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.
Arabella estimated that the car had been driving for a long time before finally coming to a stop.She was taken to an old and dilapidated tower.Climbing the stairs to the fourth floor.The door opened, and in the center of the room was a large red table with a safe on top.A man approached, opened the safe, and retrieved a painting.The painting was approximately one and a half meters long, very ancient, severely damaged, having lost much of its original imagery, requiring extensive restoration.Arabella carefully examined the painting. Its style was remarkably beautiful and bold.In the foreground, rugged mountain peaks stood tall, majestic and magnificent, contrasting sharply with the eternal rocks against the vast azure sky. In the distance, rolling green hills undulated under nature's brush, their treetops adorned with the golden and crimson hues of autumn, decorating the slopes. Nestled in a secluded canyon shrouded in silver mist, faintly visible thatched stone houses evoked
The dog in the yard continued to bark incessantly.In the chaos, the bald man saw an opportunity to escape but was surrounded by the police and pinned to the floor. The painting was taken from his hands, and handcuffs were placed on him.Arabella's hands still gripped the window frame as she stared blankly at Reginald, who held a gun.It had been three years since they got married, and she had no idea he could shoot, let alone with such precision.In that moment of crisis just now, if his shot had been a little faster, slower, or off-target, it could have caused her fatal harm.Reginald tossed aside the gun and walked over, lifting her from the windowsill into his arms.He delicately tended to the wound on her neck.He held Arabella tightly against his chest, gently rubbing her pale, terrified face with his icy fingertips, asking tenderly, "Scared out of your wits?"Arabella nodded weakly in affirmation.Just moments ago, she felt death closing in, narrowly escaping its clutches. Her
Chloe's smile faded. She sat down beside him, her blue eyes shimmering with a wounded glint. "Are you still mad at me? I've apologized time and again for that heartbreaking breakup message I sent to Mother. You know she sent me to Switzerland, and there were a few burly guys following me day and night." Her voice quivered. "Not being able to call you was awful. I miss you so much."Reginald's gaze softened, and he awkwardly patted her shoulder. "I know it's not your fault, dear."Chloe wiped her eyes gently with a lace handkerchief, looking up at him with pleading eyes. "Then why have you been avoiding me?"Reginald made a playful face. "The divorce isn't finalized yet. Coming here so late, people might talk."As Chloe's hand crept up his thigh, Reginald squinted his eyes. "This is going too far now. It's completely out of bounds."Chloe simply gazed at him through lowered lashes. "I don't care what people think, darling. I'm here now, so let's make the most of it, shall we?"Reginald
The card delivery driver said, "Madam, this is compensation from Mr. Reginald. The password is your birthday."Arabella smiled ruefully at the card.Money was good, of course, but sometimes giving money was a subtle insult.She pushed the card back. “Tell him I'm not lacking funds.”"Mrs. MrReginald asks that you accept this token. He bids me convey this message - seeing is not necessarily believing. Whatever decision you make, he will respect it.”“I understand.”After the man left, Arabella sat quietly for a while before tidying up to go to a nearby restaurant for luncheon.Stepping outside, she bumped into Chloe dressed all in white with a worried mien.Chloe was holding a bouquet of white roses. She said gently, “Arabella, might we have a chat?”Arabella reined in her emotions and gazed calmly at her for a few seconds. “Very well.”The two ladies proceeded to a nearby western-style restaurant.After sitting down, Chloe placed the flowers on the table, tenderly caressing the soft r
The restaurant patrons had originally been distracted by Chloe and Allison's altercation. However, upon Reginald's entrance, all eyes turned to admire this striking gentleman. His height was accentuated by the bespoke black suit that skimfully graced his frame. An air of refinement clung to him that bespoke quality and taste seldom witnessed nowadays. He compelled fascination – once glimpsed, he could not easily be ignored or dismissed from one’s notice.Upon seeing him, Chloe's eyes lit up, and she hurried over to him, choking back sobs, "Reggie!"Reginald frowned, "What are you doing here?"Chloe's eyes turned red. Pitifully, she explained, "I wanted to talk to Arabella and explain what happened last night, but before we could talk much, she insulted me, and Allison even slapped me."She pointed to her swollen cheek, pouting, "It hurts so much."Reginald glanced at Arabella, "Is what she's saying true?"Arabella laughed. She hadn't expected Reginald's love interest to be such a guy—
She grew up in the countryside of Yorkshire with her grandparents, and her favorite pastime was exploring the wild daisies, dandelions, irises, and sunflowers near their cottage.She had no affection for these exotic imported roses because they seemed too high-maintenance to enjoy.Buying so many was purely malicious.As they neared the entrance to the Treasures of Yesteryear antique shop, Arabella suddenly stopped and said, "You don't need to accompany me any further."Reginald furrowed his brow slightly. "Afraid your colleagues will see us together?""We're destined to divorce anyway, aren't we?" Her voice trembled ever so slightly, her heart quivering.The edge of this painful ordeal felt like being peeled by a dull knife.Reginald fell silent for a moment, halting his steps, wordlessly watching her retreating figure, his gaze as deep as a calm water surface.At the entrance to Treasures of Yesteryear, Arabella encountered the store manager, Cosmo Harrington.He chuckled. "Such bea
The door opened, and a person walked in. Oval-faced, with delicate and beautiful features, she was dressed in a white off-shoulder lace blouse, tucked into a tight pencil skirt, adorned with a full set of Cartier jewelry. She had her arms draped in a Chanel coat and held an Hermès handbag.It was Chloe.Upon seeing her, Reginard's expression cooled slightly. "What are you doing here?"Chloe swayed her slender waist, elegantly walking behind Reginard. She draped her arm over the back of his chair, leaned down, and her red lips almost brushed against his earlobe. "I heard Reggie was dining here, so I thought I'd come by to say hello."Reginard rubbed his ear as her warm breath made it itch. He turned his head slightly, avoiding the sensation. Seeing that she had no intention of leaving, he said casually, "Take a seat.""Thank you, dear Reginard." Chloe pulled out a chair and sat down, draping her coat over the backrest.The waiter quickly brought her a set of utensils.Reginard slid the
Reginald turned to Chloe, "You should head home, Chloe."Chloe's lips pursed slightly, displaying some reluctance. Nevertheless, she stood up, saying, "Dear Arabella, please don't be upset. Reggie and I were just having dinner, and George can vouch for that."George, sitting nearby, nearly rolled his eyes. What began as a simple meal of shrimp had turned into a feast of voyeuristic delights, with Chloe personally feeding Reggie soup and water.Seeing no one insisting she stay, Chloe reached for her coat draped over the chair. As she lifted it, the hem knocked over a teacup at the table, shattering it into pieces.Quickly bending down to collect the shards, the sharp edge cut her fingertip, and blood immediately began to flow. She cried out in pain, holding her finger, tears streaming down her face. Her fingertips trembled. She grasped the edge of the table for support, whimpering to Reginald, "It hurts so much, Reggie, can you take me to the emergency room to bandage it up?"George gl