Ch. 1201..1210

Chapter 1201

Cooper then sat beside Timothy on the couch and picked up the kettle to pour himself a cup of coffee.

With his lips parted, Timothy seemed as though he wanted to say something but failed to utter a word.

"Is there a reason why you're here?" inquired Cooper after taking two sips of his coffee.

"Asel will be one in a few days, so I want you to take Mandy and Lucian with you to my place," responded Timothy in a hoarse voice.

When Cooper heard that, he raised his hand to rub his eyebrows. "I've been so busy recently that I've completely forgotten about it. What date is it?"

"The twenty-first."

"I'll have the twins pick out a birthday gift for her in the next couple of days. Rest assured I'll bring Mandy and Lucian over on that day..." Cooper paused for a while to glance at Sally, who was talking on the phone in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, before adding, "And also my wife."

Following Cooper's gaze, Timothy, too, shifted his attention to Sally.

He knew what the Loake family was going through, yet he never expected the platonic relationship between Cooper and Sally to lead the two into marriage.

Then, Timothy turned back to Cooper and uttered softly, "Sorry..."

Cooper wanted to tell Timothy that Armand and Genevieve were still alive so that Timothy would not feel so guilty.

However, he thought the fewer people knew about the truth, the better, for the couple's return would not happen any time soon, even though they were not dead. On top of that, Zephyr was also still alive. After some thought, Cooper changed his mind and simply voiced, "I told you it didn't have much to do with you. Besides, it was such a long time ago. You're Mandy's godfather, and she likes Asel, so I don't see anything wrong with her celebrating Asel's birthday."

Cooper's words made Timothy feel even worse since his impulsiveness was the reason Genevieve went to Lostaria to find Zephyr.

To Timothy, he was indirectly responsible for their deaths.

Since he only came to hand the children gifts and invite Cooper and the others to his daughter's birthday party, Timothy left after chatting with Cooper for a while.

When Amanda finally walked out of the kitchen with a plate of fruits, Timothy was already gone. "Huh? Where's Uncle Tim?"

"He had something to tend to, so he had to go."

י

"I washed this bunch of grapes one by one, yet he didn't even taste one," complained Amanda with a pout after setting the plate down on the coffee table.

"What about me? Can't I have the grapes you prepared?" joked Cooper.

"Of course, you can. Let me peel them for you." Amanda picked up a plump grape from the plate but froze after peeling only a small part.

Looking at Sally, who remained in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, Amanda shoved the grape into Cooper's hand. "Do you remember what we talked about when we entered the house, Uncle Cooper?" Then, the girl gave Cooper a thumbs-up before moving upstairs with a plate of apples. "You can do it!"

Smiling, Cooper began peeling the grapes before placing them in the bowl.

He waited until Sally put her phone away and returned to the living room before inquiring, "Who were you talking to? A man?"

"Are you interrogating me?" Sally lowered her head to look at Cooper.

"What if I am?" responded Cooper while pulling two pieces of tissue to wipe the water droplets off his hand. "You're a commander's daughter, after all. Even now, many desire you."

Even though Gerald had been sent to prison, he used to be an influential commander, so anyone who could marry his daughter would have something to brag about.

Sally thought Cooper was acting weird and even found the man amusing. "You should know our relationship better than anyone else. Why are you interrogating me when I did no such thing to you?"

"I do know it better than anyone else, but we're married now, and you're legally my wife."

With that, Cooper placed his phone on the table. "The passcode is six ones. Feel free to dig around."

Sally gazed coldly at Cooper, wondering if the man had lost his mind.

"I did a body checkup a year ago, and the report indicated everything was normal." Cooper pushed the peeled grapes toward Sally as if he knew what was going through her mind. "I tried the grapes; they're pretty sweet."

Chapter 1202

Sally shifted her gaze between the bowl of grapes and Cooper. She was about to say something when the screen of his phone on the table lit up. It was an incoming call from Bertilla.

The call was probably about work as Cooper went upstairs in a hurry shortly after answering the phone.

In order to make the grapes taste even better, he had added some ice cubes into the glass bowl.

Sally picked one of the grapes up with a fork and stuffed it into her mouth.

The sweetness of the grape filled her tongue almost instantly, and the coolness from the ice cubes only amplified its flavors even more.

Cooper was so busy with work that he remained in his study throughout the rest of the afternoon. He stepped out for a quick meal during dinner but went back to work in the study immediately after.

Sally knew better than to disturb him at a time like this, so she helped Amanda build Lego castles in the living room instead. At about nine in the evening, she brought the kids to their bedroom upstairs before returning to hers.

