Chapter 140 The Possessive Kiss of Mr. Carnegie
The recent days had been fraught with tension, particularly for Paige. She was caught in a desperate search for an elusive antidote, and had become an unwitting pawn in the machinations of the Marigold and Finnegan siblings. Her spirits were at an all-time low.Raymond, too, had been ensnared, taken hostage. But in this moment, as his lips met hers, the tension between them evaporated.Paige stood with her back to Raymond, deepening their kiss by tilting her head. Raymond's hands gently cradled her neck, his kisses fervent and possessive.Matching his intensity, Paige responded with equal fervor. Hand in hand, they navigated their way from the study to the bedroom, their bodies intertwined in a passionate embrace.Upon entering the bedroom, Raymond pressed Paige against the door, holding her there for a lingering moment before finally sweeping her into his arms and carrying her to the expansive bed.In the midst of their shared breaths, a fleeting thought crossed Paige's mind. But before she could grasp it, Raymond was upon her once more. Embracing a second wave of intense affection, she surrendered to the depths of their love, letting go of any transient thoughts.That night, Paige slept deeply and peacefully. When she stirred the following morning, Raymond was no longer at her side. He had abandoned the pretense of a wheelchair, moving about freely and with ease. Paige, however, was left wondering why he had risen so early.By the time Paige emerged from the bed, Sean had already prepared her breakfast. The others had eaten and gone about their daily tasks.The luggage Paige hadn't managed to pack the previous night had been neatly arranged by Pearl that morning. All that remained was for Paige to enjoy her breakfast before setting off for Northwind.Paige was ready to depart after her meal, but Raymond was conspicuously absent.Despite Raymond's assurance the previous night that he would linger a few more days in Country M while she returned home, Paige was accustomed to his doting nature. She had expected him to bid her farewell at the plane before immersing himself in other matters.Pearl arrived to hasten Paige's departure, "Xanthe, your luggage is all packed and loaded; the plane is fueled up and ready, just waiting for you to depart."Paige acknowledged with a nod and then retrieved her cellphone to call Raymond.After several unanswered rings, Paige frowned, puzzled as to where he could be that his phone was out of reach.She dialed Charles's number next, and he answered promptly.It seemed Charles had anticipated Paige's call, quickly explaining, "Madam, Raymond arrived at the office early this morning and is currently in an important meeting with senior executives. His phone might be out of reach. He asked me to tell you to send him a safe arrival message once you land."Paige was not one to fuss over such matters. Raymond was busy and couldn't see her off, but he would be joining her in Northwind in a few days anyway, so she didn't make a big deal about it.After a brief response to Charles, she hung up and climbed into the car, heading for the airstrip.En route, Pearl mentioned that due to time constraints, they had not custom-ordered a plane but had purchased one that was immediately available.It had been delivered the previous night, and Paige could still customize it later if she had specific preferences.Paige had no particular demands regarding the aircraft; as long as it was airworthy, that was all that mattered.Kimberly had swiftly organized the flight route; indeed, money had a way of simplifying things.When Paige left, she didn't bother with Marigold and Finnegan, the troublesome siblings.Now comfortably settled on the airplane, Paige turned to Julian, "How are Marigold and Finnegan doing?"Julian had ensured Marigold visited Finnegan in the hospital before they left that morning. "It's like setting her free," Julian mused. "Whatever happens to them now is none of our business."Paige had made her threats to the siblings, and now she wasn't afraid they would do anything reckless. After all, she had the antidote in her possession. What else could possibly harm her? If they didn't fall in line and persisted in digging into matters of the secret funds, Paige was prepared to make them bitterly regret it.
On the homeward flight, a sudden void engulfed Paige, a hollow space where Raymond should have been. Despite her deceptive means of luring him onto the trip, he had willingly accompanied her. The realization that Raymond had been aware of the impending threats, yet had chosen to come, stirred an emotion within Paige, deeper than she cared to acknowledge.She had been burning the midnight oil for several nights, and her body was begging for rest. As the aircraft hummed its way across the sky, Paige gradually succumbed to the lull of sleep.Aware of Paige's slumber, Pearl, ever so considerate, draped a blanket over her and retreated to the rear of the plane to engage in conversation with Julian and Kimberly. Amongst them, Cecil West was the most reticent, his gaze intermittently drifting towards Paige. To an observant eye, it was clear that his attention was frequently drawn to her.Pearl, with her keen sense of observation, promptly fetched a cup of coffee for Cecil. He had been subsisting on caffeine alone, having inverted his sleep cycle without adjusting to the time difference.While Paige was catching up on much-needed sleep, Cecil remained engrossed in his laptop, working on something cryptic. Pearl stole a glance but failed to comprehend his task. When it came to technical prowess, Paige and Cecil were undoubtedly the most proficient.Pearl positioned the coffee within Cecil's usual reach, cautioning him, "You're not invincible. Take a breather. The Wi-Fi on this plane is abysmal anyway, so don't overexert yourself."Cecil's gaze flickered towards Paige before he responded to Pearl, "I'm not tired."Pearl, taken aback, settled beside him. "Not tired? You must be joking! Have you even managed an average of three hours of sleep per night these past few days?"Cecil remained silent, prompting Pearl to sigh in resignation, hoping he wouldn't resort to the clichéd excuse of not requiring sleep."Quit staring and get some rest. Xanthe is a master at managing her time; learn from her. You don't need to work round the clock to be competent. But conversing with you is akin to talking to a brick wall; it's futile because you simply won't heed. I'll leave you with this thought: if you work yourself into the ground, Xanthe will be akin to a one-winged eagle. Ponder over that."With that, Pearl rose and returned to her seat, intending to get some rest herself.Once Pearl had settled down, Julian cast a glance at Cecil West and remarked, "What's gotten into this kid lately? He's been pushing himself as if he's on a suicide mission."Pearl responded, "The youngest is beyond my control now, he's acting out. I offered him a cup of coffee, and all I got was a three-word response and a nonchalant attitude. Let's just leave him be for now."Julian's frown deepened, his displeasure evident. He was well aware that the youngest one harbored grand ambitions but possessed a frail physique. It was becoming increasingly apparent to everyone that he had been going the extra mile for Xanthe.
