Chapter 18
Meanwhile, Bella and her daughter anxiously awaited news, their hearts racing with both hope and anxiety. Time seemed to stretch endlessly as they wished for some good news. Hours went by until the manager finally called. Bella answered the phone and learned from the manager that there was no available CCTV footage; it had all been erased. Bella gripped her phone tightly.
She ended the call and turned to her daughter, who had been pacing anxiously.
“What did he say, Mother?”
“He told me the CCTV footage was deleted.”
“What do you mean by the CCTV footage being deleted? Aren’t they responsible for maintaining it?”
“Don’t worry, we have another method to figure out if it’s really her.”
“What method? Tell me. I’m listening.” Kate sat on the couch, eager for her mother’s response.
“I will contact my team and update them on the situation. Leave it to me, Kate. If she dares to return or make herself known, I will eliminate her before anyone discovers she’s alive.”
“Are you aware that Grandfather is also searching for her?”
“Yes, but we will deal with her before he discovers she is alive.”
Kate sighed. “All I want is for this to be resolved so I can finally get what is rightfully mine.”
Bella sat beside her daughter and took her hand. “You will get everything you deserve, so don’t worry. Once your father is back, I will tell him it’s time for you to take a position in one of the family’s businesses. That way, you’ll rise to the top and eventually become the head of the Blake legacy.”
Kate smiled. “I can’t wait.”
After her bath, she dressed comfortably and walked into her room to find her phone ringing. Lilly answered when she saw it was Grandma Helen calling. “Hello, Grandma.”
“Oh, my dear, I received your gift. It’s absolutely lovely,” Grandma Helen praised the jewelry.
“I’m so glad you like it, Grandma.”
Noticing the high value of the gift, Grandma Helen asked, “I hope my grandson provided you with enough funds and you didn’t spend all of it on this gift for me.”
Lilly smiled. “Yes, Grandma, he gave me more than enough, so you don’t need to worry.” Lilly lied, as she couldn’t admit she used her own money when she was supposed to be in need.
“Good, good. I’ll let you rest now. I’m sure the other items I got for you will arrive soon.”
“Thank you so much, Grandma. I had a great time with you.”
“And we’ll have more time together.”
Lilly smiled sadly, recalling Alexander’s statement that she would no longer visit the family home. “Of course, Grandma.”
Grandma Helen ended the call.
As soon as the call ended, Lilly heard a knock at the door. She opened it to find Clara and two other maids holding packages.
“What’s this?”
“These are gifts from Mrs. Kane and your belongings, Ma’am.”
“Oh.” Lilly opened the door wider and let them in.
They placed the packages on the couch in the living room and then bowed their heads and left the room.
Lilly closed the door and began to examine the items. Although she had been with Grandma Helen for some of the shopping, she was not present for the rest.
The items Grandma Helen had selected were so beautiful that Lilly quickly called to thank her.
After her conversation with Grandma Helen, she also reached out to Sarah to check on how the coffee shop had been doing in her absence.
With things progressing as they were, Alexander might not let her leave the house once she was pregnant, so she needed to find a trustworthy person to manage the coffee shop.
When she went downstairs for dinner, she was surprised to find Alexander still seated at the table in his fine suit. She took a seat next to him and simply watched him as he read the newspaper. Alexander had a striking presence; even if she hadn’t fallen for him then, she would have now.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
“You’ve been staring for quite a while.”
Lilly quickly averted her gaze, not realizing how intently she had been looking.
Dinner was served, and they ate in silence. Though the quiet was uncomfortable, she was glad for the shared meal. It gave her a chance to observe him, noting how graceful he was even in the mundane act of eating.
Alexander glanced at her from the corner of his eye.
After the meal, he returned to his study for work.
Lilly stayed behind to ask Clara if she knew anyone who could manage the coffee shop since it had been growing, and Clara mentioned someone who was looking for work.
Once the conversation was over, Lilly went back to her room, took a bath, and went to bed. In the middle of the night, she felt a hand on her, and she knew immediately who it was.
“Alexander, wha…?” She didn’t finish her question before he kissed her deeply.
After the long kiss, he pulled away, and she gasped for breath. She was about to ask why he did that when he spoke, crushing her hope.
“You still need to get pregnant, remember?”
And that was all he said before he undressed her and made love to her, ensuring she was fully spent before letting her go. Each time they were intimate, he reminded her of the purpose: to conceive a child.
The next morning, Lilly dressed for work and went downstairs only to find an eerie silence. It was unusual since the housekeepers were normally bustling around, trying to keep everything perfect for Alexander, who demanded cleanliness.
Lilly walked to the dining area but found it empty. Was today a day off? She doubted it since, for the past three weeks, she had been managing everything at the house, including preparing Alexander’s meals.
For the past three weeks, despite the contractual nature of their marriage, she had taken on the responsibilities of a wife. She was familiar with the staff’s schedules, and today was definitely not a day off. So where were they?
She heard footsteps approaching and turned to see Clara dressed in black.
“Ma’am?”
“Clara, what’s going on? Where is everyone?”
“No one is working today.”
“And why is that?”
“Mr. Kane has declared today as a mandatory day off for all employees every year.”
“A day off?”
“Yes, ma’am. Didn’t Mr. Kane explain this to you?”
“Explain what?” Lilly was confused.
Seeing that Lilly was unaware, Clara sighed. “The car is outside to take you to the family home, ma’am. Mr. Kane instructed that you should go there.”
Lilly was bewildered. She remembered that Alexander had said she would never return to the family residence. So why was she being sent there now?
She looked at Clara, waiting for her explanation. “Clara,” she said.
“Yes, ma’am?”
“What is the significance of today, and why am I being sent to the family residence?”
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