Chapter 26

“Do you have water?” Angelia asked.

“I’m sorry, guest. We will only serve food after the plane stabilizes,” the flight attendant smiled.

“Oh,” Angelia understood.

After only five minutes, Angelia felt her ears hurting again. Frowning, she worriedly asked Jerome, “Will my ears hurt like this all the way?”

“Hurting again?” Jerome asked.

Angelia felt embarrassed and didn’t reply.

“During the process of ascent and descent, the body cannot adjust to pressure quickly, which can cause ear pain. It will get better after the flight stabilizes. Just wait,” Jerome patiently explained.

Angelia thought he meant for her to endure a little longer and nodded.

Jerome’s face enlarged in front of her and covered her lips, pinching her nose and exhaling.

It turned out that when he said “wait,” he meant he would give her artificial respiration.

She looked at his thick black eyelashes, inexplicably her heart beating rapidly.

She couldn’t think whether it was due to lack of oxygen or hormone disorder, closing her eyes, feeling a strange emotion floating in her heart, dazed and confused.

She let Jerome’s breath invade her.

Jerome watched her close her eyes and closed his own.

Her lips were very soft, as soft as marshmallows, with a sweet and intoxicating taste.

He slowly, carefully entered her mouth.

Angelia was a bit dazed, looking at him, as if her brain had short-circuited and her body had gone limp.

What’s more, she didn’t resist, even…resisted a little.

One minute, two minutes, three minutes…

The flight attendant’s voice appeared on the broadcast, speaking fluent English, roughly meaning that this section of the journey would take fourteen hours and twenty minutes, the bathroom was now available, and wishing everyone a pleasant journey.

Angelia came to her senses, pushed away Jerome, and blushed to her ears.She dared not look at him and nervously said, “Um, I, I, I need to go to the bathroom.”

“Mm,” Jerome responded softly.

It seemed that even in the beautiful atmosphere just now, his gaze at her could overflow with water.

Angelia rushed to the bathroom with her head down, splashed cold water on her face, and slapped herself several times, looking at herself in the mirror.

It was over, she had no rationality when Jerome kissed her, let alone rationality, she couldn’t even think, as if she had completely fallen, what should she do?

What should she do?

She should have pushed him away at the first moment he came in, what was she waiting for?

Time passed by every minute and second, and now she was embarrassed to face Jerome.

She took a deep breath and another deep breath.

“Knock knock knock.” The sound of knocking on the door was heard.

“Are you okay?” A man’s voice came in.

She also felt that she had been in the bathroom for too long, opened the door, and saw the handsome aircraft commander, apologizing, “Sorry, I took too long.”

“It’s okay, your face is red, are you feeling unwell?” Callie asked with concern.

Angelia shook her head, “My ear was hurting before, but it’s much better now, thank you.”

Jerome walked over with one hand in his pocket and a cold face.

Angelia felt uneasy when she saw him and walked back with her head down.

Jerome didn’t pay attention to her, passed by her, and went straight to Callie.

Callie politely looked up at Jerome, who was slightly taller than her, “She’s my girlfriend, are you too attentive to my girlfriend?”

Callie smiled, “You are both first-class passengers, and I am just doing my job. If I have caused any offense, I apologize.”

“She is under my care, and your boss is my friend. From this moment on, do not appear in front of me,” Jerome warned.

Callie smiled and didn’t say anything, but Jerome felt that her smile seemed to know that Angelia was not his girlfriend.He had a very uncomfortable feeling and returned with a cold face.

Angelia saw Jerome coming and nervously clenched her fists, her eyes fixed on the TV screen.

She was afraid that Jerome would talk to her, and even more worried that he would ask about the kiss.

Although her gaze was fixed on Spider-Man, her thoughts couldn’t focus.

Jerome sat down next to her.

One minute, two minutes, three minutes… Angelia waited a long time, and Jerome didn’t speak to her.

She secretly looked at Jerome.

He closed his eyes as if he were asleep.

She breathed a sigh of relief.

Thinking about it, he had only slept for two hours yesterday.

If it were her, she would also be tired.

The flight attendant walked over with a smile and asked, “Can I serve you? What would you like?”

Angelia was afraid of waking Jerome up and said, “Not for now, thank you.”

“If you need anything, just press the call button on your seat. The menu is on the side of the chair,” the flight attendant said softly, pointing to the side of the chair and leaving with a smile.

“Okay,” Angelia said to Jerome.

He didn’t know when he woke up, or maybe he never fell asleep, looking at her coldly.

Her heart skipped a beat, her eyes flickering, “Um, are you hungry? You can eat now.”

“Not hungry. Is your ear still hurting?” Jerome asked worriedly.

Angelia shook her head immediately, lowered her eyes, and didn’t want him to see anything.

“I’ll sleep for a while, you eating won’t affect me,” Jerome said in a deep voice.

Angelia forced a smile, “I’m not hungry either. You sleep.”

“Okay,” Jerome replied and closed his eyes again.

Angelia looked at the TV.

She didn’t know how long she had been watching.

She felt sleepy and yawned.

She found that when she yawned, the buzzing in her ears disappeared, and everything became clearer.

Jerome seemed to have told her that if she felt uncomfortable, she just needed to yawn.

She yawned several times in a row, her mind heavy, turned off the TV, and fell asleep soon after.I don’t know how long I slept for, but when I opened my eyes, my ears were ringing and uncomfortable.

I yawned and everything became clear.

I saw Jerome already working on his computer.

He was more rigorous and cold than usual when he worked, with his gaze fixed on the computer screen and his fingers clacking on the keyboard.

I accidentally glanced at his computer and it seemed like he was chatting about contact information.

I became curious and asked, “Do you have a wife on the plane?”

Jerome looked at me and asked, “Are you hungry?”

