As Immanuel had been coughing and sputtering voluntarily from choking on the champagne, the outer corners of his eyes were slightly red. He frowned slightly from the uncomfortable sensation as well.
When he noticed the lingering tears in Zara’s eyes, he froze briefly, only for irritation to quickly replace his surprise.
Wasn’t she still hung up on her ex–husband? She had embraced him so openly at the banquet, so why was she meddling with him now? Was staying by his side so unbearable for her that she’d cry?
Zara was unaware of his thoughts. She had descended the stairs just in time to see Immanuel recklessly drinking despite his condition.
Knowing his lifelong struggle with a congenital heart condition and his strict avoidance of alcohol for 27 years, she couldn’t fathom why he had suddenly decided to drink this be some form of delayed rebellious streak?
Her anger surged at his apparent disregard for his health. Seeing him reach for another drink, she quickly stepped in to block his way.
“Mr. Nielsen, you’re not a child anymore,” she reminded.
For once, Immanuel felt like arguing. His tone turned sharp and almost petulant. “And what gives you the right to tell me what to do? It’s my body. I can make my own decisions.”
“As both your secretary and your admirer, why wouldn’t I have the right? Besides, you’ve implicitly allowed it all this while, haven’t you?” she retorted in a firm voice.
Even if Zara was clueless and unobservant, his behavior was unusual enough to make her realize something was off. Sensing his shift in mood, she softened her tone slightly and swirled the glass of champagne in her hand with a smile.
“Anyway, haven’t I stepped in countless times already? Doing it one more time makes no difference.”
A red lipstick mark was imprinted on the rim of the glass. For some reason, the sight of it stirred something in Immanuel. His ears turned red as a realization dawned on him.
They had just shared a drink from the same glass. She had even sipped from the exact spot that he’d drunk from earlier. Didn’t this mean that they just shared an indirect kiss?
That thought made his gaze drift to her lips. She always chose bold lipstick shades–colors that might be seen as unflattering on others but suited her strikingly well due to her pale complexion.
Noticing his stare, Zara felt a little uneasy. She cleared her throat and turned around to avoid.
Chapter 20
his gaze.
She sounded somewhat flustered as she said, “Mr. Nielsen, you’re drunk. Let me take you to
your room.
Not far away, Taylor froze at the unfolding scene. He glanced at the surveillance video that was still on his phone hesitantly. He wondered if he should send this to Immanuel later.
When he looked up again, Immanuel was already being led out of the banquet hall by Zara. After a moment of deliberation, Taylor decided to forward the video to Immanuel’s email and quietly trailed after them.
After all, whenever Zara accompanied them to events, his primary responsibility–per Immanuel’s instructions–was to keep an eye on her.
Using Immanuel’s credentials, Zara secured a suite and helped him inside. She wiped his face. and hands. Then, she placed his slippers at his feet. She sighed when he sat on the couch and simply stared back at her with a blank look on his face.
Resigned, she knelt and slid his feet into the slippers herself. She asked tentatively, “Can you shower on your own?”
He didn’t respond. Instead, he continued staring at her as if he’d forgotten that his drunkenness was merely a pretense she had fabricated to get him to leave the banquet.
Sighing again, Zara walked to the bathroom and turned on the faucet. She tested the temperature to make sure that it was just right.
Gently pushing Immanuel toward the bathroom she said without looking back, “I’ll for Mr. Fawkes.”
go
look
Just as she opened the door, she came face–to–face with Taylor, who was standing in the hallway.
He flashed her an awkward smile. “What’s going on here, Ms. Cobain?”
Zara remained composed and gestured behind her as she explained, “Mr. Nielsen had too much to drink. I helped him to the room and ran the bath. I was just about to-”
Before she could finish, a hand suddenly grabbed her wrist and yanked her back into the room with startling force. In the next second, the door slammed shut in Taylor’s face.
He stood in stunned silence, having caught a brief glimpse of the surprise in Zara’s eyes as the door closed. He couldn’t quite say that he’d initially been worried about Immanuel’s chastity.
Rubbing his nose awkwardly, Taylor decided to pretend he hadn’t seen anything and quickly walked away.
Chapter 20
Inside the suite, Zara found herself pressed against the door with Immanuel looming over her. His forehead was rested against hers, and his warm breath mingled with hers.
She could hear his shallow breathing, and their proximity was overwhelming. His deep gaze which was tinged with curiosity and an almost predatory intensity made her feel as though he wanted to devour her whole.
