Chapter 524 Mr. Kingsley's Favor, Dr. Mitchell's Mischief
Sebastian leaned against the balcony of the penthouse suite, holding a cup of Earl Grey tea. The aroma mingled with the mist, filling his senses.
Seeing the message on his phone, a smile touched his deep-set eyes.
"I miss you, too."
His long, clean fingers typed a few words on the screen with practiced care. He could have typed quickly, but it seemed like he wanted to savor each letter, as if he wished he could write them by hand and whisper them in her ear.
Brooklyn was drying her hair with a blow dryer when her phone lit up. One hand held the dryer, sending her hair flying, while the other cradled the phone, reading the message.
Her eyes softened with affection, imagining him standing tall and handsome before her, a bit roguish, a bit charming, lifting her chin and saying, "I miss you."
Brooklyn was startled by her own imagination. Even after all these years of marriage, she still had the heart of a young girl, and it was almost scary.
"I checked the weather. The flight can resume in ten hours. Get some sleep."
Sebastian replied almost immediately.
"I found a nice tea. I'll bring some home for you."
Brooklyn chuckled, interpreting his message in her own way.
Bringing back some local specialties from a business trip.
The image was too vivid; she couldn't help but laugh.
She teased him, "You can skip the tea, but Mr. Kingsley, make sure you come back in one piece. Don't get distracted by other women."
Sebastian sipped his tea, a smirk playing on his lips. "No promises."
Ha!
Brooklyn snorted, tossing her phone aside and continuing to dry her hair. Once it was dry and fluffy, the pain in her right hand flared up again.
She massaged her hand for a while when another message from Sebastian came through.
"Get some sleep, cover up well, goodnight."
Such a simple, everyday reminder, yet Brooklyn felt warmth in every word.
"Goodnight."
She put down her phone and lay in bed, pulling the covers up but unable to sleep.
It was her first night here, in an unfamiliar room, in an unfamiliar bed, and the worst part was that Sebastian wasn't by her side.
She had grown used to holding onto his arm every night. Now, turning over to find the bed empty, she felt the loneliness acutely.
She turned off the light, forcing herself to close her eyes.
The night was deep and quiet, the stars serene, and every sound in the villa seemed amplified in the darkness.
"Bang! Bang!"
Just as she was drifting off, Brooklyn was jolted awake by a few loud thuds. The noise came from above her. At first, she thought something had fallen, but listening closely, she grew uneasy.
She was on the second floor, with the third-floor bedroom above her. She remembered Donny and Amarantha had gone into that room earlier.
"Thump, thump!"
Seriously? That intense?
The soundproofing here should be excellent, but the ceiling in this guest room had a recessed European chandelier, making the ceiling thinner.
The bed above was directly over hers, and the noise was too much to ignore.
Damn, Donny seemed useless most of the time, but he sure had stamina in bed, going at it for ages!
Brooklyn was already having trouble sleeping, and this just made it worse.
Donny and his wife were always so brazen. Did they know she was sleeping below and did this on purpose? And she was sure there was a reason she was put in this room.
The more she thought about it, the more upset she got. Brooklyn gritted her teeth, threw off the covers, and slipped on her shoes. She walked to the window, looking out at the moonlit pool area. There were lounge chairs with cushions, perfect for a rest.
She put on a coat and went outside.
The night breeze was gentle, not too cold or hot, and it made her sleepy. She ended up falling asleep on one of the lounge chairs.
She slept until sunrise, waking up as the gardener and housekeeper were starting their day. Yawning, she went back to her room.
She managed to get another half-hour of sleep.
After a restless night, Brooklyn was sleep-deprived. Washing her face, she saw dark circles under her eyes. She always slept well with Sebastian, but this had thrown off her routine and left her irritable.
Tonight, she needed to find a way to ensure a good night's sleep.
She applied a thick layer of concealer, changed clothes, and went out.
"Brooklyn, you're up! How'd you sleep?"
Amarantha was coming down from the third floor, her wavy hair and smoky gray dress highlighting her curves, her lips painted a bold red.
Brooklyn understood.