It turned out that I was hungry.

I looked at the time, it was already 8:10 in the evening, and I had slept for more than four hours.

I pressed the call button and the stewardess came over with a smile, asking what I needed.

I browsed the menu and the pictures on it were really exquisite, not inferior to those in the Detroit restaurant.

“I want a fillet steak, a truffle salmon, a mousse cake, and a watermelon juice, thank you.”

Jerome said in a deep voice, “Give me the same as her.”

I became curious and asked, “You haven’t eaten either.”

Jerome’s gaze returned to the computer screen and he said seriously, “I was afraid of waking you up.”

I nodded, feeling a strange sensation flowing through me, sweet, sour, and indescribable.

I had never felt this way before, so I couldn’t understand it.

While waiting for our food, I turned on the TV and watched Spider-Man 2.

Jerome’s gaze fell on my hand, which really needed something to help me fend off the opposite sex.

What if I really found someone suitable?

He typed, “Do you have matching rings for the deep blue diamond?”

The other person replied, “Yes, but the price is not cheaper than the necklace because there is only one pair in the world, and there will only be one pair. There are still three necklaces available.”

Jerome said, “I’ll take both. I will bring a lady to buy the deep blue diamond necklace, and you can say that the matching ring is a gift and ask that lady to accept it. Do you understand?””Yes.” The man took the order.

Jerome closed the conversation page and continued working on other tasks.

Angelia felt a bit tired of sitting and turned on the massage function, leaning back in her chair.

The chair made a low humming sound.

Jerome looked at her.

Angelia noticed his gaze and asked apologetically, “Did it bother you? I’ll turn it off now.”

“No. Alyssa wants to go abroad, right? When it’s Smile’s birthday next month and she should be on vacation, we can take her to France together. She should be very happy,” Jerome said.

“…” Angelia wondered when she agreed to attend Smile’s birthday party.

“I,” Angelia thought for a moment and said seriously, “I won’t go, is that okay?”

“I’ll prepare the birthday gift, you don’t have to worry,” Jerome said.

“It’s not about the gift, it’s…” Angelia thought of a more appropriate and euphemistic reason, “I have somewhere I want to go during the summer vacation, and it might conflict with the timing.”

“Where do you want to go?” Jerome asked.

“Just…that…Jeju Island, hehe,” Angelia raised a smile to cover up her guilt.

Jerome didn’t directly expose her, “When are you going to Jeju Island, for how long?”

“Um…” Is saying a month too much?

The boss was sitting next to them and didn’t approve the leave.

“One week, like from July 15th to July 22nd,” Angelia casually made up a date range.

Jerome looked at her coldly, “It’s okay, Smile’s birthday is on the 25th, so it won’t conflict.”

“…” She knew she couldn’t fool him and said helplessly, “Jerome, I don’t want to go.”

Jerome looked at her pitifully and had the urge to promise her.

But he also wanted her to enter his world, to meet his aunt, grandfather, parents, friends, and other relatives.

That was something that had to happen someday.

But he was also afraid of scaring her.

She was already timid, and even a little thing could make her scared.”As my assistant, it’s better for you to attend the party. After all, many of the guests are our business partners who can bring us valuable information and opportunities.

By communicating with them, we can judge the market with the most acute sense and make better predictions and decisions. Jerome said this in a business-like manner.

Angelia hesitated. If it was for business, she couldn’t refuse. But she was also afraid that she might not be competent enough.

“Is Whitfield going?” Angelia asked.

“Of course, he is also one of my key trainees. As the vice president of the company and the person I trust most in North Carolina, I will hand over all the projects to you in the future. You also need to meet more people and know more top information,” Jerome said seriously.

Angelia really wanted to say that she didn’t have the ability. But if she refused now, it would seem like she had no ambition.

Seeing that Angelia still didn’t want to agree, Jerome gave her a direct order, “This is one of your job responsibilities. You can’t refuse.”

“Okay,” Angelia replied.

He should have said it earlier. She wouldn’t have struggled so much.

The flight attendant brought cake, watermelon juice, and steak. The steak was served with eggs and spaghetti, and it looked delicious.

Angelia took a bite of the cake and said, “It’s really delicious. It seems to be filled with ice cream, so refreshing.”

Jerome put his own cake on her plate, knowing that she liked it. He had ordered it for her last time in a hotel in Detroit and saw that she had finished it all. “You can have this one too.”

“Don’t you want it?” Angelia asked.

“I don’t eat sweets that much,” Jerome replied.

“Then why did you order it?” Angelia teased. “You can have it yourself.”

She meant that she could order a different flavor since it was just a casual order on the plane. She didn’t really care about the one Jerome gave her.At that moment, he wanted her to know his feelings, possessed her, and kissed her on the lips.

Angelia was startled and stepped back, looking at his exaggerated handsome face.

He looked at her and said, “I like to eat like this. Do you still want to invite me?”

Angelia was speechless for a moment, and many thoughts wandered through her mind.

It was inappropriate for him to kiss her like that.

If it continued, she would be finished.

“Jerome…” she tried to explain.

“I don’t want to hear anything right now. Let’s eat,” Jerome interrupted her, releasing her and slowly cutting the steak as if the kiss just now was only to punish her for talking too much, without any other feelings.

Angelia looked at him, waited for him to finish eating, and was about to speak when he stood up and walked out.

The flight attendant came to collect the tableware.

Angelia waited for Jerome.

She felt that what they were doing was wrong, after all, she was married.

After this business trip, she would go back and talk to Sammie and get divorced first, and then see what happens.

At least after the divorce, she wouldn’t feel guilty and feel like she was taking advantage of him, nor would she disrespect this relationship.

After waiting for a while, Jerome came over.

