Chapter 519 Confidence
The honeymoon was, like, totally awesome. Seb and Susan split their time between hanging with the kids and just chilling together. They soaked up all the lovey-dovey moments and the family vibes. Hayden and Spring were super hyped, probably 'cause they don't get out much.
That morning, Susan got all dressed up and was about to head out.
Seb swooped in and wrapped his arms around her waist, not letting her go. "Where you off to?"
Susan grinned and said, "I haven't had a chance to hang with Isabella these past few days. She's been all by herself, so I thought I'd go chat with her."
Seb wasn't having it. "We're on our honeymoon. Who told her to crash the party?"
"She's my bestie. You gotta cut her some slack," Susan said playfully, giving him a peck on the cheek.
After the kiss, Seb said, "Alright, fine. But when you're done talking with Isabella, we need to have another round."
He paused and kissed Susan on the neck.
Susan totally got what he meant. Last night, he kept her up super late. But it's natural on their honeymoon, so she just nodded shyly.
Seb finally let go of her waist.
Susan shot him a look, then walked out of the room with a smile.
A few minutes later, Seb was chilling against the headboard, reading the Averlake newspaper, when Susan came back in, looking all worried.
"What's up?" Seb put down the newspaper.
Susan frowned. "Isabella took off back home!"
Seb was surprised. "Why'd she leave all of a sudden?"
Susan looked worried. "I just saw her room was empty. The hotel front desk said she checked out in the middle of the night. I tried calling her, but no luck. She sent me an email last night saying Averlake was boring and she didn't want to bug us, so she left."
Seb's face relaxed. He picked up the newspaper again and said, "If she's safe, let her be. If she was bored, staying here would've been a drag."
"But it feels weird. Why'd she leave in the middle of the night?" Susan said, still worried.
Seb shrugged. "Look, Isabella's over thirty. She's got her own stuff going on. Just call her when she lands to make sure she's okay."
Susan sat on the edge of the bed, thinking it over. Realizing there wasn't much else to do, she nodded.
A day later, Susan called and confirmed Isabella got home safe, and she felt better. She and Seb kept exploring Averlake with the kids.
But Susan noticed Leon seemed kinda off, which bugged her.
"Have you noticed Leon seems a bit down?" Susan asked Seb privately.
Seb replied, "That's his business. Even if you ask, he won't spill."
"You're his boss and his buddy. Wouldn't he spill the beans to you?" Susan asked, resting her chin on her hand and giving Seb a playful smile.
Seb glanced at her and said, "Even if he did, I wouldn't tell you. That's his private stuff."
Susan turned away, falling silent.
But she couldn't shake the feeling that something was up between Leon and Isabella. She decided she'd grill Isabella about it once they got back home.
In the swanky suite at the Maple Valley hotel, Carol was lounging on the sofa, glued to the TV.
The door swung open, and Rylee strolled in.
"Why'd you take so long visiting your dad? You've been gone for hours. The agent called again; there are two killer villas waiting for us to check out," Carol said, eyeing Rylee.
Rylee frowned, then plopped down in front of Carol. "Mom, it's been days since Dad moved there, and you haven't checked on him. Aren't you worried about his health at all? Seb and Susan are out of the country, leaving Dad with Susan's mom. What's up with that?"
Carol asked, "Catherine's taking care of Todd at the rehab center?"
"Yeah," Rylee nodded.
Carol was stunned for a moment, then sneered. "That woman did keep her word. She said she'd take care of Todd until he was fully recovered to make up for Susan's screw-ups."
"Mom, Susan didn't do it on purpose. Isn't this a bit harsh?" Rylee asked cautiously.
"What's harsh about it? They agreed to it themselves. I didn't twist their arm," Carol said, annoyed.
Seeing Carol wasn't budging, Rylee decided to be blunt. "Mom, aren't you worried about Dad spending all this time alone with Susan's mom?"
Rylee knew the next part would be touchy, so she stopped there.
Carol, sharp as ever, caught on. She was stunned at first, then laughed. "You think Todd would be into Catherine?"
Carol found it hilarious and laughed until she was out of breath.
"Mom, what's so funny?" Rylee asked, confused.
After catching her breath, Carol said disdainfully, "Catherine probably only finished middle school. She might've been a looker back in the day, but now she's over fifty and way past her prime. What could Todd possibly see in her?"
"But she can cook, take care of Dad, and seems pretty sweet. Isn't it possible over time..." Rylee started.
Before she could finish, Carol cut her off, "Which of our maids can't cook or take care of people? Plenty of them were younger and prettier than Catherine. Did Todd ever get involved with any of them?"
Rylee had nothing to say to that.
Carol patted Rylee's hand and said, "Rylee, I can't say Todd's been a saint, but he wouldn't go for an ordinary woman. And you know how much he cares about his image. He got through his younger years without any scandals, let alone now when he's older and might lose his mojo in a few years!"
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