Chapter 77

The next day, when Penelope saw Zebulon and Rebecca on the ferry, she knew someone at KINY Group had leaked her travel plans.
They, however, seemed even more surprised to see her.
“Penelope, you followed us all the way here? What do you want?” Rebecca demanded, her brow furrowed.
Zebulon’s face hardened. “If you think you can sabotage our work on the KINY Group project just to stop me from divorcing you, you are seriously overestimating yourself.”
Penelope ignored the two lunatics and went inside the cabin to rest.
The ferry docked at two in the afternoon. As Penelope walked toward her hotel, she was scrolling through Facebook when she saw a post from Michael. It was a photo of a man swimming in a pool-broad shoulders, narrow waist, powerful back muscles rippling with every stroke.
The man turned his head slightly, and she instantly recognized him. It was Theodore.
He was at the pool right now.
Penelope quickened her pace. She arrived at the hotel the same one Nathan had booked for her, and the same one Theodore was staying at—only to run into Zebulon and Rebecca in the lobby.
“This is getting ridiculous. Are you planning on staying in the same hotel as us now?” Zebulon sneered.
Penelope had no time for him. She walked straight to the front desk.
After confirming her reservation and asking for the location of the pool, she decided to check in later and rushed off to find Theodore.
As she hurried away, she didn’t see the cold, dangerous glint that entered Zebulon’s eyes at being so thoroughly ignored.
The hotel’s swimming facilities were a series of private pools, each in its own enclosed room, offering complete privacy.
The other pools were empty. She checked them one by one and quickly found him.
In the long, narrow pool, a lone figure cut through the water with powerful, graceful strokes. The muscles in his back flexed and relaxed, a mesmerizing and impossibly sexy sight.
Penelope allowed herself a moment to appreciate the view before remembering her mission. She hurried along the edge of the pool, trying to catch up.
“Wow, Mr. Stapleton, you’re amazing! You swim so fast! If you were in a
competition, you’d definitely win gold!”
Startled by her sudden appearance, Theodore stopped, wiped the water from his face, and frowned at her.
Wow, a wet Adonis, she thought. So tempting.
She kept that comment to herself, but not before swallowing hard.
“Why’d you stop, Mr. Stapleton? Don’t mind me. I can admire your swimming form while I wait.”
Theodore snorted, swam to the
edge of the pool, and, as Penelomet
eagerly approached, deliberately splashed a wave of water at her. sŵnovels
Her pants and shoes were soaked. She bared her teeth at him, thinking he couldn’t see, but he suddenly looked up.
She immediately plastered on a smile. “Be careful, Mr. Stapleton. Do you need a hand?”
Her sycophantic behavior was so unique, so different from the others who fawned over him, that he found he didn’t mind it.
He climbed the ladder out of the pool and extended a hand toward her. Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on
Penelope quickly reached out to take it, but just as their hands met, he pulled away.
“Towel.”
Her smile twitched. He was treating her like a servant.
But the client is always right. She cursed him under her breath but dutifully fetched a towel and draped it over his shoulders
A corner of Theodore’s mouth lifted as he walked toward the showers.
When he came out, Penelope was waiting right by the door.
He ignored her and went into the changing room. She followed him right in.
“Mr. Stapleton, I’m here to return your jacket. And as we agreed, you owe me five minutes… Hey, don’t take that off!”
Penelope watched in horror as
Theodore reached for the knot of his
towel te had just showered
he was
definitely naked underneath.