Chapter 196 Replaced by Disappointment
The phone's shrill ring pierced the silence, announcing James' call. Antonio picked up, his voice cool and detached. "Mr. Valencia, Ms. Jerrett just called to check up on you," James relayed.
"I'm fine," Antonio replied, a hint of relaxation softening his stern brow. "Is there anything else?"
"Ms. Jerrett requested your personal phone number..."
A pause hung in the air as Antonio considered the request. After a moment, he responded, "Give it to her."
James, slightly taken aback, agreed calmly before ending the call.
Meanwhile, at the J&K Group office, Asa wore an apologetic expression as he faced Serene. "I'm sorry, I didn't perform well on this task," he confessed.
Serene shook her head dismissively. "It's not your fault, no one could have predicted today's events."
"But our collaboration fell through..."
Serene cut him off, "Let's leave it at that. Whether we continue our collaboration in the future is my responsibility. J&K Group has more than just this project. Go home and rest, don't blame yourself too much."
"Okay," Asa conceded, exiting the office with a clenched fist at his side.
Back at the villa, Sarah's eyes lit up at the sound of a key turning in the lock, only to dim again when she saw it was just a servant delivering food.
"Lady, you should eat something. It's past two in the afternoon," the servant urged.
"What about Antonio? Is he home?" Sarah inquired, her mind too consumed with worry to consider her own needs.
"Mr. Valencia has been home all along. He's locked himself in his room and I don't know why," the servant shared, a hint of concern tinging his words. Antonio's moods had a way of casting a shadow over the entire villa, keeping the servants on edge.
"I'll go check on him..." Sarah started to rise, but the servant quickly intervened.
"Lady, Mr. Valencia instructed us not to let you leave. We..." The servant's voice trailed off, his face a picture of conflict.
Sarah sighed, massaging her temples. Antonio's temper was infamous. If she insisted on leaving, the servants would likely bear the brunt of his wrath.
"You can go, I'll eat the food," she conceded, her voice heavy with resignation. The servant nodded apologetically before making a swift exit.
No sooner had the servant left than Asa's call came through. Sarah bit her lip nervously as she answered.
"Sarah, are you okay?" Asa's voice was soft, filled with genuine concern.
"I'm fine. I apologize on Antonio's behalf for what happened today," she replied, the memory of Antonio's punch still fresh in her mind.
"It's not your fault, you don't need to apologize. Did you explain everything to him? Are you really okay?" Asa reassured her, his words a soothing balm.
"I'm really fine, but I might not be able to come to the office for a while..." Sarah's grip on the phone tightened. She didn't want to lose her job so soon after starting, but the current situation left her feeling helpless.
"Don't worry, focus on your own issues. I'll handle things at the office. And if you need anything, just let me know. I can help explain things for you," Asa offered, his voice steady and comforting.
"Thank you, I appreciate it. I'll explain everything to him. The cancellation of the partnership is my responsibility," Sarah responded, guilt gnawing at her.
"Don't worry about it. Whether the partnership continues or not has nothing to do with you. It's my responsibility," Asa reassured her, a knot of unease forming in his stomach.
After a few more inquiries about her well-being, Asa ended the call.
As the phone call drew to a close, Sarah found herself staring at the closed door of the room, a deep sigh escaping her lips. The incident had led to the dissolution of the company's partnership, and she was left bearing the brunt of the blame.
She decided it would be best to wait for him to regain his composure before attempting to engage in conversation.
The three children returned home from school, their faces alight with joy, only to find James waiting to pick them up instead of their parents. The smile on Harper's face faded instantly.
"Where are Mom and Dad?" she asked.
James, seeing the disappointment etched on her sweet face, felt a pang of frustration. He felt as if he was an unwelcome presence.
"Mr. Valencia is tied up with work today, and Madam had to step out for work. She injured her foot again, so I'm here to take you all home today," he explained, his voice laced with helplessness.
Upon hearing that Sarah was injured, the children urged James to hasten their journey home.
Upon their arrival, they found the house cold and empty, the servants engrossed in their tasks, their faces etched with worry.
"Where is Mom?" Harper asked, grabbing hold of a servant.
"Madam is upstairs. Miss Harper, Sirs, why don't you have your meal first? I can prepare anything you'd like," the servant responded hurriedly, avoiding their gaze.
Ethan immediately sensed that something was amiss. Fearing something had happened to Sarah, he rushed upstairs.
However, upon reaching the door of the room, he found it locked. "Mom? Are you inside, Mom?" he called out anxiously, tapping on the door. Harper and Ryan trailed behind him.
Sarah's heart clenched at the sound of her son's worried voice. She quickly composed herself and responded, "Ethan? Are you back? Mom is fine, you guys go eat first."
"Fine? If you're fine, why did you lock yourself in the room? Was it... Was it him who locked you in?!" Ethan's words made Sarah's heart skip a beat. He was always perceptive and had easily deduced the situation.
She remained silent, unsure of how to respond.
Realizing his suspicions were correct, Ethan's anger flared. He turned on his heel and stormed towards Antonio.
Harper, fearing that Ethan's confrontation with their father would further strain their already fragile relationship, quickly held him back.
"Ethan, let's calm down first. Mom said there might be some misunderstanding between her and Dad. Let's ask and clarify..."
"What's there to clarify? Regardless of the misunderstanding, I'm disappointed with how he treated Mom!" Ethan retorted.
Mention of their mother made Harper's heart heavy, and her grip on Ethan loosened.
As Ethan stormed off towards Antonio's room, Harper felt a sense of dread, fearing their family was about to face another crisis. Ryan quickly moved to comfort her.
In Antonio's room, he sat at his desk, engrossed in his work. However, his concentration was broken as Ethan forcefully pushed the door open.
With an angry stride, Ethan walked in, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.
"What do you mean by imprisoning Mommy! Who do you think you are, doing such a thing!" he demanded.
Antonio's expression was a complex mix of emotions as he lowered his gaze.
"Kid, don't ask so many questions," he responded.
Remembering his mother's words about a misunderstanding, Ethan took a deep breath to suppress his anger.
"No matter what, even if there is a misunderstanding, you can't keep Mom locked up. Release her now," he demanded, his face serious.
Antonio looked up, meeting Ethan's artificially calm expression. His fingers trembled slightly.
"I won't release her," he responded.
In that moment, Ethan's hopeful expression vanished, replaced by overwhelming disappointment...
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