Chapter 26
<Chapter>Chapter 26 When Will We Have a Grandchild? </Chapter>
Paige was abruptly yanked back to reality at the sight of her phone screen, which was flashing with the name "Raymond".
Taking a moment to steady her breath, she answered the call with a composed voice, slipping effortlessly into the role of a regular wife, "Hello, what's up?"
On the other end, Raymond asked, "When will you be home? Dad's planning to stop by. He tried calling you but couldn't get through."
Her phone had been on silent during her visit to the healthcare center, and she hadn't noticed the calls.
"I'll be home shortly."
"Aren't you working your part-time job today?"
"Oh, I've pretty much wrapped it up for the day. Not too busy with the maid gig."
Paige wasn't sure why she felt compelled to emphasize her job as a maid.
Perhaps it was because her real job stood in stark contrast to that of her 'ordinary' husband. It was an instinctual effort to highlight the normalcy of her work life.
Raymond hung up and, turning to Bradley, spread his hands with a resigned grin, "You still have more say than I do. Just mentioning you're visiting and she's heading straight home. Go ahead, just leave me out of it. Regular folks are still working at this hour."
Bradley chuckled, "I'll bring her some treats. But really, all of this just proves Paige is a good woman. As for us hiding the truth about our identity, maybe we should just come clean?
She spent the morning arranging flowers in the villa, not exactly a tough task. But she's off to her part-time job as a maid in the afternoon, playing the maid to others. Doesn't it bother you even a little?"
Raymond glanced sideways at Bradley, "Aren't you overstepping a bit? You pushed for this marriage, and I've complied with your wishes. My assessment of her isn't over yet; are you sure you want to interfere?"
Bradley stood up, defeated, "Alright, I'll butt out. Okay?"
As he walked away, Bradley murmured to himself, "I've been around the block, and I can see you are still on guard. If you don't cherish what you've got, you'll regret it someday before you know it!"
Raymond was right behind Bradley, and his mutterings weren't exactly inaudible. Raymond heard every word.
Paige arrived home just as she received a message from Margaret, outlining the task that she needed her to take care of as well as info on the target.
After a brief glance at the message, a chilly smile crept across her lips.
Just then, Bradley who was just pulling in called out from behind, "Paige."
Her emotions tucked away, Paige turned with a warm smile, " Bradley, you're here."
Bradley's mood lifted instantly at the sight of Paige.
Paige, I heard from Raymond that you've been working another job in the afternoons. You really don't need to spread yourself so thin; we can get by without you juggling multiple jobs. If push comes to shove, Raymond can just pick up some extra shifts and earn overtime.”
As Paige opened the door, she responded, “I don't want him to overdo it just for some extra cash. I've got free time in the afternoons; it's no big deal for me to work a bit more.”
Bradley's fondness for the simple and honest Paige filled his heart. He just hoped she would quickly develop a deep connection with Raymond, so he could truly rest easy. Yet, the nagging thought of Paige's previous engagement to Louis unsettled him slightly. As if he couldn't quite shake off his doubts, Bradley couldn't help but ask again.
"Paige, do you have any other family members?"
This was something Paige hadn't yet mentioned to Bradley. But now that he had brought it up, she couldn't keep it hidden.
With forthright honesty, Paige divulged, “My adoptive parents passed away before I turned eighteen. There's also my biological mother. I'll introduce her to you all when the opportunity arises.”
Seizing on this topic, Bradley inquired, “So, did any of your relatives ever try to set you up with someone or arrange an engagement of sorts?”
Engagement? Paige hesitated; it was the last topic she wanted to bring up. After all, she was already legally married to Raymond. The previous engagement to Louis had merely been a temporary arrangement. As a child, she had indeed met Louis and shared a few years of mutual support with him in village life. But when Louis conspired with the Sackler family against her, any affection dissipated.
Yet Bradley's question prompted an honest response from Paige. Perhaps because she couldn't reveal her true identity to Bradley and Raymond yet, she didn't want to deceive them further.
“There was a provisional engagement once, nothing official, just a means of self-preservation at the time. But that's all in the past. Speaking of this, do you think Raymond would mind if he knew?”
Now married to Raymond, it was only natural for Paige to be concerned about her husband's feelings.
What Bradley really wanted to tell her was that just yesterday, upon hearing the news, Raymond had pulled Louis aside. What exactly was said, Bradley didn’t eavesdrop.
Raymond had employed his vote of authority today, granting Louis the green light on a project that had long been stalled by the board.
Bradley couldn't pin down Raymond's actual stance.
When Paige posed the question, Bradley's response was deliberately vague, "The past is the past, doesn't really matter now. It's the future that counts, right?"
Paige let out a soft chuckle and nodded in agreement, "Absolutely, the future is what matters most."
She had Bradley stay for dinner, preparing a lavish spread that even made Charles, who drove Raymond home from work, join them at the table, though the poor man barely touched his food.
After Bradley left, Paige approached Raymond, fussing over him, inspecting his clothing meticulously.
"Trying to spot something?" Raymond queried, bewildered.
Paige's face was etched with concern, "I didn't want to say it in front of Bradley, but... didn't you get hurt cleaning the house this morning? Taking care of the dishes?"
"Hurt?" Raymond echoed, genuinely perplexed.
Paige nodded, "Yes. The house was spotless, you even cleaned the kitchen exhaust. With your condition, I was afraid you might have hurt yourself."
Only then did Raymond remember that after Paige had asked him to wash his own dish that morning, he, having never done such a chore, had summoned a house cleaner from the family's main residence.
Realizing he needed to clarify, Raymond drew Paige into his embrace, seated her on his lap, and confessed with utmost seriousness, "I've never washed dishes, so I called for housekeeping services."
Paige's eyes widened in disbelief. Never washed dishes? Just as she was about to delve into Raymond's untouched domestic history at the age of thirty,
Raymond quickly changed the subject, "Dad asked me today when he could expect grandchildren."
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