She hadn’t spoken yet, but she heard Jerome say, “I want to sleep for a while. Don’t talk to me for now.”

“I’ll only delay you for a minute,” Angelia said kindly.

He paused for five seconds and said in a deep voice, “What do you want to say?”

“Well, I think…what we did was wrong,” Angelia said.

His eyes showed no emotion and he had already guessed that she would say such a thing.

“What was wrong?” Jerome asked seriously.

“It was the kiss…” Angelia bit her finger uncomfortably and said shyly, “The kiss.”

“When did I kiss you, or did you misunderstand what I did just now as a kiss?” Jerome asked seriously.

Angelia blushed and said, “Then…it wasn’t…a kiss?””分清楚。”

“What?” Angelia didn’t understand what he meant by suddenly saying “分清楚”.

“This is a kiss.” He said, holding onto the back of her neck.

Angelia couldn’t escape.

He blocked her lips with a warm kiss.

His breath fell on her face.

Unlike the previous kisses, it was tight to a certain extent, and there was a strange feeling, as if stretching after waking up.

It wasn’t over yet, she was drawn into his world.

Angelia pushed him away in fear and covered her lips.

“Is it the same?” Jerome asked.

She still covered her lips.

It was really different.

So the previous ones didn’t count as kisses.

So, does Jerome really like her, or is he just playing around? Or does he have other thoughts, or did she misunderstand and make a fool of herself, or…

“Do you like me?” She asked bluntly, looking at him.

“What difference does it make to you whether I like you or not?” Jerome asked back.

For her now, there is no difference, because she is a married woman and cannot accept her own infidelity. Even though she and Sammie cannot be considered a real couple, her moral bottom line does not allow it.

But if she divorces and his liking or not liking her, what kind of liking it is, it makes a big difference to her.

She asked this question now because she couldn’t figure it out herself.

She didn’t answer and looked out the window.

Jerome’s gaze darkened.

His liking or not liking her makes no difference to her.

He also turned his back to Angelia.

The plane must have passed through a small town, where the lights were concentrated, but after passing through the town, it was a bit desolate, all black, with occasional lights.

She looked up at the sky.

So many stars, very beautiful.

She remembered when she was a child, she could see many bright stars in the sky, especially when she was outside in the summer cooling off.Nowadays, when you look up, the starlight is covered by dust and haze, and it’s hard to see much.

No wonder many people like to use telescopes to look at the stars, they are really beautiful.

She was leaning against the window, looking at the stars for a while.

Suddenly the phone rang and she was startled.

She remembered someone saying that you couldn’t make phone calls on a plane, and she thought of a serious problem.

She quickly took out her phone, saw that it was Sammie’s, hung up and turned it off.

Jerome looked at her and said, “You can make phone calls on this plane, you don’t need to turn it off.”

“No, your phone can block tracking, but mine can’t. If Neville tracks my phone signal, he can figure out where you are, right?” Angelia asked.

Jerome looked at her and said, “Actually, even if you turn it off, he should have guessed that we went to Wilmington.”

“But he can’t know our exact address and position, right?” Angelia asked.

“Hmm,” Jerome replied.

So she was sure that turning off her phone was the right thing to do.

She put her phone in her bag.

She came here to help Jerome, not to hold him back.

If her negligence caused harm to Jerome, she would never forgive herself.

Jerome looked at her and said, “Angelia, do you really want me not to like you?”

Angelia’s heart was trembling badly.

She hoped so.

But she also understood that many things don’t happen just because she wants them to.

Just like when she was in college, she hoped to marry Neville and have a boy and a girl.

What happened in the end?

Her hopes were crushed by the cruel reality.”When I was young, I had many hopes. I hoped my mother would come back, I hoped she could be with my father, I hoped for a complete family. But often, these hopes turned to disappointment, and I found that most of my hopes could not be realized. Instead of holding onto empty dreams and repeatedly feeling sad, it is better to live a practical life without hope and not trouble oneself unnecessarily.” Angelia said with a smile.

Jerome frowned, hearing her refusal, and persistently asked, “So, you don’t not hope, but you’re afraid to hope, right?”

“Who hopes not to be liked? No one, right? After all, no matter what the reason for not being liked, it doesn’t feel good, right?” Angelia said with a smile.

So, she does have hope. But it doesn’t sound like the kind of hope he wants to hear.

He didn’t ask any more questions, and saw Angelia shift her gaze to the TV, changing the subject. “Have you seen Spider-Man? It’s pretty good.”

“Do you hope Spider-Man likes you?” Jerome asked sarcastically.

“Hehe, that’s a superhero,” Angelia put in her earbuds.

Jerome felt uneasy.

His idea of liking someone was different from theirs.

The feeling of a crush is like fermenting wine, the longer it takes, the stronger it becomes, and the stronger the desire to break through that barrier.

But he also knows very well that there are two possible outcomes after breaking through, one is to be together, and the other is to never be able to be together again.

Because he treasures it too much, and wants to be together too much, he can only suppress it.

And he also knows very well that now is not the time to break through, so he turns his head, closes his eyes, and calms himself.

Along the way, Angelia watched TV, ate, and slept back and forth.But I don’t sleep well, always waking up because of discomfort in my ears, and every time I wake up, Jerome is working.

I don’t know if it’s because of jet lag, lack of oxygen, or lack of sleep, but my head is throbbing.

She secretly looked at his perfect profile.

This man looks so good when he’s working, as if a seed has fallen on his heart and started to take root and sprout.

Jerome worked for a while and habitually looked at Angelia.

Her gaze was caught by him.

She sat up nervously and licked her lips.

“Um, what time is it? Are we almost there?”

Jerome looked at the time on his watch.

“It’s 4 pm Wilmington time, still two hours to go.”

