Attracted By My Ex-wife

Chapter 282 The Punishment Game

Anne's brows furrowed in disapproval at Kevin's words. Still, it wasn't as if there was still anything she could do. They had already begun. Now it was all up to Mark not to let their little prank turn into a disaster on his own wedding day.

"I hope he finds Rose quickly..." Anne sighed worriedly.

Kevin said nothing, but a wicked grin fell on his lips. What Anne was wishing for was impossible. He and Sam hade made sure of it. He was definitely looking forward to what was going to happen next, but he had wisely kept his mouth shut.

Mark groped blindly as he set out to find his bride. The darkness was so thick that he could not even see his own fingers. Footsteps rang all around him, and he could tell from each person's scent whether they were a man or a woman, but so far, there had been no sign of Rose.

'Damn it,' he cursed in his head. He was usually a calm and composed person, but this game was wearing his patience thin. As he continued trying to look for Rose, he wondered if Sam had been holding a personal grudge against him for him to pull this kind of trick at his wedding.

The next moment, light flooded the room. Mark squinted against the sudden onslaught of brightness. In front of him, sitting on the high platform, was Rose. Ah yes, she was wearing a wedding dress. It would not have been comfortable for her to hide among the crowd. Briefly, Mark was thankful for Sam's thoughtfulness.

However, his gratitude was short-lived. "Mr. Mark, just earlier, that was only a trial. Now, the real game begins," Sam said with a smile.

As he spoke, the staff distributed handkerchiefs among the guests.

Everyone was filled with confusion. Nobody knew what was going to happen next.

Soon enough, all of the staff had finished their task. Sam continued, "Now, everyone. You each have a handkerchief in your hands. Before we proceed, I would like to assure you that the staff here will ensure everyone's safety, so there is no need to be nervous. Then, please tie the handkerchief around your head to cover your eyes."

The guests did as they were told, and once again, the game began. This time however, Mark was feeling more confident. He already knew where Rose was, and this was his home. He could navigate it perfectly well even with closed eyes. Exclusive © content by N(ô)ve/l/Drama.Org.

He finished securing the handkerchief around his head with a smile. From a distance, Anne quietly watched as Mark walked towards the direction of Rose's seat.

Her eyes had also been covered. The next moment, she was taken away by the staff and was replaced with another girl.

Anne's eyes widened in horror as Mark got closer to where Rose had been. She turned her eyes sharply to Kevin and said accusingly, "This is your idea of fun?"

This might be more trouble than what it was worth. Anne felt bad for both Rose and Mark to be toyed with like this at their own wedding.

But Kevin was unfazed at her anger. "It's not a big deal. Besides, Rose is your sister. You should let Mark suffer a little. How can you let Rose marry him so easily?" he said with a smile.

Anne had wanted to answer back, but even she thought that Kevin had a point. Rose was her sister, and even if she had chosen to marry Mark of her own accord, Anne thought that their marriage had been a little too hasty.

Mark fumbled up the stairs. After circling around twice, he finally found the place where Rose had been.

"Rose." He held the hand of the person in front of him, but felt something was wrong.

One of the rules of the game was that the guests were not allowed to speak, so the woman had kept silent. However, Mark was soon certain that the person in front of him was definitely not Rose. There was moisture on the person's palm and Mark had held Rose's hand enough to know that her hand never sweated. Moreover, Rose's hand was more delicate than the one he was holding now.

"This is not Rose. Sam, am I right?" Mark knew that Sam was near, so he addressed him directly.

As expected, his guess was right. "Mr. Mark is very smart indeed. You are right. The person in front of you is not your bride," Sam said less than five meters away from him.

Although his eyes were blindfolded, Mark could hear what could only be amusement in Sam's voice. His face set in tense lines. He should have known earlier that things wouldn't be that simple.

"Who knows if she's even in this room? You could have hidden her somewhere else," Mark said, his voice rising in anger.

Kevin had expected that Mark would say something along those lines. As always, his predictions were spot-on. He was able to pinpoint the exact time when Mark was going to get angry.

"Ha-ha. Now, now, Mr. Mark. Don't be too hasty. This game was prepared for you, after all," Sam answered with the same amused voice.

As he spoke, the staff led several people to stand in a row in front of Mark. Each of them was wearing a wedding dress, and had the same height and figure as Rose.

"The person you are looking for is nearby. Now you have a row of people in front of you. You will find Rose among them." Mark calmed himself down and nodded.

"Alright. I'll start, then," he said.

The women in front of Mark reached out their hands for him to feel.

Every time, Mark shook his head. He had finished checking all of them, but there was no one who gave him the feeling that she was Rose.

"She's not among them," Mark said with certainty.

Now this was something Sam had not expected. He knew Mark was smart, but he did not think he would be able to see through his trick again. Still, he asked, "Mr. Mark, are you really sure? If you make a mistake, there will be a punishment."

However, Mark smiled. Things were falling into place. Now, he realized that the person who was putting him through this torture was not Sam but Kevin.

"A hundred percent. If everything's right, I'm sure that Rose is in the wedding room," he answered confidently.

Sam would never have come up with such a terrible idea. Only Kevin held some grudges against Rose. But did he really have to go this far? This was a wedding for Pete's sake!