It was already ten by the time she was done showering, and yet. Cooper was still busy working.

After putting on a robe, Sally whipped up a bowl of oatmeal and brought it over to the study.

Cooper was so absorbed in his work that he didn't even hear her knocking on the door.

It wasn't until Sally placed the bowl down on his desk that he caught a whiff of the oatmeal's fragrant smell and looked up at her.

"Carry on with your work," Sally said as she prepared to step out of the study.

Having just ended a long video conference. Cooper's voice sounded a little hoarse when he called out to her, "You don't look like you're about to sleep anytime soon. How about you give me a shoulder massage?"

"I've never even given my father a shoulder massage," Sally replied.

Cooper arched an eyebrow at her in response. "Are you that much of a failure as a daughter?"

Sally stared intently at him as she recalled the bowl of grapes from earlier that afternoon. After giving it some thought, she made her way around the table and stood behind him.

She then placed her hands on Cooper's shoulders and began massaging them.

Because the amount of force she used was just right, Cooper's stiff shoulders soon relaxed as he shifted his gaze back toward the computer screen.

The study was so quiet that the sounds of him typing on the keyboard were all that filled the room.

Cooper was finally done working on the documents at about half past eleven. He then turned around in his chair and pulled Sally onto liis lap.

Her body exuded a faint fragrance of the herbal shampoo she used during her shower, and the robe she wore exposed a small part of her collarbones.

"Are the kids asleep?" Cooper asked while tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Yeah. They went to bed at around nine-thirty," Sally replied.

Feeling a little ticklish from Cooper rubbing his finger against her cheek, Sally grabbed his hand and pinned it down as she continued, "It was Mr. Zane who called me earlier this afternoon." Apparently, someone had secretly taken pictures of her and Cooper being arrested by the plain-clothes police officers.

Those pictures soon spread like wildfire on the internet while they were being interrogated at the police station.

Not only did it affect Specter Corporation's stock prices, but commenters had also speculated that Sally and Cooper were arrested for working together to murder Stefan. Robert was unable to be reinstated with the Gaudette family in the way, so he couldn't get the two of them out of the police station.

He called as soon as he heard about Cooper being acquitted and released from police custody.

After explaining everything to Cooper, Sally added, "So, I was indeed speaking to a man on the phone. Does that make you jealous?"

Cooper let out a chuckle as he replied, "I'm not about to get jealous of a married man in his fifties."

Pulling Sally into his arms, he kissed her repeatedly on the neck. The faint fragrance of her shampoo got his blood pumping like crazy.

He looked up at her and asked, "You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?"

"Hmm?"

"We'll talk about this in the study of my condominium. It's not appropriate to do so while we're at someone else's place," Cooper replied as he reached behind her knees and scooped her into his arms. That was when Sally realized what Cooper meant by that question of his.

Chapter 1203

After arriving at the bedroom. Cooper tossed Sally onto the couch and climbed on top of her as he delivered a barrage of kisses. Instead of shying away from his "assault," Sally reciprocated his kisses while helping him get his shirt off.

Cooper had removed the belt of her robe while smothering her with kisses, revealing the figure-hugging spaghetti-strap nightgown underneath.

The love bites on her collarbones were clearly visible under the dim lighting of the bedroom.

Cooper lifted the hem of her nightgown and wrapped her legs around his waist.

It wasn't long before Sally had worked up a sweat. Her silky-smooth, black hair was sticking to her cheeks while the strap of her nightgown hung loosely over her shoulders.

The passionate and seductive vibes that she gave off while making love formed a huge contrast with her usual cool and elegant appearance.

Cooper stopped his thrusts all of a sudden when he saw that her cheeks were drenched in sweat.

Reaching out, he caressed her rosy lips, causing them to turn even redder with the warmth of his hand.

Cooper leaned forward to lick the sweat off her face and chuckled next to her ear. "Right now, you look like a pure maiden that has been corrupted by the masses."

Sally usually seemed unapproachable due to her calm and reserved nature, so dominating her felt particularly satisfying.

See? Even an ice queen like her isn't immune to feelings of love and lust!

Sally pushed him off and said in a hoarse voice, "I thought you were horrible enough, but you manage to surprise me by taking it to a whole new level."

"What's the matter? Why can't you take a few insults after everything else you've experienced?" Cooper asked with a smile.

Sally felt the vein underneath her forehead throb violently as anger filled her eyes. At that very moment, she wanted nothing more than to send Cooper flying with a kick.

However, instead of doing that, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him off balance so she could flip him over.

