My CEO Husband Says I'm Irreplaceable

Chapter 35: Chapter 35: Miss Grayson, You Sure Know How to Play

Vesper Grayson pressed the answer button.

"Hello?"

There was no response from the other end, just the faintest sound of breathing, barely there.

Her voice deepened. "If you don’t say something, I’m hanging up."

"Vesper, it’s me."

The moment she heard his voice, she hung up and immediately added the number to her blocklist.

Shiloh Sloan looked at her, confused. "Who was that?"

"Luke Lockwood."

"He still hasn’t given up on you?"

"Before I left Ashmore, I sold half of my shares in Zephyr to his sworn enemy." Vesper’s tone was flat, as if she were discussing something that had nothing to do with her.

"Nice one!" Shiloh praised her sincerely, but couldn’t help but worry. "Won’t he be furious? He’s going to come after you, isn’t he?"

"What right does he have to settle scores with me?" Vesper sneered. "Would he have achieved what he has today without me?"

On his own, Luke Lockwood might have done well for himself, but he never could have founded Zephyr from scratch and established a foothold in the business world.

Shiloh hesitated for a moment. "So... do you still have feelings for him?"

"I let go of that a long time ago."

The moment she left Ashmore, that Chapter of her life was completely closed.

She would never allow herself to be trapped in a toxic relationship, emotionally draining herself over and over.

...

After her shower, Vesper Grayson lay on the soft, large bed.

The blurry photo of the man’s profile from earlier today inexplicably surfaced in her mind. By the time she realized what she was doing, she had already sent Jared Hawthorne a message:

[President Hawthorne, what city are you in for your business trip?]

She was just about to unsend it when her phone rang.

"Miss Grayson, I’ve been gone for less than a day. Do you miss me this much already?"

His deep, magnetic voice, tinged with a hint of flirtation, came through the receiver. The background had been noisy, but it fell silent with the soft click of a closing door.

Vesper cleared her throat. "Don’t flatter yourself, President Hawthorne. I was just asking."

"Seabrook." Jared Hawthorne paused, a smile in his voice. "Are you coming to find me?"

’He’s in Seabrook, too... Could it be too much of a coincidence?’

Vesper probed, "President Hawthorne, are you in Seabrook for the investment conference?"

"What is it you really want to know?" Jared’s tone was teasing. "You’re not even married to me yet, and you’re already checking up on me?"

"Who wants to marry you!" Vesper’s cheeks flushed, and she said hastily, "Fine, don’t tell me."

After a moment of silence, the man’s deep voice spoke again.

"I’m here to handle some business for the branch office."

’Looks like I was really overthinking things.’

"When are you planning to come back?"

"The day after tomorrow." He paused, his tone laced with casual flirtation. "But if Miss Grayson really misses me, I could be back tomorrow."

Vesper bit her lip softly.

"What’s the code to your villa? I’ll be waiting for you there the night after next."

"So forward, Miss Grayson? It seems you really do miss me."

Even over the phone, she could hear the unconcealed delight in his voice.

Vesper’s cheeks instantly flushed crimson. She was both embarrassed and annoyed. "Are you going to tell me or not?"

"040418."

Her heart skipped a beat.

’Isn’t... Isn’t that my birthday?’

She forced herself to sound calm. "President Hawthorne, do these numbers have any special meaning?"

"Just picked them randomly. Is there a problem?"

"No... Well, I won’t disturb your rest, President Hawthorne. Bye."

Listening to the dial tone after she hung up, a slow smile spread across Jared Hawthorne’s thin lips.

Noah Nash walked out of the private room and saw him staring at his phone like some lovesick teenager.

He raised an eyebrow, his tone teasing. "Who was on the phone? Making a titan of The Exchange this happy?"

Jared Hawthorne’s smile vanished, and his usual aloof, cool demeanor returned.

"Instead of wasting your time on this, you should be thinking about how to persuade the Lloyd Group to sell you that mine at a low price."

