Chapter 186 Is Malcolm Incapable?
"I... I've never been this close to a man before. I might have made you a bit nervous and scared," Reese confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. The truth was, she had never been in such close proximity to any man before. The intimate closeness they shared today was a first for her.
Upon hearing her admission, Malcolm's initial startled expression melted into a delighted smile. "Darling, you didn’t scare me. You simply caught me by surprise. I didn't realize you were nervous. It's fine, we'll take our time. Eventually, I'm going to charm you completely."
Suddenly, Reese's brow furrowed as an itch in her nose led to an unexpected sneeze. Rubbing the tip of her nose, she mumbled, "Must be Dahlia and her crew bad-mouthing me."
Malcolm had indeed caught the tail end of the staff's comments. "You turned Dahlia and the others into drowned rats. The way those three scampered off was a sight to behold."
Reese raised an eyebrow, her voice laced with a hint of defiance. "Well, they shouldn't be pulling off any shady stuff right under my nose." She had little tolerance for people engaging in distasteful antics around her. It was one thing to sling mud, but if it splattered on her, they'd better be prepared for the consequences.
With a proud and self-satisfied grin, Malcolm wrapped an arm around Reese's shoulder. "My wife is getting sharper by the day. I used to say I'd handle everything, wanting you only to eat well, drink well, and rest well."
"Malcolm, you just took advantage of me, and now you think a few sweet nothings will smooth everything over? Dream on." Although Reese's attitude towards him had softened substantially, there was still a distance between them. She had a thorn in her heart that needed to be removed before there could be any real progress in their relationship.
Malcolm scoffed, a twinkle in his eye. "Sure, have it your way. But with my wife being as adorable as she is, of course I want to sweet-talk her. Besides, today you literally saved Grandpa Flynn's life."
Reese was somewhat perplexed by the turn of events. "Why did you trust me so completely? Weren’t you afraid I’d mess up?" After all, Grandpa Flynn was the most important person in Malcolm's family, and he had entrusted his grandfather's life to her, against everyone’s objections.
If she wasn't so sure that Malcolm was still in the dark about her real identity, she might have suspected that he knew of her exceptional medical skills. Dealing with Grandpa Flynn's minor ailment was a cinch for her.
Malcolm raised an eyebrow, his deep-set eyes shimmering with a hint of mirth. "Want to know why? Come closer and I'll tell you."
Intrigued by his mysterious demeanor, Reese leaned in. A throaty chuckle escaped Malcolm, his breath warm against her ear. “Because you're my wife, I trust you.”
Reese was momentarily taken aback. His offhand remark flowed through her like a warm current, heating her from the inside out. They could have taken Grandpa Flynn to the hospital, but shifting him risked complications, especially given his advanced age. That's why she chose to treat him on the spot, anticipating skepticism. It was Malcolm's unwavering trust that caught her off guard, filling her with a sense of contentment.
She looked at Malcolm with sincere gratitude. "Thank you for believing in me."
While they were steeped in a poignant moment, Dahlia's world was in disarray. She had barely made it home, drenched and disheveled, makeup running down her face, looking ghostly in her reflection. She was on the verge of an outburst. “You have no idea how that taxi driver was looking at me. Do I look like that normally?”
Nancy tried to calm her, patting Dahlia's shoulder non-stop. "Honey, don't be upset. That driver doesn't understand. If he knew everything, he wouldn't be driving a cab. Don’t get worked up; it's bad for your health. Go upstairs, take a shower, and change your clothes, otherwise, your dad will have questions when he gets home."
She then turned to Silva. “Silva, you should freshen up in the guest room as well. You'll have to make do with some of your uncle's clothes for now."
Silva, relatively unfazed by the situation, was consumed with thoughts of how he could win Reese over. This girl was always full of unexpected surprises for him. He nodded politely, "Okay, I'll head on up, Aunt May."
Once everyone had changed, Dahlia's complexion seemed much brighter than before, but the irritation inside her was something she just couldn't swallow down. Seated, she commanded the nearby staff member, "What're you waiting for? Get me a glass of water."
Nancy shot the staff a knowing glance, prompting them to quickly step away. When Silva emerged, he didn't mention the incident earlier; he was too embarrassed to bring it up again.
"Aunt May, I’m going to head out. I’ll bring the clothes back another time."
Hearing Silva was about to leave, Nancy hurried forward to stop him. "Silva, you haven't even settled in yet. Why leave so soon?"
At those words, Dahlia stood and approached Silva. "Silva, what's the deal? Today, at the Flynns', I made such a fool of myself thanks to Reese, and now you're heading out without a word of comfort!"
This was not like him; he used to console her whenever she was upset, not just with soothing words but with action—showering her with brand-name handbags and clothes she adored. Why was he so distant this time?
Thinking back, ever since he met Reese, he'd become different, tuning her out and often daydreaming, as if lost in some thought. In the hall today, his gaze had been fixed on Reese—it suddenly dawned on her, could Silva be smitten with that Reese girl?
That unfaithful man! Cheating on her despite her ultimate goal of marrying into the Flynns, yet she would not allow Silva to pine after Reese. Slamming her hand on the table, she exclaimed, "I simply can't let this go!"
Silva glanced at Dahlia coolly. "What's there for you not to swallow? Didn't you cause today's debacle yourself? If you hadn't insisted on targeting Reese, we wouldn't have been humiliatingly exposed."
"How can you blame me? You agreed to it as well! Are you even a man, Silva, always trying to shift the blame onto me?"
As the two quarreled fiercely, Nancy stepped in to mediate. "Enough now. After all, it's Malcolm backing Reese that's the issue. Without him, Reese couldn't stand alone."
Dahlia, piqued with curiosity, turned to look at Nancy. "Mom, do you have a plan? I overheard from the staff at the Flynns that Reese and Malcolm haven't consummated their marriage after all this time. Do you think... maybe Malcolm has issues in that department?"
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