Angelia yawned, covered her mouth, and looked at him with sparkling eyes.

His gaze returned to the computer, and he asked in a deep voice, “What’s wrong? You’ve been looking at me for a long time.”

Angelia: “…”.

She was so embarrassed that she scratched her forehead and habitually flicked her hair, only to find that her hair was a mess and her face turned even redder.

She took off the hair tie and ran her fingers through her hair.

“Um, I want to eat something, can I?”

“Hmm,” Jerome replied, his gaze still on the computer.

Angelia ordered some food, went to the bathroom to brush her teeth, wash up, and fix her hair.

When she came out, she saw the aircraft commander.

“We’ll be landing in 2 hours. Are you in Detroit?” Callie asked softly.

Angelia nodded.

“I might know you. Did you go to the first high school in Detroit?” Callie continued to ask.

Angelia was shocked and nodded.

Callie smiled, “I went to the same high school as you, one year below you. You spoke on behalf of the students on stage every year, and I watched you from the audience. Later, I wrote you a love letter, and you replied to me.”

“Ah?” Angelia remembered the time in high school when many people chased after her.

She didn’t remember who was who, and Neville also caught up with her in the second half of the third year.

“I don’t remember,” Angelia said.”I had my female classmates in my class help me write to you. You have never met me before, and I arranged to meet you on the playground. On that day, I bought a lot of snacks and flowers. The reply I received was from you,” Callie said with a smile, showing her clean white teeth and a bright smile.

“Um…”

“Do you remember what you wrote back?” Callie asked.

She vaguely remembered that when she was in high school, she was a bit naive.

Regardless of who pursued her, she would reply with a letter, and all the contents of the letters were the same. The general idea was that although I don’t know you, I appreciate your liking me.

This liking made me feel that I should put all my effort into studying, which is the right thing to do at the right time.

The key is that she also gave examples of many great people, emphasizing the importance of studying and the importance of the college entrance exam in life.

She wrote extensively, several pages long, like a long essay, with great passion and momentum. As a result, she was admitted to a good university, was the class president in college, but after graduation, she couldn’t find a professional job and ended up working as a waitress in a hotel.

Looking back now, that kind of reply letter really slapped her in the face.

She smiled awkwardly and nodded.

Callie smiled even brighter. “Your letter was like a beacon of light for me, illuminating the path I should take. From that day on, I studied hard. I originally wanted to attend the same university as you, but the score was too high, and I was afraid I wouldn’t get in. If I retook the exam, I would be two years behind you. My father suggested that I attend the Air Force Academy, and I also liked the feeling of flying.”

It was so inspiring that she felt inferior.

“You’re doing great now, keep it up,” Angelia cheered for her.”I can ask for your phone number? After we go back, I will treat you to a meal and thank you properly. If it weren’t for your letter, I would probably be married with children by now, taking over our family’s pancake stand to sell pancakes.”

Angelia did not give him her phone number and replied, “Then you must be the most handsome pancake stand owner, becoming a small boss and internet celebrity.”

Callie smiled brightly.

Jerome’s face turned pale and he walked over to them coldly and menacingly.

Callie noticed Jerome and asked in a low voice, “That man, your boyfriend?”

Angelia also saw Jerome and shook her head, “My boss. I’ll go back first.”

Callie also entered the airport.

When Anglia passed by Jerome, he grabbed her arm and pressed her against the wall, saying unhappily, “What are you all hiding from me?”

“Um…we’re not hiding anything, just finished chatting,” Angelia innocently replied.

Jerome’s chest was filled with anger, but he couldn’t express it, only burning himself in agony. If he were her boyfriend, he would have the right to be angry and not let her get too close to other men. The aircraft commander just now obviously had feelings for her, couldn’t she see it?

“He wants to pursue you,” Jerome said bluntly.

“No, we just found out during our chat that he was my high school classmate, what a coincidence,” Angelia replied with a smile.

Jerome’s face became even uglier. He was even more worried about classmates and the like. He was also one of her classmates, but only for one semester.

“Did he ask for your phone number?” Jerome asked.

“Um…well, I didn’t give it to him,” Angelia replied uncomfortably, subconsciously afraid that he would be angry.

Jerome’s face finally softened a bit, frowning and lecturing, “You already have so many things going on, with Sammie and Neville, and now you want to attract another person? Do you think it’s not troublesome enough?”

“It’s not what you think,” she explained.

“Just be more careful in the future. There’s no need to talk to people you don’t need to talk to. If you’re not interested, it’s annoying for others to keep bothering you. Look at Neville, for example.” Jerome said seriously.

Angelia nodded. She didn’t want to cause any trouble, so she didn’t give out her phone number. However, since they were high school classmates, she wasn’t an arrogant person to begin with, so she would still exchange a few polite words out of courtesy.

Jerome looked at her obediently and let go of her hand. “Go back, your food is ready.”

“Okay.” Angelia went back and rubbed her head. She had a faint headache and felt uncomfortable.

After eating and resting for a while, the plane began to descend.

Angelia rubbed her ears and deliberately yawned several times.

Jerome also put away his computer and looked at her with concern. “Does it hurt a lot?”

“After yawning a few times, it will be much better.” However, the headache got worse and became intermittent.

She didn’t say the last sentence, afraid of causing trouble for Jerome.

“Do you need that method?” Jerome asked.

Angelia realized that he was referring to the method of helping her regulate her breathing, which had a feeling of relieving pressure by blowing open her eardrums.

But it was too ambiguous, and she hardly thought about it, so she shook her head.

“Yawn a few more times.” Jerome reminded her.

Finally, they arrived at their destination, and Angelia’s body was weak.

“You go ahead, I’ll carry the luggage.” Jerome said considerately.

“It’s okay, I can carry it.” Angelia smiled and concealed her discomfort.

