Hiram had one hand on the table in front of Rachel. With his other hand, he raised Rachel's chin to force her to look at him. "Rachel, tell me what you really think, " he said.
He knew that Rachel had been just teasing him.
But he wanted to know what was really on her mind.
"If it hadn't been for the delivered divorce agreement, you would have already decided to spend the rest of your life with me, right?" Hiram's dark eyes bored into hers. He watched her without blinking them, aching to know her answer.
Rachel stared back at Hiram with starry eyes, and said in a flirty way, "Mr. Rong, you come from an influential family with plenty of companies. You live in a house worth hundreds of millions of dollars. And you're so handsome with such a dignified face. Spending life with you is probably what most girls dream of."
"Speak sincerely, " Hiram said, pinching Rachel's chin gently.
"Do you think I had other choices?" Rachel asked. She had given him an honest answer.
Before meeting Hiram, she had had many blind dates, but none of them had worked out. So when her marriage with Hiram was arranged, she had thought that she didn't have the right to say no to the husband that destiny itself had decided for her.
Hiram narrowed his dark eyes. His expression became colder, suggesting that he was not satisfied with Rachel's answer.
Rachel added hastily, "Yes, I did intend to spend my life with you."
Finally content, Hiram loosened the grip on Rachel's chin. He placed his hands on her shoulders and asked in earnest, "Are you serious?"
Rachel, feeling a little uneasy seeing her own reflection in Hiram's eyes, looked away and murmured, "But I just thought that way before..."
Hiram let go of her. He had already found out what he wanted to know.
He didn't always have to hear Rachel's answer to know what it was. He could find out what she was really thinking by the expression in her eyes and the frequency of her heartbeat.
"Come on, let me walk you home, " he said, straightening up.
Hiram and Rachel walked on the trail with the bright moon shining over them. Hiram held Rachel's hand tightly so that she wouldn't trip and fall.
"Do you plan to go back to H City with me or stay here?" Hiram asked. The street lights cast two long shadows of them on the ground.
Rachel wanted to stay, but she knew Fannie wouldn't agree to it. "I want to stay here because I've nothing to do in H City for the time being. But my mom will definitely try to persuade me to go back with you."
"Then go back with me, " Hiram said instantly.
He felt lucky to have a mother-in-law who was so thoughtful about him. She didn't want him to sleep alone.
When they neared home, Carl saw them approaching from a distance.
"Rachel, nothing happened. Mrs. Ruan is sleeping tight, " Carl said, walking up to them.
Rachel smiled and said, "Thank you, Carl."
Abashed, Carl lowered his head. Then he looked up and said to Hiram, "Hiram, there's a message from Cliff Mountain that there will be a heavy rainstorm next week, so we're expected to be there as soon as possible. We would better hit the road tomorrow."
Hiram paused for a moment before saying, "Then get ready. We'll leave tomorrow."
Hearing the conversation between Hiram and Carl, Rachel asked with curiosity, "Where are you going tomorrow?"
"Rachel, here's the thing, " Carl began to explain. Although what he was about to say was a trade secret, Rachel was trustworthy.
"Cliff Mountain is a wild mountain that hasn't been developed. It's large in area with spectacular scenery, but it hasn't gotten any attention till now because it's too steep. So, the local government wants to cooperate with us to develop it. We've already put a large amount of money into this project, so Hiram needs to be there in person."
Rachel turned to Hiram eagerly and asked, "Could I come with you? I want to see what the natural scenery looks like!"
"No, it's too dangerous, " Hiram said without a moment's hesitation. He turned to Carl and instructed him about some details. Since they were going to set off tomorrow, they had to start preparing for the business trip immediately.
"But you have an injury!" Rachel retorted, unhappy that she couldn't tag along.
Carl looked at Rachel with resignation before following Hiram.
Rachel entered her house dejected. She went into Fannie's room and found her sleeping soundly. Then she closed the door and went to the room next door.
The next morning...
Rachel woke up early. The special care nurse and the house maid Hiram had hired had already arrived. The house maid was dispatched by the Rong family themselves, so she was reliable.
"Rachel, you can set your mind at ease now. Quickly go back with Hiram. I'll be content with a call from you every few days, " Fannie said to Rachel, sitting in the yard to get some fresh air.
Hiram and Rachel had only been married for a short time, so their relationship wasn't stable yet. They needed some time together to be familiar with each other.
The house maid was an acquaintance. Fannie had already met her when she went to the Rong family home. So, Rachel didn't have to worry about her anymore.
"Mom, if you feel like something's wrong, don't hide it. You should tell them about it immediately. They'll take care of you. If what happened last time happens again, I won't leave you out of my sight no matter what, " Rachel said before handing Fannie some snacks.
Fannie smiled. "I understand. I'm just relieved seeing you and Hiram on good terms."
After a while, Carl walked into their house. He greeted Fannie politely, then said to Rachel, "Rachel, Hiram asked whether you have decided to go back to H City or stay here. If you've decided to go back, the car is ready to hit the road."
Before Rachel could even reply, Fannie said, "Carl, she's going back! Ask Hiram to wait for a moment. She'll have everything ready in a minute."
Rachel shrugged. She had known that this was going to happen.
After passing some instructions to the special care nurse and the house maid, Rachel packed her bags and left with Carl.
When she reached the entrance of the village, she found a remarkable array of cars in front of her.
A white off-road Benz G500 vehicle and two black off-road Land Rover vehicles behind it were parked on the roadside.
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