Cooper frowned when he realized their positions had been reversed. "What's the matter, Cooper? You were running your mouth earlier, weren't you? Why have you gone silent all of a sudden?" Sally asked with a smirk.

"Aren't you a vengeful one?" Cooper retorted.

Sally grabbed the hair on the back of his head and gave it a yank to tilt his head upward. "What, did you only realize that now?"

While she would usually prefer to let Cooper take charge during intercourse, things were different if he angered her.

His eyes were bloodshot with lust, and the corners of his eyes were slightly reddened as well. The faint light in his eyes made them so alluring that Sally found herself starting to lose herself in them. She then reached out and gently caressed the corners of his eyes.

Of course, Cooper was quick to notice that she was distracted.

Oh? Does she like staring at my eyes because they look similar to Ethan's?

Usually, he wouldn't have minded if she saw him as someone else.

However, her doing so while they were having sex angered him to no end, and he felt his blood boiling like lava in a volcano that was erupting.

The lustful look in his eyes instantly faded as his gaze grew cold and distant.

Cooper then grabbed Sally's hand and moved it away from his face as he asked coldly, "Thinking about Ethan while having sex with me? I don't know if this is more insulting to him or me." After that, he shoved her onto the couch and made his way into the bathroom.

Sally wasn't the sympathetic type, so she rarely cared about the feelings of others. However, at that moment, she could clearly sense that Cooper was very angry at her.

Sally also knew that she would have to try and comfort him. Otherwise, he would give her the cold shoulder again as he did in Baykeep because of what happened with Amanda. Not wanting to suffer like that again, Sally walked up to the bathroom and turned the doorknob, only to realize he had locked it.

He locked the door? Just how childish can he get?

With a frown on her face, Sally knocked on the bathroom door and called out to him, "Open the door, Cooper! There's something I need to talk to you about."”

As she didn't get a response from him, Sally had no choice but to retrieve the bathroom key from the drawer and unlock it herself.

Sally saw Cooper taking a shower when she opened the door.

The glass door was all fogged up, but she could still see his tall and muscular figure.

Sally then retrieved a towel from the rack and handed it to Cooper when he was done showering.

To her surprise, he didn't even look at her when he took the towel over and dried himself with it. After that, he put on a bathrobe and continued toweling his hair as he stepped out of the bathroom.

Chapter 1204

Sally quickly stood in front of him to block his path as she said in the most endearing tone possible, "Come on... Don't be angry, okay?"

Cooper let out a cold snort. "Why would I be angry? It's perfectly fine for you to love my eyes, but please don't be thinking of another man while having sex with me. It really turns me off!"

"I wasn't thinking about him. When I took a closer look at your eyes earlier, I realized that they don't look all that similar to his. He's a soldier, so the look in his eyes is always stern and filled with righteousness.' Sally looked up and stared deeply into Cooper's eyes as she continued, "Yours, on the other hand, are gentle and kind.

That tiny difference made her realize that their eyes weren't as similar as she had thought.

Cooper yanked the towel off his head and flashed her a sarcastic smile. "If our eyes are that different, then why did you space out earlier? Don't tell me it's because I'm too skilled in bed!"

Sally's lips moved slightly, but she couldn't seem to find the right words.

The look on Cooper's face turned gloomy as he pushed her aside and stepped out of the bathroom.

Unsure of what else to do, Sally quickly ran after him.

"I really wasn't thinking about him. I have no reason to lie to you, and you know it!" she exclaimed when she saw him going straight to bed.

"What were you thinking about, then?" Cooper asked.

"I was thinking about you. The fact that you used to look at other women with those eyes of yours makes me really uncomfortable," Sally replied while standing next to the bed. "Are you jealous?" Cooper asked with an eyebrow arched after a brief pause.

"We're a married couple. How could I not be jealous if you're thinking about other women?" Sally said the exact same thing he said earlier that afternoon.

While Cooper had no idea how much of her statement was the truth, he did feel a lot better after hearing that.

"So, are you not angry anymore?" Sally asked softly as she rested a knee on the bed and flashed him a gentle smile.

Cooper twirled her hair around his finger as he replied, "I still am. You only answered my question the second time, so I feel like you were stalling to come up with a lie."

Sally pursed her lips in response. The next thing he knew, she got up and walked out of the bedroom without looking back.

It all happened so quickly that it took Cooper quite a few seconds to realize what she just did.

Is she going to sleep in Amanda's room again because she's mad at me? Can I not even question if she's telling the truth anymore?

Cooper massaged his forehead as he contemplated going after Sally, only to have her return seconds later with a bottle of red wine and a glass.

The faint yet fragrant aroma of the wine filled the room and gave it a romantic vibe.

