TEST DRIVE: A Night of Forbidden Desire

“Mom, why did you come without even telling me?”

“Why did you come here?”

“You should have said something before coming, right?”

Max said countless things in surprise at the sudden arrival of his mother. What’s more, when Riley mentioned Vonda’s name, Max’s body tensed up instantly.

How on earth could Mama come just when Vonda is here? This is a disaster! Truly a disastrous coincidence!

On the other hand, ignoring the barrage of questions from her child, Riley did something else. She reached for her child’s hand and held it tightly.

Max tried to free himself, but Riley was not someone he could compete with, despite being a grown man, tall, and big. But his opponent now was his own biological mother.

“Come here, Max. Come,” Riley hissed.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

Max eventually gave in, placing the kettle anywhere without doing anything when Riley dragged him out of the kitchen. Max’s steps felt like they were being dragged as Riley led him to the living room. Once there, Riley pointed at Max with sharp eyes.

“See?” Riley asked with half-whispered emphasis. “You let my future daughter-in-law sleep on the sofa?”

What?!

Max quickly covered his mouth.

I don’t have an ulcer. Seriously. But why is my stomach feeling so queasy?

Riley grumbled, pinching Max’s stomach until he winced. Not only that, she glared at him as if to assure Max that she was not joking when scolding her son.

“What if her waist gets twisted?”

Max gaped. “Since when was there a twisted waist, Mom?”

Riley’s hand moved again to pinch, but Max quickly dodged, leaving his mother to glare fiercely.

“Besides, it’s not my fault that she fell asleep here, Mom. I left her in a conscious state. She even asked for coffee and pizza.”

Riley exhaled. “Okay, okay.” She nodded. “If that’s the case, carry Vonda. Move her to your room. So, she can sleep comfortably.”

“Eh?” Max looked at his mother in horror. “Carry her, Mom?”

“Yes. I mean carry her. Take her to your room so she can sleep soundly.”

Max swallowed his saliva. Staring at Riley’s eyes, he realized that his mother was not joking. He could guess that he had no other choice. Max could only follow Riley’s orders.

Intended for single people, Max’s apartment had only one bedroom. The reality meant that Max had to carry Vonda into his room.

Riley furrowed her brows, waiting and repeating her command with her piercing gaze.

Max gave up. Slowly, he approached Vonda, positioning himself correctly before picking her up in his arms.

Vonda made a faint groaning sound. Unconsciously, Max made soothing sounds to calm her.

“Sshh. Sshh.”

Vonda moved slightly in Max’s embrace as he tried to stand. Her face looked worried. Her forehead wrinkled with a look of discomfort.

“Ma… x.”

Max blinked. His foot that was about to walk suddenly stopped. His gaze then met his mother’s eyes when he heard Vonda’s murmuring that made his soul freeze.

“St … op.”

Max looked at Riley with a furrowed brow and then looked down. He originally thought Vonda had woken up, but apparently not. Vonda’s eyes were still tightly shut. That meant she was still asleep, right? But what she said just now?

“Wait… Don’t hold me so tightly.”

Huh?

“Wait… You made me can’t pee…”

Max instantly turned pale. His brain quickly commanded him to leave immediately. However, one final sentence from Vonda’s mumbling successfully made Riley glare at him again.

“Being deflowered is painful, Max.”

Then, Vonda winced. Sobbing softly without tears for a moment until she calmed down again. Sleeping peacefully, as if nothing had happened.

Gasp!

Max felt his body go numb. His breath seemed to be pulled from his lungs, his heart not beating, and his soul floating. Riley’s sharp gaze seemed to want to slice Max’s body alive.

I’m really going to die this time.

*

Vonda could not pinpoint exactly when she lost consciousness. After Max left, she felt an overwhelming fatigue that she could not bear. Instead of waiting for her black coffee, she chose to lie down on the sofa, leaning on her arm and hugging one of the pillows.

At that moment, Vonda thought she would rest her eyes for a while until Max returned. But unexpectedly, insomnia that had haunted her for nights due to the fear of her situation with Max seeking redemption at that very moment.

Feeling calm after their conversation made Vonda realize that her fears had been completely groundless. At that moment, her mind cursed herself.

“If I knew it was just because he wanted to avoid the arranged marriage, he should have been honest from the beginning. Not knowing that because he kept talking about responsibilities and everything, I couldn’t sleep for nights.”

That’s right. After being freed from that fear, Vonda’s body finally demanded the rest she had not been getting for the past few days. Willingly or not, Vonda surrendered to the sleepiness and tiredness that had been tormenting her.

A few moments later, Vonda’s consciousness slowly returned. She blinked her eyes several times before fully opening them.

Ugh!

As Vonda opened her eyes, she felt an unfamiliarity that made her body feel cold. Especially when she moved her eyes. She glanced around and suddenly felt a shiver.

This… this is Max’s room?

Of course, Vonda knew that the room she was in was Max’s. After all, she had spent the night there before. And waking up there now was definitely not a good sign for her. Panic-stricken, Vonda quickly got up with fearful thoughts.

What did he do to me while I was sleeping? He must have…

Her thoughts stopped midway. Just as Vonda got up and found that her clothes were still intact, and she was covered with a blanket.

Vonda sighed deeply. She felt so relieved. Unconsciously, she wiped her face and head.

“Oh my God. I’m being so paranoid,” Vonda sighed weakly.

A minute later, feeling fully awake, Vonda got up. Initially, she wanted to leave the room immediately, but a fallen hairpin made her change her mind. Instead of leaving, Vonda decided to look in the mirror first.

Vonda chose to completely take off the office hairpin that was already disheveled and picked up a comb to tidy up her shoulder-length wavy hair. After deeming it sufficiently neat, Vonda left the room and was surprised to see the time on the wall clock.

“Wow! It’s almost seven in the evening?”

Vonda had no idea that she had slept that long. This realization pushed her into haste. First, she needed to find Max. Only then did she wonder whether she should go home immediately or finish the black coffee that was undoubtedly already cold.

“Max?”

Vonda searched the living room, but he wasn’t there. After thinking for a moment, she walked to another room. The TV room.

“He’s not here either.”

Suddenly, something made Vonda’s stomach growl instantly. Her natural response appeared, and she sniffed the delightful aroma even more deeply.

Vonda swallowed her saliva. Guessing Max’s whereabouts through the scent, she hurriedly went to the source of the aroma.

“Max!” Vonda called out as she quickened her steps. “Max!” She called his name again when she reached the kitchen’s threshold. “Max! Are you-”

Not only did her words stop abruptly, but her steps also halted. Vonda stood still, stunned, just three steps into the kitchen. Confused and not knowing what to do when she saw a middle-aged woman who appeared to be smiling at her as she turned off the stove.

The woman was wearing an apron, which indicated that she was the one who had been cooking, not Max. She looked at Vonda and approached her slowly. Her slow steps directed toward Vonda.

Who is this lady?

Vonda’s eyes moved left and right, trying to find Max, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Where’s Max? Who is this lady?

For some reasons she could not understand, she suddenly felt trembling. Although at first glance, the woman approaching her seemed friendly and amiable, after a few seconds, Vonda realized why her body reacted with anticipation.

It was because the woman casually asked her,

“Are you awake, my Future Daughter-in-Law?”

Vonda gaped.

Am I still dreaming now?

*