The Illegitimate Flame: Bride of Ashes-Chapter 55- Annoying

Charles wisely didn’t expose her little secret, instead following the direction where she had just thrown the coin — the "stone of fate"...

"I can’t walk anymore!" Janet, held in Charles’s arms as they made their way toward the plaza, looked up at the tall steps. Her tone was playful, tinged with a hint of coquettishness. In her mind, a mischievous thought flashed — she wanted to see how much this proud man was willing to do for her. Would he care about his dignity or others’ eyes in such a crowded place?

"I’ll carry you!" Charles stated firmly, not as a question but as a certainty. Before she could react, his tall figure had already stepped onto the first stair. Slowly, he bent down like a European knight carrying his beloved princess.

Janet smiled sweetly. It wasn’t until Charles called her a second time that she snapped back to reality. She leaned forward slowly, resting her cheek against his broad shoulder, her hands instinctively wrapping around his neck.

"Charles, you’re so good to me..." Charles was the second man after Ternence to treat her with such kindness. Perhaps in some ways, even Ternence couldn’t compare. He was the sun in her life; after the clouds parted, his presence rescued her from a dark prison.

"So, do you have any way to show your gratitude?" Charles, carrying her, still walked calmly while chatting. He weighed her slight weight in his mind, a flicker of displeasure crossing him.

Hearing his teasing words, Janet leaned in and planted a kiss on his cheek. But Charles pressed on, teasing her further: "I’ve taught you so many times — a real kiss is mouth-to-mouth!"

"Annoying!" Janet blushed deeply and buried her face in his neck. It was hard to imagine that this usually stern, icy boss was always taking liberties with her, but the sweet warmth between them stirred a strange ripple in their hearts.

The hazy moonlight cast their entwined shadows on the steps. With every step Charles took, he silently repeated her name in his heart: Janet, happy birthday...

He had waited this long, one whole month, because he wanted to give her an unforgettable birthday. He knew no one in the Louis family had ever celebrated hers.

When they went back down, Janet wanted to walk by herself, but Charles wouldn’t allow it. It seemed he had grown addicted to carrying her. By the time they returned to the hotel from Notre-Dame, it was already past nine o’clock.

"Where are we going?" Janet asked as Charles pulled her toward the gym at the back of the hotel. Only then did she realize that the day he said he’d take her swimming, now her body was finally ready.

"Get in!" Charles hadn’t even changed clothes. He jumped straight into the pool and pulled Janet into the warm water. The heat seeped into her body, making her feel comfortable and relaxed.

"Why didn’t you change before getting in?" Janet mumbled as she swallowed some water by accident. Her hair was soaked, sticking wetly to her cheeks. Her clothes clung heavily to her skin, feeling a bit cumbersome.

"Didn’t you notice all those eyes watching you?" Charles’s cold gaze swept around. Over these past days, wherever Janet went, foreign men’s attention followed her. He was unwilling to let any other man covet her beautiful figure. That sweet scent — he had tasted it only once and was already addicted.

"I think they’re staring at you!" Janet said with a hint of jealousy as she looked at the admiring glances from the women around them. The contrast between their gazes was stark. Charles led her toward the center of the pool, deliberately ignoring those ill-intentioned looks.

When they finally climbed out of the pool, dripping wet, the thin fabric of Janet’s clothes couldn’t hide her slender figure. Charles lifted her into his arms and carried her back to the hotel room, where he gently pushed her into the bathroom.

"Don’t catch a cold. You wash first!" Charles pulled a bathrobe from the closet and handed it to her.

"What about you?" Janet noticed his clothes were wet too and asked instinctively.

"How about we wash together?" Charles teased, pinching her flushed cheeks with a playful smile.

"No, I’ll wash first!" Janet’s face flushed as she quickly shut the bathroom door, locking Charles out.

Taking advantage of Janet’s shower, Charles picked up the phone on the bedside table and called the front desk. He spoke a few sentences fluently in English, then hung up.

Janet finished washing in just a few minutes. Her eager expression made Charles’s heart flutter as he stared at her freshly bathed allure. "I’m done. Your turn now!"

Charles coughed awkwardly, then stepped past her into the bathroom. The steamy room was still filled with the faint scent of jasmine — her scent. Sitting in the bathtub, he felt a sudden physical reaction.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Janet ran to open it and was stunned to see two French men dressed as waiters, pushing in a five-layer cake adorned with twenty lit candles.

Just then, her phone rang. Seeing it was from home, it was Peggy calling. Janet realized today was her twentieth birthday. Before she was nine, Cornelia had treated her like a princess, cradling her tenderly, but after her mother passed away, she’d forgotten that special day each year.

After Peggy, Terence also called with similar words: "Janet, happy birthday!"

Thinking of this, Janet couldn’t help but smile. She still had good friends and Philip who cared for her, and now even Charles had given her a surprise. Tears welled in her eyes, but she held them back, overwhelmed with joy.

When Charles finished his shower and came out, Janet stood facing him. Crystal-clear droplets slid down his hair, dripping onto his sensual chest. Charles stepped forward in one swift move, lifted her into his arms, and carried her out onto the balcony.

Just then, fireworks cascaded from the sky, forming a heart shape, falling like a shower of blossoms from high above. Janet eagerly reached out, wanting to catch the petals — but only sparks of light slipped through her fingers like grains of sand, disappearing before she could hold onto anything.

"How did you know today is my birthday?" Janet turned around. Her bright eyes met his handsome features, and her heart brimmed with emotion. He never said anything, yet he seemed to know everything...

"I know everything about you," Charles replied with a mysterious smile. He reached out and gently tapped her rosy lips with his finger. As the fireworks continued to bloom in the sky for more than an hour, Janet blinked away the stinging in her eyes — and then suddenly, a strong hand covered them.

A deep, magnetic voice whispered in her ear, "Tell me — what do you want for your birthday?"