Francesca appeared elated after receiving the check from Alden, while the man sitting in front of her showed no expression whatsoever. In fact, he seemed disgusted by Francesca.
"Thank you, sir. For the legal matters regarding the house, Hannah will be contacted by the lawyer," Francesca said in an over-excited tone.
Alden nodded diplomatically. "Yes, she's aware of that."
Alden deliberately didn't involve Hannah in the meeting, as it would surely trigger emotions again. Alden just needed to prepare Hannah to become a resilient woman who couldn't be shaken by anyone.
"I need a few days to pack my things. Is it okay if I stay there for a while?" Francesca asked.
"No problem at all. Just contact me as soon as you've left Mr. Sears' house," Alden replied.
Hearing these words, Francesca's heart was slightly offended. Wasn't she John's wife? Why did Alden seem to imply that she and John were someone else? But Francesca didn't want to prolong the
Hannah's attitude toward Alden had been cold throughout the past week. This time, the tables had turned, with Alden trying to get closer while Hannah kept distancing herself. Sarah's condition was improving, but every night, Alden had to visit and stay with her until she fell asleep.Hannah tried to hold back her feelings, even though it hurt seeing Alden go to the hospital whenever Sarah needed him. She was aware of her position, knowing she was not much to Alden, despite being his wife. If she demanded too much, Alden wouldn’t hesitate to cast her aside.Hannah wasn’t afraid of being left by Alden and not being able to survive. But could she endure the heartbreak if Alden treated her the way Jeffrey did? She had given her all to Alden, including her heart.Hannah’s cold demeanor towards Alden was her way of hiding her slowly breaking heart. She had just tasted happiness with Alden, so why did she have to feel bitter again?“Hannah?” Susan’s voice broke
Sarah looked exhausted, with dark circles under her eyes and pale skin, when Alden entered her room. The moment she saw Alden, her face brightened. She reached out to him with both hands.“I miss you,” Sarah whispered.Alden embraced Sarah, gently patting her back. “Why aren’t you resting? You need to recover, Sarah.”“I can’t sleep. I’m scared, Alden. I want you here with me.” Tears streamed down Sarah’s cheeks.Alden glanced at Kenneth, who was sitting on the sofa looking equally worn out.“Okay, I’ll stay here until you fall asleep,” Alden said.“Promise?”When Alden nodded, Sarah immediately lay down on the bed, not letting go of his hand.“Sometimes my mind is foggy, Alden. I often don’t remember anything, but I always remember you,” Sarah whispered.“Get some rest.”“Aren’t we g
The furniture, even the furniture placement, had changed, with new wallpaper; the state of Hannah's home was entirely different now. Hannah entered the house and heard voices upstairs. She quickly went up to the second floor.In the room that used to be Aspen's, a few men were arranging a desk, with Alden there.“Alden? Have you lost your mind?” Hannah shrieked in half-shock.The men ignored Hannah's presence and continued working. Alden quickly darted out and pulled Hannah into her room.“Can you explain what's going on? Why has all the furniture changed within hours? Where's the sofa downstairs? The table and everything!” Hannah clutched her head in frustration. “What has gotten into you? Oh, God!”“Calm down, honey.” Alden chuckled while holding Hannah's shoulders.Hannah tried to hold back her tears and just nodded. “Okay, explain to me.”There were items that reminded Ha
Hannah’s eyes opened, and she felt unbearably hot upon waking up. Even though the sunlight was still blocked by the curtains, she felt suffocated. She was shocked to find Alden hugging her from behind, and they were cramped together on the couch.Hannah immediately pushed Alden, causing him to fall to the floor.“Oh, God!” Hannah muttered angrily.Last night, Hannah had left Alden to sleep in her room. She didn’t want to sleep in Aspen’s room because it disgusted her, and sleeping in John’s room brought back sad memories, including lingering resentment toward Francesca.Eventually, Hannah decided to sleep on the couch. However, at some point, Alden had joined her, which made her very annoyed.“Ouch,” Alden groaned.Instead of being angry, Alden smiled at Hannah.“Good morning, darling,” Alden greeted.Hannah glared at him angrily. “Why are you sleeping here? I al
"Hannah?"Alden was surprised to see Hannah standing behind him, carrying shopping bags in her hands. He immediately felt awkward and cleared his throat softly."If the door is broken, you have to fix it," Hannah warned."I haven't kicked it in.""Yet."Hannah opened the door to the house and was about to close it again, but Alden quickly stopped her. Their eyes met, and it was clear Hannah had been crying."Where have you been this late?" Alden asked."Buying groceries at the 24-hour mini-market. Is there anything else you want to talk about? If not, you should leave," Hannah replied, half dismissing him.Alden still held the door to prevent it from being closed from the inside. "I want to talk to you, Hannah. Besides, I'm a bit hungry."Hannah squinted her eyes but then allowed Alden to enter. She hurried to the kitchen, not paying attention to Alden as he looked around the house. Alden followed Hannah to the kitchen a
Hannah’s heart felt shattered as Alden returned Sarah’s embrace, and they appeared so affectionate towards each other. Hannah felt like an obstacle between them. Instinctively, she stepped back and hurried outside to get some fresh air.Over and over, Hannah reminded herself that Sarah was sick. Whatever was happening with Sarah now was because she couldn’t control herself or there was some underlying issue, so Hannah couldn’t protest. She had to be understanding.Hannah walked to the hospital garden and sat on a bench under a lamp. She sat there, lost in thought, wondering what to do next about someone disrupting her marriage. If it were a sane person, Hannah might fight back. But this was a mentally ill person, and she didn’t know how to handle it.Hannah sat there for over 20 minutes, not even counting how much time had passed alone. Then she heard the sound of approaching footsteps. She glanced sideways and saw it was Alden.