Falling into Her Trap: Don't Cross the Line, Mr. President-Chapter 15: Why Is Your Face So Red

The voice sounded familiar.

It was Luna and the others. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Claire Shaw stood up and walked to the balcony, seeing a black-awning boat surrounded by fire on the river.

A sky lantern landed right on the grass awning, instantly igniting a big fire.

The two people were flustered, causing the boat to sway even more.

The rope that secured the boat had somehow been untied, and the distance was too far for them to reach the shore.

In her haste, Luna knocked over a lantern hanging at the bow, causing the front of the boat to catch fire.

The water wasn’t deep, and jumping out wouldn’t necessarily drown them; two steps could take them to the riverbank.

These pampered ladies had no ability to protect themselves, only able to scream where they stood.

"Does it look nice?" The man’s pupils reflected the flickering flames, his handsome face calm and composed, as if he were just admiring a painting.

"It’s your boat that’s burning, aren’t you worried?"

Ethan Blackwood had a meaningful smile on his lips: "They’re the ones who violated the rules on the boat and caused the fire. The lawyer will hold them accountable and seek compensation for all the losses."

Apparently, he knew the details of the situation clearly.

His tall figure stood behind her, yet it exuded a natural sense of oppression, an authority characteristic of someone in high position, which instinctively made Claire Shaw afraid.

Could it be that he was venting his anger for her?

Otherwise, why would such a high-end place have no staff present, and he could even laugh and talk here?

That thought only existed in her mind for a moment before it suddenly disappeared; she was truly overestimating herself.

If Ethan Blackwood had any interest in her, it was only limited to matters in bed. Businesspeople are most calculative about gains and losses; why would he risk damaging his reputation to help her take revenge on the Sutton sisters?

"Aren’t you hungry? Can you get full by just watching others?"

Having watched the scene, Claire Shaw returned to her seat, feeling as though a sense of satisfaction had coursed through her body, and her appetite opened up.

She glanced up at Ethan Blackwood, only to find the man clasping his hands, resting his chin on them, his gaze intermittently watching her.

"Aren’t you hungry?"

"I am."

He elegantly cut the steak, his face seemingly serious, but she detected a hint of flirtation, "Eating just this won’t fill me up."

Claire Shaw blushed, understanding what he meant.

The man in front of her, both in body language and verbally, had always been very direct.

Through the flickering candlelight, he raised his eyebrow at her, "What is Ms. Shaw thinking about, why is your face so red?"

Claire Shaw retorted, "Mr. Blackwood is smiling with ill intentions, what are you thinking about?"

Ethan Blackwood leisurely sliced the steak, "Naturally about eating meat."

"Pervert." Claire Shaw muttered under her breath.

"There are many ways to prepare steak, and I’m thinking about how to bring out the best flavor of steak. Braising and stir-frying in a dry pot don’t seem to compare to pan-frying. Sounds simple, right? It’s actually even simpler to do."

Claire Shaw: "..."

"First, marinate it with red wine and other seasonings. When the pan is heated to seventy percent, put the steak in to slow-cook. The most important thing is to control the heat and strength; neither too light nor too heavy. See, with simple methods, you can produce the most tender and juicy steak."

He pushed the cut steak in front of Claire Shaw, "Try it."

Ethan Blackwood spoke seriously, yet every word was laced with teasing.

Claire Shaw pretended not to understand, concentrating on her food.

One must say, the chef hired at a high price was quite skilled.

Despite her small appetite, Claire Shaw managed to devour two large plates, almost to the point of bursting.

She pushed the plate forward, "Your money wasn’t wasted, the chef was the right choice, but a chef at this level must be quite expensive, right?"

Ethan Blackwood gave her a meaningful look, "Indeed, not cheap."

He casually loosened his collar, his eyes glinting with a ripple of light, "Staying over tonight?"

Recalling their conversation last night, Claire Shaw knew that this being the last time, he likely wouldn’t easily let her off.

"I’m too full..." Claire Shaw was just about to find an excuse to decline.

The man’s body pressed close, embracing her slender waist, "I’ll help you with digestion."

Claire Shaw uncomfortably avoided it, but a few minutes later, she was taken to the backyard.

It turned out he really was just helping with digestion!

After a few steps, she found high heels tiresome; with no one else around, she took off her shoes and walked barefoot on the lawn.

Soft and cool, very stress-relieving.

"If it’s that tiring, you don’t have to wear them."

Claire Shaw, carrying her high heels, freely frolicked around, "That’s not quite right, if I don’t wear them, I would..."

The rest of the sentence went unsaid.

On her tenth birthday, her mother gave her a pair of high heels.

Miranda Shaw said that high heels best showcased a woman’s charm. To cultivate her into a man-attracting enchantress, Miranda Shaw spent a lot of effort on her.

Etiquette classes and various hobbies were forced upon Claire Shaw, games that the wealthy love to play.

Except during school, she had to wear high heels on all other occasions, couldn’t have dinner, had to avoid greasy and salty foods, and even the portions of her low-fat meals were controlled.

She was being raised to become a wealthy wife, with Miranda Shaw pampering her appearance and skin, not allowing her to get hurt. Whenever she made a mistake, Miranda Shaw wouldn’t slap her.

Instead, she used a small needle to prick the tender skin where it wasn’t visible.

The pinhole was small, wouldn’t leave scars, healed quickly, and served its purpose as a form of punishment.

"What would happen?"

Claire Shaw shook her head and didn’t continue the topic, pointing to a sky lantern in the distance, "Can I release that?"

Ethan Blackwood handed her a pen, "You can write a wish."

She leaned over the table, seriously writing until Ethan Blackwood released his own sky lantern.

He leaned over, a long list of items.

"Get a raise to twenty-eight thousand."

"Watch the sunrise in Qyris."

"Visit three cities within a month."

"Finish a large cup of cheese strawberry bubble tea in one go."

"..."

To him, these wishes were just ordinary daily plans of a little girl.

"You don’t need to ask the heavens for these."

Claire Shaw covered her wishlist with her hands, shielding it from his prying eyes, "Huh?"

Ethan Blackwood slowly leaned over, covering the hand holding her pen. The heat from his palm spread across her skin to her entire body, even reaching the softest part of her heart.

It made Claire Shaw inexplicably restless.

Ethan Blackwood’s gaze was deep, his thin lips lifting slightly, "Ask me."