Mark, however, was only half-right. What had escaped him was that Kevin wasn't punishing him because of Rose, but because Mark had once liked Anne.

Moreover, even if Kevin really wanted to get even with Rose, he wouldn't go too far in consideration of how fond Anne was of her sister.

"Bravo! You are indeed her groom. Take Mr. Mark to Rose," Sam announced, then heaved a sigh of relief. Thankfully, nothing too outrageous happened.

As he was being led out of the stage, Mark heard Sam mutter behind him, "Kevin, you bastard. I hope you're satisfied."

The corners of Mark's mouth twitched. Sure enough, Kevin was the mastermind behind it all. He was a terrible man, playing with them for his own amusement. When he had time in the future, he had to tell Anne to be on guard against her own husband and his devious plots.

Inside the wedding suite, red roses were littered on the pink bed sheet in the shape of a heart. Rose sat on one end, her face betraying her impatience. She had been waiting for a long time now, but there was still no sign of Mark.

To get more comfortable, she had already changed from the wedding dress into casual clothes.

Just as she thought she couldn't take it anymore and was about to go outside to have a look, the door was pushed open. It was Mark.

"Rose." At the sight of him, a deep blush crept on her cheeks, which reflected the beautiful twilight. Her heart beat wildly in her chest, forming a steady rhythm of endless amorous feelings.

"Humph!" She feigned annoyance. He had made her wait. It was only fair that she made things a little more difficult for him.

Mark felt helpless. He cursed Kevin in his mind. This was all his damned fault. Still, he couldn't help but think that even in her anger, Rose looked beautiful. So much so that he didn't mind wooing her irritation away however long it would take. Every second would be worth it.

"Why did you change your clothes? I haven't enjoyed you enough in your wedding dress yet. You looked so beautiful," Mark said gently.

Rose only snorted at his words. "Any longer and I would have already fallen asleep."

At her words, the corners of Mark's mouth lifted into an unfamiliar smirk. Rose felt nervous as he looked at her. She had never seen him make that expression before.

"Oh, I didn't realize that you were so eager to… sleep. I'm surprised. I never thought you could be so bold."

Rose blinked, not fully grasping the innuendo. A moment later, her eyes widened and her cheeks burned as she understood the meaning of his words. "You devil! Are you men always like this when you are married? I was tricked. I'm going to call off the engagement."

The sight of Rose being flustered only magnified Mark's amusement. Still with that devilish grin, he stepped forward and pressed Rose down on the bed. He brought his face closer to her. "Do you regret it now? I'm afraid it's a little too late for that, wife," he whispered then kissed the ring on her finger.

The night was wonderful.

A soft breeze blew the willows in the suburbs, and the lights gave a soft glow to the surroundings. Kevin drove slowly, letting Anne admire the quiet charm of the evening.

Her mind was filled with thoughts of the wedding. A faint smile curved on her lips, and Kevin watched her in silent admiration.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked, turning the steering wheel steadily.

In truth, Anne was a little envious of the young couple. They had reached their happy ending without having to go through too much ups and downs. She was happy for Rose, and the last thing she wanted was for her sister to have to experience the same pain that she did. They had made it look so easy, and it was that part that stung. However, Anne felt that she could not tell these words to Kevin. It would only hurt them both if she kept dwelling on the things of the past.

She touched her belly gently and said with a smile, "I was wondering what name our baby should have. Would it be a boy or a girl?"

"If you want to know, go ask Sam. He will tell you," Kevin said with a smile.

Anne shook her head. "No, it's like playing hide and seek with the baby. I don't know what it looks like, or what the gender would be, but I know that I love it no matter what." As she lowered her head, some strands of her hair fell on the side of her face.

Kevin was enchanted at the sight of her. He felt his heart skip a beat. Too soon, the car arrived at the East Mountain Villa.

Anne unfastened her seat belt and was about to get out of the car, but was stopped by Kevin, "Anne, don't move."

He had spoken so suddenly that Anne thought there was something wrong, so she immediately turned her head and looked at Kevin.

She was surprised to see him smiling instead. He drew her closer and pressed his lips against hers gently.

Anne was stunned. The two of them didn't seem to have too much time together, especially with how busy that past days had been. But her thoughts were soon replaced with the feeling of Kevin's warm lips and she responded instinctively. The night watched over the lovers who knew nothing but the other one in their arms.

After a long time, Kevin broke off and let Anne go. They were breathing more deeply, and Anne felt weak as she leaned in his arms.

Kevin smiled. He liked how Anne looked like now—pliant and docile in his embrace, but it was not comfortable to sleep here. He let her body lean against the passenger seat, and then got out of the car. Then, he opened the door on her side and held her as they walked home.

Worried that Anne might wake up, he took every step slowly. Under the cover of the night, he seemed like a completely different man. He was much softer and gentler. He held Anne delicately, as if he was holding the most precious treasure in the world.

Anne was already half asleep as she leaned on him. She burrowed further into his arms, seeking his warmth. Kevin was filled with immense satisfaction. His Anne was finally accepting him, and he felt as if he had been greatly rewarded.

It was at this moment that he had decided. When the old city district was repaired, he would propose again. After the baby was born and she had recovered, then he would marry her. Silently, he prayed that this time, she would say yes, at least for the children's sake.