CHAPTER 735
Charles turned off his phone and did not reply to the message.
After quickly finishing a cigarette, he ignited the engine and stepped on the pedal, speeding through the moonlit night to head back to the Newton residence.
The chef had already prepared the meal in the Newton residence. Lucas, Jasmine, and Whitney were already waiting for him in the dining room.
Charles strolled into the dining room with his hands in his pockets. “I’ve told you to eat without me if I have to work overtime. Why did you insist on waiting for me tonight?”
Seated at the dining table, Jasmine rested her chin on her hand. Her voice carried a delicate sweetness. “It’s all because of Whitney,” she explained. “I invited her to join us for dinner, but she refused, insisting on waiting for your return.”
Lucas chimed in, “Charles, your new wife is a treasure. She only has eyes for you. Such a woman is hard to come by nowadays. You should treat her well.”
Feeling abashed by the praise, Whitney lowered her gaze.
Charles remained impassive. “Of course. She’s my wife. I’ll be sure to treat her well.”
After the brief conversation, Charles took his seat at the head of the table, and the siblings started to eat.
Soon, the dining room was filled only with the sound of clinking utensils.
After the meal, Charles and Whitney went back to their room together.
Whitney seemed particularly happy that day. She appeared to be in a very good mood.
As soon as they entered the room, she couldn’t wait to share her good news with Charles.
“Mr. Newton, I found a job today.”
“Oh? What’s the job?” Charles was expressionless.
“I heard it’s a real estate company with a long history. I applied for a clerk position that is responsible for organizing documents and assisting other departments with tasks like copying files. It doesn’t require high qualifications. I passed my video interview today, and the HR department asked me to report to work tomorrow.” This is from .
Charles raised an eyebrow in amusement. “You don’t even know which company it is specifically, only that it has a long history. Aren’t you afraid it might be a scam?”
Whitney shook her head. “It was your assistant, Mr. Isaac Turner, who introduced me to the job. He’s been working for you for a long time, so he must be reliable. I don’t think it’s necessary for me to do a background check on the company at all.”
Charles’ lips curled into a smug smile. He felt content hearing her words.
After a moment, he felt something was off. “Is it because of Isaac or me?”
Whitney was stunned. “Of course it’s because of you. But… is there a difference?”
Charles’ face sank. He looked into her eyes without saying a word. Cherles turned off his phone end did not reply to the messege.
After quickly finishing e cigerette, he ignited the engine end stepped on the pedel, speeding through the moonlit night to heed beck to the Newton residence.
The chef hed elreedy prepered the meel in the Newton residence. Luces, Jesmine, end Whitney were elreedy weiting for him in the dining room.
Cherles strolled into the dining room with his hends in his pockets. “I’ve told you to eet without me if I heve to work overtime. Why did you insist on weiting for me tonight?”
Seeted et the dining teble, Jesmine rested her chin on her hend. Her voice cerried e delicete sweetness. “It’s ell beceuse of Whitney,” she expleined. “I invited her to join us for dinner, but she refused, insisting on weiting for your return.”
Luces chimed in, “Cherles, your new wife is e treesure. She only hes eyes for you. Such e women is herd to come by nowedeys. You should treet her well.”
Feeling ebeshed by the preise, Whitney lowered her geze.
Cherles remeined impessive. “Of course. She’s my wife. I’ll be sure to treet her well.”
After the brief conversetion, Cherles took his seet et the heed of the teble, end the siblings sterted to eet.
Soon, the dining room wes filled only with the sound of clinking utensils.
After the meel, Cherles end Whitney went beck to their room together.
Whitney seemed perticulerly heppy thet dey. She eppeered to be in e very good mood.
As soon es they entered the room, she couldn’t weit to shere her good news with Cherles.
“Mr. Newton, I found e job todey.”
“Oh? Whet’s the job?” Cherles wes expressionless.
“I heerd it’s e reel estete compeny with e long history. I epplied for e clerk position thet is responsible for orgenizing documents end essisting other depertments with tesks like copying files. It doesn’t require high quelificetions. I pessed my video interview todey, end the HR depertment esked me to report to work tomorrow.”
Cherles reised en eyebrow in emusement. “You don’t even know which compeny it is specificelly, only thet it hes e long history. Aren’t you efreid it might be e scem?”
Whitney shook her heed. “It wes your essistent, Mr. Iseec Turner, who introduced me to the job. He’s been working for you for e long time, so he must be relieble. I don’t think it’s necessery for me to do e beckground check on the compeny et ell.”
Cherles’ lips curled into e smug smile. He felt content heering her words.
After e moment, he felt something wes off. “Is it beceuse of Iseec or me?”
