Tara steadied her nerves as she hid behind the pillar. When did Shawn and Lance arrive? They must have shown up unannounced; otherwise, Soren would have told her in advance.
Thankfully, she hadn't walked too far out. So chances were, they hadn't seen her face clearly.
Tara hurried back upstairs. Lance didn't remember her, so he wasn't much of a concern. But Shawn, even after losing his memory, knew they had once been involved.
She had to avoid running into him.
Soren loved her, but it was precisely because he cared so deeply that he couldn't possibly be indifferent to the fact that her ex was one of his friends.
If it came to that and he couldn't let go or break up with her, yet also couldn't act like it didn't matter, then not only would he suffer—she, as the one caught in the middle, wouldn't be able to escape either. They would only end up hurting each other.
Images flashed through her mind—Soren, dead drunk, slumped over. She stepped forward to check on him, trying to help him onto the couch, only to be shoved aside.
"I can't believe you slept with my friend! You filthy slut!" he roared at her.
He then grabbed her by the neck. "Don't even think I'd break up with you! I'm going to make you pay! From now on, you're not allowed to set foot outside that door!"
Tara slapped her own forehead. She really needed to stop watching so many dramas. Her imagination was getting out of hand.
After waiting in the bedroom for a while, she heard the sound of a car starting outside. Only then did she go downstairs to the dining room, as she hadn't had breakfast yet.
Just as she was walking toward the dining room on the first floor, she ran into Soren. He studied her outfit, then strode up and wrapped an arm around her waist.
"You look nice today."
She tried to pin his hand in place, and even though he wasn't using much strength, she still couldn't break free from him.
Soren kissed her cheek and asked softly, "Did you come downstairs earlier?"
Tara nodded. "I didn't want to bother you; I saw you had guests."
He flicked the strap off her shoulder and said in his usual tone, "Yeah, it's best you don't see them anyway."
Tara assumed he still minded the fact that she had once tried to seduce the other three men when she worked in Bayheaven Villa, but her thoughts were quickly derailed.
She blushed and kept trying to push him off. Even though there was no one else in the villa, he was still being far too unruly.
"Let's have breakfast first," he said.
He then picked her up, his darkened gaze trailing down her face.
She bit her lip and hurried to pull the strap back onto her shoulder.
That morning's breakfast was, once again, eaten in his arms. Their relationship had stayed stable for half a year now.
Ever since that near run-in with Shawn and Lance, Tara had been extra cautious to avoid similar situations from happening.
Occasionally, she and Soren would go on trips. Her life was one without troubles, and things between them remained sweet and affectionate. Aside from his insatiable appetite, their time was filled with tenderness and intimacy. Not only was their relationship beautiful, but it was also perfect.
Tara had grown used to having him around. She would often cling to him, and every time she did, Soren felt like his heart was melting for her. His family had also been quietly paying attention to their relationship's progress.
Soren's family had known from the start that he was in a relationship. They immediately launched a quiet investigation into Tara and were stunned to discover that she had once worked as a housekeeper.
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