Chapter64 I Want Them to Divorce
Raymond’s response was just as straightforward, "Living at home means dealing with Bradley's pressure to get married."
Paige burst into laughter, "You? Afraid of Bradley pushing you to get married?"
"He's set up a series of blind dates for me. He sees me getting on in years and fears if I don't settle down soon, I might not even produce healthy offsprings."
At the mention of having children, the smile quickly faded from Paige's face.
For now, she was far too preoccupied for such thoughts. With that in mind, an idea popped into her head to change the subject. She really didn't want to get into a conversation about having kids.
"Since you're a part of the famed Carnegie family, the Charles that’s always with you isn't just some cousin, I take it. He's more like your personal assistant, right?"
Raymond’s lineage was no secret at this point, he simply nodded.
Paige continued, "Well then, I guess I don't need to worry about your commute. And you can drop the act of clocking in and out, too. I've got work this afternoon, so I should be heading out, okay?"
Just as Paige was about to leave, Raymond swiftly pulled her into his lap.
She looked at him, unsure of what he was planning, when his fingers lightly grazed the tip of her nose, "Are you coming home to cook dinner tonight?"
Paige chuckled, "Can Mr. Carnegie genuinely enjoy the meals I prepare?"
The thought of it amused her—considering Raymond's fortune. Especially remembering how she told him just last night that he should quit his job and let her take care of him.
Listening to herself talk about supporting a man like Raymond Carnegie—did he really need her for that?
His arms wrapped around her waist, he reassured her, "Absolutely. Your cooking is even better than what the chefs at home whip up. But let's skip the part where you pour expensive wines into plain bottles and pack prime Wagyu beef into generic supermarket packaging. It might not affect the flavor, but it sure is a hassle."
If Paige hadn't been aware of Raymond’s true identity, she might have been surprised by his discernment. But with everything out in the open now, there wasn't anything left to hide.
How could Raymond not recognize a million-dollar bottle of wine or the taste of top-grade beef?
However, he mentioned none of this, nor did he inquire about the source of her lavish spending, which eased her a bit.
After all, it was she who had cracked open the hidden chamber in Raymond’s room, finding the key evidence that reclaimed her identity and freedom to spend without restraint.
That was something she couldn't quite explain to Raymond.
With a composed grin, Paige conceded, "Since Mr. Carnegie is in on it, there's no point in keeping up the charade. I'll be working late tonight, so please arrange your own dinner."
After explaining, Paige gently unwrapped Raymond's hand from around her and stood up to leave.
But after a few steps, she glanced back at him, "And since I'm no longer needed to chauffeur Mr. Carnegie around, I suppose there's no need to keep driving that 'taxi' of mine. If I take my favorite car, I believe Mr. Carnegie wouldn’t mind?"
Raymond nodded, "What kind of car do you fancy? I'll have Charles order it right away."
Paige offered a subtle smile, "That won't be necessary." The garage is overflowing with cars as it is.
As she spoke, something else crossed her mind, "Oh, the diamond necklace you gave me last time—it wasn't synthetic, was it?"
Raymond replied, "It's a collector's piece, truly. I just thought of you that day and figured it would match you perfectly. I had hoped to bring you to the Hawke Corporation anniversary party, where it would have been ideal. But I guess it's not much of a surprise now."
Paige remained composed, remembering that she hadn't examined the jewelry closely before stowing it away, yet it did strike her as excessively dazzling.
At the time, she hadn't given it much thought since she saw Raymond merely as a decorative piece; how could she have guessed that an average guy like Mr. Carnegie, with hardly a thousand dollars left from his monthly salary, could afford such authentic diamonds?
After all, even by estimating conservatively, those would have cost millions to acquire.
Paige nodded, "The diamonds are lovely. I'll wear them when the occasion arises."
With that, Paige truly left. Heading down the stairs, she bumped into Sean.
Sean was just on his way out and offered to escort Paige, who smiled, "Did you know all along about my marriage to Mr. Carnegie?"
Sean maintained a steady stride beside Paige, his manner still impeccably respectful, "Yes, the boss was adamant about keeping it under wraps from Mrs. Carnegie."
Paige didn't need to inquire further. The deliberately switched job position, the light work, the salary significantly higher than expected, and the perfectly timed rides from the gardener and grocery assistants said it all.
Paige smiled subtly, "Everyone's been really great while I've been working here. Sean, could you tell Dad I'm headed to work?"
Sean hesitated, and Paige was already getting into the car, but noticing his expression, she asked, "Is there something you wanted to say, Sean?"
Sean eyed Paige driving what looked like a cab and decided to speak frankly.
"Mrs. Carnegie, now that everything's out in the open, there's really no need for you to keep doing tough jobs. Why not move back in with Raymond, just stay at home..."
Paige's laughter interrupted him. She rolled down the window, saying, "Sean, take a good look at this car. Is it really just a taxi?"
For the first time, Sean peered inside the vehicle. Accustomed to luxury, he saw that while the car's exterior resembled an ordinary taxi, the interior told a whole different story... Sean had an epiphany. "So that’s…"
Paige was still smiling. "I've got my own assets to manage."
After a polite nod to Sean, Paige drove off.
Not long after Paige left, Francesca also departed the Carnegie estate. Unlike Paige, Francesca wasn’t driving herself. Once in the car, she immediately called Mrs. Sackler to reschedule their meeting.
Margaret was at home, comforting Xena, who was in tears over her broken engagement.
Upon hearing of Francesca's call, Xena insisted on tagging along.
Margaret was overwhelmed with too much information that day, and her patience was running thin.
"The marriage alliance seems to have no room to maneuver unless Raymond and Paige are divorced."
Xena latched onto the key point. “Then let's make Paige and Raymond divorce. She listens to you the most, Grandma. If you ask her to divorce, she wouldn't dare not to!”
Margaret sighed, “It's not that she listens to me. It's just that with your mother in the sanatorium, Paige is trying to play it safe.”
Xena broke into tears again. “I don't care, I want them to divorce. No one can stand in the way of Louis and me! Grandma, I want them to divorce!”
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