For some reason, Cooper breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Sally was just fetching some wine. He then leaned back against the bed and said, "Bribing me with wine isn't going to quell my anger, you know?"

Sally nodded and sat down on the side of the bed. "Do you want to drink it yourself, or do you want me to feed it to you?"

That was when Cooper realized she wasn't bribing him with the wine but herself.

As Cooper didn't give her an answer, Sally decided to make the choice for him. Taking a sip of the red wine, she moved to kiss him on the lips.

The red wine was a very expensive one, and it tasted even better when she fed it to him like that.

No man could possibly resist the temptation of being fed red wine by such a sexy woman, and Cooper was no exception. With his blood rushing to a certain part of his body, he pulled Sally into his embrace and kissed her aggressively.

His kisses were so forceful that she could barely breathe, and her lips turned red as well.

"I want more," Cooper said as he looked at her with lust-filled eyes.

Sally flashed him a faint smile as she put the glass aside and reached for the wine bottle.

Chapter 1205

She then pointed the bottle slightly downward, causing the red wine to flow out slowly and smoothly. Some of it trickled down the corners of Cooper's mouth and flowed onto his chest, staining his bathrobe red in the process.

Sally slowly leaned forward and wiped the red wine off his lips with kisses before moving down to his neck and collarbones.

Cooper couldn't help but hug her tightly as his chest heaved from the heavy panting. He was trying so hard to contain himself that the veins in his neck were bulging beneath the skin.

Sally turned her head to the side and planted passionate kisses on the bulging veins.

Her seduction efforts eventually paid off as Cooper gave in and snatched the bottle out of her hand. He put it on the nightstand and flipped her onto her back.

"You would never use such tactics on me before. Where did you learn to do something like this?" he asked while staring down at her with reddened eyes.

Instead of answering his question, Sally responded with another question, "Are you still angry?"

Before she even realized what was going on, Sally felt something cold binding her wrists.

Did he just handcuff me?

"Did you really think feeding me some red wine and kissing me a few times would be enough to make me forgive you?" Cooper gave her chin a squeeze as he continued, "If so, then you have no idea how wrong you are."

Sally had a bad feeling in her gut when she noticed the mix of anger and lust in his tone.

She had thought Cooper was being a little mean to her during sex the previous times, but what he did throughout the next few hours was a lot worse.

Had Sally not been exhausted and with her arms bound, she would probably have strangled him to death.

Cooper found it unbelievable and even a little funny when he saw her teary, reddened eyes.

He gave in and stopped the moment he saw her crying.

They could no longer sleep in the bed as it was a complete mess. Cooper carried Sally into the bathroom to get themselves cleaned in the shower. After that, they lay down on the couch, which was considered somewhat clean.

"This is the first time you cried from having sex," Cooper said while caressing the reddened corners of Sally's eyes.

At that very moment, Sally was tempted to open her mouth and bite his finger off.

"You'd better not mess with me, or I will kill you once I recover my strength," she replied in a hoarse voice while looking the other way.

Cooper let out a wry chuckle before pulling her into his arms and covering her body with a blanket.

"Where's Aunt Sally?" Amanda asked curiously when she only saw Cooper coming downstairs for breakfast the next morning.

Cooper cleared his throat and replied, "Aunt Sally is sleeping in because she stayed up all night watching her favorite shows."

"Oh, okay."

They had originally planned to pick out a birthday present for Asel at the mall that day, but Sally was so tired that she couldn't even get out of bed. As such, Cooper had Amanda do it online so they could collec it at the mall later.

After having breakfast, Cooper entered the bedroom with a bowl of oatmeal that the housekeeper had prepared.

Sally would usually wake up at seven in the morning, but their wild sex last night left her so drained that she slept till nine that day.

Cooper replaced the dirty bedsheets with clean ones and carried Sally onto the bed.

The moment he set her down, Sally opened her eyes and kicked him in the chest. However, she had yet to regain her strength, so that kick had no power in it whatsoever.

Cooper sat down beside her and gently moved her hair to the side of her face. "Would you like some oatmeal?"

Sally simply glared coldly at him in response.

"Hey, don't blame me for what I did. You should know better than to seduce a man like that." Even Cooper wasn't expecting himself to lust over her that much.

He sat there beside Sally and waited while she slowly propped herself up against the bedframe.

When she was ready, he picked up the bowl of oatmeal and held a spoonful of it to her mouth. Sally had an expressionless look on her face as she ate the oatmeal.

"I saw Zion's name in the file that Jerry gave me," she said after regaining some of her strength. "Who is he?" Cooper asked in confusion as he wasn't familiar with those in the political sphere.

