It dawned on her that she wasn’t prepared to reveal the truth to him yet.

Attempting to mask her turmoil, she smiled weakly.

“What could I possibly hide from you? The doctor mentioned I’m quite weak and need a lot of rest. That means, for some time, we can’t engage in… sex. At least…”

She hesitated, meeting Ryan’s eyes with a flicker of guilt.

“At least for three months.”

Ryan’s face remained impassive, his stare penetrating as he sought the truth in her eyes. He was convinced she was withholding more.

Before he could interrogate her further, a knock on the window interrupted them.

He turned and slightly opened the window.

“What is it?” His tone was clipped.

Through the window, the driver’s apologetic voice emerged.

“Mr. Haynes, the traffic police have arrived. We can’t remain parked here. We need to move immediately.”

Jenessa’s hands clenched her dress, her cheeks flushed with mortification. This chapter is updated first at novelceo dot com.

Ryan, consumed by his unresolved feelings, recognized that the circumstances didn’t permit him to delve deeper into the matter. His frustration was evident in his hardened expression.

“Let’s go back,” he commanded tersely.

Relieved, the driver swiftly steered the car toward Ryan’s villa.

Jenessa retreated into a corner, her complexion slowly returning to normal. She stole a glance at Ryan, catching his dark, brooding look, which prompted her to quickly look away and maintain her silence.

The remainder of the drive passed in silence.

Upon their arrival home, Jenessa, who had been on edge throughout the journey, relaxed and quickly reached for the car door. Ryan, noting her eagerness, felt a wave of irritation. Was she that anxious to get away from him?

Unable to restrain his emotions, he snapped, “Stop right there.”

Simultaneously, he grasped Jenessa’s wrist, pulling her back and leaning in close. Jenessa was startled, pressing her hands against Ryan’s chest in a panic. Was he planning to continue what they hadn’t finished earlier? Enjoying the story? Read on at novelceo . com.

Her face turned red as she stammered, “I-I can’t. Didn’t I tell you? The doctor said…”

Before she could finish, Ryan’s hand was already at her waist, gently pulling up the zipper on the side of her dress.

Jenessa froze, her eyes wide as she stared at Ryan in stunned silence.

Noticing her dazed expression, Ryan smiled, his voice filled with unintended fondness.

“Are you an idiot? You forgot to zip up. Were you planning to go out like that?”

Jenessa’s face flushed deeper with embarrassment as she lowered her head and mumbled, “I forgot…”

Ryan chuckled and playfully tapped her forehead with his knuckle. The gesture made Jenessa’s heart skip a beat. She gazed up at him, momentarily lost in his eyes.

At that moment, Maisie’s puzzled voice floated in from outside.

“Ryan, are you inside the car? Why haven’t you gotten out of it?”

From the moment Ryan instructed the chauffeur to take Maisie back, her thoughts were consumed with worry about him being alone with Jenessa at the party. She was sure Jenessa would seize any opportunity to entangle Ryan in her web.