Chapter 48 – Someone at the Door

Mannie’s POV

Closing the door behind me, I immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Just thinking about how everything could have progressed, I immediately shivered.

I wasn’t sure if the shivering was due to the AC or the fact that I dreaded the thought of that happening.

The faint mint scent that filled the air rushed toward my nostrils the moment I inhaled. It just reminded me of him.

“That bastard,” I cursed under my breath as my feet padded toward the clothes arranged neatly on the other side of the bed.

I took each cloth apart carefully, my hands tracing the smooth material.

Just the touch of it already showed how expensive the apparels were.

“Tsk… should I call this freeloading?” I mused inwardly, biting the inside of my cheek.

There was a cream that came along with the clothes, and I rubbed it in the correct order, one after another.

Before applying it, I read through the literature. All of them had the same bold sentence:

Safe to use for pregnant women.

My eyebrows raised, and my thoughts drifted.

What would happen if I introduced the kids to Dominic?

I immediately shook the thought away. I scolded myself inwardly for even having such thoughts in the first place.

Just look at his mother. She didn’t even welcome me. How could she welcome the children?

I folded my worn clothes and placed them carefully into the fancy bag the cloth I was currently wearing had come with.

A sigh escaped my lips as I finally had the time to observe the room in detail.

My gaze moved from the walk-in wardrobe just beside the toilet, then down to the faint wet footprints I had left on the floor earlier when I had rushed out.

I looked around for anything I could use to clean them but found nothing.

Before I could think further, the footprints had already dried up under the steady hum of the AC.

After looking around and seeing everything available for me to see, I walked toward the door.

I contemplated going outside, but the thought of meeting Dominic’s mother—whether coincidentally or purposefully—didn’t sit well with me.

She gave me that aura of, “I don’t like you and you are not suitable for my son.”

My eyelids lowered and my eyelashes trembled faintly.

“In this life, I can only work harder to give the kids a better life, so that they too won’t be looked down upon when they are getting married,” I told myself softly and immediately dropped my raised hand that attempted to open the door.

I walked back to the bed and sat down. I brought out my phone and focused on working on the minor gigs I had taken.

The room was quiet except for the faint hum of the AC and the tapping of my fingers on the phone screen.

While I was focused on my work, the door to the bathroom swung open.

Dominic stepped out of the bathroom.

The mist from the shower followed behind him, clinging to his skin like a shadow.

My breath hitched. How hot was the water he used?

The question popped into my mind as I stared at him, the mist parting slowly to give way to him, making him appear almost unreal.

Dominic stepped out with a towel wrapped around his waist, his sculpted chest and broad shoulders coming into view.

Droplets of water slid down his muscles, glistening under the dim lights of the room.

He rubbed a towel against his damp hair, only throwing me a faint glance before walking into the walk-in wardrobe.

I tried to glue my eyes back on my phone, but my heart betrayed me. The sound of his footsteps, the weight of his presence—it was enough to unsettle me.

His scent alerted me of his return before his figure did.

It didn’t take long before he stepped out of the wardrobe again, now wearing a simple black nightwear that clung to his figure in a way that made me swallow hard.

“Aren’t you planning to sleep, or are you waiting for me?” he said, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

I raised my head to stare at him, and my gaze was immediately captured by his deep eyes—eyes that had turned darker, like a deep, bottomless whirlpool.

My throat felt dry. I forced a snort and quickly looked away without responding.

Dominic’s smirk deepened, but he didn’t say anything more. He simply walked toward the door as though planning to let me sleep alone.

I secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He is keeping his promise this time around.

My tensed body relaxed.

I didn’t even know when I became so tense—maybe it was the moment he stepped out of the bathroom.

I waited for him to open the door and leave, but then I noticed him pause.

He stared at the door for a long moment, as if debating with himself.

The pause made me anxious.

Then, instead of leaving, he turned and walked back toward me.

My once-relaxed body immediately grew tense again.

I subconsciously sat upright, my hands sliding across my phone, trying to look distracted.

Dominic lowered himself to my level, his shadow falling across my face. He leaned close, so close that I could feel the warmth of his breath against my ear.

“Cooperate,” he whispered. “She’s at the door.”

I didn’t need him to tell me who “she” was.

It could only be his mother.

My lips parted slightly. “So what do you want to do?” I whispered back, my voice dropping lower on instinct.

He didn’t reply with words. Instead, he showed me.

Dominic’s husky bass voice dipped lower, teasing, “The one we did in the bathroom not enough for you?”

My eyes widened at his shameless words. My face burned hot.

“You could have been gentler,” I scolded coyly, rolling my eyes at him even though my chest hammered with nerves.

He leaned even closer, his lips nearly brushing my ear. “How about we go for another round? I’ll be gentler this time.”

I turned my face to the side with a humph, pushing him lightly. “Who needs you to be gentler? Just go and sleep. We still have work tomorrow.”

“Just one round,” he murmured, his smirk lingering as he encroached deeper into my space.

I swallowed hard. My throat bobbed as my restless hands fumbled against my lap.

His presence was overwhelming. My heart pounded faster, my palms clammy with heat.

I lifted my hand quickly, blurting, “Let’s not continue… remember the baby.”

The moment the words left my lips, I sighed inwardly with relief. I finally found a way to steady myself.

Dominic chuckled softly. I didn’t know if he was laughing at the act we were putting on for his mother—or at me.

But then, his arms moved.

His hands suddenly circled my waist, pulling me closer.

Like a startled rabbit, I jumped back, hitting the headboard with a sharp thud.

“Ah!” I winced softly, my eyes shutting for a second.

But before the pain could register, his other hand cupped the back of my head, cushioning the impact.

His palm was warm, steady, protective.

Our position, however, was no longer appropriate. His body loomed too close, my knees brushing his, the heat of his chest hovering near mine.

Just when I was about to push him away—

The door to the room swung open.