Chapter 69: "I don’t want you accepting gift from Jason"

Mia shot a glare at Neil as she walked towards her sofa next to the window, settling down with a deliberate thud. Her glare intensified, dissecting the man on her bed. Despite his eyes being closed, his expression remained intimidating – furrowed eyebrows, lips pressed into a determined stubborn line. One of his hands supported the back of his head, showcasing the muscularity of his bulging arm that was bent to support his head, while one of his legs was bent on the bed, the other straight, his relaxed posture indicating a careless sprawl that seemed to claim the space as if it were his own private domain.

How could one look so dangerous and yet good looking at the same time? Mia thought as she swallowed hard. Her professor was like a tyrant that people should stay clear of, his expression and demeanor was not welcoming, yet his looks and aura would make one want to get on his good side. As much as she wouldn’t like to get involved with him, he kept appearing at the least moment she expected him to.

While she appreciated his good looks and captivating eyes, Mia wasn’t like the other girls in school who would go to great lengths for his attention. Take Diane, for instance, who even created a fictional love story with the professor on the school forum. Yet, what confused Mia was why he kept involving himself with her instead of any of the other girls. What did someone as confident and masculine as Mr. Bennett see in someone like her? She didn’t possess the same level of beauty as the other girls, so why did he choose to come to her place not just once, but twice?

As Mia continued to look at the man on her bed with a deep frown while trying to wonder what he could possibly want from her to the point that he offered her to work in his house and even bought her a guitar, his deep voice broke the silence, husky and unwavering. "What did you do today after school, Harrison?"

Pursing her lips, Mia wondered why he cared. "Why does it matter to you? It’s none of your business." She retorted with her chin raised in a stubborn manner. When she had asked him why he didn’t come to the university today, he had told her that it was none of her business and now he was asking her what she did after school as if they were friends. It was also none of his business!

His eyes snapped open, gray orbs locking onto hers dangerously. Mia’s heartbeat unconsciously sped up, and she nervously swallowed as his piercing gaze always made her want to flee. However, since she was in her own room, she remained in her seated position.

"What did you do after school, Harrison? I asked you a question, don’t make me repeat it for the third time or you won’t like the consequences," he calmly warned with dark amusement dancing in his eyes. This was why he always claimed the girl was different. She never did as he said unless he repeated himself, which he hated doing. As a Major General in the army, he was accustomed to people swiftly obeying or responding to his requests without needing to be prompted again. Yet this young woman always challenged his words.

Neil would have been annoyed if it had been one of his soldiers questioning his orders, but it was this petite woman who always foolishly displayed bravery. If her audacity truly provoked him like it did with others, he could easily break her neck in an instant. However, surprisingly, it didn’t irk him, and as long as her stubbornness didn’t push him too far, she would remain safe. He had killed when angered before.

Mia, noticing the challenging gaze in his eyes that dared her to defy him once more, she didn’t dare to tell him it was none of his business anymore. She pressed her lips together and softly murmured, "Rayne and I went to the shopping center after school."

"Who else went with you?" he demanded, his tone carrying an air of authority.

"Jason Wallace," she replied, watching as his eyes seemed to darken at the mention of Jason. Did he know Jason? Of course he would know Jason Wallace, almost everyone in the country knows who he was due to how he was always on tv!

Just the mention of that name was enough to ruin Neil’s mood. He had known that she had gone shopping with Jason, but he just wanted to confirm to know what kind of relationship they both had. Because in those photos and video, she looked quite comfortable with him running his fingers into her hair and leaning down as if to whisper sweet nothings into her ears. They looked like a loving couple shopping. Recalling the images, Neil felt his blood boil again.

As if no longer interested in relaxing anymore, Neil sat up on the bed, his arrogance and pride on full display. He ran his fingers through his black thick locks and then turned towards Mia. "Did you bring anything from the mall?" His voice held a hint of controlled anger, making Mia shiver involuntarily.

Nodding hesitantly, Mia subconsciously clutched the snacks to her chest, which his eyes followed the subconscious action. Why was he trying to intimidate her in her own room?

