Delayed Passion: Miss Lynch's Unrequited Love-Chapter 23: He Got Out of Her Bed

Inside the car, Thea Lynch was leisurely wiping the droplets off her hands with a tissue.

"Brother Silas has become familiar with the security team here?"

Today, she was wearing a short skirt, and the cold air from the air conditioner blew in from the front corner, making her knees red and her legs chilly. She tugged at the hem of her skirt, busy with her hands, and didn’t even glance at him as she spoke.

"Not really." Ian Preston had one hand on the steering wheel, the sleeve of his black shirt rolled up a notch, revealing his forearm. His original suit jacket was casually placed on Thea Lynch’s leg.

"..." Thea paused her hand movements, looked at the jacket on her leg, then at him. The suit fabric was a bit slippery, sliding down her thigh, so she quickly lowered her head, pressed it down, and pulled it back up.

Ian didn’t seem to mind the gesture, as if it were unintentional, continuing the previous topic: "I just instructed them that if you ever come, to give me a call."

"How would they recognize me?" Thea wasn’t fussy and adjusted his jacket to cover her legs more thoroughly. "Did Brother Silas show them my photo?"

"No, I just gave a rough description of your appearance."

She smirked slightly, "Then they must have good eyes."

The man naturally replied, "Mainly because you’re beautiful."

She wasn’t just an ordinary face; her looks were strikingly distinctive, making her easily recognizable.

"..." Being complimented like that made Thea a bit uncomfortable, and she turned her head, adjusted the seatbelt, and gazed out the window.

The car became silent for a while before Ian proactively asked, "Haven’t switched your driving license since returning? Need my help?"

She replied, "I don’t have time for now, maybe next month."

She leaned against the seat, sideways, studying the man’s face. He hadn’t taken off his glasses, exuding a restrained yet elegant aura.

It was unclear where he came from; his short black hair was slightly damp, with traces of rainwater. Looking closely, there were remnants of water on his sharp jawline, and lower down, his neckline was open, revealing a red scratch on the side of his neck.

Thea’s eyes focused sharply; the mark was clearly left by a woman. He couldn’t have scratched himself like that. Almost instinctively, some unruly images came to mind.

Ian was about to respond when he noticed her staring at him in a daze. As the car merged onto the main road, he took a moment to glance over, seeing her still distracted, "What is it?"

Thea abruptly snapped out of her thoughts, turning only her back to him.

"Nothing."

Her eyes darted, her expression somewhat unnatural. Ian glanced at the rearview mirror, tracing the point where her gaze had landed. When his eyes fell on the fresh scratch on his neck, his eyebrows raised, equally surprised.

Recalling the origin of the mark, the man raised his hand, using his finger to brush over the noticeable scratch, chuckling as he asked Thea, "I didn’t even notice. Do you know who caught me last night?"

His words carried a hint.

Hearing "last night," Thea frowned.

Was he referring to her? How could that be possible?

She pretended not to understand, "How should I know? Maybe some girl..."

Before she could finish her sentence, she was met with a sharp glare from the man, "You know exactly who I was with last night and where I went, don’t you?"

Thea: "..."

Whether he did it on purpose, or she was overthinking it, his words seemed strange.

Although he had only stayed at her house briefly and then left, it sounded as if he had just gotten off her bed last night.

Ian didn’t give her a chance to argue, publicly declaring her misdeed: "Last night, when I carried you inside, you scratched me. Don’t you remember?"

The memories of last night began to replay, looping, and the scene he mentioned lingered in Thea’s mind. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

His arms strong, he had grabbed her waist from behind, his long fingers tightly clamped on her side. Without a chance to react, everything spun, and she was lifted up by him.

Panic ensued, afraid of falling, she blindly reached out and grabbed, possibly scratching his neck?

The hallway wasn’t lit, only faint light spilling in from the corridor, so she didn’t clearly see where she had grabbed him.

Later, as he walked, he lifted her up, and they were so close, their chaotic breaths intertwining, quickly diverting her attention.

Recalling this, Thea closed her eyes in frustration, simply going along with his story, "Well, I drank too much last night, don’t remember anything."

Her voice was muffled, and anyone familiar with her knew she felt guilty, especially Ian, who was closer to her.

On the surface, he didn’t expose her, nodding as if he truly believed her words.

Yet, beneath his glasses, his deep eyes carried a tantalizing smile.

Then, with some compassion, he returned to the previous topic, "Any car you fancy?"

His question implied he was prepared for something.

"Is Brother Silas planning to gift me one?" Thea was intrigued by his words.

"Depends on what you prefer. If you don’t want me involved, just make your decision and use my card."

"Thank you, Brother Silas." She turned her head, a hint of dissatisfaction on her face, "But I have my own money."

"No merit, no reward; I’ll have it delivered to your company front desk someday."

He didn’t mention it, but she hadn’t thought about it either—it was, after all, his supplementary card, so what did it mean leaving it with her?

"Why draw such a line?"

"Isn’t it natural? With no special occasion or holiday, why accept such a precious gift?"

In the past on holidays, Thea, as the most beloved younger member in the compound, received gifts copiously. Particularly from her elder brothers, who were generous without hesitation.

At that time, they seemed to never treat her as just a regular neighboring sister; they genuinely interacted as if they were family.

As a child, whether dining or doing homework, she felt like a star on tour, her home changed daily.

She thought it would always be that way.

"Isn’t your birthday coming up? Think of it as a birthday gift." Ian’s voice sounded again beside her.

Upon hearing "birthday," the smile on Thea’s face faded slightly.

She didn’t respond, turned her head, her long lashes hanging low, masking the emotions bubbling beneath. From Ian’s angle, she seemed to be staring blankly at the raindrops accumulating on the window.

Realizing his error, Ian furrowed his brow, aware he had misspoken.

"Silas mention the welcome dinner next month to you?" He casually changed the topic, trying to distract her.

"Whose?" Thea moved her stiff neck, "I’ve been back for quite a while, no need for that."

"Not just for you, someone from abroad is returning."

Abroad... Thea blinked blankly, and a familiar figure flashed through her mind, making her sit up excitedly, "Brother Liam!"