Chapter 79 – His Second Chance Love: The Freezing Silence

“Four months soon,” he uttered in a deep voice. “Do you want to go for a walk?”

I turned to look at him in mild surprise. Shouldn’t he be asking me about John right now? Why’s he talking about something else now?

“It’s busy at HiTech,” I replied as I pried his hand away from my stomach. “Featherstone Corporation’s audit is almost completed. I’m just waiting for the report to be handed in now, but I still have Featherstone Corporation to deal with next.”

After a short pause, I continued, “Anthony, why did you assign me to HiTech and Featherstone Corporation’s audits?”

I had sensed that there was something that I could not wrap my mind around. After I took over the two cases, things were not going as smoothly as I expected.

Moreover, Featherstone Corporation’s audit was yet to be completed. I did not know how it was currently going. Furthermore, there was a major issue in HiTech as well.

Yet, no matter how hard I thought about it, I could not figure out what was wrong.

The man peeked at me as he drove, and a smile grew on his lips. “What are your thoughts on why I did so?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know. Something is really wrong with the audit, but I can’t figure out what it is. It’s the same for HiTech. Do you know anything about it?”

With the smile still playing on his lips, he focused back on the road. “Let’s talk business when we’re in the office. We’re a married couple, so we should talk about what married couples talk about. Let’s talk about the kid, and let’s talk about you and me.”

Knowing that he had intentionally changed the topic, I dropped my head and fidgeted with my fingers, now silent.

I could not force him to speak if he did not want to. Furthermore, if he was not going to talk about John, there was no point in me bringing that topic up.

Too many things were happening, and I could not settle everything perfectly. I was all but human, and I was getting exhausted by the issues piling up in my heart.

When the car stopped outside the villa, Mrs. Eriksen came out. Noticing that it was Anthony and me, a smile crept upon her face. “It’s cold outside, so you should come home earlier next time. Your stomach is getting bigger, and you can’t always go out all the time now. It’s safer at home.”

That was how Mrs. Eriksen always acted, so I nodded and said nothing. Suddenly recalling the box George gave to me, I queried, “Mrs. Erikson, did you spot the sandalwood box you gave me previously while cleaning the house?”

Anthony had been changing his footwear by the door, and he froze when he heard my question. With a slightly gloomy gaze, he looked at me. “Why are you suddenly asking about the box?”

I nodded. “It just suddenly came to mind.” I met John today, and I had recalled many memories I thought I had lost. Yet, this was how life was; I could not live in a daze forever.

John was not going to stop at that. He would continue clinging to me. No matter what I did, I couldn’t avoid it forever. Since that was the case, it would be best for me to prepare myself.

After contemplating it, Mrs. Eriksen shook her head. “I’ve never seen the box after I gave it to you. Mr. Featherstone told me to let you keep it safe. Some things were left behind for you by him, while there are some things left behind by your grandmother.”

Too many things had happened in the past few days, and I had forgotten all about that. Now that I thought about it, I could not recall where I had left the box.

“Okay. I’ll try to find it another day.” That box was a memory of George, after all.

After changing out of his shoes, Anthony entered the living room and sipped on a glass of water. His contemplative gaze was fixed on me. Knowing that his mood was unpredictable, I ignored him.

Instead, I headed straight to my old bedroom, thinking that the box might be there. I tried looking for it in the cupboards.

After moving rooms, my clothes and personal items were all gone from the room. The spacious room now looked empty.a

I could not find the box.

Meanwhile, Anthony had his hands folded as he watched me. After sparing him a glimpse, I said, “Go ahead and wash up first. I’m going to keep looking for it.”

He was quiet for a while. “Do you know what’s inside the box Grandpa gave to you?”

I shook my head. “I don’t. Mrs. Eriksen only told me that I could give the box to you if I really didn’t want to marry you. I don’t what Grandpa put in there. Maybe he was planning to deter you from marrying me by threatening you with Featherstone Corporation.”

He sneered, “How shallow.”