“Be careful on the road.” Jerome arrogantly carried all the luggage.

Angelia could only follow him from behind until they reached the airport entrance.

Two men walked towards them, respectfully took Jerome’s luggage, and said, “Jerome, you’ve had a hard journey. Please come this way.”

“Okay.” Jerome replied expressionlessly and got into the car they had prepared.

Angelia didn’t know what to do and followed Jerome into the car.

Jerome looked at her and asked with concern, “Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?”

Angelia shook her head. “I’m fine.””Do you remember what I told you before about wanting to buy Adela’s deep blue diamond?” Jerome said.

Angelia nodded, feeling a headache and not wanting to talk.

“Smile was bought from Wilmington. At that time, a very special mine was discovered here with many gemstones such as emeralds, yellow sapphires, amethysts, aquamarines, and turquoise, but there were only three deep blue diamonds in the world. One is with Adela, and the other one is here. I have already contacted the buyer and will go see it later,” Jerome said.

Angelia thought that since it was so precious, it was better to buy it early and feel at ease. After all, it was her aunt Jerome’s favorite necklace.

“Okay,” she responded.

Soon, the car stopped in front of a jewelry store.

Jerome’s people stayed outside to keep watch.

Angelia saw them being cautious and looking professional. Could they be bodyguards or something?

She followed Jerome into the jewelry store, where there were many gemstones on display. Many of them she had seen in magazines, and they were particularly expensive. However, she liked the turquoise.

Grandma said that wearing turquoise could bring wisdom and help with studying and work. There used to be a turquoise necklace in her family that her mother always wore, but it disappeared along with her mother.

She looked at the price of a turquoise bracelet, which was not too bad. After calculating, it was only about two thousand dollars, a price she could afford.

“Do you want to buy this?” Jerome walked up to her and asked.

“I read an article last time that said turquoise can promote emotional healing, help with thinking, increase memory, give courage and strength, and even treat diabetes. I don’t know if it’s true or not, but my grandma likes it, and I want to buy it. Can we bargain here?” Angelia asked.

“We’ll talk about it when we leave,” Jerome said.

The manager of the jewelry store, a person from North Carolina, came out and smiled, asking, “What would you like to buy?””The necklace with deep blue diamonds was pre-ordered,” Jerome said.

“Oh, I see. Are you two a couple?” the manager asked.

Angelia looked at Jerome, confused.

Jerome, as if understanding, played along with the manager’s act, “What do you mean?”

“Sorry for being impolite. You see, there are only three deep blue diamond necklaces in the world, so many people come to buy them. It’s not just because of the price. Because they’re rare, if you buy one and sell it a few years later, you can make several times the price. Therefore, the owner of this deep blue diamond necklace has a requirement that the buyer must be a couple or married.” The manager smiled.

“Okay,” Jerome replied, looking at Angelia.

Afraid that he wouldn’t be able to buy it, since he hadn’t been able to buy the deep blue diamond from Adela before, which was related to her.

She took the initiative and said, “We’re a couple.”

“Then you can buy it, not only that, but you can also get a pair of rings as a gift from our store. I hope you can wear these rings on your fingers, be together forever, and have a happy life.” The manager smiled, took out the rings, and placed them in front of Jerome and Angelia.

Angelia felt guilty and didn’t reach for them.

Jerome took the lady’s ring, which was embedded with many small deep blue diamonds.

Although they were small, they were very precious because there were less than 10 grams in the world, and there was only one pair of rings like this in the world.

He held Angelia’s hand.

Angelia instinctively wanted to pull back.

He held her tightly, with a burning gaze, and put the ring on her left middle finger…

Angelia looked at the ring on her finger and felt strange.

A long time ago, she read an article that said wearing a ring on the ring finger means you’re married, wearing it on the pinky finger means you don’t want to date, wearing it on the index finger means you’re single and looking for love, and wearing it on the middle finger means… in love…

“Help me put it on,” Jerome said in a hoarse voice.Angelia’s face became even redder, like a red apple. She saw the manager looking at her, took the ring, held Jerome’s left hand, and moved it left and right, too nervous, and put it on Jerome’s ring finger.

She thought she might have put it on the wrong finger and was about to take it off when Jerome held her hand and said, “Just wear it like this.”

“Huh? This is the finger where married people wear their rings,” Angelia whispered.

Jerome took the ring from her middle finger and put it on her ring finger. “Do you remember Adela’s grandmother? She thought you were single because she didn’t see a ring on your finger. So wear it like this from now on. You don’t want any unnecessary trouble, do you?”

Angelia nodded, but she knew that he didn’t have to wear it on his ring finger. He was single after all. But she decided it would be better to talk about it later when they were alone.

The manager smiled and said, “Now that you have your ring on, come and get the deep blue diamond necklace with me.”

“I see you have a lot of turquoise here. My girlfriend loves turquoise. Can we have some as a gift?” Jerome asked.

Originally, he wouldn’t have bothered to ask for these things, but Angelia liked them, and knowing her, she wouldn’t let him pay for them.

“Sure, they’re not worth much. They’re just gifts for customers,” the manager said, readily taking out a wooden box from under the counter and opening it.

Inside was a long turquoise necklace with two bracelets on either side. The bracelets looked better than the ones outside.

“This set is a welcome gift. If you want to buy jewelry in the future, you can come to my store. I guarantee the price is reasonable and the quality is the best,” the manager said with a smile.

Jerome looked at Angelia and asked, “Do you like this set?”

Angelia frowned. It wasn’t a matter of whether she liked it or not. The bracelet outside was already worth 2000, and the one in the box was even better.Now in the box, besides two bracelets, the beads on the necklace were not only much bigger than those on the bracelets, but also several times more numerous.

