Chapter 40
Talia lowered her head, bit her lip, and stole a glance at his face.
She thought, “Did I really keep him and share the same bed all night?
“But why is this man in my ward?
“Could it be…”
Talia looked up and asked tentatively, “Are you 258?”
Kayson arched his brows, settled in the chair, crossed his legs, and fixed his smiling, deep eyes on her.
“Yeah, it’s me.”
His voice was clear yet cold, with a characteristic hoarseness.
“Ms. Taylor, you aren’t thinking of using the fact that you saved my life as compensation for what you did to me last night, are you?”
Meeting his eyes, Talia felt a bit dazed.
Ten years ago, when she rescued him, he was lying behind a haystack, covered in mud, with a fierce wound on his chest.
She never expected that ten years later, he would turn out so… handsome.
Talia had always thought Kendrick was the most handsome
do e o
O III
Chapter 40
man in Maplehelm. But even with a bias towards Kendrick, she had to admit he paled in comparison to the man before
her.
This man was refined and handsome, tall, and exuded a calming air that made people feel at ease.
Talia’s fingertips quivered and she murmured softly, “Nothing improper happened between us, right?”
Kayson looked at her with a smile playing on his lips. “What do you think?”
Talia nervously crumpled the quilt in her grasp. She was conflicted, wondering if she’d done something more scandalous than just unbuttoning his shirt.
An intangible pressure loomed over her, and Talia felt that it would be inappropriate for her not to state her stance…
“I’ll buy you a new shirt as compensation. Is that okay?”
Kayson’s smile widened. “Just compensation for my shirt?”
Talia pursed her lower lip.
She thought to herself, “Well, it seems that’s not sufficient…
“He looks like he’s either wealthy or of high status, and surely a shirt means nothing to him.”
For a moment, Talia couldn’t think of what else she could offer him. She had just left the Taylor family and had nothing valuable at all.
After a couple of seconds of silence, Talia said gently, “If you have any requests, feel free to tell me. If it’s within my
nA
ě
TIL
Chapter 4
capabilities, I will definitely…”
“Get married.”
Suddenly, Kayson interrupted her. Talia froze, taken aback. “You! What did you just say?”
Kayson leaned back in the chair, his eyes fixed on Talia’s red lips.
Her lips were small, rosy, and full of charm.
Kayson’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly for an instant.
“I said, you could consider getting married to me.”
Kayson’s tone was casual as if he were chatting about what to have for dinner later.
But Talia’s heart was in turmoil, like a storm–swept sea.
She was dumbfounded and said, “We’ve only met once, and I don’t even know your name!”
Kayson pressed his fingers to his forehead and rubbed his brows, looking helpless. “Ms. Taylor, you may not know this, but I’m a traditional man. For 29 years, I’ve kept my virginity.
“But you slept with me last night. How am I supposed to explain this to my future wife?”
Kayson paused briefly, then leaned in. He lifted his eyelids and the corners of his lips quirked slightly. “Furthermore… this isn’t our first meeting. We’ve known each other for a decade. You saved my life. It makes sense for us to marry.”
Talia was left speechless.
Chapter 40
Was Kayson suggesting that she couldn’t just walk away without getting married to him?
“You may not know, but I have a fiance.”
Talia pursed her lips. Then, as if recalling something, she
lowered her eyes, and a hint of loneliness crept into her gaze.
“But…”
