---- Chapter 85 Lance softened his tone. "Two months." In a panic, Tara quickly devised a plan. She wrapped her arms around his waist and pleaded, "Four months. During this time, I... 1 won't run away." Right after speaking , she nervously leaned in and gave him aclumsy kiss on the lips. 2 Lance clearly had a weakness for this kind of move. His sharp, handsome features softened. "Alright . Whatever you say." Tara pushed the meal cart out of his room and closed the door behind her.

She stood in front of it for a moment , trying to calm down. Her hands were still trembling. She'd just played for time, her tactic resulting in a four-month reprieve from his intentions. What she said to Lance was just an excuse to get away. From now on, she would have to avoid him at all costs until four months later when she could leave. She took a deep breath, pushed the meal cart into the elevator, went down to the first floor, and returned to her room.

Standing in front of the mirror, she saw that her ---- cheeks were flushed red and still burning hot. Tara's eyes looked soft and dazed. When she caught sight of her own gaze, she quickly looked away. It was impossible to hide that hint of confusion. She didn't dare to stay in her room too long. As soon as it got quiet, she couldn't stop thinking about what Lance had done to her in that room. She had to keep busy and use work to distract herself.

Tara walked out of her room and got to work, unsettled and preoccupied. She didn't even notice when Stella passed by. Over the past few days of watching her, Stella didn't see the mess-ups or chaos she had expected. On the contrary, Tara did everything in an orderly, efficient way. Even Russell praised her. Stella looked down at her own deliberately twisted ankle, her mood sinking. She watched Tara's slender figure walk away and realized she had been wrong before.

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From now on, she had learned Tara's approach. She would play hard to get, stay out of trouble, and stop getting involved in the mess. Those men... They were treating Tara completely differently now. Stella gripped the handrail tightly, unwilling to accept it. ---- At noon, the men came to the first-floor dining room for lunch. Tara and a few other housekeepers were getting things ready before the meal. Lance was the first to arrive.

The moment he entered, Tara could feel his intense gaze locked onto her. She didn't dare look at him, let alone stand behind him. When Lance noticed she wasn't coming over or even glancing in his direction, his burning stare began to turn cold. Just then, Shawn entered the dining room. He took his usual seat, and his refined and gentle demeanor instantly made him likable. Tara stood beside Shawn, responsible for serving him during the meal. There was no way she would stand behind Lance.

She needed to stay away from him. Another housekeeper was already standing by Lance's side. He casually used a warm towel to wipe his slender, pale hands. He wouldn't force her to serve him if she didn't want to. Throughout the entire meal, Tara was a bundle of nerves. The way Lance-and even Soren -looked at her made her anxious and uneasy. Neither of them seemed like the type to let things go easily.

Until lunch ended and they all left, Lance didn't do or say ---- anything affectionate in front of everyone. That alone was a huge relief for Tara. But as he walked out of the dining room, he gave her two meaningful looks. She happened to meet his eyes, and they were exactly the same as when he kissed her, full of desire and dominance. The only difference now was that he looked calmer. He wasn't being as intense as he was when he kissed her. Tara quickly looked away, her ears heating up.

It wasn't until she confirmed that Lance had left that she could finally relax. Soren was the last to leave the dining room. He didn't tease her like he used to, giving her space to breathe. During the afternoon break, Tara lay in bed to rest. She did not intend to tell Russell and instead gave a small part of her pay to another housekeeper to take over delivering meals to Lance's room. There were only two days left anyway. Once they returned to the villa back home, she wouldn't have to worry about any of this.