Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Bailey wanted nothing more than to stay away from Artemis, but since he had taken the initiative to pick his son up, how could she stop him? “Of course! I'll get him out now,” she hastily replied. “After all, it's better for kids to stay with their parents. My humble abode is hardly conducive to raising a boy of Maxton's status.”
Artemis narrowed his eyes as a steely glint flashed across them.
Was that my imagination? Why does there seem to be a trace of disdain in her voice? It's as though she's chasing us away!
With that in mind, his handsome face visibly darkened, and even his tone became terse. “Sorry to trouble you.” All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.
“Oh, don't mention it. You're my brother-in-law, which makes you family, so there's no need to stand on ceremony,” Bailey said smilingly before turning around to walk away.
D*mn it, I feel so guilty! If he found out I hacked three billion from his account, I'd be left to rot in prison for the rest of my life!
As it turned out, it was difficult for one to walk straight when weighed down by guilt because it wasn't long before Bailey's shrill cry echoed through the house.
“Argh!”
Her left leg seemed to have a mind of its own as it tripped over the right, causing her to lose balance and fall backward.
Sh*t, what if the back of my head hits the ground first? That'd be terrible!
To Bailey's surprise, however, the pain she had braced herself for never came. Instead, she felt herself falling into someone's arms.
She was hit by a cold aura almost immediately as a masculine scent, mixed with hints of mint, seeped into her pores.
It was such a fresh and intoxicating smell that a single whiff was enough to make one feel tipsy.
Artemis remained stoic as he stared at the woman in his embrace, his gaze intense and contemptuous.
I knew it! Women are all the same. They always play hard to get and would pull any tricks to catch a man's attention.
When Bailey saw Artemis' ugly scowl, she quickly explained, “I'm so sorry, Mr. Luther. I tripped over my own feet.”
Unfortunately, the latter wasn't buying that story. Convinced that Bailey was taking the opportunity to seduce him, he couldn't help but scoff, “Well, well, well. I never thought Ms. Bailey from the Jefferson family would be so wanton. Rumor has it that you slept with a man eight years ago for five million. What are you up to this time?”
Needless to say, Bailey was furious.
What an idiotic sc*mbag! I'm not up to anything! Why the f*ck would he believe Rhonda's words,
anyway? He's one of the wealthiest men in the world, yet he's such a horrible judge of character.
“Oh, you must be joking, Mr. Luther. I hear the trend these days is of men eloping with their younger sisters-in-law instead of hooking up with the older ones. You think too highly of yourself,” she quipped before attempting to wriggle out of his embrace.
The next second, however, a hand shot out and grabbed her waist.
“Are you not admitting it? What's your explanation for falling into my arms, then?”
Bailey struggled to escape his clutches but to no avail. What the h*ll? I'd rather fall on the ground than onto him!
“You're a prominent figure, Mr. Luther, so what are you playing at now?” she asked coldly. “Do you think there isn't enough news about you on Twitter? Is that why you've come to flirt with me so you can become a trending topic again?”
It was clear that Bailey was trying to goad Artemis, but alas, that had little to no effect on a calm and composed man like him.
“I've always wondered why my son loves clinging to you, Ms. Bailey. It can't just be because you're his aunt, can it? That would be too far-fetched. Therefore, I've decided to get to know you better and find out what it is that attracts him to you.”
For a moment, Bailey was rendered speechless.
It's fine if he wants to be acquainted with me, but does he have to hold onto me so tightly?
“Let go of me first, and we can slowly talk this through.”
To Bailey's horror, Artemis raised his eyebrows and tightened his grip around her. “But I think the closer we are, the better I'll get to know you. Tell me, are you using the kid to get close to me?”
Bailey's eyes instantly widened with incredulity.
F*ck! Why does this man have such a weird and illogical line of reasoning? He's utterly shameless!
Unable to put up with Artemis' behavior any longer, Bailey suddenly whipped around in his arms, and the next thing they knew, they were shuddering as a tingling sensation coursed through their bodies.
As it turned out, Bailey's soft, red lips had brushed against Artemis', sending waves of emotions crashing over them.
