Clarissa, as well as the others, were surprised.
“Jasmine, you attended the reception too?”
Jasmine nodded and said, “Yes, but my husband and I only stayed for a while before leaving. When I saw Clarissa and Mr. Tyson from afar, I thought they were a very good-looking couple, and they seemed to be very loving as well.”
She sounded serious and genuine when she said that they both seemed very loving as there was no sign of mockery.
While the six ladies looked at Clarissa in an amused and playful manner, Clarissa’s face began to redden as she felt very shy.
“Ah, Clarissa’s already blushing.”
“She even looks good when she blushes, what an angel!”
“Why are you blushing, Clarissa? Were you also this innocent when you write novels?”
Clarissa sensed the familiarity after talking with them for a few moments, as they teased her just like they used to whenever they chatted online.
“If you stare at me again, I will make each of you the villain in my novel.”
“Ah, I want to be a villain who sleeps with all the beautiful men in the world.”
The cheeriest Raelynn enthusiastically agreed to play the role of a female antagonist.
“You are still a student, Raelynn, so this is a bit too wild for you. How are you going to find a boyfriend?”
“Ah, don’t look down on me, my dear ladies. I have many boyfriends.”
“Really?”
“Of course. There’s TT, Bernard, Leonardo…”
Raelynn was fond of those male celebrities.
Without any barriers, Clarissa laughed and chatted with them. Even though their friendship in the virtual world was not necessarily real, they were chatting online for several years, and now they have even become close friends, which means their friendship has stood the test of time.
All six of them were in the working class except Raelynn, who was a student. Ava was the eldest among them as her children were already in high school. As for the other women, in addition to being married and having children, they had stable jobs as housewives, company directors, teachers, regular employees, and even civil servants.
Although they had different professions and lived in different regions, all of them came together because they liked reading Clarissa’s books. Furthermore, they were delighted to be able to form such a friendship after so many years.
After a long conversation and lunch together, they continued to walk around, shop, and chat until late in the evening. They seemed to be able to talk for a long time, where they gossiped, shared their everyday lives, their jobs, their families, and having fun joking with one another. It was rare to find friends who were so easy to get along with.
Raelynn felt heavy-hearted to bid them farewell after they had dinner together, and so she suddenly proposed, “Let’s book a large room and stay up all night talking?”
“Sure!”
“Sure!”
Everyone agreed, including Clarissa who said, “Alright, I will book the room.”
Just when she was about to book the room, her cell phone rang.
When she picked up the phone, Clarissa blushed immediately, as the six people were staring at her intensely, as if they were watching a good show. In just a glance, Clarissa knew what they were waiting for.
As she blushed, she instantly got up, turned around, and stopped looking at the six people behind her.
Over the phone, Matthew heard several women laughing and raised his eyebrows.
“You’re not done yet?”
“Yes, I was just about to tell you that the few of us are thinking of booking a hotel room and continue chatting all night. I won’t be going home tonight.”
After pausing for a moment, Matthew responded, “I don’t think it’s right for you not to come home, Clare.”
Upon hearing him say that in a flirtatious and low voice, Clarissa’s face blushed even more, while a few others behind her laughed quietly as if they knew what they were talking about over the phone.
“There’s nothing wrong about it.”
“But I can’t sleep without hugging you.”
While twitching her lips, Clarissa asked, “So are you saying that you haven’t been sleeping well for the past thirty years and more?”
Matthew chuckled as he said, “I did sleep but nothing beats the sweet feeling I get when I’m sleeping with you.”
“Stop it. Anyway, I will not be returning home. Please tell Grandma on my behalf. Besides, I have Gina with me, so don’t worry. That’s all for now, I’m hanging up.”
Clarissa hung up the phone before Matthew could utter another word. The moment she turned around, she pretended not to see the girls’ mischievous smiles.
After checking into their booked hotel room, they realized the room was not big enough for their party of seven to eight people. Nonetheless, they managed to squeeze into the room, some were sitting and some were lying on the bed. Although it was their first time meeting one another, the group instantly clicked and they talked all night long.
Gina was very quiet and did not participate in the discussion. However, only after Raelynn, who was extremely energetic, kept probing her, did she occasionally say a word or two.
Throughout the entire night, they were high-spirited, and it wasn’t until around two o’clock in the early morning that they began to feel sleepy.
Clarissa hurried to the bathroom in a sleepy state when her phone rang just after dawn.
Matt’s deep voice echoed over the phone as he said, “Clare, I’m at the entrance. Come out.”
Clarissa was surprised to hear that, then she quietly grabbed her coat and bag. Just when she was about to head out, she noticed Ava staring at her.
Feeling embarrassed, Clarissa uttered, “Ava, he’s waiting for me outside, so I have to go now. After everyone wakes up, I’ll come back.”
Ava smiled and waved her goodbye.
