Chapter 123 Do You Really Think You Can Keep It a Secret Forever?

It was the weekend, and Rachel and John, nudged by Victoria, made their way to Tyler's horse ranch.

The place was massive, covering about 8 or 9 acres. Not too far off, there was a golf course, and behind that, a villa area. Beyond the villas, a 2,400-foot-high mountain stood tall, famous for its stargazing and sunrise views.

On the drive over, John couldn't stop talking about their plans for the next couple of days. But Rachel was slumped against the passenger seat, looking pale and out of it.

Noticing her unusual state, John dialed down his excitement and asked, "Rachel, you okay? You look really pale. Feeling sick?"

"Yeah, just a bit of chest tightness. Maybe it's car sickness," Rachel replied weakly, leaning against the car window with her eyes closed.

John frowned, puzzled. "Car sickness? You never get car sick."

Rachel cracked her eyes open, a flicker of panic in them. She never got car sick, but now she was pregnant and super sensitive to smells like gasoline, which made her feel queasy. But she couldn't say that.

"Maybe I caught a cold recently," Rachel said softly, biting her lip.

John nodded. "Yeah, it's gotten pretty chilly lately. Easy to catch a cold. I'll have the doctor check on you when we get to the villa."

"No need!" Rachel quickly refused, "I just need to rest a bit. I have medicine with me." She patted her bag to prove it.

Seeing her insistence, John didn't push further. Soon they arrived at the villa. John parked the car and started unloading the luggage. Rachel went over to help.

Just as Rachel was about to lift a suitcase, John stepped in and stopped her. "I'll handle this. You go rest in the room for a bit. Tyler mentioned that the second-floor rooms are taken by another couple, so we'll be staying on the third floor."

"Okay." Rachel nodded, not putting up a fight. She walked into the villa, feeling a wave of relief. She really did feel unwell and just wanted to lie down and rest.

After Rachel left, John moved the luggage to the third floor by himself. Luckily, there wasn't much, just one suitcase each, done in one trip.

There were five rooms on the third floor. After placing the luggage in the room opposite Rachel's, John went to the balcony to call Victoria.

Meanwhile, a black Maybach slowly drove up and stopped at the villa entrance. The car door opened, and Michael got out, walked around the front of the car, and opened the passenger door.

Mandy bent down to get out of the car, looked around, and said happily, "Wow, the air here is so fresh!"

Michael responded, "It really is."

"Michael, we definitely came to the right place!" Mandy happily hugged his arm.

Michael patted her hand and said, "Alright, let go for now, we need to move the luggage."

"Okay." Mandy nodded and let go, following Michael to the trunk. She suddenly noticed the Mercedes next to them, tugged on Michael's sleeve, and asked, "Michael, is that the other couple's car?"

"Probably," Michael replied as he glanced at it and then looked away.

Mandy pouted, a bit dissatisfied, "I wanted to spend some alone time with you, but it seems my wish won't come true."

"They are Tyler's friends' families, we have to consider Tyler. Don't worry, he said they are staying on the third floor, they won't bother us," Michael comforted her gently.

Mandy pouted, "I didn't mean it, just a little complaint."

"I know, after our engagement, we'll go abroad for a nice trip, just the two of us," Michael replied and looked at her tenderly.

Mandy's eyes sparkled, and she nodded. "Okay."

As they were talking, the sound of a car engine came from a distance. Michael and Mandy turned to look.

A six-seater business car stopped, and then the door opened, and James, dressed in sportswear and holding a basketball, jumped out. Mandy's eyes widened. "James?"

Michael was also a bit surprised. "What are you doing here?"

James waved and ran over to them. "Michael, Mandy, I'm here to hang out with you!"

"Hang out with us?" Mandy forced a smile, but deep down, she wasn't really into it.

Michael frowned and asked, "How did you know where we were?"

James shrugged. "Joseph told me."

At this moment, Joseph walked over with a smile, followed by Ella.

"Joseph?" Michael looked at him coldly.

Joseph grinned and explained, "I heard you mention a few days ago that you were taking Mandy on a vacation, so I remembered. You're too stingy, only taking your fiancée out and not inviting us."

He put his hand on Michael's shoulder, but Michael shrugged it off coldly. "I never said I was taking Mandy on a date, you assumed that yourself!" Michael said coldly.

Joseph looked innocent and sighed. "Maybe I remembered wrong, sorry. But since we're here, it wouldn't be right to just leave, would it?"

