I Find You

Hot!

A fine sweat broke out on Ariella Shelton's forehead. Her fair skin flushed as red as a steamed shrimp. Her mouth was parched, and her tongue scorched.

She struggled to lift her heavy eyelids and met a pair of deep, cold eyes. Her heart convulsed.

"Who... who are you?"

She opened her mouth with all her strength, only to find her voice as hoarse as that of an old lady in her seventies.

"You've climbed on my bed and still play hard-to-get?"

The voice of the man on the sofa was deep and attractive. In the shadows, his features looked cold while his hands were fiddling with a lighter.

What did he mean?

A flash of confusion crossed her eyes. When did she get on his bed?

She would get married tomorrow. How would she have any interest in another man?

It was her bachelorette party tonight, and everyone was having fun. How did she end up here?

She could vaguely remember having a glass of wine from her sister, Rainie Shelton. The following part of her memory was blank.

Anyway, she couldn't stay here and should go home.

She gritted her teeth, trying to get up and get out of this strange room.

"Don't use up your energy; I don't like to make love with a corpse."

His deep, cold voice was as pleasant as the tone of a cello. To her, however, he sounded like a demon.

In a moment, she found herself against a broad chest. His cold, tough vibe enveloped and chained her.

Ariella wanted to scream, but anxiety took her voice away.

She struggled desperately, but it was like a tickle to him.

Her despair and reluctance were shattered...

The long humiliation felt like a lifetime.

By the time she opened her eyes, the man was already gone. The clothes scattering around the floor reminded her that it was not a dream last night.

A stranger really raped her!

She tried to recall the tough man from last night, but the light in the room was so dim that she couldn't see his face clearly. What impressed and frightened her was a pair of eagle's eyes.

She begged for mercy but in vain and passed out in the end.

She gritted her teeth. He was handsome, so what? That didn't change the fact that he was an abominable rapist.

Ariella squirmed but immediately gasped in pain, and her chubby face paled.

She shed tears of grievances. Her heart was gripped by sadness as she thought of what happened last night. Why did such a thing happen to her?

How was she supposed to explain this to her fiancé, Gavin Bates? Right before the wedding day, she lost her virginity.

Moreover, she didn't even see that man's face clearly. How was she supposed to explain that?

She couldn't let others know about this, otherwise...

Bang!

The door was busted open, and in swarmed many people photographing the woman on the bed.

Scared out of her wits, Ariella wrapped herself tightly in a blanket and shouted, "Who are you? Get out."

"Ms. Shelton, may I ask if you had a one-night stand yesterday?"

"Ms. Shelton, Mr. Bates, and you are getting married today. As the bride, you sleep with another man in this hotel. Do you have any comments?"

The aggressive questions from the journalists overwhelmed her. Now there was nothing she could say to remove the stigma from your name.

"No, it's like that..."

Her face was drained of blood as she grasped the blanket. Her clear eyes were filled with bewilderment. What should she do?

If the news got out, she would be doomed...

In just a few minutes, the photos of the daughter of the Shelton family cheating before her wedding hit the headlines in the tabloids.

She became an object of common hatred. The abuse came overwhelmingly, and she was tagged as vicious.

She staggered out of the hotel and hailed a taxi, "Sir, please take me to XX Church."

A flicker of tenacity flashed across her eyes as she decided to explain to Gavin that she was assaulted by a strange man yesterday.

She believed that Gavin would report the crime to the police with her.

Gavin was her childhood sweetheart, and she had adored him for so many years. Even if the whole world were against her, Gavin would believe her.

The taxi pulled off outside the church. In front of her eyes was a bustling scene.

Was another couple holding their wedding in this church, too?

Since her photos in the hotel had been exposed in the morning, there should be no weddings today.

In dismay, she walked into the church, only to find a familiar couple standing in front of the priest.

"Gavin Bates, do you take Rainie Shelton as your wife?"

"I do."

Everyone began to applaud, cheer for, and bless the couple, but her heart broke.

The scene was so cruel that he wanted to gouge out her eyes. Should Gavin marry another woman?

"Why?"

