When Everly finally snapped out of her initial shock, she found herself in an elevator, still being cradled in Jeremy’s arms.
This was a first for her—being carried by a man, no less in such an intimate bridal style.
Her typical run-ins with men usually involved her giving them a good beating and slamming them to the ground.
But then, she thought, this was a golden opportunity to feel like the leading lady in a cheesy romance movie, especially since the guy was so drop-dead gorgeous.
So, Everly did what any self-respecting protagonist would do: she threw her arms around Jeremy’s neck, nestled her head against his chest, and rubbed her cheek against it, like a cat marking its territory.
Just as I’d suspected, his chest was as broad as a football field.
I could even feel the outline of six – no, eight!
– perfectly sculpted abs pressing against my body.
This guy was clearly no stranger to the gym.
But could he actually fight?
His body was practically begging to be sparred with…
haaahh…
these muscles…
so perfect…
Jeremy’s body tensed up immediately when he heard Everly’s thoughts.
He wasn’t sure whether to be flattered or terrified.
Was she sexually harassing him, or was she just sizing him up as a potential sparring partner?
He suddenly realized that he’d acted on impulse when he’d picked Everly up and whisked her away.
But when he’d heard her thinking about his juicy secret, he’d panicked.
He couldn’t let her spill the beans, so he’d “kidnapped” her without a second thought.
But now, he wasn’t so sure.
Was it really possible that the voice in his head was truly Everly’s inner monologue?
Or was he finally losing his marbles?
Then again, there was a good chance that Everly was…
Ding!
The elevator’s arrival cut through Jeremy’s jumbled thoughts like a knife through butter.
The sound also jolted Everly back to reality, reminding her of something crucial.
Why on earth had Jeremy suddenly scooped her up and brought her…
to what seemed like the mall’s top floor?
Was this an office?
“Hmm…
Mr.
Jeremy?
I just recalled that you said I was hurt and needed medical attention, but I’m pretty sure I’m in tip-top shape, so what gives…?”
“We’ll discuss it once we’re inside and have some privacy.”
As Jeremy finished speaking, Everly became acutely aware of the curious stares and hushed whispers from onlookers.
She could even catch snippets of their whispers:
“Was she Mr.
Shen’s girlfriend?”
“Had you ever seen Mr.
Shen bring a girl here before?”
It seemed that today, she’d managed to stir up quite a storm of rumors in the mall.
It was almost as if the gossip system had been tailor-made for her, considering she was now the center of attention.
Before long, they finally entered the office, and Jeremy promptly locked the door behind them.
He then made his way over to the sofa, still carrying Everly as if she weighed nothing more than a feather.
As Jeremy gently placed Everly on the sofa, fate decided to play a rather…
unique trick on them.
He tripped over his own feet like a clumsy cartoon character, and in a move straight out of a cheesy Korean drama, he landed right on top of her.
The scene could have been straight out of a romantic movie: the main character falls into the arms of the love interest, and their faces were mere inches apart, eyes wide with shock, looking as if they were about to share a kiss. Get faster updates on g.com.
The only difference was that instead of the usual romantic background melody, outside the office, someone was blasting a heart-wrenching song about a deceased lover at full volume.
It was so depressing that it seemed like the person was on the verge of ending their own life.
Everly’s initial shock quickly gave way to a look of anticipation as she stared into Jeremy’s handsome face.
Instead of being shy or pushing him away like the typical female lead, she puckered her lips, as if inviting him to kiss her.
Kyaaaaaa~ Is this going to be my first kiss?
Will he take my virginity?
Will I end up pregnant and have to flee abroad, only to return with our adorable triplets?!
But…
even though he seems so dominant on the outside, he appears to be the submissive type.
Should I make the first move?
Jeremy’s face turned as red as a tomato when he heard Everly’s thoughts.
He immediately scrambled off her, jumping back as if she were a dangerous succubus.
“I…
I’m so sorry!
I tripped and fell on you!
You…
I mean, please don’t get the wrong idea.
I didn’t bring you here to do anything inappropriate.
I just wanted to talk!”
He ran a hand through his hair, clearly flustered.
This was not how he had planned this conversation to go.
He had meant to be calm and collected, but Everly’s thoughts were throwing him off balance.
Jeremy was completely oblivious to the fact that Everly’s earlier thoughts were just a hilarious joke she was playing on herself.
In reality, if he had dared to lay a finger on her, she would have kicked him into next week.
After all, Everly was still a minor until next week when she would finally turn 18.
So, she had no intention of doing anything of that nature until she reached the legal age.