Chapter 1206

After swallowing a mouthful of oatmeal, Sally explained, "Zion was my dad's subordinate before, but he was transferred to the military district in Baxrich. After what happened to my dad, Zion was transferred back here and even got promoted."

In a light tone, she added, "Zion also went to the meeting in Baykeep.'

Cooper wiped away a dollop of oatmeal at the corner of Sally's mouth. "The fact that Zion's name is on that document means that he's already on the Gaudette family's side. Are you suspecting that he has something to do with your dad's incident?"

Eyes darkening, Sally nodded. "My dad's position became vacant after he got imprisoned, so someone needs to take his place."

"It seems like Zion was not transferred back to Jadeborough by coincidence," remarked Cooper seriously. "Moreover, he was promoted. With the help of the Gaudette family, it won't be difficult for him to take your dad's position."

"But they're undergoing handover now since it's the end of their term of office. A deputy commanding officer from my dad's military district is currently in charge of his job, so the higher-ups don't have the time to promote Zion."

"But if Mr. Gaudette takes office, the first thing he'll do is to promote Zion," Cooper added.

"That's right."

Cooper tried to feed Sally another spoonful of oatmeal, but she shook her head as she was already full. With that, he placed the bowl on the bedside table and passed Sally a glass of water. Taking the glass, Sally said, "I'm not so weak to the point that I can't hold anything."

Cooper could hear the hint of complaint in her tone. Knowing that he had gone overboard the night before, he said in a gentle voice, "Rest at home today. I'll take them out."

Right when he said that, Sally was reminded of what had happened last night. Her waist began throbbing with soreness, and she was tempted to throw the glass at Cooper's face. "Have you asked Robert about it?" Cooper immediately changed the topic.

"Yes. However, Mr. Gaudette is the man who brought Eurydice up to be a capable and composed lady who allows no loopholes. Do you think he'd be someone easy to deal with? I'm sure Mr. Gaudette and Zion kept their deal a secret. No one likely knows about it except for the two of them."

Suddenly remembering something, Cooper lowered his eyes and said, "Your dad worked in the government half his lifetime, but he probably never expected the adopted son he raised to join hands with an outsider and destroy his life and family."

As Cooper spoke, his voice trailed off.

Gerald had caused the death of Stefan's biological father because of a wrong decision. Moreover, he knew that Stefan had feelings for Sally but kept going back on his own word, causing hatred to grow in Stefan's heart.

As for Cooper, he listened to someone's instigation blindly and killed Wayne and his wife, the innocent couple who raised him.

Sally and Cooper had known each other for a long time.

Cooper was smart, courageous, and ruthless. As long as Genevieve wasn't involved, he always seemed calm and in control of everything.

Yet now, his usually cold eyes were filled with sorrow and remorse.

Seeing how guilty he was, Sally felt her hardened heart sting with pain. She touched his cheek with her cold hand and uttered, "Haven't you been atoning for your sins all this time? That is enough." "Is it really enough?" Cooper asked.

"Yes." Sally stroked the corners of Cooper's eyes and gazed at him intently. "You're taking care of Lucian and Mandy so well. You are a qualified uncle."

As if seeking comfort, Cooper held her hand against his cheek tightly.

With a faint smile, Sally continued, "You sound so convincing whenever you're consoling me. How come you don't use those pieces of advice on yourself? Why do you keep on thinking about the past and blaming yourself?"

Cooper sighed. "Not even saints can console themselves, let alone an ordinary man like me."

"Did a saint tell you that personally?"

Sally's words rendered Cooper speechless.

The two of them met eyes, and after a quiet moment, soft smiles appeared on their faces.

Sally sat up and left a light peck on Cooper's lips before deepening the kiss. Placing his hand on the back of her head, Cooper responded to the kiss gently.

Chapter 1207

After the kiss, Sally could see that Cooper's mood had turned better. "Isn't this more useful than a saint's advice?"

Cooper smiled in agreement. "To be honest, I'm beginning to suspect you signed up for a crash course to make me fall for you."

Sally did not have so many tricks up her sleeve before when it came to seducing someone.

"Consider that the truth then," Sally responded, mimicking his tone. Having eaten some oatmeal and lain in bed for a while, she felt energized. She then pushed Cooper aside and got out of the bed, but when her feet touched the carpet, a sense of discomfort spread to her legs.

Nevertheless, she ignored it and headed to the walk-in closet.

Cooper trailed after her.

When he saw Sally reaching for a black sweater, he plucked a white sweater and handed it to her. "Don't wear black all the time. Give other colors a try."