Just when Clarissa was walking out of the room, she spotted Matthew and she walked toward him lazily. Then she yawned and said, “I’m exhausted. Why are you here so early?”
While a mischievous smile spread across his lips, Matthew kissed the corner of her mouth, carried her up and walked directly to an elevator.
“I miss you, that’s why I came here.”
With her head slightly tilted, she looked into his bright eyes, then she smiled and kissed him on the chin.
“Alright, I’ll let things slide this time.”
Clarissa was shocked to find that they had gone up instead of down when the elevator door opened. Matthew carried her to a different room and laid her on the big bed, then he snuggled up to her and hugged her tightly.
“Alright, we can sleep now.”
“Hehe…”
Clarissa couldn’t help but smile as she hugged Matthew and fell asleep.
When she awoke, the sun had already risen in the sky. Although the sun was not as strong during winter, the warmth was just as comforting.
Upon waking up, Clarissa blinked her eyes and glanced over at Matthew, who was still sleeping. His face was calm and handsome.
He seemed so calm when he was sleeping as if the coldness and tough exterior he usually displayed had disappeared.
After kissing him gently on the lips, she rose and got out of the bed.
As she left the room, she hurriedly called Ava and the others. When she learned that they had planned to go tour around D City, she apologized and offered to personally take them next time.
Over the phone, Raelynn yelled, “Clarissa, no need to apologize. Just bring an autographed photo of Matthew next time, or, better yet, let Matthew come and meet us.”
Clarissa agreed as she smiled.
It was definitely possible for them to meet Matthew if they became friends and got together all the time later on.
When she hung up the phone, he had already made his way behind her.
Her lips were sealed in a tight kiss as she turned around.
She cried out softly as she wrapped her arms around Matthew’s neck. Then she immediately wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her back into the bedroom once again.
Since they already had a good rest earlier, they finished what was left undone.
While she was at home, Hilary browsed through her phone to read the latest news and gossip about Matthew and his fiancée.
If she hadn’t met Shermaine, she would have been thrilled about her daughter marrying into a wealthy family and couldn’t wait for the world to know about it.
She would also be able to gain a lot of benefits from that as well.
As of now, Zach had become more considerate and more passionate towards her, and Yvonne had also been giving her stiff smiles, despite the fact that her gaze was still filled with resentment and jealousy.
Despite that, the way the Garretts treated her was enough to make her feel proud of herself and hold her head high.
At that moment, however, she wasn’t in that mood since the happier Clarissa was, the more heartbroken Shermaine would be.
Shermaine, who she had hoped would grow up with a good and prosperous life, was now in a worse position than Clarissa. Hilary’s emotions were too complicated for her to comprehend at the thought of that.
“Hill, what are you thinking? Have you asked Clary and Mr. Tyson over as I’ve suggested previously?”
Zach felt as if he shouldn’t judge a book by its cover in relation to Clarissa at this moment.
Fortunately, she did not end up with Patrick just as they had planned back then, otherwise, she might not have the opportunity to get close to Matthew now.
If the Garretts managed to establish a relationship with the Tyson Corporation, they were sure to have a bright and endless future.
In addition, he had never known Clarissa was a famous writer as well, and it was only after seeing her in the photo that he could confirm that Clarissa was the fiancée of the Tyson Corporation president.
The fact that the girl was so talented in addition to being beautiful surprised Zach, and as for her pretending to be unemployed or broke in front of them, Zach wouldn’t speak of it again.
Whatever the case, they should start buttering up Clarissa.
“Hill? Did you hear what I just said?” Zach asked her once again. When she came back to her senses, she replied absentmindedly, “No, I did not ask. Since she was so reluctant to tell me about something as important as her wedding, I became furious and argued with her. Now, she wants to cut off all ties with me.”
“What? How could you be so stupid, Hilary?”
Hearing Hilary and Clarissa cutting ties, Zach became furious and spoke harshly out of impulsiveness.
Hilary’s heart sank as Yvonne, who stood on one side, gloated, “Hehe… Why would she think of her mother now that she is successful? Or could it be that she’s embarrassed by you?”
“Shut up!”
Zach scolded Yvonne furiously, “Yvonne, Clary is your younger sister. How can you say that?”
Yvonne wanted to retort, but her father’s expression made her hold her tongue.
Then Zach switched his tone and said to Hilary, “Hill, I understand that it’s inevitable for mothers and daughters to argue with each other, but is a mother-daughter relationship just a casual interaction? Even the law would not recognize it if you both were to cut ties. Alright, stop being upset. I’m going to call Clary and you two will be fine, alright? Hill, she’s not only your daughter but I also treat her as my own daughter, do you understand? As her stepfather, I’m also happy if she marries well.”
Hilary knew Zach too well to recognize the slight menace in his eyes that forced her to compromise despite his gentle and succinct speech.
In fact, it wouldn’t just be a gentle speech if he knew that she was trying to break up Clarissa and Matthew.
