Chapter 21 Possessiveness
Welburn’s hand paused noticeably.
Then he spoke in a flat tone, “I’ll be gentle.”
Over the past few years, Eileen had barely interacted with other men. She couldn’t yet shake off the delicate habits she’d developed around Fremont.
The torn wound was now twice as large as the original cut from the glass.
The unbearable pain went straight from her palm to her brain.
Crying out from the sudden pain was a bit embarrassing, so she bit her lip hard, refusing to let another sound slip through.
Welburn looked up and met her eyes, which had turned misty from fighting against the pain.
This stubborn yet fragile version of Eileen looked just like a spoiled housecat that had lost a fight, proud, pitiful, and impossible not to feel for.
“You can cry out, you know.”
His voice was lazy and nonchalant.
But when his gaze landed on her flushed lips, a wave of possessiveness surged in his eyes.
That look made Eileen feel as if she were a prey that had walked right into his trap and was now being devoured inch by inch.
Goosebumps rose down her spine at his words. She stared into his eyes
again.
There was no trace of emotion in there. Any hint of speculation would have been a form of desecration against him.
She must have imagined it.
How could someone like him ever have such intense emotions?
He was just saying. Why read into it?
Welburn didn’t simply stick on a band–aid and call it a day. He patiently and meticulously applied medicine, then wrapped her hand carefully in gauze to prevent the wound from tearing again.
“Thank you.” The moment he finished, Eileen pulled her hand back and subtly put some distance between them.
She changed the subject, “About the lawyer…”
“I’ll take care of it.”
That one line made her tightly knitted brows relax. She had just opened her mouth to thank him when his casual, sleepy tone cut her off, “You can thank me when it’s done. Stay here. I’ll make the call.”
Eileen sat at the edge of the couch, recalling how she’d embarrassingly dozed off before. This time, she sat straight and still.
Welburn returned to find that she had been sitting like a model student for a while.
Maybe she was growing impatient, or maybe she was just anxious.
She kept her head down, fiddling with her fingers, looking especially obedient.
“It’s done.”
His quiet footsteps were swallowed by the carpet, and by the time he started talking, he was already up close. The sudden voice in her ear startled Eileen.
She flinched, then lifted her head to ask cautiously, “What did he say?”
“He agreed.”
Agreed? Who had he contacted?
Eileen nervously licked her lips. She knew Welburn was capable, but she still found it hard to believe that it had only taken him a few minutes to secure a lawyer for a divorce case no lawyer in the entire legal circle dared to touch.
“Did you tell him everything? Does he know it’s Fremont?” Eileen asked.
Welburn handed her a glass of water. “I gave him the basics. You’ll go over the details in person. Don’t worry. Whatever you need, he’ll make it happen. He’s on his way from Palsbury now. He’ll arrive this afternoon.”
So it was a lawyer from Palsbury. It made sense to Eileen. No matter how far Fremont’s influence reached, it didn’t yet extend to Palsbury.
Only then did she relax and take a sip of water. “By the way, who’s this lawyer?”
“Mr. Townsend.”
Townsend?
Eileen didn’t know much about Palsbury, but her instincts told her the lawyer probably wouldn’t be bad.
Under such circumstances, she would be grateful to anyone who was
Portesalveness
willing to take on this divorce.
Eileen asked, “What time is his flight? I’ll go pick him up.”
“Around 5 p.m.”
“Perfect. I’ll arrange dinner and brief Mr. Townsend on my situation.”
Welburn fiddled with his obsidian bracelet. “Okay.”
Eileen booked a private kitchen restaurant that required membership. Thinking about the frustratingly low balance on her card, she knew she couldn’t afford any wine there. She decided to bring some from home. “I’ve texted you the address. See you tonight. I’m heading home first.”
Welburn stood up. “I’ll drive you.”
“No need, I-”
He stared at her with quiet dominance, giving her no room to refuse. “You need to rest your hand.”
Realizing that he might have sounded bossy, he softened a bit. “Besides, I have nothing else to do.”
He picked up his coat and slipped it on. Seeing that, Eileen didn’t push back further.
She was already tired of saying thank you to Welburn.
Since meeting him again, she’d been constantly troubling him.
Welburn adjusted the driver’s seat. His tall, long–limbed frame required pushing it back a bit.
He gripped the steering wheel with one hand, calm and composed.
There was no sign of the boyish air he had when she first met him four years ago
“Right, I remember you’re quite a bit older than me, right?”
“Mm,” he grunted, his emotion unreadable.
Back then, Welburn had just turned twenty, showing up on set in the dead of winter in a long black coat.
His aura sat somewhere between boyhood and manhood. His character in the drama mirrored him perfectly.
Quiet, aloof, and poker–faced.
He just stood there, and everything else seemed out of place.
Whenever their roles required physical contact, his face remained stony, but a blush would bloom behind his ears.
It was the perfect contrast of icy demeanor and hidden shyness. He won countless fans because of it.
Eileen knew that wasn’t acting. Even though his expressions were well controlled, at his core, he was very shy.
He was clean and pure, like snow from the sky or frost on a branch.
Now, he exuded grace and composure. No longer a hint of the nervous, youthful boy remained.
Watching the scenery flash past the car window, Eileen sighed, “Time really flies.”
It felt like they’d just finished filming “Me and My Stepfather“. yet four years had already passed.
While she was lost in thought, the car pulled up outside her residence.
Eileen asked reflexively, “How do you know where I live?”
Welburn unbuckled his seatbelt. “Cedrick told me.”
Eileen didn’t question it further and got out of the car. He stood there, glancing toward the courtyard behind her.
The place was filled with all kinds of roses.
The house was just over 3 million dollars, not nearly as grand as his villa, but it was visibly cozy and full of life.
In the courtyard stood a large cherry blossom tree. Beneath it was a handcrafted wooden swing with a soft blanket.
It wasn’t hard to imagine a young woman lying barefoot on it during a sunny spring day, lazy like a cat.
When the wind blew, the petals would fall gently from the tree. What a beautiful scene.
Eileen saw him staring at the swing in a daze.
She broke the silence, “Thank you for the ride. Would you like to come in for a glass of water?”
Eileen didn’t actually want Welburn inside right now. Even though she was getting a divorce, it wasn’t official yet.
Lately, Fremont had been acting unpredictably, and things were tense between them.
If he saw Welburn here, there was no telling what he might do
Welburn saw the conflict in her eyes, so he refused, “Not a good time ”
Chapter 21 Possessiveness
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Eileen blinked, grateful for his understanding. Just as she was about to speak, he added casually, “Next time. Once you’re divorced, I’ll be happy to come in for a cup of tea.”
