Chapter 5 Done Savoring

Whitney felt frozen, her body stiff from head to toe. A fine layer of sweat formed on her back. Noel did recognize her! The driver had already opened the back door of the car. Noel didn't look at her again. He sat down inside, leaving the door open. He was obviously waiting for her. Feeling guilty, Whitney didn't want anyone to notice anything unusual, so she steeled herself and got into the car. "Where to, Ms. Spencer?" the driver asked. "Howard Group, please," Whitney replied. After she spoke, the car fell into pin-drop silence. She pressed herself against the car door, leaving enough space between her and Noel for another person to sit. The atmosphere was so awkward it was almost suffocating. Whitney curled her hands on her lap. "Thank you for saving me earlier." Noel sat with his legs crossed while leaning against the back of the chair as he looked at the design drafts on his tablet. His dark casual attire did nothing to diminish his distinguished presence. For a long time, there was no reply. That night was chaotic, and Whitney felt she should explain herself. She gathered her courage, cleared her throat, and began, "I had too much to drink that night, so… I'm sorry." She turned toward him, her palms a little sweaty. "Can you just pretend nothing—" "Did you take the pill?" Noel suddenly interrupted her without even lifting his head. "What?" Whitney was confused. Noel finally lifted his head from his tablet. His deep, dark eyes behind silver-framed glasses met hers. Up close and with the daylight, Whitney noticed how striking his eyes were. His long, dark lashes framed the deep pools of his pupils, alluring in their depth and pull. Her gaze dropped. She noticed his Adam's apple slightly visible under the collar of his shirt, the solid build of his shoulders wrapped in the shirt, and the firm chest beneath. In an instant, her memory was pulled back to that night. His narrow waist, the defined contours of his abs... "Are you done savoring?" Noel's voice broke through her thoughts. The dangerous look in his eyes, coupled with his half-smile, made Whitney's face burn with heat. She hurriedly looked out the window. The car stopped at the roadside, and the driver got out to enter a nearby pharmacy. In a moment, he came out with a plastic bag and handed it to Noel. Whitney glanced at the bag before it was placed right in front of her. "Take it when you get home," Noel said. "It's for me?" Confused, she opened the bag. She bit her lip hard when she saw what was inside. It was the morning-after pill. Lost in the moment, he hadn't used protection during the last round that night. An awkward silence filled the car again. Whitney felt increasingly uncomfortable. "I'll take it," she muttered. She recalled how he hadn't agreed earlier and brought it up again, "Can you just pretend that night never happened?" Just then, Noel received a phone call. Whitney had no choice but to wait until he was done. A minute later, he hung up. Instead of answering her question, he coldly said, "We're not heading the same way. Get out." He was the one who wanted to give her a ride, but now, he was saying it wasn't on his way? Dropped off halfway down the road, Whitney watched Noel's car drive away. This man's mood was really unpredictable. She wasn't sure what she said that offended him. But from his attitude, it seemed he didn't want anyone to know what had happened that night either. That meant they had an unspoken understanding, right? The entire afternoon passed without Damian returning to the company. He called Whitney once, asking why she had left without waiting for him. "I didn't know where you were," Whitney replied coolly. "It's fine, as long as you're back at the company. There's a new bag from Dior. I've had it sent home. See if you like it." He didn't explain why he had disappeared. He chose to avoid the subject and quickly changed the topic, even trying to win her over with a bag. It was as if nothing had ever happened by the pool. Whitney smiled bitterly. Only someone who didn't care would act like that. After work, she didn't want to go back home. She moved in with Damian after their engagement six months ago. They lived under the same roof but in separate rooms. He had always been considerate and caring, saying he couldn't bear to be intimate with her before marriage. Now, she understood that that wasn't the case at all. Living together again felt unbearable for her. She had to move out. When Whitney arrived at the villa, she heard a bright giggle just as she stepped inside. "I'm so clumsy. Just wear it like that, Uncle Damian." As Whitney turned the corner into the living room, she saw Rachel standing in front of Damian, tying his tie with a flirtatious smile. Both of them turned when they heard someone approaching. Rachel flashed her a sweet smile and quickly stepped forward, taking her arm. "Whitney, what do you think? Does this tie look better on Uncle Damian?" Her demeanor was a stark contrast to how she had behaved by the pool earlier. Meanwhile, Damian, in a gray suit and white shirt, was wearing a crooked dark burgundy tie. The dark blue tie with a subtle pattern that Whitney had personally picked out was discarded at the foot of the coffee table. Whitney still remembered how, when she gave it to Damian, he immediately had her tie it for him and didn't take it off for several days after. Noticing Whitney's gaze on the tie on the floor, Rachel panicked. "I'm sorry, Whitney. I didn't know this was your gift to Uncle Damian." She apologized, but Whitney saw no sincerity in her eyes. "It's just a tie," Whitney said with a smile. "You two carry on." With that, she turned to leave. "Whitney, it's just a tie. Don't overthink it." Damian blocked her path. "Rachel gave it as a gift to thank me for rescuing her." Right, he was receiving a gift for ignoring his fiancée to save another woman. Whitney sneered in silence. "It's all my fault for upsetting Whitney. I'm sorry. I'll leave now." Rachel's face showed hurt as she dashed out. Damian ordered the driver to send her back to the Howard residence, then turned to Whitney with a stern expression. "You always want to make a scene, don't you? No matter how angry you are, you shouldn't make a scene at the Howard residence. And you left without saying anything. What would Grandpa think?" So, he believed she pushed Rachel into the pool as a way to make a scene. The emotions that had been suppressed for so long finally burst out. "Let him know everything, then! We'll cancel the wedding and go our separate ways!" Damian grabbed her wrist. "I told you, Rachel is just my niece!" "Would a niece give her uncle a tie as a gift?" Whitney wrenched her arm free. "Don't you know that only someone close to you would give you a tie?" Damian was at a loss for words. He knew this very well, yet he was still defending Rachel. The bias was so obvious. Whitney's heart grew cold. She continued, "Whether you believe it or not, I didn't push her. You know I can't swim." She recalled how Damian had once forbidden her from going near water, even not allowing her to soak in the bathtub—all because he was afraid of her getting hurt when he wasn't around. But today, he was right there with her. "I'm moving out tonight, and I'll find a chance to tell Grandpa the wedding is canceled." Whitney pushed down the bitterness in her chest. Her eight years of love would end today. Seeing her heading for the door, Damian immediately caught up with her. "The wedding won't be canceled. If you don't believe me, I'll prove it to you!" Before Whitney could react, Damian suddenly swept her off her feet, carrying her in his arms.