Arrogant Man VS Unyielding Woman

"Zed, are you crazy? You still have fever..." Jean hastened to stop him when she felt his warm hands moving about her body.

A wicked smile appeared on Zed's face as though his cunning scheme had succeeded. Then he rolled to her side and pulled Jean closer. Zed buried his nose in Jean's neck as he cuddled her. "Don't move, or I will do what I want right away." Zed's warm breath and husky voice sent shivers through Jean's body. At the same time, Zed wrapped his big, strong arms around Jean tightly. Although Jean pursed her lips in response to Zed's actions, her heart soared. She then gradually fell asleep.

...

Buzz...buzz...

Jean was aroused from her sleep with the insistent ringing of a phone. She opened her eyes and realized that someone was calling her. She rubbed her eyes and looked to the other side of the bed. It was empty. Where had Zed gone? The phone was still buzzing. Jean pushed away the quilt and then picked up the phone.

"Hello."

"Were you sleeping, Jean?" Ethan's smooth voice tingled Jean's ear.

Jean's eyes widened in surprise when she realized Ethan was calling her. Her sleep vanished and she quickly sat up in bed.

'Why is Ethan calling me? If Zed finds out, then everything will be ruined.

He is not in the room. Did he go out? Perhaps he's feeling better.' Jean felt relieved at her last thought. She breathed out a sigh.

"Jean?"

"Yes, I just woke up." Jean replied as she rubbed her eyes. She then walked to the window and looked outside. When she didn't spot Zed, she felt somewhat empty.

'Zed must have returned to the company. How long could he have stayed away? He has a huge business to run. He would be too busy to stay away for long.'

"I couldn't get through your line earlier. What happened?"

"My phone powered off. Is there something you wanted to talk about with me?" Jean put on her shoes as she replied to Ethan.

Suddenly, she realized that she had forgotten the main purpose of her travel. It had been two days since Sonny had sent her on this assignment. However, she hadn't taken even one photo. 'I am totally doomed! What will I say when Sonny asks?' "Jean, do you know how worried I was about you?" Ethan appeared a little unhappy. It was because Jean's tone was cold. He didn't like the way she spoke nor her attitude. He couldn't understand why she was being so indifferent.

Jean stayed silent for a while, then sighed before slowly responding, "Ethan, I don't want to talk about this with you. Thank you for your concern, but I'm good. I still have work to do. Sorry, bye."

Then Jean ended the call.

It seemed as though she was evading or refusing to speak with Ethan.

Jean didn't think much about Ethan's call. Her mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Zed. She quickly got cleaned and dressed before heading out in search of Zed. As she came downstairs, she saw Zed standing near the doorway.

Jean was so mesmerized that she slowed her descent. Zed was a handsome man, there was no denying his beauty. His form was perfect, she had seen him in various states of undress before. However, at that moment, he looked absolutely angelic. As he leaned against a tree, with the sun moving languidly behind him, Zed's whole body was bathed in a soft glow. The light and shadows dancing on his face accentuated his features. A gentle breeze sent a quiver through his long black coat. He looked so celestial that even Jean found it hard to believe someone so perfect existed.

Jean was hit by powerful emotions. The man before her had been always attractive and charming.

All the words and descriptions appeared to be dry and pale before his perfectness.

"You are up." When Zed noticed Jean, he slowly walked toward her.

arms.

"Yes." Jean softly replied as she nodded. As Zed got closer to her, she wondered if he was still running a fever. So she raised her hand to touch Zed's forehead. As she was not tall enough, Jean had to stand on her tiptoes. However, she lost her balance and fell into Zed's It happened so quickly that Jean had no time to react. She froze with embarrassment before she pulled herself out of Zed's arms. Then she said in broken sentences, "I .. I was just concerned about your fever."

"Let's go and have lunch." Zed said abruptly before turning and walking away.

Jean couldn't understand the dramatic change in Zed's behavior. Wasn't he playful and flirty the night before? She looked at Zed's back dully. Her expression turned sullen.

'Why does he always treat me like this?'

Though a little unhappy, Jean followed. However, as she thought over Zed's suggestion to eat, she wondered why he said "lunch". She stayed still as she said, "Isn't it early morning?"

Jean quickly took out her phone and checked the time. Then she realized that it was noon already.

