Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Bargain : Kabanata 191 - Kabanata 200

The couple left Hilltop Mansion, as they now called it, and returned to the city the next morning. Steffan was quiet the whole ride, his eyes glued to the window as he stared outside.Racheal knew he was not angry with her, this was not about her, so she left him alone. This was important; they had to do it. Now that she had chosen again to build a life with him. She did not want this hanging over their heads.Besides the secrets, to build a solid new life together, they had to wave goodbye to their old lives. One of the cars in the convoy branched out to a flower shop and got carnations. They arrived at the cemetery, and she felt a chill in her bones. She thought of her mother. The thought that her mother was resting in one of such places, and she had still not found it, made her chest hurt.Their guards found the spot where Malorie was buried and led them to it. Steffan walked as if in a daze. Racheal walked by his side, not touching him, although she very badly wanted to s

When Steffan returned, it was completely dark outside and Racheal was already in her night dress. As soon as he walked in through the door, she knew something bad had happened.She hurried to him, and threw her hands around him.He paused, and then he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her to himself. She stepped back, looking at him all over. “Are you fine?”“Yes.” He said, and walked to go sit on their bed.“What happened? Did you get the evidence?”“Jordan is dead.” Steffan said, dropping his head between his hands.She stared down at him in confusion. What was he talking about? They had seen him together, so it meant that the story that he was dead was a lie.Steffan looked up, and saw her confused face. “I think something foul is at play.”She shook her head. “I don’t understand what you are saying, Steffan,” She said, and went to sit beside him. “Start from the beginning. What happened when you got to his house?”“He lived in a dingy slum. So the guards and I could not a

Racheal stood in their closet with Steffan deciding on what to wear. It felt good to not have anything to hide anymore, to not be dying of anxiety.“I remember watching you in this at that nightshow.” Steffan said, reaching from behind her to touch a blue blazer. She smiled at the memory, till she remembered that Madame Dalloz had gotten her that. She had encouraged her to go to the show and sent a stylist over with options of clothes to wear.She sighed, and looked away. Her eyes fell on a purse sitting on a rack at the other end of the closet.She walked towards the purse and picked it up. “Coincidentally, this was the purse I was holding that day too.” She said over her shoulder to Steffan. “All a gift from Madame Dalloz.”Steffan said nothing. She dug her hand in the purse, and felt her finger scrape a card. She pulled it out.RACHEAL ROBERTS was boldly written on the front of the card. Racheal gasped. She had never gone to see the woman after that night. This was the wom

Racheal felt Steffan squeeze her hand as they drove out of the hospital. She bit back her tears. They drove in silence for a long time before she finally felt in control of her emotions enough to speak. She turned to Steffan. “I don’t know why Roni would do something like that. There was absolutely no reason for him to do that.” Racheal said. She could not bear the thought of calling him her father anymore.“You can always confront him. But I have some theories,” Steffan said.“Tell me.” Racheal said eagerly.“You need to ask Madame Dalloz questions too. The official news about the bombed camp said it was a suspected terrorist attack, even my father thought it was a terrorist attack. Why did she tell you it was my father then?” Racheal nodded.“And if Roni Rana is out to get Spencer, it would only make sense that he would do anything to weaken his position. A bomb at Yin’s capital displacement camp is one of the worst ways to show the world that Yin is unsafe, and the president

Racheal got home, changed into a bathing suit, and dove under the swimming pool in their bedroom’s balcony.Steffan stood watching her for a while, and announced he was going to get his swimming trunks. Racheal barely heard him. She stayed under the water, not wanting to think. She remained that way, holding her breath, her lungs beginning to burn, until she suddenly felt strong hands pull her back to the top.“I did not permit you to die,” he said.‘I don’t need your permission for anything, husband.” She smiled weakly at him.“That is the most contradictory sentence I ever heard.”Racheal laughed, and then began to cry. Steffan held her, and swam with both of them towards the ledge. When she quieted down, he climbed out of the water.“You know the best thing to process such large information?” He asked.Racheal shook her head at him.“Alcohol.” He said, and disappeared into their bedroom. She stared up at the bright sunny sky. This was such an odd day to learn all these truth