No matter how you calculate it, it would cost tens of thousands.

She shook her head slightly, feeling that it was not suitable for her.

The manager thought that Angelia didn’t like it and said, “Oh, even though you two came together, I didn’t prepare two sets. Let me get another box.”

The manager brought out another wooden box and opened it for Angelia to see.

The necklace inside was not all made of turquoise, but a combination of yellow sapphire, amethyst, aquamarine, turquoise, and emerald, with two bracelets made of different gemstones on the side.

“If you don’t like it, you can take the gems off and match them with other gold jewelry,” the manager explained.

Angelia thought the gems were indeed very beautiful, but before she could say anything, Jerome said, “Take it, it’s the boss’s goodwill. This international jewelry is not as expensive as you think.”

“Thank you,” Angelia took the two wooden boxes, which were heavy and made her feel as if something heavy had been added to her heart.

The manager led the way to the VIP room, opened the safe, took out the deep blue diamond, and respectfully handed it to Jerome.

“Would you like to have it appraised?”

“No need,” Jerome said.

Although he didn’t wear these things, he had seen them since he was a child, and Viola especially liked them, so he could understand them.

The conversion rate and mineral content of gemstones are different.

The deep blue diamond is precious because, in addition to being the purest blue diamond on the surface, it also has a layer of liquid inside, which is extremely rare in the world.

Jerome could tell at a glance whether it was real or fake.

Angelia subconsciously glanced at the price: $10.8 million.

She was shocked that a necklace could be so expensive, no wonder they gave away the engagement ring gemstones so easily.

After they bought it, they left the jewelry store and got back in the car.Angelia took off the ring from her finger and handed it to Jerome, saying, “I can’t take this.”

Jerome’s face immediately turned sour and he said coldly, “This is what you deserve.”

“Why do I deserve it? If you hadn’t bought such an expensive necklace, the boss wouldn’t have given us the matching rings, right?” Angelia said in a sweet voice.

Jerome’s eyes grew even darker. If he told her that he had bought the rings himself, at a price no less than the necklace, she definitely wouldn’t accept them.

Just like when his grandmother gave her a bracelet and told her not to take it, she really didn’t take it.

“Haven’t you heard the boss say? The necklace is only sold to couples. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have been able to buy it. Just take it as a reward,” Jerome said, taking the ring from Angelia’s hand and putting it back on her ring finger in a domineering way.

“But…” Angelia glanced at the ring on his finger. They looked even more like a married couple now.

If she didn’t want it, according to Jerome’s personality, he would just throw it away.

She actually quite liked the ring.

A long time ago, she had hoped Neville would buy it for her, but he hadn’t and they went their separate ways.

When she married Sammie, she had also dreamed of having a ring of her own. After all, girls have a dream, even though that marriage wasn’t a real one and she became someone else’s wife.

But Sammie never bought her one, and they didn’t even have a wedding. The last time she was asked why she wasn’t wearing a diamond ring, she could only say she had lost it.

“Just wear it for now, we’ll talk about other things later,” Jerome said in a deep voice, spinning the ring on her finger.

“But if you give it to me, you can’t take it back,” she was afraid of losing it and then having to give it back to Jerome.

She already owed him a lot.

“I gave it to you, why would I want it back? I can’t even wear that ring,” Jerome explained helplessly.

Angelia accepted the ring, covering her left hand with her right and placing it on her stomach, her eyes tinged with the glow of the sunset.Jerome saw that she accepted it and was happy, “The gifts from the store manager are also for you.”

“All for me?”

“Do you think I would want gifts? If you don’t like them, throw them away,” Jerome said even more arrogantly.

Angelia had a headache and leaned her head against the window, looking at him. “Jerome, I find you very generous. No wonder so many people want to work with you. I don’t even need a salary before formally joining.”

“Are you trying to beg from me?”

Angelia shook her head. “I think what I get from you is worth more than my salary, right?”

Jerome looked deeply at her.

The most expensive thing she took from him was probably…himself.

Before, he only worked for the sake of working, searching for a sense of achievement in his work.

He was very rich, and after giving the rest to his financial manager, he didn’t care.

A long time ago, he heard from his financial manager that even if he stopped working, with the money he had, he could earn over 100 million dollars in pure income every year.

He didn’t care at the time, as the money was just numbers to him.

But now, he felt that the greatest pleasure was being able to spend his money on her.

“As an employee of mine, there are many benefits. I told you before,” Jerome said, changing the subject. “Are you hungry?”

“I ate on the plane the whole time, I’m not hungry. Are you hungry?”

“Then eat with me,” Jerome said in a deep voice.

“But your necklace is so expensive. Isn’t it too dangerous to wear it out to dinner?” Angelia said worriedly.

She had seen movies where criminals would go to great lengths for a painting worth millions or a diamond necklace worth tens of millions.

The necklace that Jerome wanted to give to his aunt was worth 70 million…

Jerome faintly smiled.

For someone who earned a monthly salary of 5,000, buying a necklace that cost over 1,000 wasn’t a big deal.

His monthly salary was normally a few billion, so buying a necklace that cost 70 million was the same as someone else buying a necklace that cost 10 million. It didn’t matter.”Scared?” Jerome asked.

She didn’t respond directly, “Well, better safe than sorry, right?”

“Okay,” Jerome replied.

If Whitfield had said this, he wouldn’t have paid attention.

Whitfield wouldn’t have said this either, because he knew it didn’t matter.

But if Angelia said it…

He just wanted to spoil her. This time he called her over, not because he really wanted her to do anything, but because he wanted to take her on a trip.

He said to the driver, “Let’s go to the villa first.”

“Yes,” the driver replied.

Angelia’s headache was getting worse, and she yawned.

“It’s still half an hour away on this side. Sleep a little if you’re tired,” Jerome said in a low voice.

