Second Chance: Marrying into Wealth Chapter 279

Quinlan called me because she was out of options.

She needed my help.

But I couldn't give her a clear answer.

I suspected Marlowe was doing it on purpose to get Christopher's attention.

After hanging up, I told Christopher about it.

He just shrugged, "Let her be. It's her own problem; she can deal with it."

As for Hayes, I knew Christopher wouldn't easily compromise.

Because once he did, Marlowe would think she could use Hayes to manipulate Christopher.

She'd definitely push her luck, and Hayes would suffer even more.

Understanding Christopher's stance, I stopped following Marlowe's situation.

I also relayed Christopher's decision to Quinlan.

She couldn't change much either, so she had to accept it.

Marlowe had already lost her parents and only had Hayes. If she didn't cherish him, she'd regret it one day.

Thinking about parents made me miss mine.

Seeing their photos didn't ease my longing; it only made it worse.

That night, I didn't sleep well.

When I finally fell asleep in the early morning, I overslept.

Until my phone rang.

I thought it was my alarm, groggily reached out to turn it off, and tried to go back to sleep.

"Melinda, get up, morning workout!"

Suddenly, a deep, magnetic voice came through the phone.

The phone was right by my ear, and Christopher's voice was so compelling that it jolted me awake.

I looked at my phone and realized it wasn't the alarm; it was Christopher calling.

The weather was getting colder, and I was reluctant to get out of bed, especially after a restless night. I was still tired.

I couldn't help but refuse, "Mr. Collins, you don't have to take Paula's words seriously. I don't need to work out."

Christopher didn't listen to me at all. "I always keep my word. Hurry up, I'm already at your door."

I made a face, trying to negotiate, "How about tomorrow or the day after? At least let me prepare."

But Christopher was stubborn, "I promised Paula a few days ago. You've had enough time. Besides, I have all the equipment you need, no preparation necessary."

In the end, I had no choice but to drag myself out of bed, throw on some casual clothes, and head downstairs to open the door.

It was late fall.

The mornings and evenings were chilly.

I didn't usually work out, and I had gotten rid of most of my workout clothes, so what I wore was a bit thin.

When I opened the door, the cold wind made me shiver.

Christopher frowned, displeased with my outfit. "Wearing that, you'll catch a cold."

I saw an opportunity and quickly made an excuse, "But I don't have suitable clothes. I told you I needed to prepare. How about we skip today and wait until I buy some clothes?"

Before I could finish, Christopher draped his jacket over me.

The cold made me instinctively pull the jacket tighter, but then I realized it was Christopher's. I tried to take it off, "This isn't necessary."

Christopher's sharp, deep gaze met mine, his voice commanding, "Quit wasting time. Let's go."

He started walking away.

I had no choice but to follow.

Christopher, with his chiseled abs, had a fully equipped gym.

He first showed me how to use the equipment.

To avoid cramps, especially for a beginner like me, we had to do some stretching exercises first.

He taught me some stretches.

Even so, I couldn't do them properly. My hands wouldn't reach high enough, my feet were unsteady, and my waist wouldn't twist right.

"Raise your hand to this position."

Christopher moved closer, his large hand warm against mine, the heat spreading through my body.

I shivered, my ears turning slightly red, wanting to pull away but afraid of being too obvious.

Thankfully, he let go of me the next moment.

When it came to twisting my waist, he noticed I wasn't doing it right. He placed one hand on my shoulder and the other on my waist, guiding me.

The touch on my waist was even more intense and sensitive than on my hand. I tried to ignore it, but my heart raced, and my ears turned red.

I even felt my legs go weak.

The next moment, I almost fell forward.

Christopher caught me by the waist, pulling me into his arms.

Like touching a live wire, I pushed him away, creating some distance.

I realized my actions might have offended him and opened my mouth to apologize, trying to avoid awkwardness.

Christopher remained calm, "With your current health, if you don't start working out, you might become the first person at Summit Innovations Group to collapse from work. That would make headlines."

I felt embarrassed, "It can't be that bad!"

Christopher sneered, "You can't even handle simple stretches. How is it not that bad?"

He seemed determined to improve my fitness.

He stayed with me as I tried each piece of equipment, focusing on getting familiar with them before increasing the intensity.

But what Christopher considered a light workout nearly exhausted me.

Finally, he decided to leave me with just the treadmill, which he thought was the most basic exercise.

He set the speed very low.

Even so, my legs gave out, and I almost fell on the treadmill.

Christopher, always watching, quickly turned off the treadmill and caught me, preventing any injury.

I leaned against him, catching my breath, feeling embarrassed.

I must be the first person to almost collapse on a treadmill.

Once I calmed down, I realized I was still in his arms, my hand on his firm chest.

Even without trying, I could feel how fit he was, but I quickly pulled away.

Christopher let go of me naturally.

"Why didn't you say something?" Christopher scolded.

I felt wronged, "You have to listen to me!"

He probably thought I was trying to slack off. For someone as talented as Christopher, it was hard to understand how a beginner could struggle with such a light workout.

"Sorry!" To my surprise, Christopher apologized, "I overestimated you!"