AllFreeNovel
Share Us
And if all else failed, Manny had given the girl very clear instructions. She was to get pregnant as quickly as possible with Ross McCall’s baby, using any means necessary. Ross might not want the woman, but he would be overjoyed by a child. And if Angel gave him a child, he would not send the girl back like used goods— Ross had too good a character for that.
Therefore Mangjeol felt comfortable with his decision. He had done his duty by Sook-Jae, his brother. He had acted with the best of intentions towards his dear friend. Potentially, he had arranged what might very well become a loving partnership.
Right before the Philippine partners called, Mangjeol’s wife texted him a picture of herself sitting on the veranda of their Swiss chateau with a dainty croissant and a pot of cream on the table next to her. MISS YOU, she wrote, followed by a string of sad emojis.
Meiyumi was a good wife. They had nothing in common but Manny found her adorable. It had been an arranged marriage, and both of them found contentment in each other. Manny paid for her lavish and very boring lifestyle, and she stood by his side and never complained even if sometimes months passed without them seeing each other. Sometimes in a marriage you couldn’t ask for better.
With an ironic smile he settled back in the seat and watched the freeway traffic slowly break open, releasing the tension it had built up all morning.
10
HYPNOSIS
It was clear Ross had no choice but to question the girl outright. He paced around the garden after Manny hung up. It helped him think, to walk around. Hoping maybe for inspiration to shoot down from heaven like a bolt of lightning. It did not. But it was alright. The girl would surely give him a better idea on her situation. Ross had experience with getting information out of difficult people, and he should have no trouble with Angel, even though she seemed a bubble off plumb.‘Mild sedative’, my ass.
He paced the fountain, where the floating petals of cherry blossoms gilt the surface of the water. The air was fresh with the smell of magnolia. Birds flew between the branches of the trees inside the lush grove he’d tended since he bought the house. Ross stopped at a flowerbed and absently ripped out weeds. Then he turned towards the house, wiping his dirty hands on his jeans.
No fuck-ups this time. Okay, he was attracted to her. Of course. He wasn’t blind. In fact, her physical beauty had been Manny’s trump card. He knew how Ross would take it. Thing was, it would be harder to get rid of her if he started fucking her. Point blank.
In front of the house, Ross stopped and stared at the tinyJean-Christophestatuette, mounted on its bronze base. It usually filled him with a sense of great peace, but today he saw it through Roman’s eyes. His brother might be right. Scowling, Ross turned away from the priceless work of art and entered the house, prepared to interrogate the suspect.
He found Angel in his bed.
She had a book open on the sheets. She sat with her legs crossed, leaning over it in some bizarre yoga pose only females could do.
“Hey,” she said, raising her eyes to him. She was really too beautiful. That face ought to be in magazines. Plastered from the side of buildings like those girls he had seen in Tokyo. But nothing could beat seeing it in his bedroom. He felt a wildly possessive instinct.
“What are you reading?”
“A book.”
“No shit.”
She held it up.Architecture of Hong Kong.
“Where did you get that? Did you go through my things?”
“It was on your shelf.”
“This ain’t a guest house. Put it back. No, nevermind— Sit up; I want to talk to you for a minute.”
Angel sat up, frowning. “What?”
The lingerie agreed with him. He had never seen something more flattering on a woman in his life. Ross rubbed his jaw, then turned around and went to his closet. He returned with a long-sleeved henley shirt, wadded it up and tossed it to her. “Cover yourself.”
She pulled the shirt on quickly. “Maybe you can stop staring at my titties now,” she muttered.
“Why the hell are you even wearing that?”
“I don’t know,” she said, her tone finally mirroring his. “Why you coming at me rude over the book? You wanted me to just stay in here staring at the wall?”
“Right,” said Ross grimly. “Okay, girl. Let’s have it. The whole story. Where are you from? Los Angeles, but where? I need an address, something. Names. Who’s your family? Why are you--“
“I already told you I don’t fuckin’ know, leave me alone!” She cried. Something flickered through her eyes— what? “Maybe I hit my head or something ‘cause I don’t remember shit.”
“It’s not a good idea to lie to me.”
“You think I’m scared of you? I’ve seen scarier ten year olds. I’ve been with a man that put me through hell. There’s nothing you can do to scare me.”