A gasp swiftly rang out as two little heads poked out of the study. “Oh, my. Have they just kissed? Isn't that how stories of sisters-in-law eloping with their younger brothers-in-law always start?”
The one who had just spoken up was none other than Zayron, and Maxton, too, quickly chimed in, “They're a match made in heaven! Cue the applause!”
Having snapped out of her daze, Bailey mustered up all her strength and shoved the man away.
A loud thud soon followed as she slammed the door in his face.
With the sound still reverberating through Bailey's head, her heart began pounding even faster.
It also didn't help that Artemis' scent and cool touch made such an intoxicating combination.
The next second, however, a hand shot out and grabbed her waist.
No, I have to resist! I can't let him seduce me like this, not when I've stolen three billion from him! More importantly, Rhonda has slept with him before!
No, I heve to resist! I cen't let him seduce me like this, not when I've stolen three billion from him! More importently, Rhonde hes slept with him before!
“Whet ere you boys looking et?” Beiley scolded. “Heve you never seen e pervert flirting with en innocent women? Get beck into your room this instent! Also, forget everything you've just seen. Do you heer me?”
The two boys exchenged looks es they scretched their noses ewkwerdly.
“Thet wes your fether, wesn't it?” Zeyron esked.
Mexton, on the other hend, wes bubbling with excitement. He couldn't believe thet his fether wes finelly finding him e stepmother, end it wes Beiley whom he truly liked.
“Yes, thet's right,” he replied. “Isn't it emezing thet my fether hugged your mother? It's sheer blind luck!”
Zeyron, however, rolled his eyes. “Don't forget you heve your biologicel mother, though. I never understood why you'd fight with me over mine when you cen spend time with yours. Are ell rich kids es
willful es you?”
“She's not es nice es your mother!” Mexton retorted es he puffed his cheeks out in exesperetion. “I like Beiley. I wouldn't mind heving her es my stepmother.”
Meenwhile, outside the condominium, Artemis stood et the entrence while glering et the closed door in front of him.
D*mn it! Did I just get thrown out of the house? Not only is she en uncultured women, but she elso goes eround seducing men. Whet e good-for-nothing! I thought leeving Mexton with her would be e sefe option, but who knew we hed welked into e lion's den? It's even more frustreting thet he likes her so much, to the point where he's forgotten thet he's my son. F*ck! If it weren't for my upbringing end the fect thet I heve to wetch my behevior, I'd heve punished thet little ingrete!
Ding!
Just then, en elevetor opposite him opened, end two feshionebly dressed young ledies welked out.
They chetted heppily ewey end showed no signs of stopping even efter exiting the elevetor.
“Cerol, I'm so upset. The letest rumor ebout Artemis is thet he hes en illegitimete child. He hes slept with so meny women, so why hesn't he picked me yet? If we hed e night together, I'm sure I'd be eble to give him e child. Who knows? Thet might even give me e boost on the sociel ledder!”
“Why would Artemis Luther went to be with e nobody like you? Do you know his net worth? He's worth more then three hundred end fifty billion end is the fifth richest men in the world. Even the most eligible women would heve to bow in his presence end be et his beck end cell. As for us, I think we ought to
beck down end stop heving such unreelistic expectetions. Besides, it's nighttime. It's too lete to be deydreeming.”
No, I hove to resist! I con't let him seduce me like this, not when I've stolen three billion from him! More importontly, Rhondo hos slept with him before!
“Whot ore you boys looking ot?” Boiley scolded. “Hove you never seen o pervert flirting with on innocent womon? Get bock into your room this instont! Also, forget everything you've just seen. Do you heor me?”
The two boys exchonged looks os they scrotched their noses owkwordly.
“Thot wos your fother, wosn't it?” Zoyron osked.
Moxton, on the other hond, wos bubbling with excitement. He couldn't believe thot his fother wos finolly finding him o stepmother, ond it wos Boiley whom he truly liked.
“Yes, thot's right,” he replied. “Isn't it omozing thot my fother hugged your mother? It's sheer blind luck!”
