That man was just asking for trouble himself. All she’d done was say a few words to Cheng Wen, and now he was acting like he was having a mood swing—just like a woman on her period, unpredictable and irritable.

Storming out of the elevator, Nina Shaw marched angrily toward the room.

Once inside, she flopped onto the bed, yanked the blanket over herself, then tucked all four corners under her own body. With her eyes squeezed shut, she pretended he didn’t exist.

Watching her various antics, Xavier Quinn couldn’t help but smile. Loosening his collar, he made his way to the bathroom.

Only when Nina Shaw heard the rush of water from the shower did she slowly open her eyes.

She was about to get up when she nearly fainted—Xavier Quinn was standing right at the head of the bed.

"What are you doing? Weren’t you going to shower?" she asked, startled.

"Help me scrub my back," Xavier Quinn said, looking down at her. His bare torso made Nina Shaw’s mind go blank for a moment.

This man’s body really was something else—muscular in all the right places, the kind of physique that made anyone want to reach out and touch.

Still, Nina Shaw stuck to her guns. "No way." There was no way she was going to scrub his back. That was never happening.

Xavier Quinn stayed put by the bed.

"Guess who I ran into today?"

Nina Shaw scoffed, "How’s that any of my business? Run into whoever you want, see if I care." She really didn’t.

Xavier Quinn clearly wasn’t planning to let her off so easily. He scooped her up from the bed and carried her straight to the bathroom.

Nina Shaw’s heart skipped a beat. She tried to sprint away, but before she’d even made it out of the bathroom, he caught her again.

"Don’t make me use force here. If you behave and help me out, I won’t touch you tonight."

Hearing that, Nina Shaw almost wanted to bite him until he screamed. She practically ground her teeth as she glared at him.

With a snap, Xavier Quinn undid his belt and slid into the bathtub. Nina Shaw grumbled nonstop, but in the end, she did as she was told and walked over.

Xavier Quinn lay back with his eyes closed, pretending to rest. Nina Shaw watched his face in silence; honestly, he was pretty good-looking—she liked him best when he didn’t speak. After all, in Hong Kong City, everyone agreed his looks were top-tier.

"Focus. Quit staring at me like some lovesick teenager."

What? Lovesick? She’d seen narcissists before, but never someone this shameless.

"What makes you think I’m looking at you like that?"

Xavier Quinn opened his eyes and stared at her. Nina Shaw pursed her lips. Seeing how much he was enjoying himself, a mischievous idea formed in her mind.

She scooped up some water in her hands and flung it at his face. He turned aside but still caught a full splash.

Knowing he’d be mad, Nina Shaw darted away the moment she let go of the water.

But just as she turned to run, she slipped and fell backwards.

She was sure she’d be sporting bruises by tomorrow. Yet, when she hit the ground—wait, it didn’t even hurt.

"Got knocked silly?" Xavier Quinn had dashed over as she slipped, cushioning her fall with his own body, so she’d landed on him, not the floor. That explained why it didn’t hurt.

But from this angle, looking up at him—shirtless—she couldn’t help but bite her lip when her gaze flicked over a certain very... prominent feature.

She wasn’t usually someone driven by desire, but seeing Xavier Quinn like this, she still found herself swallowing nervously...

"Wh-what are you planning?" Instinctively, she crossed her arms protectively over her chest.

Xavier Quinn leaned in, a smirk on his lips. "What am I planning? With the way you were looking at me just now, so impure—were you already thinking of all the ways to conquer me?"

"Y-you’re spouting nonsense! I wasn’t! Not at all..."

"Really?"

But before Nina Shaw could finish defending herself, his lips were on hers. When it came to this, he always had the upper hand. She never stood a chance.

In the steamy bathroom, with mist enveloping them, he pressed her against the sink, their movements rising and falling together...

"Still want to act tough? Hm?" Xavier Quinn panted, looking down at the woman beneath him. Her pajamas—hardly feminine to begin with—were now kicked aside on the floor. He bent down and bit softly on her back.

Nina Shaw let out a soft moan, completely forgetting how to retort.

Only in moments like these did Nina Shaw stop baring her claws.

He might be a commander of business outside, but with this woman, he had no real strategy. Only this, only by overpowering her, did she ever yield to him.

"Nina Shaw, do you really feel nothing for me?" His voice was lighter now, uncertain, but full of longing for her answer.

"Nothing," Nina Shaw replied without a shred of hesitation, making his expression darken as his movements sped up.

He cupped her chin, forcing her to look into the mirror. "Then take a good look. I’m your husband. For this lifetime, we’ll never be apart. Even if you don’t love me, you’ll always be Mrs. Qiao."

Nina Shaw could only yield beneath his touches, her voice growing softer and more broken, eyes tinged with red. Seeing her like this, Xavier Quinn’s heart clenched—he couldn’t help kissing her once more...

...

Early the next morning, Lauren Shaw got a call from Mrs. Chen.

"Shengsheng, there’s a banquet tonight. Are you free?"

These days, Mrs. Chen brought Lauren Shaw along to every social engagement. Shen Wenting even joked that they looked more like mother and daughter than mother- and daughter-in-law.

The truth was, Mrs. Chen genuinely liked Lauren Shaw—having her close brought her real joy.

With Yancy Shaw still away, the empty house made Lauren Shaw feel restless, so she agreed without much thought.

At noon, she went to visit Grandma Li. The old lady, now in a wheelchair, was cheerful and smiled widely when Lauren Shaw came in. "Shengsheng, you’re home!"

"Grandma," she said, sitting down dutifully and massaging the old lady’s legs.

Grandma looked her up and down, then nodded in satisfaction. "You’ve put on some healthy weight lately. Looks like Yancheng is taking good care of you."

Ever since she’d gotten together with Yancy Shaw, she really had filled out a bit. She'd always been tall and slim—too slim, really—now her figure was just right.

The old lady leaned in, grinning. "So, anything... any signs lately?"

"Huh?" Lauren Shaw was caught off guard, then followed her grandma’s gaze to her belly. After a beat, she realized what the old lady was asking.

She instinctively placed a hand over her stomach. "No... nothing yet." Her voice came out soft.

"Why not yet? Don’t you want one?" The old woman’s hopes were simple—she just wanted to see her granddaughter have a child in her lifetime, but who knew if she’d live to see that day.

Lauren Shaw recalled that she and Yancy Shaw had talked about kids before: he’d made it clear he wasn’t ready, at least not yet. She wanted children, but since he didn't, there wasn’t much she could do.