But Everly was unaware that her playful joke had just earned her the title of the “ultimate pervert” in Jeremy’s eyes (although she might actually live up to that title once she was older).
The thought of the first kiss was still somewhat understandable to Jeremy, but when Everly started imagining herself getting pregnant and giving birth to triplets…
well, let’s just say his face turned a shade of red that could rival a ripe tomato.
Everly let out a dramatic sigh and casually adjusted her position on the sofa, now sitting in a relaxed manner.
She waved her hand dismissively, as if to say, “No big deal.”.
“I get it, Mr.
Jeremy.
You seem like a proper gentleman, so there’s no way you’d try anything funny here.”
However, the voice echoing in Jeremy’s mind was a far cry from Everly’s seemingly understanding demeanor.
Gosh, I really thought he was going to make a move.
Now the whole scenario of getting pregnant with octuplets and coming back in four years to confess that they’re all his kids won’t come true.
Jeremy felt like he was on the verge of passing out.
Why on earth did their children suddenly multiply from triplets to octuplets?!
In Everly’s eyes, was he so incredibly fertile that even the god of fertility would be green with envy?!
Jeremy hastily tried to push all of Everly’s wild thoughts out of his mind.
He was now certain that he was indeed hearing her thoughts, and it seemed that she had no clue about it.
However, the most crucial thing he needed to confirm was something else entirely.
He cleared his throat, sitting across from Everly.
“Miss Everly, there’s something I’d like to ask you…”
Everly raised her eyebrows, a look of curiosity crossing her face as she wondered what he could possibly want to ask.
“I’m not sure there’s anything you’d want to know from me, but go ahead and ask.”
“Do you know something about me?
Something that people aren’t supposed to know?”
She was taken aback and confused by the meaning of Jeremy’s question.
Although it was true that she knew Jeremy’s little secret, how on earth did he know that she knew?
Was it an open secret that everyone knew but pretended not to know?
Was this Jeremy trying to find out if she, a newcomer to the capital, was also in the know?
As she pondered these questions, she stared at the screen above Jeremy’s head, rereading the text she had seen earlier when they were still at the store.
[Hehehe, Jeremy is so handsome, right?
And yet, he’s never dated or been involved with any women.
Do you know why?
Because his first love was his older brother’s fiancée!
He still likes her to this day and hopes they don’t get married.
Jeremy always thought Helena Chu was too good for his older brother, Jacob Shen.
What’s more, Jacob is most likely cheating on her right now, and he wants to catch him red-handed!]
[And poor Jeremy, who’s been suspicious for ages, has been dropping hints to Helena, but she’s still oblivious to Jacob’s infidelity…
because of that, they’ve been having epic arguments, and Helena’s now avoiding him.
That’s why it seems like Jeremy’s unrequited love for six years has finally taken its toll, and he’s ready to move on…
although there’s a small chance that if Helena and Jacob break up, he’ll make a move on her.]
Everly’s mind was racing with possibilities.
How was she supposed to answer this question without revealing that she knew more than she should?
She decided to play it cool and see where this conversation would lead.
“I’m not sure what you mean, Mr.
Jeremy.
I don’t know anything about you that people aren’t supposed to know.”
But her thoughts were having a party in her head.
Why does he even care if I know or not?
Is he trying to intimidate me into silence if I know?
It’s so strange to ask this kind of question to someone he’s known for less than an hour.
He doesn’t need to feel embarrassed if his secret gets out, anyway – he didn’t steal his brother’s fiancée.
In fact, being unrequited for 6 years and not getting involved with other women, like having a rebound, is actually a good thing.
I’m even more curious whether Helena know her future brother-in-law has a thing for her or not.
As Jeremy heard Everly’s inner monologue, he immediately stood up from the sofa, then strode towards her.
He loomed over her, his eyes fixed on hers.
“You lied.
You know everything.”
He stared at her, his face inches from hers.
Huh?
How on earth is he so dead certain that I’m in the know?
Everly’s suspicions went into overdrive.
She looked up, her gaze as sharp as a ninja’s throwing star.
“So, what’s the deal?
Are you going to, like, kidnap me or something just because I know about your forbidden crush?”
But at this moment, Jeremy’s mind wasn’t on Helena or his little secret.
Oh no, it was completely fixated on Everly.
Jeremy leaned in, his expression as serious as a heart attack.
“Miss Everly, what I want to discuss right now isn’t my top-secret love life.
It’s something else entirely…”
His finger gently tapped Everly’s forehead, sending a shiver down her spine.
“I’ve just come to a realization.
There’s a distinct possibility that I…”