I did not deny his words. After what seemed ages of searching, I still couldn’t seem to find it. By now, I was starting to feel irritated. “Grandpa gave it to you. Have you seen the box?”

He glanced at me. “Are you short of money now?”

Taken aback by his words, I replied, “No.”

“Then it’s meaningless for you to look for the box. In the box is Grandpa’s money for you. I’m sure he was afraid that you would starve to death if you left me.”

Knitting my brows, I felt a tinge of anger. “You opened it?”

He nodded truthfully.

“Anthony Featherstone,” I snapped. “That was mine! What right did you have to open it without my permission?”

This was not the first time he had done such a thing. The last time, he brought me to Cameron without my consent and asked her to take my hair for a DNA test. This time, he opened the box without asking me first.

He was staring at me, but I could not decipher what he was feeling at that moment. “I have no plans to divorce you, so that box is useless.”

“So what?” I stepped closer to him. “Anthony, do you think I have to let you do anything you please because I’m married to you? Do I not deserve any respect from you?”

“I’m sorry,” he apologized. Then, he straightened his back and said with a sigh, “I was wrong not to tell you about it. I won’t do it again.”

“Ha!” I barked out a short laugh. “Anthony, aren’t you funny? Are you trying to change the topic so easily? Do you think of me as the same as that useless box? Will you do the same to me if I were Rylee? Will you disrespect her by taking her things without telling her?”

“Sienna, this is between you and me.” He had a frown on his face, evidently displeased by my words. “We’re a couple. Why do you have to involve someone else in our private matter?”

Amused, I asked, “Are we a couple?”

At that remark, he fell silent.

Raising my head to look at his handsome face, I could not help but laugh. “Anthony, it seems to you that we’re not a married couple. We’re only a couple because of your parents. There’s someone in your heart – I know I don’t have a place in it. Naturally, I won’t be respected. That’s why you can do anything you want with my things, and that’s why you can decide whether I stay or leave.”

Too many things had piled up over the days, and the box had been the final straw. I knew I could no longer close an eye to his interaction with Rylee.

Perhaps he did not wish to discuss it with me as he placidly said to me, “Sienna, you’re my wife, and I respect you. I’ve apologized for the box, and I’m not the one deciding whether you stay or go. It’s getting late. Let’s go back to our room.”

“Anthony, let’s get a divorce.” I wasn’t sure how my tone sounded, but I knew I was calm when I spoke.

This was something I had kept in my heart for a long time. The opportunity to voice it out loud had come, and hence, I took it.

Anthony stood, transfixed, with his dark eyes on me. I could not decipher the emotions in them, but I was sure that he was not feeling particularly gleeful.

“Have you thought it through?”

I nodded. “Yes.”

“What do you want?” He continued looking at me with an apathetic expression. In fact, I sensed that he was only going along with my outburst.

After pausing for a while, I continued, “I don’t want anything. I only hope my child will have nothing to do with you from now on.”

If I were to cut ties with him, I would have to make a clean cut.

Narrowing his eyes, he questioned, “You have nothing with you. How will you raise your kid? Are you going to rely on Nick? Or are you going to rely on John?”

I stared at him in disbelief. “Anthony, do you think I’m the same type of person as you? Stop using your way of thinking to define me!”

“What type of person am I?” He took a step closer to me as he lowered his voice. “I’ve explained to you countless times about things between Rylee and I. As for you and John, were you not planning to tell me anything if I didn’t ask you about him?”

I pursed my lips, not knowing what he meant.

“What do you mean?”

Anthony lifted a brow. “During Cameron’s birthday banquet, you rejected me, but you were holding hands with John a moment later. Have you ever given me an explanation for that?”

I opened my mouth, but no words came to me.

The man had excellent control over his emotions. Glancing at me, he continued, “I didn’t ask you anything because I hoped that you’ll tell me about it yourself. Sienna, not every kind of love has to be in the form of a verbal ‘I love you’.”

“John and I…” I trailed off, not knowing how to explain what had happened as my chest tightened.

I did not want to explain it to him; I did not want to mention it at all.

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