onto her lower lip.    It was probably due to Glen covering her mouth when they had their struggle.

In the master bathroom on the other side.

Dirk stood beneath the shower, allowing the water droplets to roll off his body.    His phone on the bathroom counter buzzed, and after a moment, he put on a bathrobe, poured a glass of wine, and answered the call.

"Hello."

On the other end of the line, Colin was likely still in the private room.    "Why did you send Glen to jail?    Weren't you going home?"

Dirk stood by the window, looking at the swaying tree shadows outside, his tone neither warm nor cold.    "I can send whoever I want to jail, for whatever reason."

Colin hesitated, then finally spoke in a measured tone.   "Have you, by any chance, developed feelings for her?"

"Can you just watch a man beating a woman?"    Dirk retorted.

Colin clicked his tongue.    "You're not fooling anyone.    I mean, that Wendy isn't just anyone to you."

"Do you have some kind of ulterior motive?"    Colin asked tentatively.

Dirk placed the wine glass down.    "If love could be achieved by simply sleeping together, your woman would already be one of the three thousand beauties in the harem."

Dirk hung up the phone, leaving Colin raising an eyebrow.    Perhaps Colin had overthought things.

Dirk furrowed his brow, wondering if he had made a wrong decision tonight.

After finishing her nighttime routine, Wendy lay in the guest room but couldn't sleep.    She had a tendency to be picky about her sleeping environment, and this place was too spacious, lacking any human scent.    The air was filled with high-end incense, and the bedding was top-notch silk with a superb mattress, yet she couldn't find any sleep.

Every time she closed her eyes, she couldn't help but think that Dirk was sleeping on the same floor, and she had just narrowly escaped a dangerous situation.

Wendy even imagined the scene of Dirk pushing the door open when he came in. But her mind was in disarray, and she didn't know how to face him, especially with the strong implications of a late-night visit. As she tossed and turned, footsteps approached the door.

Wendy sat up abruptly, her heart racing.

"Are you asleep?"

It was Dirk. Wendy considered it for a moment and pulled her nightgown tighter. "Mr. Dirk, is there something you need?"

"If you have bruises on your body, remember to apply the ointment. It's at the door," his voice had a slightly cold and stern tone.

After Wendy realized what he meant, she walked straight to the door. Dirk was indeed still standing there. When he saw her come out, his gaze was intense.

Wendy wasn't inexperienced when it came to relationships, and she raised an eyebrow. "Just here to deliver medicine?"

Dirk's hair was still slightly damp, and his forehead, not as smooth as usual, was concealed beneath his dark hair. He was tall, and Wendy could only see up to his chest when looking at him eye to eye. With his bathrobe removed, his well-defined chest would undoubtedly display the strength of a man. She knew this well.

Her toenails were painted with red nail polish, and her fair toes were slightly overlapping as she waited quietly for his response.

Dirk raised an eyebrow slightly and his lips brushed hers. "What if it's not?"

"Then help me apply it."

Why not? Who could refuse?

The door to the guest room closed, leaving only the bedside lamp flickering in the wake of their presence.

Wendy genuinely couldn't fathom how the difference in physical stamina between men and women could be so significant. After all, she was usually immobile after making love, but he seemed to go on and on.

As the bright light flashed at the end, Wendy noticed that the moon outside had shifted its position.   In this unfamiliar place, due to an excessive amount of physical activity, she had rarely enjoyed such a good night's sleep.   When she woke up, Dirk was no longer there, and Wendy checked the time - 7:30 AM.

She got up, freshened up, and changed the rumpled bedsheets.

Upon stepping out of the room, she heard voices downstairs.   Dirk's executive assistant and secretary were both there.

The man who had been sweating on her body the previous night was now sitting smartly in a suit in the living room.   He seemed to sense her presence and looked up in her direction.

"Let's do it this way.   You guys handle it," Dirk instructed.

"Of course, Mr. Dirk."

The downstairs area fell silent immediately.

"Come down," he said.

Wendy pushed her hair back.   "Good morning."

Dirk nodded in his cool manner.   "Let's have breakfast."

She then noticed a variety of breakfast items already set up on the adjacent dining table, catering to tastes.

The life of a capitalist is indeed good.   Wendy thought about how sometimes she'd skip breakfast just to get a little extra sleep, and now she was eager to eat a hearty meal.

She pulled out a chair and sat down.   "Aren't you eating?"

Dirk opened a newspaper and calmly replied, "I finished my breakfast at 7 o'clock."

Wendy couldn't help but admire his disciplined routine.

"If you don't have anything important today, request a leave from your company and go to the police station for a statement. Roan, my assistant, will go with you."

Wendy took a bite of a steamed dumpling and asked, "How long will Glen be detained?"

This time, Dirk turned the question around and asked her, "How long do you want him to be detained?"

She knew that it wouldn't be for a long time. What she feared was the possibility of retaliation afterwards.

Perhaps it was because she looked genuinely concerned, but Dirk's tone softened a bit. "Don't worry. To investigate his family's affairs and Future Group's interests, it won't be resolved quickly. At least, he won't come bothering you in the future."

Just Glen's father's embezzlement within the Future Group was enough to cause significant trouble for their family, not to mention the issues left behind by Glen's previous misadventures.

Wendy understood Dirk's style of speaking and acting. If he said this, it meant he could make it happen.

"What would you like for lunch?"

He changed the subject, and Wendy pondered the implications. Did this mean he wanted to have lunch with her?

As she considered Dirk's words, she thought about the opportunity at hand. If she refused, would it mean that he would no longer interfere with Glen's situation?

After much hesitation, she decided to speak up. "Mr. Dirk, can I understand this as you enjoy being in bed with me and need a regular partner to fulfill your physical needs? I'm the one you've chosen, and it's not about love or gender."

Dirk's eyes narrowed. "And if I am, what of it? If I remember correctly, every time, you initiated it."

That was indeed true. Wendy wasn't the least bit ashamed. "I acknowledge that you're a great sexual partner, and I've always had a good experience. Based on that standard, are we in an equal relationship in this regard?"

"So, you mean I'm not your sugar daddy, you won't accept my financial gifts, and ideally, we shouldn't interfere too much in each other's lives. When you need me, you can call or we can discuss the time? Or perhaps, fixed times to meet. What do you think?"