Chapter 1460
Chapter 1459:
Although it appeared that the four of them had left to give the pair a moment alone, the reality was quite different. They lingered near the top of the staircase, peering down to watch what would happen next.
Hailee curled up in the farthest corner of the sofa, her hands covering her face. She looked like a frightened kitten caught in a storm — her nervousness was plain for anyone to see.
Merlin, by contrast, appeared completely at ease, a faint smile playing on his lips and a glint of amusement lighting his eyes.
Not long ago, he had been racking his brain trying to figure out how to get closer to her without scaring her off. Then Hailee had surprised him in a way he never could have anticipated. At this point, he had stopped worrying about that altogether. Now he simply wanted her to own up to what she had done.
“Hailee, how long do you plan to stay silent?” the man asked, his tone slow and almost playful. “Are you going to spend the rest of your life hiding behind your hands, or do you plan to pretend last night never happened p>
Heat rushed to Hailee’s face, and her cheeks burned so fiercely they seemed to glow. It took her several seconds before she dared to whisper a response. “I… I don’t have any money p>
The entire time, she refused to lower her hands, unable to look at him even once.
Thoughts swirled through her mind. Her boss was absurdly wealthy — he could demand millions in compensation for what had happened the night before, but she didn’t have a million, let alone anything more.
Merlin let out a laugh, clearly entertained. “I guarded my virginity for twenty-seven years, saving it for my wedding night with the woman I would marry. But you violated me and destroyed that dream. Do you really think money can fix this p>
Twenty-seven years and he had never been with a woman until last night — with her? The confession landed like a blow to the stomach, and Hailee’s panic intensified. She had never imagined it had been her boss’s first time. She considered telling him that she had never been with anyone either, but the shame left her speechless.
“Then… what do you want me to do?” she managed to ask at last, still reeling.
Merlin watched her nervous reaction, amused and determined to push her a little further. “In my family, we’ve always followed the same rule: if a woman shares a bed with one of our men, she has to stay with him forever p>
“What?” Hailee exclaimed, her head snapping up as she stared at him with wide eyes.
ѕ𝘩а𝘳𝖾 𝗒о𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝗵о𝘶g𝘩ts on.с𝗼𝘮
The instant their gazes met, she felt as though an electric current shot through her body. She immediately turned away, burying her face behind her hands once more.
Seeing her reaction, Merlin could barely contain his laughter. “Hailee, there’s only one path for you. Marry me. Right now p>
The idea of marrying him left her completely dazed. She had imagined the worst — punishment, retaliation, her life turned into a living nightmare. Instead, he was asking her to be his wife.
The Blakely family stood at the pinnacle of the social ladder. Countless women would do anything to become Mrs. Blakely. Merlin had no reason whatsoever to offer that position to the woman who had assaulted him.