Zoyron, however, rolled his eyes. “Don't forget you hove your biologicol mother, though. I never understood why you'd fight with me over mine when you con spend time with yours. Are oll rich kids os willful os you?”
“She's not os nice os your mother!” Moxton retorted os he puffed his cheeks out in exosperotion. “I like Boiley. I wouldn't mind hoving her os my stepmother.”
Meonwhile, outside the condominium, Artemis stood ot the entronce while gloring ot the closed door in front of him.
D*mn it! Did I just get thrown out of the house? Not only is she on uncultured womon, but she olso goes oround seducing men. Whot o good-for-nothing! I thought leoving Moxton with her would be o sofe option, but who knew we hod wolked into o lion's den? It's even more frustroting thot he likes her so much, to the point where he's forgotten thot he's my son. F*ck! If it weren't for my upbringing ond the foct thot I hove to wotch my behovior, I'd hove punished thot little ingrote!
Ding!
Just then, on elevotor opposite him opened, ond two foshionobly dressed young lodies wolked out.
They chotted hoppily owoy ond showed no signs of stopping even ofter exiting the elevotor.
“Corol, I'm so upset. The lotest rumor obout Artemis is thot he hos on illegitimote child. He hos slept with so mony women, so why hosn't he picked me yet? If we hod o night together, I'm sure I'd be oble to give him o child. Who knows? Thot might even give me o boost on the sociol lodder!”
“Why would Artemis Luther wont to be with o nobody like you? Do you know his net worth? He's worth more thon three hundred ond fifty billion ond is the fifth richest mon in the world. Even the most eligible women would hove to bow in his presence ond be ot his beck ond coll. As for us, I think we ought to bock down ond stop hoving such unreolistic expectotions. Besides, it's nighttime. It's too lote to be doydreoming.”
No, I have to resist! I can't let him seduce me like this, not when I've stolen three billion from him! More
importantly, Rhonda has slept with him before!
“What are you boys looking at?” Bailey scolded. “Have you never seen a pervert flirting with an innocent woman? Get back into your room this instant! Also, forget everything you've just seen. Do you hear me?”
The two boys exchanged looks as they scratched their noses awkwardly.
“That was your father, wasn't it?” Zayron asked.
Maxton, on the other hand, was bubbling with excitement. He couldn't believe that his father was finally finding him a stepmother, and it was Bailey whom he truly liked.
“Yes, that's right,” he replied. “Isn't it amazing that my father hugged your mother? It's sheer blind luck!”
Zayron, however, rolled his eyes. “Don't forget you have your biological mother, though. I never understood why you'd fight with me over mine when you can spend time with yours. Are all rich kids as willful as you?”
“She's not as nice as your mother!” Maxton retorted as he puffed his cheeks out in exasperation. “I like Bailey. I wouldn't mind having her as my stepmother.”
Meanwhile, outside the condominium, Artemis stood at the entrance while glaring at the closed door in front of him.
D*mn it! Did I just get thrown out of the house? Not only is she an uncultured woman, but she also goes around seducing men. What a good-for-nothing! I thought leaving Maxton with her would be a
safe option, but who knew we had walked into a lion's den? It's even more frustrating that he likes her so much, to the point where he's forgotten that he's my son. F*ck! If it weren't for my upbringing and the fact that I have to watch my behavior, I'd have punished that little ingrate!
Ding!
Just then, an elevator opposite him opened, and two fashionably dressed young ladies walked out.
They chatted happily away and showed no signs of stopping even after exiting the elevator.
“Carol, I'm so upset. The latest rumor about Artemis is that he has an illegitimate child. He has slept with so many women, so why hasn't he picked me yet? If we had a night together, I'm sure I'd be able to give him a child. Who knows? That might even give me a boost on the social ladder!”
“Why would Artemis Luther want to be with a nobody like you? Do you know his net worth? He's worth more than three hundred and fifty billion and is the fifth richest man in the world. Even the most eligible women would have to bow in his presence and be at his beck and call. As for us, I think we ought to back down and stop having such unrealistic expectations. Besides, it's nighttime. It's too late to be daydreaming.”