Chapter 73 He Hugged Her
Actually, Elizabeth was worried Samuel might be up to something shady.
Was he plotting revenge for Margaret? Drawing her in just to ditch her later? Or maybe he was using her to set up Michael? That didn't seem right. He and Michael were tight; no way he'd do that.
Elizabeth walked into the gallery, taking her time with each painting.
Right on the main wall, she spotted her favorite piece. She stood there, soaking in the artist's brushstrokes, the colors, the light.
Immersed in her thoughts, she was suddenly startled as someone hurriedly walked past her. Instinctively, she took a step back and suddenly lost her balance.
With nothing nearby to grab onto, she let out a scream.
But she didn't hit the ground; she landed on someone.
Startled, she kept saying "Sorry," only to find that she was sitting on Michael, who was in a wheelchair.
She was shocked, still perched on his lap.
"Michael, why are you here? How's your leg? Does it still hurt?" she asked, a bit surprised.
Michael didn't answer. He just looked at her and asked with smile, "Elizabeth, are you worried about me?"
His hands naturally wrapped around her waist, holding her close.
Elizabeth reacted, quickly pushed his hands away and stood up, "Michael, what are you doing? This is a public place! Be mindful!"
Michael's lips curved slightly, and his eyes suddenly seemed to be filled with light.
Ever since he found out that she left without saying goodbye that day, these past few days had felt like years. He couldn't eat well, nor could he sleep well. He just wanted to see her as soon as possible and explain everything to her properly.
More than anything, he wanted to hold her tightly in his arms.
The bodyguard behind Michael looked at his boss, who had been listless these past few days, and at this moment, it was as if he had finally come back to life. They finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Michael teased, "Oh, so if it were private, this would be okay?"
Elizabeth stomped her foot, "Michael, what are you talking about?"
"Alright. Come with me to a quiet place. I have something to tell you," he said.
He told his bodyguard to stay put.
Elizabeth had to push his wheelchair towards the gallery's lounge.
Once inside, Michael closed the door. "You came to the art exhibition with Samuel today, right?" he asked gently.
Elizabeth sat on the sofa, "Yeah, but Samuel said he was busy and would be late, so he told me to go ahead."
Michael said slowly, "He's not coming today."
Elizabeth finally understood why Samuel had been so happy when he heard her agree to come to the exhibition that day. There was no way he would have stood her up. It turned out he was up to his tricks again. "It was you, wasn't it? You had someone delay him?"
Michael nodded without any attempt to hide it, "Yeah, I did."
"Don't you want me to get too close to Samuel?" she asked attentively.
Michael looked at her eyes and said, "Since you know, why do you keep agreeing to meet him?"
"Michael, do you think I'm dating Samuel?" she shot back.
"Isn't it? You agreed to have dinner with him and come to the art exhibition together. Isn't that a date? Does it have to involve sleeping together to be considered a date?" Michael questioned, his voice raising.
Seeing that Michael distrust her, Elizabeth stood up, furious. "What? We haven't even divorced yet; I'm still your wife. How could I sleep with Samuel? Is that how you see me?"
Knowing he had misunderstood her, Michael lowered his head, "I'm sorry, Elizabeth, that's not what I meant."
Michael took a deep breath, grabbed Elizabeth's hand, and elaborated, "Elizabeth, listen. Samuel isn't as straightforward as he seems. He's really cunning, and his business is tied up in a lot of illegal stuff. That's why I keep distancing myself from him. You're still young and inexperienced; I'm worried you'll get caught up with him and get hurt. The Jones Group might be in a financial bind, but with the right investment, it can bounce back. But once you get involved in illegal activities, there's no turning back. Do you want to see the Jones Group, which your dad worked his whole life for, go down the drain? To take the fall for Samuel and become a front for his dirty money?"
Elizabeth gently pulled her hand away and sat back on the sofa, speaking softly while patiently, "Michael, I know Samuel isn't simple. I've thought about the fact that he and Margaret were close. Knowing that Margaret and I are enemies, it's weird that he'd help me. So, while I've been in contact with him, I've been keeping an eye on him. I'm not just chatting and having meals with him for fun. As for the art exhibition today, I genuinely wanted to see it. The school's brochure has been out for a while, and there are works by artists I really like here."
Michael said, "If you wanted to see the art exhibition, you could've asked me to come with you."
Elizabeth looked at him and replied, "But we were still planning to divorce."
Suddenly remembering something, Elizabeth pushed Michael's wheelchair away from her.
Michael looked at her, confused, "Elizabeth, what's wrong?"
Elizabeth turned away, angrily saying, "Why are you still looking for me? If it's about the divorce, fine, let's talk. If not, please leave! I still want to look at the exhibition!"
Michael wheeled himself closer to the sofa where Elizabeth was sitting and asked, "Why are you so angry all of a sudden? You weren't like this just now."
Elizabeth snapped, "You shameless jerk! You had your bodyguard call me to the villa to see you and Margaret being all cozy? You actually let her touch your hand! Do you have no boundaries? If that's the case, divorce me and marry her! Then you can be together openly! Why are you still looking for me?"
Michael moved a little closer and hold her, "Give me a chance to explain. When Margaret came into my room, I had no idea. The doctor had just given me a sedative, and I was out cold. The bodyguard wasn't around, and neither was Susan. Margaret sent the bodyguard away. No one let her into my room; she went in on her own. I don't know how she touched my hand. But, Elizabeth, I've already given orders that Margaret won't be allowed to enter the Thomas Villa, they are to kick her out. She won't be able to get close to Sunset Heights again. I've also warned her that if she crosses the line again, I'll make sure she leaves Stellar Enterprises for good and won't show up at the company anymore."
With that, His fingers gently brushed against the back of her hand as he said, "So, don't be angry, okay?"
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