When she was just about to challenge him, she felt a pain in her neck and then blacked out.

When she came round, she found her hands and feet bound.

"Don't waste your energy; a wanton like you should be put in a pigsty."

A middle-aged woman with heavy makeup pointed at her nose and shouted abuse, "You want to vie with Rainie? Bah, don't even think about it."

"You!"

Ariella recognized her stepmother and gritted her teeth, asking, "Where is Gavin?"

She must ask him about everything.

"Little bitch, Gavin has married my daughter, and you should know when to give up. The wedding is not prepared for you from the very beginning..."

The marriage between the Sheltons and the Bates was a big deal. Of course, she would help her daughter take the little bitch and marry into the Bates family.

The middle-aged woman gave a triumphant smile, "Heh, sure enough, just like your mother, you can't stand loneliness. Both of you are frumpy."

Ariella trembled with anger, "Shut up; you're not worthy of talking about my mother."

"Bah, little bitch."

The middle-aged woman slapped her and instructed those behind her, "Tie her up and throw her into the sea."

Only then did Ariella notice that they were on a ship surrounded by the boundless sea.

Her blood froze. This might be the end.

She hadn't asked Gavin about everything nor explained to him what happened at the hotel. She didn't want to die.

"Little bitch, you should be happy because you'll join your mother at the bottom of the sea."

"What... what do you mean?"

Ariella widened her eyes and glared at her stepmother, "It was you. You killed my mother."

She thought her mother was missing.

It turned out her stepmother got her biological mother killed.

Then she was thrown into the sea. In front of her eyes, her stepmother's arrogant, ugly face diminished and became a blur...

She kept sinking, but a school of dolphins shoved her upwards by the waist.

A few fishermen from a nearby island saw a floating woman and rowed to her rescue.

Four years later, at Morgan City Airport...

People came and went hastily with suitcases in tow. All of a sudden, everyone slowed down and gazed in a certain direction.

A woman with long curly hair was pushing a cart gracefully. She had a baby face and looked like a college girl despite her mature outfit.

On top of three large suitcases sat a pair of pretty twins who attracted attention along the way.

The little girl with pigtails was wearing a floral dress. The smile on her round face was so cute that people itched to take her home.

The little boy had natural curls and delicate cheeks. In a white shirt and denim overalls, he looked quite sharp.

Under the gazes of those passersby, he showed a cool expression and carefully held on to his sister in case she fell off.

Ariella sniffed the familiar air and had mixed feelings.

Four years apart, she came back.

A flash of tenacity crossed her eyes. This time she would not be that weak.

No longer alone, she was now a mother of two kids.

The boy suddenly raised his head and showed an awkward expression, "Mommy."

Ariella came back to her senses, "What's wrong, my baby?"

"Mommy, I'm a man. Please call me by my name, Jasper Shelton."

At the sight of his serious look, Ariella pinched his cheek, "Got it, Jasper."

Ever since she called him by his nickname in front of an outsider, he would not let her do that again in public.

Four years ago, she escaped death but had no idea of her pregnancy. She didn't find out until the babies were over four months old.

She planned to have an abortion, but the doctor told her that she was pregnant with twins.

Her heart melted when she heard the babies' heartbeats and saw them through B-ultrasound.

Later, her decision was proved correct as they were the most precious gift from God. They saw her through the darkest days.

"You wanna pee?"

She read his expression, raised her head, looked around, and then led him to the restroom next to the VIP lounge. Fewer people were there.

"Go on; I'll wait here."

Jasper stomped towards the restroom, pursed his mouth, and peed in front of the urinal for children.

He went to wash his hands, only to find the faucet not working.

And the sink counter for adults was high up above his head.

Just then, a big man in a custom-made suit came in. His features were sculpted but cold, while his eagle's eyes were tinted with distance.

"Sir."

The milky voice of the boy suddenly broke the silence of the restroom and attracted attention.

Ivan Haynes habitually frowned and looked down at the source of the sound. In front of his eyes was a little boy about three years old. Shorter than his knees, the boy had short curls, and he itched to smooth them.

"Cough." Ivan was shocked by the idea and tried his best to speak in a kind tone, "What is the matter?"

