The softness on Raina’s face was gone as soon as the elevator doors closed. A hint of resentment flickered over her face.
Gordon’s reaction to her return was quite different from what she had anticipated.
Raina returned to her room, clenching her teeth. Arabella, seeing that she had opened the door, rushed forward to inquire, “Raina, how are things? Is it true that Gordon has feelings for Ashlyn?”
A frown formed on Raina’s face at the sound of Arabella’s words. Raina’s lips grew white because she pursed her lips for too long. “In my opinion, it is not the case. There were many reporters outside the hotel. Ashlyn must have invited them over.”
Arabella was taken aback, but she quickly recovered and began laughing. “Isn’t that favorable to you? It appears like Gordon has no intention of taking you to meet his family, even though you’ve been back for some time. His family will soon know you’re back thanks to Ashlyn. We don’t need to try and let Nathaniel learn of your return.”
It was a positive development. Even though Raina nodded, she still looked a little worried. “Is he in love with Ashlyn?”
“That can’t be true. Why would they divorce if he loved her? Stop being so insecure! Men don’t like women like Ashlyn. She’s just too headstrong and determined. You saved Gordon’s life. When your sickness worsened these years, he would go abroad and check on you. So long as he keeps thinking about how you saved his life, he won’t leave you alone. Men might be far crueler than women, but they were more soft-hearted than women sometimes.
As a man, Gordon fit that description. Since Raina had previously rescued him, he felt nothing but gratitude for her. Over time, he would come to appreciate her kindness, and he would eventually fall in love with her.
That was something Arabella thought her little sister could pull off, at least. So many women had pursued Gordon for so long, yet her sister was the only one who could stay by his side.
It was only a matter of time before the general public learned of her existence.
Losing face was a terrible thing in Nathaniel’s eyes. Maybe he would just ask Gordon to marry Raina to avoid their family becoming the laughingstock of the city.
But there was always the possibility of a different outcome. Life was a game of chance. One couldn’t find out new things without taking any risks.
That Arabella was correct was obvious to Raina.
Gordon didn’t refuse her back then because she pretended that she was unworldly, unimpressed by power or money.
Gordon thought she was different from other women.
The elevator doors opened and Gordon walked out, his expression sour.
The reporters were still there, and when they saw Gordon, they surrounded him again. But Gordon’s expression was as cold as ice. A reporter made to ask him a question but shrank back at the look on Gordon’s face.
Gordon walked out of the hotel and got into his car but didn’t drive away immediately.
He remembered what Ashlyn had said ten minutes ago as he had stepped out of the elevator.
In the empty hotel hall, Ashlyn had told the reporters, “I didn’t mean anything else. All I want to know is what a wonderful lady she must be for Gordon to have loved her for so many years. I don’t want to be offensive, but I don’t think she is as pretty or as affluent as I am. So it’s beyond my comprehension that he has loved her for such a long time. In any case, I believe that the love that they have is genuine.”
The smile on her lips didn’t budge as she said these words, but her eyes were devoid of all emotion.
The reporters had then spotted him and rushed to surround him and Raina. Ashlyn had just stood there and looked at him, her smile turning cold.
To the onlookers, it seemed like Ashlyn was watching a farce unfold.
Gordon didn’t like the mockery and contempt in her eyes.
He became irritated and uncomfortable as he remembered the look. A thorn seemed to be pricking his heart and he couldn’t get rid of it.
He didn’t like this feeling.
Gordon lit a cigarette and leaned against the car window.
The smell of nicotine calmed him a little. The calmness didn’t last long, however.
He snuffed out his half-smoked cigarette and drove away.
The car sped along the road.
But Gordon soon realized that there was something wrong with the car. He slowed down and pulled over to the roadside.
It wasn’t long before he found that the left tire was flat.
More looking made him realize that more than one tire had been punctured.
If he kept going like this, the car would stop in the middle of the road.
The flat tires annoyed Gordon even more. He pulled out his phone, called Lowell, and asked him to have the car towed.
It took Lowell a long time to react when he heard this news.
He had just taken Gordon’s car in for maintenance last week. How had it broken down so soon?
Lowell was confused, but he quickly changed his clothes and rushed to Gordon.
Ashlyn and Devin had fallen quiet in the car. After a long silence, she turned to look at him and said, “I want to go back.”
“Go back to the hotel?” Devin asked, his eyebrows shooting up in confusion.
Ashlyn nodded. “Yes.”
She paused, looking at the neon lights in front of her, before a faint smile crept up her lips. “I want to go back and see how unlucky Gordon has gotten.”
Devin was surprised. When he recovered to realize what she said, he smiled and said, “Great idea.”
He then drove to the next intersection and took a U-turn.
He also wanted to see where Gordon’s car was.
That kind of a situation would definitely embarrass Gordon.
As Gordon drove out of the hotel, he could only turn left or right.
Devin had stabbed Gordon’s tire and Ashlyn had stabbed another tire a couple of times. Gordon would have flat tires not long after he started the car.
Devin drove with Ashlyn sitting by his side. At the next intersection, he made a U-turn. But they didn’t see Gordon’s car when they reached the hotel. Apparently, Gordon went the other way.
Devin drove past the hotel. After a while, Ashlyn saw Gordon standing by the road.
Although he had his back turned to the road, Ashlyn could recognize him easily.
“Over there,” Devin said to Ashlyn, pulling over.
“Yes.” Ashlyn nodded. “I can see him too.”
She smiled softly.
Gordon was smoking a cigarette when Devin stopped the car next to him. The red light from the cigarette gleaned in the darkness.
When Gordon turned and found out that it was Devin’s car that had pulled over, his face darkened.
Slowly, the window slid down, revealing Ashlyn’s face.
She seemed indifferent at the sight of him.
“Hello, Mr. Jones.” With a firm hand on the steering wheel, Devin turned the car around for a better view.
“Is your car broken?” he asked with a calm smile, but Gordon could sense the sarcasm in his tone.
For this, Gordon ignored him, saying nothing.
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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