Angelia leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes, and felt her head spinning. Before long, she fell into a deep sleep.

She didn’t know how long it had been when she heard someone talking in her ear.

The voice was very low and in English.

“Just kill her.”

“Why kill her? If we kill her, Jerome will know someone is here and he’ll be on guard. Let’s keep her, she might be useful later, anyway she looks weak.”

“Makes sense, let’s keep her for now. She won’t live long anyway.”

Angelia tried to open her eyes as much as possible and saw a black figure. She really wanted to see who it was, but her eyelids were heavy, and she fell into a deep sleep again.

She woke up suddenly, remembered what she had heard, and panicked, worried that something had happened to Jerome. She got up from the bed without even putting on her shoes and shouted, “Jerome, Jerome.”

Jerome pushed the door open, “I’m here.”

She ran towards him without her shoes and grabbed his arm, anxiously looking at him, “Are you okay?”

“Compared to you, you seem to be the one with the problem. You fell asleep in the car and it’s been 20 hours,” Jerome said worriedly, touching her forehead.Angelia pulled his hand down and said, “I’m fine, I just didn’t sleep well, so I slept a little longer. I heard two people talking when I was sleeping, saying they were going to kill me or keep me alive for some use. There are infiltrators here.”

Jerome frowned and said, “I’ll investigate. Are you hungry? Let’s go out and eat.”

“I’m not hungry, I ate a lot earlier. You investigate first,” Angelia replied worriedly.

“I have a plan for this. Let’s eat first,” Jerome said sternly.

She saw that he was calm and not nervous at all, so he must have been prepared. “I’m sorry, I slept too long. I’m feeling better now, and I can do anything you need me to do for work,” Angelia said.

Jerome looked at her with a hint of charm in his eyes, and he seemed a little sinister. “Anything at all?” Angelia felt uncomfortable and added, “I mean for work.”

“I mean for work too. What did you think I meant?” Jerome asked.

Angelia remained silent.

“Okay, that’s fine. But don’t let your guard down. They’re violent people and won’t hesitate to kill,” Jerome reminded her. “Do you want to take a shower?”

Suddenly, Angelia remembered that she was too worried about his safety earlier and forgot to brush her teeth, comb her hair, or wash her face. “Yes, please. Is my luggage still here?” she asked.

“It’s in the closet. There’s a disposable toothbrush and towel in the bathroom. Remember to lock the door,” Jerome reminded her.

He then left and closed the door behind him. He was a little upset and said, “Don’t involve her in our plan. She’s not a part of it.”

“I’m sorry, Jerome. It’s too late. They think she’s different from you and are targeting her. They even tried to test me just now by secretly taking me to Mrs. Bai’s room and asking me to kill her,” the other person said.

“Why didn’t you report this to me earlier?” Jerome was angry.The villa has been installed with cameras, and those people over there have been following me. I just got out of their sight and was about to report to Jerome.

Jerome gritted his teeth and said firmly, “Then activate Plan B. Make sure she’s safe, and if anything happens to her, you won’t live to see another day.”

“Yes, I will make sure she is 100% safe,” his subordinate promised.

While taking a shower, Angelia became increasingly worried. If those people could come and go freely, did that mean she and Jerome were in danger? But Jerome seemed calm and relaxed. Could it be that those people had installed cameras in his house?

She finished showering and came out, looking for an opportunity to talk to Jerome. Jerome also finished his shower and was not wearing a suit, just a beige vertical striped T-shirt and black casual pants. He looked more like a homebody man. He still wore his wedding ring, which matched his dignified and calm temperament.

Angelia approached him cautiously, looking around and hesitating to speak. “What’s wrong?” Jerome asked.

“Um, you look really good in that outfit,” Angelia complimented, looking around.

Jerome looked at her strange behavior and asked, “Don’t you like men who wear suits?”

She liked men who were sunny, warm, and gentle. Wearing a suit, especially a black suit, gave a cold feeling. However, Jerome usually wore a suit. If she said she didn’t like it, she would seem unobservant. She praised, “You look good in anything you wear.”

He stood up…

Angelia’s back stiffened, and she nervously clenched her fingers. “What’s wrong?” Jerome asked softly, leaning closer to her.

Angelia tiptoed and whispered in his ear, “I’m looking for the person who appeared in my room.”

Jerome understood and hugged her waist, his lips passing by her ear, “I’ve already found them.” He finished speaking and landed a kiss on her face.Angelia knew he was going to speak softly, pretending to be close, he kissed her and asked, “So, are we going out now?”

“Did you apply sunscreen? It’s subtropical weather here, and your skin can easily get damaged while walking on the road,” Jerome reminded her.

“Oh, I’ll apply it now.” Angelia took out sunscreen from her bag, squeezed it into her palm, and applied it on her face, neck, and arms.

Jerome patiently watched her.

She noticed Jerome’s gaze and asked, “Did you apply it?”

“I’m a man,” Jerome replied.

“Men can get sunburned too, and it hurts the skin. Let me apply some for you,” Angelia said.

Jerome didn’t say anything but looked at her with drooping eyes, as if he agreed, but didn’t reach out.

Angelia squeezed sunscreen into her palm and, for some reason, covered his face with both hands.

She was too close, feeling his breath on her face.

Jerome still didn’t move.

She must be the first person to touch his face like this, and he not only didn’t dislike it but also seemed to enjoy it.

The person with Jerome came over and respectfully reported, “Jerome, the car is ready.”

“Okay,” Jerome replied.

Angelia realized she had been holding his face for too long and withdrew her hands, feeling uncomfortable, and put the sunscreen away.

Jerome didn’t say anything and wiped his face carelessly. “Let’s go.”

He walked ahead, and Angelia followed behind him.