"Dirt doesn't show on black clothes. Even when blood gets splattered on it during a fight, you can't see it," explained Sally, though she took the sweater from Cooper.

Then she got a bra and a camisole from the cabinet below. She was about to change, but it was difficult to ignore the scorching gaze trained on her.

Turning around, she said to Cooper, "I'm going to change."

"I can see that." Cooper motioned for her to keep going while he continued to lean against the closet elegantly, showing off his long and slim legs.

A short silence followed. When Sally recalled how they went at it until early in the morning and how he was the one who bathed her and dressed her afterward, she decided it didn't matter if he wanted to watch her change.

With that thought, Sally removed her nightgown. Countless marks dotted her fair skin, and there was even a faint bite mark on the back of her waist.

Cooper had focused his attention there since he knew that was her erogenous zone.

Cooper glanced at Sally's body quickly before turning his gaze to the clothes on the rack. "If we can't find evidence of the Gaudette family and Zion keeping in touch with each other, we need to dig up other dirt on him. Be it a mistake at work or something that could ruin his reputation, we have to stop him from getting a promotion."

Robert had been acquitted, and Jerry had joined them and given them a list of politicians connected to the Gaudette family.

However, Gerald was still in prison, and Ninette was dead.

Cooper could not promise Sally by when they could find solid evidence to clear Gerald's name. It may take a few months or even longer.

The most urgent matter at hand was to get an opportunity to take down the Gaudette family.

If the Gaudette family took power, then things would be troublesome.

Since the Gaudette family and Zion had dealings with each other, there was a possibility Zion would expose them if he was stripped of the chance to get promoted. No matter how small that probability was, they had to give it a try.

Sally put on the sweater, covering the marks on her body. "There's no way we can mess with anything related to his work, but I know his son. Remember when Josephine asked me to go to the bar? It was to celebrate Zeno's return. Zeno and I lived in the same quarters when we were young, so we're close," she said.

Cooper was not happy to hear that. "How close? Are you also childhood sweethearts who grew up together?" he questioned with a half-smile.

"I guess you could say that."

"Are you going to tell me he also likes you?" After saying that, Cooper scoffed and remarked, "You have so many childhood sweethearts."

Sally couldn't help but knit her brows when she heard his sarcastic words.

She turned to the frowning man and retorted, "The military arranges the residence for commanders and their family members. Zion was my dad's subordinate. Isn't it normal for our families to live in the same quarters? Besides, Zeno wasn't the only kid I grew up with."

Following a short pause, Sally added, "But he did like me. When I was fifteen, his dad tried to set me up with him."

Nonetheless, Sally only had eyes for Ethan back then. She did not even take an interest in other guys who were more outstanding than Ethan, let alone a useless fellow like Zeno.

Chapter 1208

Cooper chuckled again, but his laugh was laced with coldness. "So how do you plan to deal with this childhood sweetheart you grew up with?"

"He went to Ustrana a few years ago to study, so we haven't seen each other for a long time." Sally lifted her hair out of the sweater and noted, "If I suddenly approach him, he'll sense that something is wrong." Moreover, the Carter family got into trouble after Josephine and Cooper were caught sleeping in a hotel together. There was no way Zeno did not hear about these incidents.

Since he was aware of what happened, he would naturally suspect Sally.

"Do you have better ideas?" Sally asked Cooper.

After all, he was smart and scheming.

"What idea could I possibly have? Since he's your childhood sweetheart, you must know him the best. Didn't his dad try to set you two up?" There was a hint of frostiness on Cooper's expressionless face.

Though he sounded calm, the trace of sarcasm in his voice was frustrating. It was then that Sally realized something.

"Are you... jealous?" she asked hesitantly, staring at Cooper.

"Why would I be jealous?" Cooper sneered.

"You're saying that, but look at how tightly your brows are furrowed together." Sally pointed at Cooper's eyebrows and laughed softly.

Then, she recounted, "Although we grew up together, we barely interacted with each other. He and his dad often visited our house, but I never paid him attention. He's useless. The school he attended is a low- tier school, and people only show him respect because of his father's wealth and reputation. Don't lower yourself by comparing yourself to trash like him."

When Cooper heard that, his countenance brightened slightly. "I guess not everyone who grew up with you is a talent."

The off-the-shoulder sweater and jeans Sally wore accentuated her slim body. With the aloof look in her slightly upturned eyes, she looked like a model on a catwalk.

As Cooper studied her, he felt that something was missing. He then picked out a necklace from the jewelry compartment.

Understanding his intention, Sally gathered her hair in one hand and turned around.

