Chloe Preston asked, "Why?" Donovan Xavier frowned. "I’m a grown man. I’m not keen on wearing this sort of thing." Chloe was not pleased. "What’s wrong with it? Plenty of men wear them!" Donovan Xavier leaned closer. "How about I keep it in my pocket and carry it with me every day, okay?" Chloe Preston stared straight at him, her pretty face set stubbornly, and said nothing. She pushed him away, rose from the bed, and moved to get dressed. Seeing this, Donovan panicked and pulled her back. "Okay, okay! I’ll wear it, alright?" He reached out and slid the Buddha beads onto his wrist. Chloe Preston smiled with satisfaction. She wrapped her arms around his neck, once again permitting his kisses. Donovan Xavier leaned over her, his eyes filled with tenderness. "Miss Quinn, this is all you’re giving me for my birthday? Isn’t that a bit perfunctory?" Chloe’s eyes curved into crescents as she smiled. "How is it perfunctory? You still have me, don’t you?" Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn novel⁂fire.net With a cute and innocent face, Cecilia Miller blinked her large, round almond eyes. She leaned against the door, holding a small orange cat as she eavesdropped on the exciting scene inside. Her cheeks flushed, and she giggled to herself. Housekeeper Wallace shook her head and walked over. "Miss Miller, there’s nothing worth listening to. You should go back to sleep!" Cecilia Miller shook her head. "Just a little longer! This is so interesting!" "Housekeeper Wallace, enjoying things alone is never as good as sharing the fun. Come and listen with me!" Housekeeper Wallace’s face instantly flushed bright red. Just then, a maid came running up from downstairs. Housekeeper Wallace stopped her. "Why are you in such a frantic rush?" "I’m here to find the master," the maid said. "The master and Miss Quinn have already retired for the night," Housekeeper Wallace replied. The maid looked troubled. "But... Miss Rowan is here." Cecilia Miller frowned. "Which Miss Rowan?" "The eldest daughter of the Rowan Family—Rosalind Rowan." "What did you say!" Cecilia Miller’s eyes narrowed. "Donovan, are you there?" A soft, feminine voice drifted up from downstairs. A graceful woman walked up the stairs, dressed in a long, red gown that complemented her beautiful and enchanting features. Her eyes shone brightly, and every movement exuded confidence and flair. Cecilia Miller recognized her. It was Rosalind Rowan. She had never liked her, not since they were children. It was all because Adrian Rhodes used to praise Rosalind for being smart while calling her stupid. "Cecilia, what are you doing here?" Rosalind Rowan asked with a smile, looking pleasantly surprised to see her. "You seem to have gotten taller! Come, let me give you a hug." As she spoke, she stepped forward with her arms open to embrace her. "Don’t touch me!" Cecilia Miller slapped her hands away. She questioned her, "Why have you come to The Xavier Residence?" Rosalind Rowan maintained her gentle smile. "I came to see your Donovan." "Is he in his room? I’ll go have a look." Cecilia Miller immediately blocked her path. "No! You can’t go in!" "Why not?" Rosalind asked. A smirk played on Cecilia Miller’s lips. "My dear Donovan is in bed with my sister-in-law. Why would you want to barge in on that?" The words struck Rosalind Rowan like a bolt from the blue. Her face turned pale. "What did you say?" Cecilia Miller paused for a second before grabbing her arm and dragging her to the door. "Listen for yourself!" "Hear that? My Donovan is having the time of his life, so you can just crawl back to whatever rock you came out from under!" she sneered. "Hmph! You are not welcome here!" Chloe Preston heard the commotion and looked toward the door. "It sounds like someone’s out there." "Don’t worry about it," Donovan Xavier said. "It’s probably just Cecilia making a fuss. She loves to run around." Donovan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He gently turned her face back toward him, a bead of sweat trickling down his temple. "Baby, focus." The noise outside grew louder. Feeling that something was wrong, Chloe stopped him. "Hold on. It sounds like there’s more than one person out there. I’m going to take a look." As she spoke, she sat up, about to get out of bed. Donovan Xavier frowned in displeasure. He was at the height of his passion, but he couldn’t force her if she was unwilling. He pulled the quilt over her and stroked her sweat-dampened hair. "You stay put. I’ll go check." Chloe Preston nodded. Donovan got up deftly. His body was a taut map of smooth muscle, with clearly defined abs. He bent down, picked up a black robe, and slipped it on before walking to the door. "Cecilia Miller, what is all this nonsense?" Donovan Xavier’s voice was naturally imposing, a hint of displeasure coloring his tone. Cecilia Miller, who had been trying to push Rosalind Rowan down the stairs, turned her head at the sound of his voice. "Donovan, Cecilia isn’t making a fuss!" Donovan Xavier said nothing, his gaze falling on the woman in the red dress. He froze for a second. "Donovan!" Rosalind Rowan’s eyes lit up when she saw him, her red lips parting in pure delight. She pushed Cecilia Miller aside and ran straight toward him. Cecilia was slammed into the nearby wall, a sharp pain shooting through her. She’d always been the type to get even on the spot. Cecilia stepped forward and shoved Rosalind Rowan to the ground, her youthful face contorted with anger. "Everyone has protected me my whole life! No one has ever dared to push me! How dare you!" "Cecilia," Rosalind said from the floor, her voice laced with pain and apology. "I’m so sorry, I didn’t do it on purpose." "If it’ll make you feel better, you can go ahead and hit me." Rosalind Rowan looked up at the man, gently biting her red lip as her eyes glistened with unshed tears. A truly pitiable sight. Donovan Xavier’s expression remained calm. He didn’t move. Without a signal from him, the surrounding servants all stood frozen, none daring to help her up. For a moment, Rosalind felt a wave of embarrassment. She bit her lip and pushed herself up, deliberately making it look like a struggle. Feigning unsteadiness, she staggered and began to fall straight toward the man. Donovan took a step back, dodging her. Rosalind stumbled and slammed into the adjacent wall. As she looked up, her gaze fell directly into the room. A woman lay on the bed, covered by a quilt with her back to the door, playing on her phone. Her fair, tender neck and shoulders were exposed, covered with red marks of all sizes. It was clear they had been made forcefully. It was obvious who had made them. Jealousy flared in Rosalind Rowan’s eyes, and she gritted her teeth. "Have you seen enough?" Donovan Xavier suddenly asked, raising a hand to pull the door shut. "Donovan." Rosalind turned to him, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Her eyes were captivating, and her smile was as soft as water. "We’re not that familiar," Donovan Xavier said coolly. Rosalind was taken aback for a moment. She quickly realized he felt she was being too forward by using his first name, and the smile on her lips stiffened. "I thought you were abroad," Donovan said. "Why are you back?" Rosalind’s gaze remained soft. "My home is here, after all. Of course I came back." Donovan Xavier frowned, his eyes cold and distant. "Then why have you come to my home? I don’t recall inviting you."