Jerome went out, and his men held a large black umbrella to support him.

Jerome took the umbrella from his men and held it for Angelia as they walked forward.

His men respectfully opened the back door.

Jerome gentlemanly let Angelia go first.

She got into the car.

His men took the umbrella from Jerome’s hand.

Jerome sat next to Angelia.

His men carefully closed the door and got into the driver’s seat.

Angelia looked at Jerome’s men and felt a strange feeling.

When she was in North Carolina before, Whitfield was also respectful to Jerome like this.At that time, she was thinking that Jerome had a strong aura, but also a strong sense of distance and indifference, making him a very difficult person to get close to. However, when she was in Detroit, she felt his presence and was able to get close to him. These people reminded her once again of Jerome’s identity and status, which was probably much more prestigious than she had imagined. Apart from knowing that he had many investments, she knew very little about him.

“Jerome, do you have any siblings?” Angelia asked curiously.

“I have one full sibling, and two half-siblings, a younger brother who is around four years old and a sixteen-year-old sister named Alyssa,” Jerome replied simply. He never talked about his family with anyone, but he told her because she wanted to know.

“After my mother passed away, my father remarried and stayed in his military district, so I went with my grandfather. We don’t really keep in touch, but we meet up during the holidays,” Jerome summarized. Angelia saw a cold and sad look in his eyes when he mentioned his parents, and she guessed that he probably didn’t like talking about it. It’s normal, everyone has places in their hearts that they don’t want to touch. She smiled and changed the subject, “Have you been to Wilmington before? What’s good to eat here?”

“Cornmeal, sardines, and fried mashed potatoes are local specialties, but I don’t really like them. Because of the jewelry and minerals in this country, people from many countries come here, so there are many types of cuisine from different countries, including some from North Carolina. What do you want to eat?” Jerome asked.

“I’m not picky, I’ll eat anything. You can decide,” Angelia said agreeably, looking out the window. Wilmington was different from the Africa she remembered.She has read some books and watched some TV that describe how poor, impoverished, and dirty Africa is.

This country looks very prosperous, with clean streets and various luxury stores.

“I didn’t know until I came out that we were like frogs at the bottom of a well,” Angelia exclaimed.

“What do you mean?” Jerome asked puzzledly.

“I thought Africa was a big grassland, and people couldn’t even afford to wear clothes,” Angelia laughed.

“Africa is vast, including East Africa, South Africa, West Africa, and Central Africa. Some countries are very wealthy because of minerals and oil, such as Ethiopia, with a per capita GDP of over $4,000, Monaco approaching $5,000, Egypt $5,600, South Africa over $6,000, and Wilmington belonging to South Africa,” Jerome patiently explained.

Angelia understood that Africa has both wealthy and poor countries, with a large disparity.

Jerome’s subordinate opened the car door and respectfully said, “Sir, we have arrived.”

“Hmm,” Jerome responded, leaning forward and getting out of the car. His subordinate immediately held up a black umbrella to cover Jerome. Wilmington is strong in UV rays and tropical, and one can easily get sunburned if not careful.

Jerome didn’t go in first, waiting for Angelia to come out. She really didn’t feel comfortable being served by someone holding an umbrella. She had nothing, so why did she deserve someone’s service? Fortunately, the car was only ten meters away from the hotel.

She followed Jerome into the hotel, where a beautifully dressed receptionist smiled and asked in Wilmington, “Do you have a reservation, sir?”

“You’re blind, and you’re new here. Where’s your manager?” Jerome’s subordinate also spoke fluent Wilmington. Angelia didn’t understand, but she saw that Jerome’s subordinate looked fierce.

A group of people quickly rushed into the hotel, including a manager who bowed and respectfully muttered something to Jerome. Angelia still couldn’t understand, but she saw Jerome wave his hand and replied briefly.The manager was speaking to the people behind him, who automatically stood on either side and didn’t dare to lift their heads.

The formation was too big and too strange, and the people not only respected Jerome but also feared him.

The manager respectfully pressed the elevator button.

When the elevator arrived, he went in first and stood to the side, holding the door for them and taking care of them very thoughtfully.

Angelia thought of herself working in a hotel before, and compared to them, she didn’t show enough respect for Jerome.

Jerome looked at Angelia and explained, “I own this hotel.”

Angelia was shocked at first, but then she understood.

It was normal for him to invest in hotels, and this hotel looked quite extraordinary.

“They’re in awe of you,” Angelia said softly.

“Rather than being in awe of me, they are in awe of the power behind the hotel. On the surface, it’s me, but in fact, it was opened with the foreign minister of this country. Many secret meetings of government departments are held here,” Jerome explained.

Angelia understood that Jerome’s ability to cooperate with the foreign minister was impressive.

“The rooms upstairs are six-star hotel rooms. Do you want to go up and see them later?” Jerome suggested.

Angelia shook her head and said it was meaningless since she no longer worked in hotel management, and besides…she hesitated.

She felt that following him was not a job but more of a feeling of enjoyment, and it was inappropriate for an employee to follow the boss.

“And what?” Jerome asked.

Angelia looked at the manager.

The manager smiled kindly at Angelia.

“He doesn’t understand North Carolina language, but it doesn’t matter,” Jerome said.

Angelia let her guard down and reminded him, “We came here for something important. We can just eat casually. It’s a bit of a waste of time to come to such a good place.”

“The person we’re meeting is having dinner in this restaurant right now,” Jerome said.

“Won’t we be exposed if we come here?” Angelia worried.

“If someone has already heard you talking in your room, then it’s already been exposed. So, my main purpose for coming here this time is to meet him,” Jerome explained.

“What do I need to do?” Angelia asked sincerely.

“Look for opportunities to provoke him,” Jerome said coldly.