James chimed in, "Come on, Michael! I finally got some time off, you can't just send me packing, right?"

Michael turned to Mandy. "What do you think?"

Mandy bit her lip, hesitating, "I..."

Joseph cut in with a grin, "Miss Brown, you wouldn't be that stingy, would you?"

Mandy was secretly annoyed, knowing Joseph was putting her in a tough spot. If she said no, she'd look stingy; if she said yes, her romantic weekend would turn into a group hangout.

Feeling cornered, she took a deep breath and forced a smile. "Of course not, let's all spend the weekend together."

"Yay!" James cheered, practically jumping up and down.

Joseph smirked. "Thanks, Miss Brown, you're really generous."

Ella finally spoke up, "Alright, enough chit-chat, let's get the luggage."

Joseph yelped, "Hey, why so grumpy?"

Ella sneered, "You lied to me, saying you were unemployed, but you're actually the eldest son of the Anderson family."

Joseph coughed awkwardly. "Well, I didn't do it on purpose, you didn't ask clearly either."

"You're blaming me?" Ella's eyes widened, hardly believing his nerve.

Joseph quickly waved his hands. "Of course not, I wouldn't dare. Calm down, it's my fault, all my fault, okay?"

"That's more like it, now go get the luggage," Ella urged, giving him a playful kick.

Joseph pouted helplessly and went to the trunk to get the luggage. James followed to help, and the three of them soon carried the luggage toward the villa.

Michael gently squeezed Mandy's hand as she looked down in silence and said softly, "Mandy, let's go inside too." Mandy suppressed her frustration and nodded.

The five of them carried their luggage into the villa. As soon as they entered the living room, footsteps sounded from the stairs. Everyone looked up to see John, dressed in casual clothes and wearing slippers, coming down from upstairs. 

Seeing them, he opened his mouth in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Hi, Mr. Davis." Joseph raised an eyebrow and smiled, nodding at John.

Ella also nodded in greeting, "Hello, Mr. Davis."

Apart from the two of them, the other three had different expressions. James, who didn't like John, snorted and turned his head away; Michael frowned, realizing that the other couple was John and Rachel.

"Mandy," Michael said, looking at the woman beside him with concern in his eyes.

Mandy clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms, but she forced a smile. "Don't worry, Michael. I know what you're worried about. I'll handle her." Damn it, why did Joseph and the others have to ruin her plans to spend some alone time with Michael? And to make matters worse, the other couple included her enemy, Rachel.

"Who is 'her'?" James asked curiously, holding his basketball. Ella and Joseph also looked at Mandy curiously.

Mandy bit her lip and stammered, "She is..." Not knowing how to answer, she looked at Michael for help. Michael stepped in calmly, "Don't ask, it's none of your business."

"What do you mean it's none of our business? You just don't want to say it," John said with a hint of disdain, crossing his arms.

"Mr. Davis, do you know?" Joseph asked, turning to John.

John smirked, "Of course I know. That 'her' is actually..."

"John!" Michael cut him off sharply, "This is Mandy's private matter. Stay out of it."

John pouted, clearly annoyed. "Fine, I won't say anything, but do you really think you can keep it a secret forever?" With that, he turned to go upstairs to his room.

"Wait, Mr. Davis," Ella suddenly called out to him.

John stopped and turned around. "What's up?"

"Mr. Davis, which floor are you on? I want to stay on the same floor as you. I don't want to be around those shady women; they might bring bad luck." Ella glanced at Mandy, making her point clear.

Mandy bit her lip in humiliation. "Miss White, are you saying I'm shady?"

"Did I say you?" Ella replied coolly.

Mandy was taken aback, then realized, "There are only two women here, and you didn't name names."

"I didn't point fingers," Ella said, still unyielding.

Mandy stomped her foot in anger. John and Joseph watched the drama with interest, even James felt inexplicably pleased.

"Michael," Mandy called as she looked at Michael with teary eyes.

Michael's gaze sharpened as he looked at Joseph. He warned, "You brought her, so you better control her. I'll let it slide this time, but if she bullies Mandy again, you'll be the one dealing with the fallout."

Joseph shrugged, looking helpless. "Hey, I'm just caught in the crossfire here, alright? No need to be so blunt, I'm getting heat too."

"I bet you're not scared at all, are you?" Ella scoffed, rolling her eyes at him before heading toward John with her luggage.