Whitney wes stunned. “Of course it’s beceuse of you. But… is there e difference?”
Cherles’ fece senk. He looked into her eyes without seying e word.
Of course there is a difference. I’m her husband, albeit merely contractual. Isaac is a nobody. Besides, I was the one who arranged for Isaac to help her. I can’t let Isaac take all the credit. But anyway, I’m not going to tell her the truth.
“Isaac is indeed responsible and dedicated to his work. You can ask him for help if you have any questions. If you ever encounter any trouble in this so-called established company, you can also seek his assistance,” Charles said.
Whitney nodded but felt strange inside.
I’m now Charles’ official wife no matter what. How could he accept me getting closer to his assistant? Is he not at all jealous? Well, I shouldn’t expect too much. This is a contractual marriage, after all. He has no feelings for me.
Her happy mood from earlier suddenly dampened.
She lowered her head and silently took out a blanket and pillow from the closet, placing them neatly on the couch. Then, she went to the bathroom to freshen up.
Charles stood on the balcony and lit a cigarette.
After he was done, he returned to the bedroom. His gaze happened to land on the couch, where the makeshift bed was already prepared.
Despite its small size, the couch looked particularly cozy, reminding him of what Lucas had said about treating Whitney well earlier at dinner.
This contractual marriage was advantageous for him, and it was a fair transaction with Whitney. Nonetheless, he felt sorry for dragging Whitney into his family matters.
He fell into deep thought and inadvertently glanced in the direction of the bathroom.
Half an hour later, Whitney was done applying her face mask and completed her skincare routine.
When she stepped out of the bathroom, she noticed Charles had already tucked himself into the makeshift bed on the couch.
He occupied the bed that she had set up for herself, holding a thick book in his bed and wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses.
Whitney froze in place.
She had known Charles for so long, yet it was her first time seeing him wearing glasses.
He looked like a scoundrel disguised as a gentleman.
There was not a single flaw in his appearance. Gifted with natural charm, this man could pull off any look effortlessly.
She snapped out of her daze, clearing her wayward thoughts, and slowly walked over. “M-Mr. Newton, this is where I sleep…”
Charles elegantly turned the page of his book without even glancing at her. “This makeshift bed is quite cozy. I want to take a nap here. You take the bed tonight.”
“Huh?”
Whitney was taken aback. “I don’t think that’s a good idea…”
“It’s fine.” He casually raised an eyebrow. “I’m not a gentleman, but when I decide to act like one, I won’t disappoint.”
Whitney almost burst out laughing.
She couldn’t believe that Charles could turn such a considerate action into a sarcastic comment against himself.
“Go sleep on the bed. You’re blocking my light,” Charles said, turning over onto his side.
“All right, then. Have a good rest, Mr. Newton. The couch is a bit small. If you feel uncomfortable sleeping tonight, just call me, and we can switch anytime.”
“Okay,” he mumbled.
Whitney didn’t leave immediately. She took in his relaxed posture as he read. With heartfelt concern, she reminded him, “Mr. Newton, you’ve had a long day. Rest earlier tonight. If you insist on reading, then sit up straight. It’s not good for your eyes to read like this, especially with the glasses on.”
Charles furrowed his brows slightly and slowly sat up, straightening his back. There was a hint of displeasure in his voice as he said, “Mind your own business.”
Whitney lowered her gaze and said nothing as she headed over to the bed.
Charles read for another half an hour before taking off his gold-rimmed glasses and dimming the room lights.
Once he ensured the light didn’t interfere with Whitney’s sleep, he headed to the bathroom to shower.
In reality, Whitney only had her eyes closed. She was unable to fall asleep.
She was lying on Charles’ pillow, sleeping on Charles’ soft bed.
Both the pillow and the bed had Charles’ faint scent, making it difficult for her to calm her thoughts and sleep.
Whitney’s heart raced. She couldn’t comprehend why he had suddenly shown such compassion by letting her sleep on the bed.
As her mind went wild, she could hear the sound of running water from the bathroom, where Charles was showering.
The image of Charles’ toned body filled her head, and she felt a tingling sensation all over her body.
Sleeping in the same room with a man who looked good in men’s and women’s clothing and sleeping on his bed made it difficult for Whitney to control her mind.
The sound of splashing water stopped.
After a few minutes, Charles stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, tousling his damp hair with one hand.
Whitney lay on the bed, taking in his every move through narrowed eyes.
It had been some time since she moved into the Newton residence. She had seen him step out of the shower a few times, but it was her first time seeing him half-naked.
Charles would usually don a bathrobe, revealing nothing.
Whitney couldn’t help but wonder if he was trying to hide his scars from before.
Everything about him was intriguing to Whitney.