She frowned, "Not well at all. Do we have mice? I heard something in the ceiling last night. We should get some traps."
"Are you kidding? The Kingsley Villa is thoroughly cleaned every season. No way there are mice."
Brooklyn crossed her arms, her bare face still more stunning than Amarantha's made-up one. "You'd be surprised. Mice are persistent and breed quickly. They hide in cabinets, on desks, in makeup boxes. Some are huge, like this."
She spread her arms wide, indicating a size as big as a person.
Amarantha stepped back, pale. "That's impossible! No mouse is that big!"
Brooklyn gracefully descended the stairs. "No? I saw one just now, gray and all."
She left Amarantha with a smug look and a confident stride.
Amarantha fumed, realizing Brooklyn was mocking her.
"Brooklyn! Good morning!"
Quinn greeted her warmly.
"Morning."
"Brooklyn, after breakfast, I'll drive you to the hospital. It's on my way to work."
"Sure."
Brooklyn noticed Brian coming downstairs and smiled sweetly.
Donny smirked, "Quinn, I've never seen you up this early. Brooklyn must be quite the motivator."
Quinn shot back, "You wouldn't understand. Women who only know how to moan in bed can't compare to Brooklyn."
Brooklyn hid her smile behind her teacup, pleased that Quinn had voiced her thoughts.
At breakfast, Brian and Herschel were quiet, still reeling from last night's events.
Donny signaled Amarantha, who said, "Brooklyn, with Sebastian away, you must be bored. Let's go to the spa tonight."
Brooklyn chewed slowly, "Amarantha, you have to cook tonight. I want to watch and learn. How about that?"
Amarantha had hoped to avoid cooking, but now she was trapped. "Sure, that works."
Brooklyn smiled, "I'm looking forward to it."
Donny interjected, "Amarantha's cooking can't compare to our chef's. You have high standards."
"Not at all. I'll eat anything as long as it's not poisonous." Brooklyn sipped her soup.
Donny laughed awkwardly.
Jennifer, silent until now, said, "Brooklyn, you're working hard. Let the staff handle your laundry."
Brooklyn nodded, "Okay, but Jennifer, there's a silk scarf from Sebastian that needs hand washing. Please make sure it's done right."
Amarantha laughed, "Silk? I have several. They need special care."
Brooklyn feigned admiration, "You must be experienced. Could you wash mine too?"
"You!" Amarantha gripped her utensils tightly, unable to respond.
Quinn's leg bounced happily under the table.
After breakfast, Quinn drove Brooklyn to the hospital, praising her along the way.
"Brooklyn, you're amazing! Donny and Amarantha act like they own the place. You need to put them in their place."
Brooklyn leaned back, "What's Amarantha's story? How did she hook up with Donny?"
Quinn shrugged, "Not sure. They met in Coralhaven."
Brooklyn nodded, "She's cunning but not very smart. Easy to manipulate."
Quinn frowned. "How do you know?"
"I've spent twenty hours with her. It's obvious."
Quinn blinked, "I've known her for months and didn't see it."
"That's why, Mr. Kingsley, you have a lot to learn. But don't worry, I've got your back."
Why did that sound off?
As they arrived at Aucester Hospital, Quinn nearly collided with a white Audi. He slammed on the brakes, the car behind them screeching to a halt.
"Damn it! Learn to drive!" Quinn yelled, "Fuck! Are you trying to get us killed?"
Arabella, furious, stuck her head out, "You almost killed me!"
Both froze, recognizing each other.
Brooklyn got out and saw Arabella in the Audi.
"Dr. Warner, are you okay?"
Arabella quickly rolled up her window.
Damn it! Caught by Quinn in such an expensive car. Damn, her cover was blown!
Brooklyn was puzzled. What was going on?
Quinn swallowed, "Hillbilly, am I seeing things?"
Brooklyn knocked on Arabella's window, "Dr. Warner, open up. Are you hurt?"
Arabella gripped the wheel, panicking. How could she explain this to Quinn? She'd lied so easily, but now, with his simple-minded nature, she couldn't imagine the fallout.
Arabella cracked the window, pleading, "Can you do me a favor?"
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