Reginald grabbed Arabella's wrist and pulled her towards the car park.
"Get in the car."
Reginald took a card out of his bag and shoved it into the pocket of Arabella's coat, "I was out of
order tonight, this is a bit of compensation. The password's your birthday."
Arabella felt somewhat humiliated.
In his eyes, she was someone who could be easily fobbed off with money. He wouldn't even bother to
sweet talk her.
He only sweet talks Chloe.
Arabella reached into her pocket to take the card out.
Reginald put his hand over hers, his tone low and brooking no argument, "Keep it. Apart from money,
I've got nothing else to give you."
Arabella felt as though her heart was stuffed with sand, abrasively uncomfortable.
What she had always wanted was never his money.
They were halfway through their journey.
Reginald received a phone call from his grandmother: "Are you ignoring what I said? Get back here
immediately."
"Nearly home," Reginald replied flatly and then rang off.
Back at the Thompson Manor.
As soon as the two entered.
They saw old Mrs Thompson collapsed on the sofa, her complexion pale. Her eyes were bright and
focused intensely on the pair.
She stretched out a hand, "Give me your mobile."
Reginald took out his phone and handed it to her grandmother.
The grandmother found Chloe's phone number and dialed it.
When it connected.
She sternly said, "Miss Chloe, our Reginald is a married man. Manage your boundaries and don't call
him for no reason! Since you broke up three years ago, don't look back, and absolutely don't harbor
any fantasies about him."
Without waiting for Chloe's response, she hung up the phone and threw it onto the coffee table.
Reginald furrowed his brows, "Chloe suffers from severe depression; she can't handle this kind of
stress."
The grandmother sneered, "Even if she has cancer, it has nothing to do with you. You should be most
concerned about your wife beside you!"
Reginald's gaze turned cold, "Grandmother..."
The grandmother covered her mouth, coughing violently.
Arabella hurried over to assist her.
She helped the old woman lie down on the bed, comforting her, and then Arabella returned to the
guest room.
She saw that Reginald had just finished the call, placing the phone on the bedside table.
He had probably just sweet-talked Chloe.
Silently, Arabella picked up a large cushion from the living room sofa, placing it vertically in the middle of the bed.
Then, she took out another duvet from the wardrobe, one for each person.
She took off her coat, lifted the covers, and slipped into bed.
The next day.
Arabella woke up to find herself staring at a well-defined handsome face, his deep gaze focused
intensely on her.
They were close, and she could feel his breath.
His warm breath touched her temples, and his deep-set eyes were both focused and distant.
She was nestled in his arms, arms tightly around his waist, slender legs entwined with his. Their position was unusually intimate.
Inappropriate thoughts grew like weeds.
Reginald snapped out of his reverie, and Arabella quickly wriggled out of his embrace, rolling away from him.
She sounded slightly annoyed and accusatory, "How did I end up in your arms?"
Seeing Arabella, usually gentle and calm, in such a disheveled state for the first time, like a startled kitten, was refreshing for Reginald.
He smirked, teasing her, "You snuggled up yourself; I couldn't push you away."
Arabella blushed, "That's impossible."
His smile deepened, "Next time, I'll record it with my phone, so you can't deny it."
Arabella felt extremely embarrassed.
She quickly turned away, grabbed a shirt from the bedside table, and struggled to put it on.
In her haste, she didn't notice that she had buttoned it incorrectly.
As she dressed, the rustling of her clothes echoed in the room.
However, what Reginald thought of was how she looked while sleeping last night.
She must have had a nightmare, curled up, trembling in fear.
He pulled her into his arms, patting and soothing her. With closed eyes, she murmured "Robert"
three times.
He couldn't remember how many times this had happened.
How deep must her love be for her to cling to him like this?
As for Robert, he had searched everywhere and found nothing.
The last time he asked her about him, she evaded the question.
The smile disappeared from Reginald's face. He picked up his watch, put it on his wrist, and casually said, "I might be late coming back tonight. If grandmother asks about me, give her some excuse."
Arabella stopped buttoning her shirt.
She knew that him coming back late meant he would be at the hospital with Chloe.
She felt a profound sense of humiliation, nearly on the verge of tears, her heart aching.
After a while, she finally spoke, "I'll try to persuade your grandmother about the divorce, so you
won't be in a difficult position."
Reginald looked at her meaningfully, "That puts you in a predicament as well."
After breakfast, the estate driver dropped Arabella off at the antique shop.
Busy all day.
As the day came to an end, Arabella received a call from the driver, "Madam, my car was hit by a drunk driver. I need to wait for the police to handle it. Can you call a taxi to come back?"
"Alright."
Carrying her bag, Arabella walked out of the antique street.
Turning the corner, two men approached her, blocking her way.
One of them asked, "Are you Arabella? Please come with us."
Arabella watched the two individuals warily.
In their early twenties, wearing sunglasses at this late hour, they seemed suspicious, with a faint scent of earthiness about them.
A sense of panic gripped her, and she inquired, "Where are we going?"
The man responded, "We have an ancient painting that needs your restoration skills. Don't worry, we mean no harm and will pay according to market rates."
Arabella breathed a sigh of relief, "Then bring the painting to my shop."
The other bald man spoke sternly, "Talking to her is a waste of time; let's just take her."
Upon hearing this, Arabella turned and attempted to flee.
She hadn't taken more than a few steps when the bald man seized her arm, dragging her toward a black sedan parked on the roadside.
The car started moving.
The man rummaged through Arabella's bag, took out her phone, and said, "Give your family a call, tell them you're going out with friends for a few days, so they won't worry."
Arabella's initial instinct was to call Reginald, but then she realized he had to be at the hospital with Chloe—no time for her.
Maybe it's best to call her mother.
She instructed the man to find her mother's phone number.
When the call connected,
Arabella said, "Mom, I'm going away with friends for a few days. Remember to take your medication on time..."
Before she could finish, the man took her phone, powered it off, and covered Arabella's eyes with a black cloth.