The Contracted Ever After (Cordelia and Ronan) novel Chapter 691

Ronan's car crawled along the dimly lit road, its headlights slicing through the night. Cordelia and Victoria sat in the backseat, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. Cordelia, fraught with worry, turned to Victoria.

"What on earth happened? How could Harold get kicked out of the military?" she asked, her voice trembling with concern.

Too embarrassed to reveal the real reason in front of Ronan, Victoria discreetly sent Cordelia a message on Messenger: "I called his barracks. His roommate said Harold got caught sleeping around. They said his conduct was unbecoming."

"That's it? Isn’t that a bit harsh?" Cordelia messaged back.

"But it's true, it's my fault. I ruined his future," Victoria replied, her heart heavy with guilt.

"Don't beat yourself up. We'll figure it out once we see him," Cordelia reassured her.

However, deep down, Cordelia couldn't shake a nagging thought: Harold had left school because of her, and now he was out of the military because of Victoria. Were their lives somehow cursed when it came to him?

The drive to Harold's place felt interminable, even though the roads were clear. Despite the good conditions, it still took them over half an hour to get there.

Victoria had insisted on bringing Cordelia along, partly because she feared Harold's opinion of her had soured. If he turned cold, all her efforts would be wasted. At least with Cordelia there, Harold would have to behave, especially with Ronan tagging along.

As Ronan knocked on Harold's door, Victoria's anxiety gnawed at her. Inside, Harold had just drifted into a restless sleep, while Samantha was scrolling through her phone in the next room.

Harold didn't hear the knocking.

"Who could that be at this hour?" Samantha wondered, her mind already spinning a web of calculation. She decided to play a risky card, creating the illusion that she and Harold were intimate. Harold wasn't one for explanations; the less he said, the more people would assume they were an item. Eventually, even Harold might start believing Samantha was his girlfriend.

With this in mind, Samantha slipped out of bed, deliberately shed her nightgown, and sauntered to the door in just her bra and shorts, her hair in disarray as if freshly tousled from bed.

But for now, Victoria pushed aside the soap opera unfolding before her. She needed to know how Harold was doing. Swallowing her pride and fury, she asked coolly, "Where's Harold?"

"Oh, so you did come for him. I'll fetch him; please come inside," Samantha said, ushering them in with feigned hospitality. After pouring water for her guests, she retreated to Harold's room.

Praying that he hadn't locked the door, she pushed it open with a sigh of relief. She closed it behind her, leaving Victoria staring at the closed door, her heart sinking.

Samantha was just a bit player, a minor actress!

Cordelia and Ronan exchanged puzzled glances, equally baffled by how Harold had ended up with Samantha.

Samantha flicked on the light in Harold's room and sat on the edge of his bed, gently shaking him awake.