"The faucet for children doesn't work, and the one for adults is too high. Sir, could you lift me so that I can wash my hands?"

Washing his hands?

Ivan's eyes landed on the sink for adults. Indeed, it was too high.

"Sir, let me do it."

Just then, a bodyguard came up and offered his service. They were all aware of his mysophobia, and he wanted no strangers near him.

Although the boy was cute, he would not carry a stranger to wash his hands.

"Stand down."

Ivan frowned involuntarily before bending down and picking up the boy. This was something he had never done before, and his movement was a bit clumsy.

In fact, he was surprised that he should make an exception to the boy.

When the soft little guy leaned against him, he smelt a faint milky aroma from his body. The boy's little hand was only half the size of his palm.

After washing his hands, Jasper felt quite happy and looked at the man with shiny eyes, "Thank you, sir."

He lifted his head and looked at the big man. How he wished the man could be his daddy.

The man looked impressive and sharp.

Jasper didn't like his mother's admirers and had no bad feelings for this kind-hearted man.

"Mm."

His lips curved up rarely.

His bodyguards were stunned. Was he the same cold-faced boss they knew?

"Goodbye, sir."

Jasper waved his hand and stormed out of the restroom.

Ivan looked in the direction where the boy left, frowned habitually, and somehow found him familiar.

In a moment, he rubbed his temples. Maybe he had been too tired recently.

Jasper ran back to his mother and claimed excitedly, "Mommy, mommy, I just met a kind-hearted man."

Ariella got a general picture. No wonder he used the bathroom for a longer time than usual.

"Come on, Gracie is here to pick us up."

Ariella stroked his little head and led the two children out of the airport.

Her friend had been waiting outside and took the suitcases from her hand, "Ariella, we haven't met for years, and you look prettier now. Who would know that you're the mother of two children?"

"Guess I'm blessed with good genes."

Ariella smoothed her long hair and curled her lips, "My babies, meet your godmother. Your birthday gifts were all from her."

"Godmother."

Jasper opened his mouth seriously. His handsome cute face was quite adorable.

Gracie Vaughn couldn't help but reach out her hand, "Jasper, my good kid."

Ariella stroked the head of her daughter, lowered her head, and spoke gently, "My baby, this is your godmother who bought you a lot of Barbie dolls."

Holding a beautiful doll, Mia Shelton raised her head and smiled sweetly. Her dimples looked very pretty.

But she didn't utter a sound.

"Ah, Mia, you're so cute."

Although she didn't speak, her smile was broad.

Gracie waved her hand, "Come on, get in the car."

Ariella's smile diminished, and sadness rose in her.

Because she found her pregnancy too late, the twins didn't get enough nutrition. In the end, the boy was healthy and smart, but the girl was the opposite.

Her daughter was in poor health, suffering from mild autism, and unable to speak so far.

She found it hard to make it up for Mia even throughout her lifetime. If she had more food and paid more attention to her health, the girl wouldn't have been malnourished.

At their apartment, Ariella put down her suitcases and saw a gift box on the table.

"Open it; it's for you."

Jasper was sensible but still a kid. Unable to resist the temptation, he led his sister to open the box.

Both women sat on the sofa. Gracie glanced at Mia and whispered, "Hasn't Mia's condition improved?"

Ariella's face went gloomy, "No, I've tried all kinds of methods over the years. I know that she can but would not speak."

She self-studied psychology to treat the disease. She didn't want others to know and had exhausted her means.

"Ariella, I know you're for Mia's good, but you're not a professional after all. I heard that the famous psychiatrist, Mr. Valdes, is here. Bring Mia to him. This may be an opportunity."

Ariella fell into silence because she didn't want others to look at Mia with strange eyes.

She loved both babies and would protect them with her life.

"Alright, when everything is set, you should go to work."

"Alas, I'm anxious about Mia. She was always with me and never went to kindergarten."

Her son was fine, but she was worried about her daughter.

What if Mia was bullied and despised by her classmates for her aphasia?

A few days later, she arranged everything.

At bedtime, Ariella bathed both children and helped them change clothes. Lying in the middle, she held them lovingly.

