Chapter 10 – Second Chance Love of the Missing Groom Novel

That was when Diarmuid‘s phone suddenly started ringing. He picked up and listened to the voice on the other end for a while.

“Understood,” he said and quickly hung up.

He had barely put away his phone when Abigail‘s phone rang as well. She answered it and quickly heard the Althoffs’ butler speaking to her. “Mrs. Althoff, could you please come by Althoff Manor? Master Althoff wishes to meet you immediately.”

“Okay,” Abigail replied before putting away her phone and telling Whitney, “Sorry, something urgent has just come up, and I have to go… Anyway, here‘s a toast to your success. It isn‘t alcohol, but I‘m sure tea would do.”

With those words, she picked up her cup of tea and chugged it.

As she rose to her feet, Diarmuid, whose eyes were still locked on her, resisted an outright playful smile. “What a coincidence, something urgent has come up for me as well. Shall we leave together?”

Abigail was speechless, but she did not know that Diarmuid had been getting irritated with her pretending not to know him.

Still, he would like to see how long she could keep pretending , even as everyone else turned to look at her.

Everyone was actually puzzled– it was too much of a coincidence for both Diarmuid and Abigail to suddenly have urgent business to attend to, right? Whitney sensed that something was amiss as well. Sure, she might really have been hearing things the first time, but what about now? Her gaze darted between Diarmuid and Abigail, as if trying to see through them.

Deciding to test the waters, she asked, “What‘s the matter, Dr. Bernstein?”

Abigail really wanted nothing less than to tell Whitney that she was Diarmuid‘s wife, and leave the necessary explanations to Diarmuid.

Naturally, she would never dare, because he was a man she could not afford to provoke.

She had already lost the chance to work at Central Hospital-she could not afford to lose her job now.

As such, she had to keep her head down.

“It’s my grandfather. I think it‘s something serious, so I have to go… I‘m surprised that Mr. Althoff is busy as well. What a coincidence, hahaha…”

She was chuckling dryly in an attempt to laugh it off, but Diarmuid stubbornly tried to expose her again. “What a coincidence , my grandfather called me too. Where does your grandfather live? I‘ll give you a lift if it‘s convenient.

Abigail‘s smile almost faded right then. If it was not for her immense self–control, she would have picked up her cup from the table and smashed it in his face!

“Oh, you‘re so funny, Mr. Althoff. Surely it can‘t be convenient for you anyway, I really have to go. Please enjoy yourself, Mr. Althoff.”

With those words, she basically fled the scene.

Feeling insecure, Whitney turned toward Diarmuid, many unspoken questions in her eyes. “You know her?”

Diarmuid‘s visage remained aloof.

“No, I don‘t,” he replied, but it was as if he was not the one speaking those words.

With that, he rose to his feet.

Whitney was relieved inwardly.

She had invited Diarmuid to her farewell party to brag in front of everyone at Charity Hospital. While things had somehow taken a bizarre turn, Diarmuid‘s presence made it clear to everyone that she and Diarmuid were linked.

“I‘ll see you off,” Whitney said as she followed Diarmuid, worried that he would come in contact with Abigail without her knowing

After all, it was Abigail who was on duty at the hospital that night.

When Diarmuid stepped out of the hotel, he looked around but could not find Abigail anyway.

In reality, she had left in a taxi, since she was very eager to keep her distance from him and certainly would not wait for him.

Nearby, Stan opened the door for Diarmuid, “Mr. Althoff?” Diarmuid glanced at Whitney. “You should go back now.” With that, he got into his car, leaving Whitney behind.

As she watched his car drive into the distance, she felt a pang of regret–if she had known this would happen, she should have asked for marriage immediately, and she would be Mrs. Althoff now.

When would she finally win Diarmuid‘s heart?

When could he see her virtues, and then fall for her?

Abigail arrived at the main Althoff residence before Diarmuid, where she met Henry Althoff–the head of the Althoff family.

He was in his eighties, his wrinkled face showing a steady composure despite the passage of time.

Though his eyes had lost the sparkle of youth, he was spirited and projected kindliness. “Are you getting accustomed to your new environment?” he asked in concern.

“Yes, Mr. Althoff,” Abigail replied.

While her father was the one who had proposed an arranged marriage between her and Diarmuid, everyone had thought that Henry would have refused it. After all, Diarmuid was his favorite grandson, and since Henry knew that Diarmuid despised her, he should have refused for Diarmuid‘s sake, and offered some other form of profit to change her father‘s mind–he did owe the Bernsteins a life debt, after all.

And yet, not only did Henry agree to it, but he had even used his connections in Diarmuid‘s absence to officiate the marriage documentation for her and Diarmuid.

In fact, he was the one who told her to stay at Diarmuid’s mansion as well.

Even now, Abigail was actually confused as to why Henry would do something like that.

“Diarmuid didn’t harass you, did he?” the man asked tenderly then.

Abigail really wanted to tell him that his grandson was inhuman, but she understood that in spite of Henry‘s kindness, Diarmuid was still his grandson.

“No…”

She had barely finished when Diarmuid entered, and Henry promptly snapped at him, “You‘re Abigail‘s husband. Why aren‘t you with her this late into the night? Why did you arrive so late after Abigail?”

Diarmuid glanced sideways at Abigail but said nothing – Henry was saying all that for Abigail‘s benefit , because he knew very well that Diarmuid was unhappy with the marriage arranged against his consent.

“You‘re both staying here tonight. Moneypenny will show you to your room.”

The butler nearby nodded respectfully.

“Very well, sir,” he said, and beckoned invitingly to Abigail. “If you could please come with me, Mrs. Althoff.”

Abigail sneaked a peek at Diarmuid, and saw that he remained aloof and was still not looking at her.

Subtly turning away, she left with Moneypenny, leaving the grandson alone with his grandfather. Henry spoke again then, and his elder voice was filled with heartfelt sincerity and helplessness. “I understand you‘re feeling much grief and spite right now, but it‘s already in the past. It‘s time to let go.”

The thought of the distant past seemed to make Henry‘s gaze darken, but Diarmuid simply sat there nonchalantly, keeping his lips tightly pursed in silence, his expression unfathomable.

Sighing, the old man continued, “I was the one who agreed to have you marry Abigail, so stop blaming me for deciding on my own. I‘m doing this for your own good you‘re old enough to start a family, and even if it was disgraceful of Abigail‘s father to coerce us, Abigail is a good girl.”

Diarmuid raised a brow, coldness filling his visage right then.

What good girl would cuck her husband?!

However, he did not tell his grandfather about that, because he had set his mind on divorcing her.

Watching his reaction, Henry sighed inwardly.

He was the only one in the family whom Diarmuid would listen to, or Diarmuid would not have bothered to come tonight.

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