Ryan hurried over to Richard and Vanessa.
That night, he looked remarkably charismatic, carrying himself with a quiet confidence that made him seem far more rugged and attractive than he ever had in his everyday work clothes.
The salon staff had been right.
Ryan no longer looked like a servant. He looked more like the head of a powerful crime family. His chiseled features and piercing gaze only made him appear even more commanding than Richard.
"Ryan? Why does he look so... different?" Vanessa murmured in surprise.
She had never paid much attention to her servant's face before, but tonight, for some reason, she couldn't stop looking at him.
Still, she refused to let herself think too much of it.
To her, Ryan was still just a country boy who worked as her servant. In her eyes, Richard remained the most handsome man in the world.
Richard noticed Ryan approaching.
Once Ryan reached them, Richard motioned for both of them to follow him inside the hotel.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Johnson, Mrs. Johnson. I didn't realize you'd already arrived," Ryan said, lowering his head respectfully.
"It's fine. We just got here ourselves. Come on, let's go inside. I'll check us in."
Richard slipped an arm around his wife's waist as they walked into the hotel.
Ryan nodded and followed a few steps behind.
As they walked, Vanessa instinctively glanced over her shoulder at Ryan.
Ryan smiled politely and gave her a small nod.
The moment their eyes met, Vanessa quickly turned away and faced forward again.
'Why did I even look back? I'm such an idiot,' she scolded herself.
She was wearing a black A-line evening gown with a thigh-high slit that accentuated her slim, hourglass figure. Her long hair had been swept into an elegant updo, exposing her graceful neck and adding to her sophisticated beauty.
Ryan couldn't help noticing how stunning his employer looked.
As a normal man, and a widower at that, he had to swallow hard at the sight of Vanessa's elegance and beauty.
'How could Mr. Johnson hand a woman this beautiful over to a poor servant like me?' Ryan thought. 'I feel sorry for her. Her husband should be cherishing her, yet he's paying another man to give her a child.
'I can't turn him down, though. My children need this money more than anything. Forgive me, kids. I'm doing this for your sake. It's the easiest job I've ever been offered. All I have to do is help bring another child into the world. But that child will never get to stay with me.'
When they reached the reception desk, Richard checked in under his own name.
He had reserved a luxurious VVIP suite for his wife and Ryan.
After completing the registration, Richard led the two of them upstairs.
Suite 201, the hotel's premier accommodation, had been prepared for the arrangement they had agreed upon.
Richard swiped the key card across the electronic lock.
The door clicked open, and he ushered his wife and Ryan inside.
Ryan froze for a moment as he took in the lavish suite.
The spacious room was filled with luxurious furnishings and every imaginable amenity. He had never seen a hotel room so extravagant.
At Vanessa's request, Richard had wanted to make sure she was as comfortable as possible.
It was as if jealousy no longer existed in Richard's world.
Instead of feeling possessive, he had gone out of his way to provide a luxurious setting for his wife and his servant to do the very thing that should have belonged only to a husband and wife.
"Wow, sir... this room is enormous. It's bigger than my entire house back home," Ryan said, his eyes wide. It was his first time stepping into a luxury hotel suite.
Richard chuckled.
"Then make sure you get the job done. Once this is over, you'll be able to build a house even bigger than this room. Your kids will be thrilled to have a father who made something of himself."
As he spoke, Richard glanced at his watch.
He was also scheduled to meet a client downstairs for dinner that evening.
Vanessa still clung to her husband's arm, unwilling to let him leave.
The thought of being alone in a room with another man made her deeply uneasy.
The truth was, she was terrified.
"All right, I have to go now. My client is already waiting downstairs. I'll only be gone for a little while, sweetheart. Once Mr. Cullen and I finish dinner, we'll head home. By then... you and Ryan should be finished too."
"But, Richard... I'm scared," Vanessa admitted, her voice trembling.
"Don't be. Just pretend you're making love to me. Picture my face the whole time. If it helps, turn off the lights, okay?" Richard said, trying to reassure her.
Meanwhile, Ryan was still marveling at the luxurious suite.
Having grown up in a small rural town, he had never seen anything so elegant in his life.
At last, after reassuring his wife as best he could, Richard walked out of the room.
He left Vanessa alone with Ryan.
"See you later!" Richard called with a grin. "Remember what I said. Picture my face... and turn off the lights."
Those were his final words before the door closed behind him.
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