There was a full-length mirror across Sally, and she could see herself and Cooper, who was putting on the necklace for her from behind.

As the sharp look and displeasure on his face faded quickly, he returned to his usual gentle self.

Staring at the man whose head was lowered, Sally let out a soft chuckle.

The necklace had a hook clasp, so it was easy to secure. Upon hearing Sally, Cooper lifted his head and looked at her through the mirror.

"What?"

"Nothing." Sally put her smile away.

She just realized that Cooper was easy to please. All she had to do was explain to him properly and praise him a little, and his anger would dissipate right away.

It was almost twelve o'clock by the time they left the house, so they ate lunch outside.

After getting out of the car, Amanda held Cooper's hand and suggested, "Uncle Cooper, you always ask Lucian and me what we want to eat whenever we eat outside. Why don't you ask Aunt Sally this time?" Admittedly, Amanda was a great help in their relationship.

Cooper smiled in return. He entered the elevator and pressed the button before opening the mall directory on his phone and passing it to Sally.

"Check it out and see what you want to eat for lunch."

Sally thought that it would be great to have some stew since the weather was cold, so she picked a restaurant that served great beef stew.

As it was peak hour, the restaurant was packed.

They had to wait for at least two hours just for a table for four. Despite the fact that Cooper was the mail's owner, he had no choice because the restaurant belonged to someone else. However, Cooper had money.

When he saw the waiter asking a small group of young people to enter the restaurant, he walked up to them and asked, "Would you mind selling your queue number to me for three thousand?" The group's meal would cost five hundred at most, yet now, someone was offering three thousand in exchange for their queue number.

Without hesitation, they agreed to the deal and left happily with the wad of cash. Meanwhile, Cooper, Sally, and the two kids followed the waiter into the restaurant.

Chapter 1209

Sally couldn't help but laugh. "We can just go to another restaurant if the line is too long. You didn't have to waste so much money."

"Uncle Cooper isn't wasting money. He's just doing everything he can to make you happy. Am I right, Uncle Cooper?" Amanda immediately chimed in.

Cooper caressed the girl's head and responded, "What a smart girl you are, Mandy."

When they walked in after the waiter, Cooper happened to see a familiar figure at a table on the left side. The person was facing them, so she also spotted him upon raising her head.

"Ms. Yerton," Cooper greeted politely since they had already met eyes. Besides, the woman was also the teacher of Amanda and Lucian.

"Ms. Yerton! What a coincidence!" Amanda waved at Tiffany.

Tiffany was eating there with her fellow teachers and didn't expect to run into Cooper's group here. Standing up in a hurry, she greeted them before reminding Amanda, "School is almost starting. Remember to finish your homework, okay?"

"I finished it long ago!" Amanda beamed. "I'm here today to pick out a birthday gift for my sister."

The two shared a short conversation before Cooper led Amanda away.

Right after Tiffany sat back down, the female teacher sitting across from her asked in a low voice, "Ms. Yerton, did you become a mistress unknowingly?"

There was a time last year when Cooper came to school all the time to fetch Amanda and Lucian. He even gave Tiffany flowers, and the news spread across the school rapidly.

A lot of people found out about Cooper and envied Tiffany.

Yet when they asked Tiffany afterward, she told them Cooper was just thanking her for taking care of his nephew and niece. Nonetheless, the teachers didn't believe her and assumed the two had broken up. Tiffany was a bit distracted as she was still thinking about Cooper. "What?" she asked absent-mindedly.

"Mr. Sutton is wearing a ring. Didn't you notice? The woman holding the kid's hand is also wearing one, and their rings are of the same style. Those are obviously wedding rings," the teacher gossiped.

"I know that woman. I think she's the daughter of a commanding officer. Her dad's issue caused quite a stir some time ago." "Even though that happened to their family, she's still from a powerful background. Not only that, she's pretty. No wonder..." The teachers babbled on for a while, but they quickly shut up when they realized Tiffany was sitting at the same table.

Seemingly unbothered by their words, Tiffany smiled gently and stated, "I already told you all that Mr. Sutton treated me to a meal to thank me for taking care of his nephew and niece, but you all wouldn't buy it Do you believe me now? Considering his status, it's only right that he marries the daughter of a commanding officer."

"Right." One of the teachers clicked her tongue and commented, "It's not that easy to overcome social class differences. Gosh, how nice would it be to be born into a wealthy family."

Tiffany did not say anything further, but her knuckles turned white from the tight grip she had on her fork.

The restaurant was known for using the freshest ingredients, so their stews were always tasty.

While Cooper placed some food in Amanda's bowl, he noticed something off about Sally. She looked unhappy as she propped her chin on her palm with downcast eyes. "What's wrong?" Cooped served Sally some beef and asked softly.