Speaking of business, Noah Nash leaned in and lowered his voice. "Give me the inside scoop. How did you know the Lloyd Group’s mine was worth developing?"

A few days ago, Jared Hawthorne had suddenly said he was going to help him make some money and dragged him on a flight to Seabrook.

Jared was nonchalant. "That’s a trade secret."

"Why so mysterious?" Noah offered him a cigarette. "When you get back from this trip, Grandfather Hawthorne has arranged for you to meet Vesper Grayson. Won’t your cover be blown then?"

"What’s the rush?" A flicker of amusement appeared in Jared’s eyes. "I haven’t had my fun yet."

Thinking about what the woman had said on the phone, he was already growing impatient.

He wondered what kind of surprise she had in store for him!

...

「Seaside Villa.」

Night fell, and all was silent.

Vesper Grayson, dressed in a black silk and lace nightgown, sat quietly on the edge of the large bed in the bedroom.

Her gaze was fixed on the short line of text on her phone.

[Arriving in five minutes.]

She didn’t know how much time had passed before she finally heard the soft sound of an engine dying downstairs.

Vesper’s heart jolted. Her pulse pounded like a drum, startlingly clear in the dead of night.

Her slender, pale fingers curled slightly. She rose and walked softly toward the door.

Jared Hawthorne stepped into the foyer. His gaze swept the area, but he didn’t catch sight of the familiar figure.

He had just raised his hand to turn on the light when a soft female voice suddenly spoke from the darkness.

"Don’t turn on the lights."

His fingers froze. He slowly lowered his hand, his eyes following the sound.

A slender figure emerged from the turn of the staircase, descending slowly, step by step, toward him.

As she drew closer, the foyer’s emergency light cast a faint halo around her.

The light was dim, but it was enough to see her clearly.

The black silk made her skin look as white as jade. The hem of the nightgown barely covered her thighs, and her black hair cascaded over her shoulders like a waterfall. Her almond-shaped eyes shone like starlight.

The stark contrast of black and white was utterly captivating.

Jared Hawthorne’s eyes darkened, and his Adam’s apple bobbed almost imperceptibly.

He strode forward, reached out with a long arm, and pulled her firmly into his embrace. Leaning in close to her ear, he chuckled softly.

"Miss Grayson, you really know how to play."

His voice was husky, burning with desire.

Vesper shivered at the heat of his breath, but she boldly raised her hands and wrapped them around his neck.

"Do you like it, President Hawthorne?"

Her breath was fragrant as she spoke each word, bewitching him.

She was the very image of a soul-stealing, thousand-year-old fox spirit.

Jared Hawthorne didn’t answer.

Some desires don’t need words. Actions are clear enough.

His palm cupped the small of her back. The pressure wasn’t hard, but it held a possessiveness that allowed no escape.

His warm breath fanned across her neck, carrying a faint, clean scent that mingled with the encroaching night.

Vesper was held so tightly her back was pressed against the cool wall, leaving her with no way to retreat.

Her starlit, almond-shaped eyes lifted slightly and met his bottomless gaze, her heartbeat a complete mess.

Jared lowered his head, his dark gaze locking onto hers, his voice impossibly husky.

"I like it."

"I like it so much... I want to hide you away."

The moment the words left his lips, he leaned down and kissed her.

It wasn’t a light, fleeting peck, but a searing, urgent kiss, filled with long-suppressed heat as his lips ground against hers.

Vesper’s body went limp. Her fingertips unconsciously clenched the fabric of his shirt as he stole her breath away.

The only sounds were their racing heartbeats and the faint murmur of the waves outside the window.

That night, she let herself go completely. They were tangled in a passionate embrace until the early hours of the morning before finally falling into a deep sleep.

The sky was just beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn.

Vesper Grayson slowly opened her eyes and watched the handsome face of the man sleeping beside her for a moment.

Then, she dressed and left without a sound.

Sitting in her car, she sent a message to Jared Hawthorne.

[President Hawthorne, the favor I owed you has been repaid. From now on, there’s no need for us to contact each other again.]

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