Chapter 8

William had a terrible night.

Unable to sleep well, he woke up with a pounding headache and a heavy, uncomfortable feeling all over his body. When he opened his eyes, his stomach was empty and aching. He turned over, but the space next to him was empty. He rubbed his temples, trying to ease the pressure in his head.

"Rachel…" he murmured softly.

The door creaked open, revealing Arsen in the doorway.

"Mr. Lewis, you're awake."

William pushed the covers off and sat up. "Where's Rachel?"

"She left early for the office, sir," Arsen answered.

William got out of bed, got dressed, and walked into the dining room. The table was set, but there was only some bread and milk served.

"Where's the chicken soup?" he asked with a frown.

Arsen lowered his head. "Sorry, Mr. Lewis, I don't know how to make chicken soup. Mrs. Lewis said she was busy with work and didn't have time to make it. She said you could just eat whatever's here."

William felt a wave of frustration he couldn't explain. Whenever he had a hangover, Rachel always made sure he had his favorite chicken soup. It didn't matter how busy she was, or even if it meant waking up at four or five in the morning to cook it for him.

This was the first time he had woken up to find the table empty, without her there.

His stomach hurt again, sharper this time. He hunched over, instinctively pressing his hand to his stomach.

"Get me my stomach medicine," he said.

Arsen began looking around, clearly flustered. "Mr. Lewis, where do you keep your stomach medicine?"

William realized suddenly that Rachel was always the one who placed the medicine on the table for him whenever he had stomach issues.

He raised his hand. "Text Rachel. Ask her where it is."

Arsen sent Rachel a message, but there was no reply. He tried several more times, but there was still no response. After a few moments, he put the phone down, unsure of what to do next.

"Mr. Lewis, Mrs. Lewis didn't reply," Arsen said.

The pain in William's stomach only made his mood worse. Add to that the fact that the house felt cold and empty, and he couldn't shake off his growing irritation.

"Forget it. Just go out and get me some stomach medicine and chicken soup," he snapped.

"Yes, sir," Arsen replied quickly.

But the chicken soup from the restaurant was nothing compared to the one Rachel usually made for him. He wouldn't know, but she always considered his weak stomach. She would wake up at three in the morning to prepare it for him. It would simmer for hours, turning thick and fragrant, just the way he liked it.

The chicken soup Arsen had bought was from the most expensive restaurant in Yurelia City, and was nothing like Rachel's. William took two sips, then put his spoon down in disgust.

"It's awful," he muttered.

-

Meanwhile, Rachel was sitting calmly in a café, sipping coffee and enjoying breakfast. When she saw the name flashing on her phone screen, a cold smile tugged at her lips.

Her love for William had always come with one condition—he had to be just as devoted to her.

But clearly, that wasn't the case anymore. He wasn't just physically with someone else, his heart had left her a long time ago too. She wasn't foolish enough to keep holding on.

In less than ten days, she would finally be free from this broken relationship.

But she still had one last obstacle to overcome. She needed to convince Tyler, who was as tough as concrete. He didn't care about anything but results, and he never let personal feelings get in the way. The only way to get through to him was to offer terms he would find acceptable.

No matter what, she couldn't give up until the last moment.

Rachel checked her watch, finished her coffee, and stood up to head to the office. As soon as she walked in, she saw a crowd gathered around Samantha, all of them looking at her with admiration.

"Samantha, that necklace is beautiful! I remember seeing it at the auction; it's one-of-a-kind, right? Must be really expensive."

Samantha was smiling brightly, her clear, fair face glowing with happiness. Gone was the awkwardness on her face at the auction the night before. She was gently touching the necklace around her neck, clearly proud of it.

"You're right. My boyfriend bought it for me," Samantha said. "He said if others have it, his little princess should have it too."

The other women gasped, their eyes wide with admiration.

"Your boyfriend really loves you," one of them said, a dreamy look on her face.

Samantha's eyes lit up with a shy, girlish gleam. "My boyfriend said that when I get pregnant, he'll get an even bigger gift for me."

Rachel, standing a little further away, froze. It felt like her whole body had gone stiff, like rust was creeping over her.

A sharp-eyed colleague spotted Rachel and quickly walked over with a slight sense of panic. "Good morning, Ms. Lloyd."

Rachel snapped back to reality, her expression neutral. "Good morning."

One of the employees hurried over and started signing, saying, "Ms. Lloyd, look at that necklace on Samantha's neck. Isn't it gorgeous?"

Rachel's gaze followed, landing on the silver necklace around Samantha's neck. A small, tight smile tugged at her lips.

Wasn't that the Eternal Heart necklace from the auction?

William really was playing both sides, trying to please everyone. On top of managing the complex issues with Lewis Enterprise, how did he keep up?

Rachel's voice was calm and measured as she replied, "It's very beautiful. But I noticed that your boyfriend wasn't at the auction yesterday, Ms. Judd. Maybe next time, you can bring him along so we can meet him."

Samantha grinned brightly and said, "I'll introduce him to you when I get the chance, Rachel."

Rachel's gaze stayed fixed on the necklace, and she reached out to lightly run her fingers over the cool chain. "This necklace must've cost quite a bit. I'm guessing your boyfriend is someone well-known in the industry. Would it be alright to know his last name? Maybe I know him."

The surrounding colleagues leaned in, their curiosity piqued.

"Yeah, if he's someone in the industry, Ms. Lloyd would definitely know him! Come on, tell us about him!"

"That's right, tell us!"

Samantha, who had been smiling just moments ago, felt her smile slowly fade when Rachel asked about her boyfriend's name.

Rachel's sharp eyes watched closely as Samantha's face tightened, just a little.

"What's wrong? Not comfortable saying his name... or is there something else going on?"

Rachel's question was enough to make everyone pause. After all, if Samantha's boyfriend was so well-known, why would she be shy about mentioning his name? Unless, of course… there was something she didn't want anyone to know.

Nobody here was an idiot; it wasn't hard for them to guess what might be going on.

Suddenly, a voice broke the tension from behind: "Why are you all gathered here? Don't you have work to do?"

"It's Mr. Lewis!"

Everyone quickly straightened up and returned to their seats.

William's hands were in his pockets, and even though he still looked a little tired from the hangover, he couldn't hide the sharp, striking features of his face. His eyes were as intense as an eagle's gaze.

He walked up to them, eyes landing on Rachel as he lifted his phone slightly. "Why didn't you text me back?"

Rachel instinctively glanced at Samantha before responding, her voice calm.

"I didn't notice. We were just talking about the Eternal Heart necklace Ms. Judd is wearing. She said it was a gift from her boyfriend. Do you know him?"