Neil gestured for her to come closer, "Come here, Harrison." He beckoned with his index finger. But Mia didn’t make any attempt to stand up because he looked like a big angry wolf ready to devour his little prey. Should she scream for help? Mia thought to herself as his expression began to darken because she didn’t do as he said, again.

He chuckled dryly and said, "I’m not going to eat you. I Just want to taste those snacks you’ve been clutching tightly to yourself this whole time."

Mia, who had been clutching tightly to the jar, quickly let it drop to her lap at his remarks. She hadn’t even realized she was holding it to her chest the whole time, and the way he said the words made it sound inappropriate to her ears. But then she still hesitated to go forward, not trusting his words to taste her snacks. But Neil’s authority compelled her forward. "Walk to me, Harrison. Don’t let me get up." he continued, smirking. "I just want to eat from your snacks." He said patiently.

Mia stood up and slowly walked towards him on the bed, she handed him the snacks jar, and he took it from her and calmly remarked, "Have a seat," he patted the space beside him. When she obediently sat down, he opened the snack jar and paused as he realized it was the same kind of snack Mimi used to bring from home to share with him. He used to like it then and would ask his mother to make the same for him but it never tasted as good as the one his little friend brought along with her to their house.

Neil felt an irresistible urge to take a bite of the snack to see if it still had the same taste he remembered from years ago. To his delight, it tasted exactly the same - crunchy and delicious. The fact that this snack was made by the same person from years ago suggested that this person might have knowledge about the girls’ messed up memories.

"Who made these?" Neil casually asked Mia as he began to indulge in the snacks from the jar.

Mia pursed her lips, observing how he was eating the snacks her mother had prepared for her to take to school. Despite this, she responded, "My mom made them."

"Hmm," Neil hummed as he chewed. In their childhood days, he had never caught a glimpse of her mother’s face as Mia was always in the care of a nanny. However, his purpose for being here today was not to finally meet her mother, but to address another matter.

Neil didn’t hold back from savoring the snacks of his childhood. It had been a long time since he had enjoyed something like this. Without paying any mind to the angry glare from the owner of the snacks, he continued to eat as if they were made specifically for him. He remained silent until the jar was nearly empty, then he placed it on the nightstand and dusted off his hands.

Mia felt a sudden urge to cry as she looked at the almost empty jar on her nightstand. She had been looking forward to eating those snacks but Mr. Ice cube had finished it up and only left crunches for her. How cruel!

Neil stood up from the bed, shoving his hands into his pockets as he cast an indifferent gaze down at Mia. "What did you bring from the shopping center with Jason?" he demanded, his tone calm yet authoritative.

Mia frowned, torn between telling him it was none of his business but recognizing the seriousness in his expression as he towered over her, she chose the latter. She stood up and retrieved the shopping bags containing the dresses and shoes Jason had bought for her at the shopping center.

"Show me," Neil ordered, his voice cutting through the air like a knife.

As Mia began to bring out the dresses, Neil’s eyes caught sight of the red one he had seen in the photos sent to him. His hands clenched into fists, and without a moment’s hesitation, he reached out and seized the dress. With a swift, forceful move, he ripped it into two, the sound of tearing fabric echoing in the room. Mia’s eyes widened, shock etched across her face as the dress she admired the most now laid ruined in Neil’s hands.

"Why did you do that, Mr. Bennett?" she exclaimed, her voice a mix of disbelief and anger. She had liked the dress among the rest. It was an expensive beautiful dress from a well-known brand in the country, she had refused to take it when she saw the price tag but Jason and Rayne had insisted because it looked good on her, and she had made the decision to even wear it on the day of the competition. But Mr. Bennett had swiftly ruined it as if it were a piece of paper worth nothing!

Neil remained stoic, his eyes fixed on the torn dress. "I don’t want you accepting gifts from Jason Wallace," he stated coldly, his arrogance radiating with each word. "Especially not dresses like this trash."

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read