“Anth, I…” Rylee wanted to say something but was cut off by Anthony.
“Send my regards to your mother,” he said in a voice that had dropped a few octaves lower.
The hidden warning in his words was clear. Rylee instantly tensed up, an aggrieved look taking residence on her face.
Anthony wanted to tug me back into the living room, but I released his arm at that time and said to him, “Go get me a coat. I’ll send Ms. Lorraine off.”
His brows drew together.
Seeing his hesitation, I reminded him, “You promised that you wouldn’t question me no matter what I did.”
After a short pause, he relented, “It’s cold outside, so don’t take too long.”
I nodded and watched as he went back into the living room. Then, I turned back to Rylee with a faint smile. “Let me send you off, Ms. Lorraine.”
“That’s not necessary!” Rylee was upset after being given the cold shoulder, and seeing me only made her more displeased. “You couldn’t even protect your own child, so stop gloating, Sienna.”
There was a cobblestone path that extended from the front door to where we were standing, and beside it lay a small pond.
Because of the cold weather, the fish inside were relatively inactive and the lotuses that bloomed on the water’s surface had withered by now. To ensure that the pond stayed visually pleasant, snapped branches and leaves were frequently cleared away. Hence, the water was considered quite clean.
Having already shooed off the nanny, Rylee supported her waist with the contempt on her face clear as day.
I couldn’t help but sneer at her. “What is there for me to gloat about, Ms. Lorraine? Indeed, I failed to protect my child, but why don’t we see if you can?”
Her eyes widened, seemingly just realized that she was standing close to the pond. I took a few steps toward her and grabbed her arm before yanking her to the edge of the pond.
Forcing her to look at the still surface of the pond, I said, “You won’t drown even if you fall in. You’ll only suffer a little bit. Why don’t you jump in and see if you can protect your baby?”
“You…” she shrieked. “If you harm a hair on me, my father will give you hell!”
“Let’s give it a try, shall we?” I smirked slightly and felt the urge to roll my eyes when she shivered.
“Don’t you dare!” She raised her voice. “My father will never let you get away with it if you push me in!”
I felt bored listening to her yapping away about her father in an attempt to intimidate me, so I casually shoved her slightly in the direction of the pond.
She screamed in fright and instinctively pushed me away.
Splash!
Holy sh*t. The water during the cold seasons was really freezing. After thrashing in the water for a while, I was abruptly hauled out of the pond.
As the chilly air kissed my skin, I shivered violently.
Anthony wrapped the coat he had brought out around me before turning to Mrs. Eriksen who had anxiously followed him out and ordered, “Call Dr. Crest over now.”
Mrs. Eriksen nodded profusely and proceeded to make the call.
Anthony scooped me into his arms and shot a cold look at Rylee, who was still dumbstruck.
Then, he snapped, “Next time, please refrain from setting foot in our humble abode. My wife has a frail body and can’t handle your aggressive ways.”
He was indirectly implying that Rylee wasn’t welcome here anymore.
As Rylee slowly regained her senses, her eyes reddened while she anxiously tried to explain herself, “Anth, it wasn’t me. I didn’t touch her!”
Anthony scoffed, “So, are you saying that she fell in on her own?”
Rylee once again defended herself, “She was going to push me in, but when I resisted, she fell in instead. It has nothing to do with me. She…”
“So, she couldn’t even defend herself against you, a pregnant woman?” Anthony questioned. With his lips pressed into a tight line, he exuded a chilly aura.
“Rylee, you should be well aware of why I’ve always indulged you. It was a privilege bestowed on you in return for Parker’s kindness, but within these few years, you’ve completely exhausted that privilege.” These words were admittedly brutal.
Rylee’s face had turned pale, and her eyes were red when she choked out, “My brother died because of you back then. How can you casually dismiss that just because of me? What’s the meaning of this, Anth?”
“Do you need me to spell it out for you?” Anthony’s breathing grew heavy as he suppressed his anger. “Go back and tell your mother that one of these days, we’ll settle the scores between us.”
With that, he carried me into the living room. After making the phone call, Mrs. Eriksen came out with an infuriated look on her face. Glancing at the pregnant woman standing outside, she said in a clipped tone, “I think it’s time for you to leave, Ms. Lorraine. The Featherstones are a simple family and can’t keep up with your flair for drama.”
Without waiting to see Rylee’s reaction, she shut the door in her face.
As my clothes were soaked through, water dripped onto the floor all the way to the bedroom.
Anthony directly carried me into the bathroom and placed me by the bathtub. Then, he turned on the hot water and reached out to remove my clothes, but I quickly dodged his hands.
“I’ll do it myself!” I snapped.
Thereafter, I peeled off the coat around me and started undoing my clothes when I noticed that he was still standing off to the side. With a frown, I asked, “Do you like watching me undress?”
His frosty face broke into a smile. “Can’t I?”
I stopped fiddling with my clothes to meet his eyes. “I’m sorry, Mr. Featherstone, but I don’t share your sentiment, so I’ll have to ask you to leave.”
He pursed his lips, but fortunately, he did as I said without any protests.
When I came out of the shower, there was a glass of milk on the nightstand while Anthony was nowhere in sight.
Casting a fleeting glance at it, I settled in front of the vanity mirror to blow-dry my hair. I was already frail to begin with. After falling into the pond, I wouldn’t be surprised if I caught a cold.
Feeling lethargic but reluctant to sleep, I crawled under the sheets to warm myself.
Without Anthony here, I felt more relaxed. After reading a book, I fished out my phone to entertain myself.
Anthony came in with some documents in his hands, seemingly here to check up on me.
When he noticed me looking at my phone on the bed, his forehead creased. “Looking at your phone so often is bad for your eyes.”
I flicked my eyes toward him and nodded brusquely before placing my phone on the nightstand.
After that, I burrowed underneath the blanket.
The bed sank slightly as Anthony sat beside me. “Finish the milk, then sleep for a while if you’re tired.”
“I don’t want the milk!” I rejected as I had never been a fan of milk.
“Be a good girl, Sienna. Get up and drink it,” Anthony ordered. This was the first time I felt so annoyed by someone.
I flipped the blanket off me and stared him dead in the eye for several seconds. Then, I rolled out of bed in anger and grabbed the glass of milk before walking into the bathroom.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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