Chapter 17

The sudden warmth and softness in his arms made George's mind go blank.

His entire body felt like it had been struck by lightning, paralyzing him completely.

He watched as the girl's face rested against his chest and she began to slide downwards.

Just as he was about to reach for her, she was pulled away.

Theobald caught Marguerite, his brow furrowed in concern. "What's wrong?"

Pulled upright, Marguerite's consciousness slowly returned. She shook her head. "Nothing. I just haven't slept in over a day. I'm exhausted."

Theobald let out a breath of relief. He turned to George. "I'm sorry, Mr. Spencer. My sister has a severe sleep disorder. She was up all last night and accidentally stumbled into you."

He didn't want anyone thinking his sister was trying to stage a fall.

But George was truly the refined gentleman of legend. A beautiful woman falls into his arms, and he doesn't even react. For years, there had been no rumors of any woman in his life, and the Northpine business community whispered that he preferred men. Theobald hadn't believed it before, but now he was starting to.

Besides, his sister had been universally adored at Pinecrest High. To be her arch- rival, George must have truly had no interest in women.

Marguerite, realizing how embarrassing she had just been, blushed crimson.

Get a grip, body!

She looked up and gave a sheepish smile. “Yes, that's actually why I came to see you today."

The phantom sensation of her touch still lingered. George turned away to hide the emotion in his eyes. "Have a seat."

A set of pure green leather sofas sat in the living room.

Marguerite's eyes lit up. "George, you didn't throw these out!"

George sat down, crossing his long legs and smoothing the hem of his suit jacket.

"They were still usable," he said in his usual lazy, indifferent tone. "What about them?"

Marguerite sat on the familiar sofa, running her hand over the smooth leather. "You've kept them in great condition. I had this set custom-made from Nordale. It cost a fortune."

She hadn't expected her billionaire rival to be so frugal. She remembered that his family hadn't been well-off in high school; his uniform was always washed until it was faded.

They were now sitting less than a yard apart.

George struggled to control his gaze and his breathing, keeping his voice perfectly level. "Did this villa used to be your family's?"

Marguerite nodded. "Yes. I came today because I want to buy it back from you.”

"You can see for yourself," she said, pointing to the dark circles under her eyes. "I could pass for a panda at the zoo. You wouldn't want to see an old classmate die from exhaustion, would you?"

She hated to resort to emotional

blackmail, but she was desperate. In high school; she had tried living in

the dorms to save time and had met

gone

three full days without sleep

She fainted in class and had to be

rushed to the hospital.

George had already noticed the faint shadows under her eyes. He glanced at her

briefly before fixing his gaze on the glass coffee table.

“I'm sorry, but I have no plans to sell this villa at the moment."

Theobald sat down nearby. With Marguerite and a true magnate in the room, he felt subconsciously formal, sitting bolt upright with his hands on his knees, the black rosary beads dangling from his wrist.

He spoke up. "Mr. Spencer, the price

is negotiable. We wouldn't be

bothering you if we had any other choice. This villa isn't in a pri

location anymore, and the neighborhood is quite empty. There's not much life here."

"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Theobald, CEO of Starlight Group. We've recently developed a luxury villa community you may have heard of. I can reserve the best plot for you-it's much largerthan this one, 5 agres. What do yo think?"

Marguerite glanced at her brother, giving him a mental thumbs-up.

He was actually useful in a pinch.