Anthony placed the toiletries into the basin we paid for during my stay at the hospital. It was used to hold the water to clean my face when I was rendered immobile in bed.
“Do we need to bring that home?” I asked. We didn’t need that at the villa.
Anthony did not reply. It was practically brand new, it would have gone to waste if it was left here at the hospital, but also stored away without use for it if we brought it back.
Besides, Anthony was the type of man who did not concern himself with the nitty gritty aspects of whether or not a basin would come in handy someday.
The janitor smiled at me as she entered to perform her daily cleaning duties.
I’ve come to befriend her during the past couple of days. She appeared to be a mute, as she had always greeted me with a smile and nothing else.
Anthony walked up to her and placed the basin on her tray of tools. In a few gestures, he had expressed his intentions.
The lady nodded vigorously in gratitude. I did not understand much and interrupt them.
We made our way downstairs to the parking lot. As I entered the car, I teased him. “Mr. Featherstone, it appears that you are becoming increasingly humble.”
Anthony chuckled lightly as he fastened my seatbelt for me. “If I remained distant and aloof, I would be missing out on the joys of life being around my wife and my children. I want to be a part of that.”
He started the car but kept his grasp on me. “That’s dangerous, Anthony,” I protested.
“Do you not trust my driving skills?” Anthony teased.
I laughed but did not refute him.
As soon as I got better, I began to keep myself occupied again. Anthony took it upon himself to investigate my abduction quietly. As I did not have connections and resources, it was difficult for me to take up that task.
Since I was in charge of the project in Lavelian Village, I had to be there naturally.
After a day’s rest at the villa, I packed my belongings and headed for Lavelian Village.
Nora had nothing much to do too. She spent her time either tailing behind Armond or enjoying my company.
There was much to do when the project started. Even Nora lent a helping hand.
After we returned to the hotel at night, Nora climbed into bed and complained, “After working hard for the entire day, I don’t even get a room, not to mention not getting paid”
“Would you like me to bring it up with Mr. Murphy tomorrow?” I teased. “You would enjoy some benefits if you were a member of Murphy Corporation.”
Nora rolled her eyes at me. “What would I do with those benefits?” she retorted. “I would prefer to have the title of Mrs. Murphy. Plus, I don’t need to be paid as I have plenty of money.”
I shrugged without saying anything. “Armond would be done with work by this time, wouldn’t he?” Nora asked after some thought.
“I suppose so,” I replied.
She brought her clothes in with her to the bathroom. “Don’t wait up for me,” she said with a wink. “I won’t be home tonight!”
We were all adults after all.
Anthony called me a little later. I realized with some horror that I had forgotten to inform him that morning that I would be heading out to Lavelian Village.
“Honey, are you home?” I crooned sweetly when I picked up.
Anthony’s mesmerizing laughter was rather pleasing to my ears. “I am almost home. Have you had your dinner?”
I told him that I did. “How about you?” I asked while thinking hard of a way to tell him that I was at Lavelian Village.
“Yes, I have!” he replied.
“It’s good to know that you are taking care of yourself,” I said. “Oh, by the way, I came to Lavelian Village this morning. It’s been really busy, and I’m afraid that I would have to spend the night here.”
He grunted, the joy in his voice diminishing considerably. “I have to spend the night alone, don’t I?” he asked sorrowfully.
This man…
“I had to spend the day alone, too.” I laughed. “Where did you go, by the way? Who were you with?”
I have to admit that this was not the most subtle way of changing the topic of a conversation.
“I was with Joe,” he replied frankly. “Can you come back by tomorrow? We can have dinner together.”
I gave it a thought but decided against it. There was simply too much to do.
“I don’t think I can,” I said apologetically. “Why? Do you have anything going on?”
“I have to return to K City,” he said. “There is something that I have to deal with in the company.”
Anthony was at A City for almost two months. I dreaded to think about what his desk in K City would look like by now. The losses would undoubtedly be heavy.
“When you would be departing?” I asked. It’s a hectic period for both of us; we would have to fend for ourselves for the time being.
“Tomorrow!” he said glumly. “Joseph will remain here. You can ask him for help whenever you need to.”
I nodded.
We spent a little more time flirting over the phone. At this moment, Nora emerged from the bathroom clad in a bathrobe. “Babe,” she said to me. “Have you taken my feelings into consideration before dirty talking your man while I’m still in the room?”
I laughed and ended the call with Anthony. “Do you plan on going out dressed like that?”
It was September and Nora wore a black dress that went halfway up her thighs. She looked sexy and gorgeous, but it was probably too cold to be out in that.
She smiled broadly and did a twirl so I could admire her dress. “Don’t worry about how cold I’ll be. Tell me how hot I look!”
I nodded as she blew dry her hair into curls, applied a little light makeup, and procured a fur coat from her closet. It looked stylish and ravishing, with a hint of goth.
Nora carefully picked out a matching pair of heels to go with the rest of her outfit. “How do I look?” she asked as she watched my expression carefully.
I knew why she took the time into looking all dolled up. “Take care and play safe!” I said.
She giggled. “Don’t you worry about me,” she said. “At his age, Armond would want a child. If I get knocked up, I will have a legitimate reason to marry him!”
I rolled my eyes at her. “Love should be the primary reason for everything, especially for girls. You should be moving from dating to marriage to having a child one step at a time. You shouldn’t rush into having a child under such uncertain circumstances. Actually, we don’t even know much about the Murphys, don’t we?”
She was taken aback by my seriousness. “I know now, Sienna.” she nodded slowly. “No matter what it is, I will always prioritize my own safety.”
With Nora prepared to have a fun night out, I was prepared to put away my things and tuck in for the night.
The following day, Anthony was in a rush back to K City. He only managed to send me a message before boarding.
Nora returned earlier than expected. I opened the door to the sight of her standing unsteadily in front of me. “What’s up? You’re back early?”

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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