"Jasper, I need to tell you something."

"Mommy, I'll take care of my sister and allow no one to bully her. You've said it many times."

Ariella stroked his little head and turned sideways to kiss her daughter on the cheek.

She felt content as long as both her kids were fine.

The next day, when the clock rang, Ariella reached out to turn it off.

"Mommy, rise and shine."

Jasper sat up, pinched his mother's cheek, and pouted seriously, "If you sleep in, we'll be late for school."

Mia giggled and rolled about on the bed. Seemingly, she didn't know about her schedule today.

As soon as school was mentioned, Ariella got up with a start and hurriedly carried both children to the bathroom.

The morning started with her hustle.

Ariella took the children to the kindergarten on time and hugged them with reluctance, "Be good; I'll pick you up in the afternoon."

She looked at her watch. It was less than 30 minutes to the office hour, and she needed to hurry.

Ariella stepped on the accelerator and headed to the company at top speed. She couldn't be late on her first day!

By the time she finally reached the office of Cohen Psychological Consulting Corporation, she was out of breath.

"Hello, Ms. Shelton; here is patient information. He is in the room upstairs."

"Okay, no problem."

Ariella took the file without checking. A few days ago, she had read the case and only needed to suit the remedy.

Her job as an emotional consultant was to help people fix such problems as relationships, disappointment in love, and unemployment.

The case today was a bit special as the patient was afraid of associating with women. Before this, his girlfriend despised him for his impotence. He had many breakups and felt inferior.

Ariella walked upstairs and realized something. She didn't know which room the patient was in.

She looked around and found one room unlocked. It should be the right one.

She took a deep breath, gave a standard smile, and pushed the door open, "Hello, I am your emotional consultant."

In the room, a man was sitting on a chair. When he turned sideways and looked over, she met his eagle's eyes and felt depressed.

But she had sympathy for the man. It was a pity that such a handsome man was impotent and afraid of women.

Ivan Haynes looked at the intruder with cold eyes and spat, "Get out!"

Her face instantly stiffened. What the hell!

But her professionalism told her to keep her smile and get in, "Sir, you don't have to be embarrassed. Avoiding the disease gets you nowhere."

She sat down at a desk on the side, opened her notebook, and asked professionally, "Shall we begin? Now tell me about your condition."

The room was quiet, and she suddenly felt cold.

She couldn't help but huddle herself. Who had the air conditioner on full blast?

Condition?

Ivan opened his thin roseate lips slightly. Very well!

"Woman, who permitted you to come in?"

He pursed his lips, and his deep eyes looked icy. Where did the damn woman come from?

Were those bodyguards blind? How dare they let her in!

Ariella was unhappy to hear the appellation and finally understood why the patient got dumped so many times.

He showed no respect for women and deserved to be single.

Then again, he was a patient, and she couldn't screw up her first task.

In the end, she kept her smile and spoke blandly, "Sir, I need to correct you on one point. You're here to treat your disease, so stop mincing."

Ivan arched his pretty brow, "What disease?

In her mind, his silence was acquiescence. "Take me as your doctor rather than a woman." She said.

Intentionally or unintentionally, his eyes landed on the spot below her neck, and a flicker of sarcasm flashed across-flat chest.

"Hey, where are you looking?"

Ariella took the file to block his vision. Her patience was running out. Such kind of scoundrel deserved to be impotent and lonely across his lifetime.

If she didn't need the job, she should have slapped him.

Ivan folded his arms on his chest. His sexy Adam's apple was revealed above the collar of his shirt. Silently, he stared at the woman.

Against his imposing gaze, Ariella felt the pressure but managed to ask professionally, "When did your impotence start? Is it inborn or psychological?"

Since this point was not specified in the file, she needed to ask about it.

His eyes flickered, and his roseate lips curved up slightly, "What games are you playing? Doctor-and-patient cosplay?"

His friend's prank was lame.

What?

Ariella didn't get it but patiently continued, "It's okay that you don't want to talk about it. Let's try another question. Which one of your relationships hurts you the most? Is there a connection between the breakups and your impotence?"