"Nothing," answered Sally while picking up the fork.

Sitting next to Sally, Amanda could see Sally's hands on her lap. At the sight of Sally turning her ring continuously, Amanda somehow knew what the latter was thinking about.

The girl beckoned Sally forward and whispered, "Aunt Sally, stop overthinking. Uncle Cooper has the freedom to choose who he likes. Besides, he didn't do anything wrong to Ms. Yerton. Don't worry. Ms. Yerton won't mistreat us in class just because she broke up with Uncle Cooper."

It came as a surprise to Sally that Amanda could see through her worries at one glance.

Sally did not like to compete with others for attention, and she had met Cooper earlier than Tiffany did. However, Tiffany was the two children's teacher.

Sally was worried that there might be repercussions if Tiffany saw the wedding rings she and Cooper were wearing.

Chapter 1210

Amanda's words comforted Sally, who kissed the young girl on the cheek and said, "Thank you, Mandy."

"You're welcome," Amanda replied with a wide smile.

Cooper watched their interaction across the table and said, "What are you whispering about? The beef won't taste good once it cools."

Sally smiled wordlessly at him before stuffing her mouth full of beef.

He studied her face through hooded eyes. Her fair skin and aloof expression made her seem colder than ever. Even her lips appeared pale.

She looked like a flower that had frozen over atop a snowy mountain, glacial yet beautiful in its own way.

Cooper's gaze inevitably turned heated, and it was impossible for Sally not to notice.

With her spoon in her mouth, she looked up at him and arched a brow challengingly. "Why are you staring at me? Not in the mood for stew? I can-" She abruptly cut herself off as though remembering something.

"What can you do?" Cooper asked teasingly.

Annoyed, Sally kicked his shin under the table. She returned her attention to the food, though her reddening ears gave away her embarrassment.

After finishing the beef stew, they headed to a lower floor to shop for clothes.

Sally had never been picky about her clothes, but since Cooper insisted on dragging her through a bunch of shops, each more luxurious than the next, she promptly bought over ten outfits. They left their Swallow Garden address with the shops for delivery of her purchases.

As they headed to the children's section, Cooper suddenly handed his credit card to Sally and said, "You go ahead with the kids. I've got to run to the restroom."

Sally mumbled an acknowledgment.

Amanda and Lucian had just bought new clothes not too long ago, but that did not stop the young girl from picking up two new pairs of shoes.

Once the children were done shopping, Sally texted Cooper to ask for his whereabouts.

She had just fired off the message when she heard Amanda squealing, "Uncle Cooper!" Sally raised her head and spotted Cooper approaching them with a small gift bag. Amanda noticed the gift bag and asked curiously, "Did you go shopping too, Uncle Cooper?"

"Mm-hmm." Cooper took a sleek, black lipstick tube from the gift bag. He twisted the lipstick tube, revealing a soft maroon shade.

Then, without warning, he tilted Sally's jaw upward and applied the lipstick on her lips.

Sally froze and did not stop him. Their proximity put Sally in clear view of a lipstick smudge near the corner of Cooper's lips. She was flabbergasted.

Did he try the lipstick himself and not clean it off properly afterward?

Sally's cool skin tone often made her seem like an ice queen. The lipstick Cooper picked out colored her lips beautifully and reduced her frosty impression somewhat. Amanda evidently approved of Cooper's choice and exclaimed, "Uncle Cooper, you picked a great lipstick! Aunt Sally looks so gentle and pretty!"

Then, she pouted and complained, "Now Daddy seems so useless. He never gave Mommy lipstick, let alone help her wear it.”

Lucian shot his sister a sidelong glance and muttered, "Maybe Daddy did buy Mommy lipstick, but you just didn't know about it." "Really?" Amanda sounded doubtful.

Meanwhile, Cooper wiped the extra lipstick off the corner of Sally's lips with his finger and stared intently at her. "You should wear lipstick once in a while. It softens your look a lot." Sally retrieved the gift bag from Cooper and opened it. There were at least three lipsticks from other brands in the bag.

It turned out that his half-an-hour visit to the restroom was a cover for his lipstick shopping trip in the beauty section.

Sally took a wet tissue from her purse and wiped the lipstick smudge from Cooper's mouth. "Why didn't you ask the counter staff to test the lipstick shades instead?" "Nah. I trust my judgment better," replied Cooper.

Her mood inexplicably soared.

She smiled and suddenly hooked her arms around Cooper. Then, she kissed the side of his neck, leaving a lipstick mark on his skin.