CHAPTER 95: CHAPTER 94: SOFTHEARTED

Sienna Thornton had a habit of not wearing a bra to sleep, so after taking a shower, she just put on her nightgown and came out, not expecting Simon Forrester to come up.

Feeling slightly uncomfortable, she covered her chest, quickly walked to the closet, took down a coat, and put it on.

She sized up Simon Forrester, wondering if he had already noticed she wasn’t wearing a bra when he came in, which was why he sat there for so long?

But no matter how she looked, Simon Forrester maintained a calm demeanor. After hesitating for a moment, she made an excuse that she was sleepy and asked him to leave.

Once outside, Simon Forrester didn’t leave immediately. The dim hallway light cast his shadow long.

He quietly watched Sienna Thornton for a while and asked, "Harrison and the others are taking the afternoon flight back to Brimfield, what about you?"

Sienna Thornton had originally planned to visit Wren’s Isle the day after tomorrow, but now that the group was leaving, it would just be her and Simon Forrester. If Simon insisted on sharing a bed with her, it would be bothersome.

Thinking of this, she gritted her teeth and simply said, "Then let’s go back too."

"Not staying a few days before heading back?"

"No," Sienna Thornton added, "My classmate has found a doctor for my mom, and there’s been some progress. I need to go back and talk to him in person."

Regarding Melinda Linton’s surgery, Simon Forrester couldn’t insist she stay longer in Norport, and nodded, "If there’s anything about Auntie’s surgery that I can help with, please let me know."

"Okay." Sienna Thornton pretended to close the door.

Simon Forrester suddenly raised his hand to touch her wounded cheek. His fingertip tenderly caressed her delicate skin, his warm palm moving down to finally rest on her fair, slender neck.

Sienna Thornton froze, holding her breath as she watched him. Assuming he was about to kiss her, she was ready to duck under his arm if his face got too close, to perfectly evade his assault.

Then he merely brushed lightly over the skin near her wound, his gaze and voice both gentle, "Why haven’t you put the scar-removal patch the doctor gave you?"

Sienna Thornton mumbled, "I saw that the cut had healed, thought leaving it open to air would help it heal faster."

Simon Forrester’s gaze shifted from her luminous eyes to her cheek, his smile relieved, "Good thing it didn’t leave a scar."

This gesture, no doubt, reminded Sienna Thornton of the danger she faced a few days ago and his selfless act of saving her from the blade.

Her heart softened, and the bit of resentment she had towards him disappeared.

He didn’t make any ambiguous requests, only reminding her to close the doors and windows before leaving.

She suddenly felt an unexplained emptiness, as if expecting something to happen but not really wanting it to. This feeling made her restless and uneasy.

Sienna Thornton realized she needed a reality check and wake-up call.

Seeing that it wasn’t too late, she called Melinda Linton.

Melinda Linton said, "Jared’s partner took thirty thousand as a bride price, and then demanded a new house in town. Initially, his father disagreed and asked me to get money from you to buy the house. Later, when rumors spread that the village head and others died mysteriously, his father got scared, fearing your partner’s people might arrest him too. So they finally took out thirty-six thousand to buy a second-hand four-bedroom house in town, about one hundred and twenty square meters. The remaining ten-thousand plus, he said he wants to save for retirement."

Sienna Thornton was silent after hearing this.

This was an ideal outcome. Felix Raines, now wary of Simon Forrester, wouldn’t dare to act recklessly.

Melinda Linton inquired over the phone, "Annie, did you borrow that eighty thousand from a friend? With the money almost all spent, what will you do now?"

Sienna Thornton snapped back, reassuring Melinda Linton, "That money is mine, not borrowed, don’t worry."

Melinda Linton was half-convinced but helpless, having neither wealth to share her daughter’s burden nor connections to benefit her. She could only repeatedly remind Sienna Thornton over the phone to take care of herself and get along well with Simon Forrester.

This reminder brought back memories of being trapped at the village head’s house, where Simon Forrester had risked everything to save her.

Continuously recalling Simon Forrester’s two times of risking his life to save her, Sienna Thornton decided to stop holding grudges against his recent sexual innuendos, considering him just a normal man also driven by desires, and these physiological impulses should be objectively separated from his character.

Thinking of Simon Forrester, Sienna Thornton walked to the window to look down. It was still lively below, with lots of beer cans on the table, and a wine glass filled with red wine in front of Simon Forrester.

Nina Sinclair sat next to him, still wearing a brightly colored short dress, the short sleeves hiding her slightly plump upper arm. The dress was very short, with her legs crossed, and the foot on top inclined towards Simon Forrester.

Psychologically, people’s feet are considered the most honest part of the body. Nina Sinclair’s body language suggested that, at least mentally, she was close to Simon Forrester.

Sienna Thornton squinted, trying to observe Simon Forrester’s leg language, but due to the angle, with his back to her, she couldn’t see if his legs were also leaning towards Nina Sinclair.

She chuckled self-deprecatingly, closing the curtains and turning off the light.

The next morning, Sienna Thornton got up early and called Simon Forrester.

Once connected, the wind was howling on the other end, indicating that Simon Forrester was already at the project site. Noting the time, she was surprised, "What time did you leave?"

"Seven o’clock," Simon Forrester said softly, "Did you just get up?"

"Yes, what time are we heading to the airport this afternoon?"

"Four-thirty flight, leaving for the airport by two-thirty."

"Okay, I got it."

Hanging up the call, Sienna Thornton got up to open the curtains. The weather was great, the sky a deep blue, merging with the sea in the distance.

She knew Corvus Bay was famous and thought, since she couldn’t go to Wren’s Isle, she might as well explore other places.

She asked the housekeeper to call a car, had breakfast, and took a ride to Corvus Bay. The thirty-kilometer journey took about an hour.

"Corvus Bay One" is considered a landmark building in Norport, unique in its design, with the designer incorporating the shape of Pyrewood mountains and waters into Norport, symbolizing a "city of mountains and waters."

Even though Sienna Thornton had already seen its beauty in pictures, the real thing still left her utterly amazed.

She took a twenty yuan bill out of her wallet, flipped it to the back, raised it, and compared it with the building before her, exclaiming, "It really does look like ’Pyrewood mountains and waters’!"

Having previously studied some of Simon Forrester’s interviews, she had developed a keen interest in architecture. Seeing "Corvus Bay One" now, she excitedly took several photos.

She sent one to Simon Forrester, "How on earth is such architecture designed? It’s amazing!"

Simon Forrester took a while to reply, "It’s not something that can be explained in a few words."

"Do you know the designer?"

"I do."

"Next time you meet him, could you bring me along too?"