Whether Jaguar's story was real or fabricated, he radiated a perfect broken-man-waiting-to-be-saved vibe, which was practically begging me to take the bait.
The night was deep, and the rain beyond the window poured harder. A faint, dull ache throbbing in my knees made me stagger as I walked.
Ever since getting that injury, rainy days had always come with waves of pain in my knee.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
"Come in," I said tiredly.
I thought it was Walter, but to my surprise, it was Jaguar. He walked in wearing black pajamas and held a small bottle of essential oil, with his sleeves casually rolled up to his elbows.
When his eyes fell on my knees, his gaze was calm, but there was something quietly insistent in the way he looked at me.
"I'm here to give you a massage."
I frowned. "I don't need it."
Instead of answering, he walked over to me, dropped to one knee, and cupped his hands around my knee.
I instinctively tried to pull my leg back. "Let go."
"If you don't want my body, at least enjoy my services," Jaguar said, ignoring my resistance.
He pressed his fingers gently against my knee and slowly kneaded it. His movements were incredibly practiced and natural, as if he had done this thousands of times before.
"Your knees will ache on rainy days. You need to keep them warm…" he said in a low and steady voice.
"You do know a lot," I said coldly.
He didn't look up and remained entirely focused on the massage. His pressure shifted smoothly between light and firm, easing the throbbing pain in my knee.
"I used to learn about massage therapy," he replied and set the bottle of essential oil on the table. "I formulated this medicinal oil for someone very important to me, and it works pretty well."
I looked at him. "Then why aren't you massaging this important person instead?"
He finally looked up and met my eyes. His gaze was calm, yet it seemed to carry an overwhelming weight of emotions.
"She's… just starting to know me."
With that, he withdrew his hands and stood up. "If your knees hurt again, Ms. Sterling, you can call me at any time."
I reached out and brushed my fingers lightly across his cheek. My voice was soft but carried an undeniable authority.
"Are you trying to please me?"
He chuckled. "Since you're looking to tame a wild pet, Ms. Sterling, I should probably do my part. I wouldn't want you thinking you're making a bad investment."
I fell briefly silent before my eyes fell on the medicinal oil he had formulated.
Suddenly, it seemed like keeping him around might actually be a fantastic idea. Better yet, he was gorgeous, knew how to make me feel pampered, and maybe… He was turning out to be way more useful than I ever expected.
…
After Jaguar left, the dull ache in my knees significantly subsided. I slept well through the night for the first time in a while.
By the time I woke up, it was bright daylight. I immediately called for Walter.
As I touched my knees, which felt much better, a smile tugged at the corner of my lips. "The custom suits I ordered from Winston should be ready by now. Have them delivered to him."
Winston Rhodes was the Sterlings' exclusive private tailor. All his pieces were handmade and served as a major status symbol.
"Mr. Blackwood hasn't visited in a while. Shall I have them sent to his office?" Walter instinctively asked.
Mr. Blackwood?
I frowned, clearly annoyed. "I have a pet now, Walter. Of course, I'm going to save all the good things for my man."
Walter nodded and seamlessly switched names. "In that case, I'll have the clothes delivered to Mr. Reed."
"Good."
…
Over the next few weeks, I finally began to understand what Adrian meant when he talked about the joys of spoiling Poppy.
Jaguar never rejected my kindness. When the custom-made clothes were delivered, he was thrilled and immediately put them on, showing me how perfectly they fit and how much he loved them.
To me, he was too gaunt, so I ordered the kitchen to prepare all kinds of nutritious meals for him. Color slowly returned to his face, and he grew stronger.
Every time I helped him or gave him a gift, he never turned them down or pretended to be all high and mighty. Instead, he sincerely thanked me and showed me just how much he cherished my gifts.
People always expected a return on their investments. It was true when dealing with Poppy, and it was just as true with Jaguar.
Jaguar would occasionally gift me paintings he had made himself, portraits of me from every angle, as if I were the only thing he could see.
He would also cook amazing food for me. I couldn't even name half the dishes, but somehow, every single one perfectly suited my tastes.
Before rainy days, he would massage my knees to keep the pain at bay.
It felt like he knew me better than I understood myself.
This was a stark contrast to Adrian, who didn't even know that I couldn't stand cilantro, let alone that my knees ached whenever it rained, after all the years we had been together.
He never went out of his way to get me gifts. Instead, after accepting mine, he would go on about how above material things he was, as if my giving him gifts was wrong, while his taking them was completely justified.
I was done wasting my energy on such an exhausting, unrewarding relationship.
I redirected all my previous devotion onto Jaguar because whenever I gave him a gift, he would find a way to return the favor with two or more…
Even if the gifts weren't expensive, his gestures made me happy for days.
…
It wasn't until the Sterling family's business gala drew near that Adrian suddenly remembered my existence. By the time he came to me, I had nearly forgotten he existed.
He arrived at the Sterling residence holding hands with Poppy, boldly walking in, looking like a couple.
In the past, I definitely would have been angry and jealous, but now, I felt absolutely nothing. If anything, he suddenly seemed so much older, and even a little ugly.
I looked away, slightly disgusted.
Jaguar was honestly much better looking.
"Evelyn, why haven't you reached out to me lately?" Adrian asked in a casual, indifferent voice. "My company has been running into a few issues…"
I wasn't in the mood to listen to him cry poverty, so I cut him off. "You didn't bother to reach out to me either, did you?"
He looked a little awkward as he said, "I've been busy with work lately. Shall Poppy and I have dinner with you tonight?"
He just wanted to get a free meal, yet somehow, he managed to sound high and mighty, claiming to treat me to a meal.
I had heard Jaguar was going to cook a feast for me tonight, and I absolutely didn't want to share it with outsiders.
Just as I was about to refuse, Adrian seamlessly changed the subject. "The Sterling family gala is in a few days. Why aren't Mr. Rhodes' custom-tailored outfits ready yet?
"Oh, and why don't we have him make a gown for Poppy, too? I'm planning to bring her along so she can network and gain some exposure."
I frowned impatiently. "Why are you telling me that? Tell Mr. Rhodes yourself."
He froze awkwardly in place. "You know Mr. Rhodes refuses to make clothes for anyone outside of the Sterling family."
I laughed. So, it seemed like Adrian knew he wasn't worthy.
Noticing the smirk on my face, it finally dawned on him that something was wrong.
Staring at me, he stiffly let go of Poppy's hand, and his voice softened. "Evelyn, are you mad at me? Are you upset because I haven't visited lately?"
I studied him coldly and couldn't help thinking about my terrible taste in men back then.
Just then, Poppy, who had been hiding behind Adrian, excitedly piped up. "Jaguar Reed? What are you doing here?"
"It's me, Poppy… your junior from the student council. Do you remember me?"
She walked up and looked at him, her eyes shining bright with anticipation.
Jaguar frowned. "I don't know you."
Standing to the side, Adrian bristled the moment he heard the name "Jaguar Reed" and whipped his head in Jaguar's direction.
With just one look, his furious expression drained into a blank shock.
Then, he began trembling slightly and fixed Jaguar with a deadly glare before turning on me.
"Why is he wearing the custom suit Mr. Rhodes made?" he demanded.