She had slept all the way to noon! She probably should thank Ethan for waking her up. Otherwise she would still be asleep.

Jean followed Zed to a clean and quiet restaurant. They sat at a table after making a selection. When ordering, Jean remembered that Zed's illness might have been caused by what he had eaten. She then looked at the waitress and asked, "Do you have any dishes that are appetizing but mildly flavored?"

"Yes, sure. The vegetables and spices we use in our cooking are all grown locally. They are pure and chemical-free. I recommend trying this..." The waitress nodded as she recommended several mild dishes to Jean.

Zed picked up the teacup and brought it to his mouth before taking a small sip. He flashed Jean a charming smile. Jean still couldn't tell what Zed was feeling.

However, as Jean continued to study Zed, his face turned expressionless.

"Eh... Sorry, it was all because of me that you got sick." Jean apologized to Zed. Her expression indicated that she was feeling guilty.

Zed lowered his eyes and ran his finger around the rim of the teacup, "If you feel guilty, then you should take good care of me. I traveled such a long distance to rescue you and bring you to a hotel. I drove you all the way here and even caught a cold because of you. You owe me so much."

A significant change appeared in Jean's expression. Her guilty expression turned to bewilderment. She had made great effort to look after him the previous night, however, Zed was escalating his demand rather than appreciating her effort... Despite his stipulation, Jean found that she couldn't be angry with him. After all, his illness was all because of her.

While eating, Jean reflected on the fact that this was her last day on the assignment. However, she had done nothing. Jean decided to call Sonny and update him about her situation. Finally, Sonny gave her another day to finish her job.

After finishing their meal, Jean stood and prepared to begin work. She wanted to tell Zed to rest at hotel. However, Zed lifted his eyes and looked at Jean, as though he had figured out what Jean was going to say. He quickly said, "I will come with you. Focus on your work and don't mind me. I will not bother you."

"You are still weak, you need go back and rest more." Jean was still concerned about Zed's health. What if he stays out in the cold and the fever returns? Won't he just get sicker because of her?

But Zed didn't listen. He walked out of the restaurant.

Still anxious but with no other alternative, Jean returned to the hotel to fetch her equipment. After consulting some locals about scenic areas close to them, Zed and Jean began their journey. It took nearly an hour of searching to find a proper place with beautiful scenery suitable for her assignment.

Jean took out her camera and checked the settings before taking several photos. Then she stopped to check the output before making more adjustments on the camera's color system.

Zed stood in distance and studied Jean. She was dressed in a casual outfit. A pair of jeans that was moderately skinny and a versatile white shirt accentuated her curves. Her hair was simply settled in a ponytail. He admired her form as she bent and crouched to take photos.

People were always saying that those who worked devotedly were the most attractive ones. At this moment, Jean's working form was beautiful in itself. The way she smiled, chewed on her lip, and the way that her eyes sparkled when she saw something delightful... Standing by the lakeside, Jean was absorbed in her work, The surrounding area was unparalleled in its scenic beauty. She lost all sense of time as she focused on her work.

On Zed's face, a gentle smile appeared as he watched Jean. She looked so carefree and relaxed when she worked that Zed couldn't help feeling at peace as well. As the smile grew, a thought registered. Zed's smile froze.

By the time Jean finished, the sun had settled below the horizon. They had traveled for two hours, however, it was worth the effort. There had been plenty of scenic spots along the way, and Jean had stopped to explore them all. Jean finally realized how experienced Sonny was. He knew that this scenery was suitable for shooting photos for companies. So he had advised Jean to come here to shoot. In addition to appreciating Sonny's wisdom, Jean found herself admiring him.

Jean felt lucky as she had collected a set of photos that satisfied her and met the requirements set forth by Sonny.

On the way back to the hotel, Jean and Zed stopped at the restaurant where they had lunch at noon. After finishing their meal, Jean and Zed walked back to the hotel. All her enthusiasm washed away when she remembered that Zed was not unwell anymore. 'What if he wants..."

Jean pushed the thought aside and decided to speak with Zed. Unsure of how to begin, she went with the first idea she came across. "It's been a few days since you left your company. Aren't you worried about your business?"

"What? You want to send me away?" Zed paused and asked. He stood beneath a street lamp and stared at Jean in disbelief. ☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