Taking a deep breath, Estelle stood up and looked out the window. “Has the company been very busy lately?”
“Yes, the whole company has been swamped,” Eva replied with a wry smile. “Mr. Hans recently signed a contract with a gemstone supplier in Africa. It’s created a lot of work for various departments, like payments, transportation, and safety measures. Mr. Hans has been spending most of his time with you and the kids, so his work has piled up. He might have to work late every night this week.”
“I see…” Estelle nodded.
Beep! Beep! At this time, her phone beeped.
‘Estelle, have you set off?’ Just then, her phone received another message from Fake Mr. Mysterious, urging her once again.
Throughout the day, she had received countless messages from him, but she hadn’t replied to any of them because she didn’t know what to say.
Estelle was on the verge of leaving the Hans’ Residence, ready to sever her ties with Cristofer and finally be with Fake Mr. Mysterious. However, she didn’t feel the happiness she had expected. Instead, she felt a sense of unease, emptiness, and anxiety.
“Eva, I have a bad feeling,” Estelle confessed.
Eva raised an eyebrow and asked, “About what? Mr. Hans? He’s always been a workaholic, and when you were with him, he didn’t work as much. Now that you’re leaving, he’s probably back to his old routine. The golden days for the entire company are coming to an end…”
“No, it’s not about that. I just can’t shake this feeling that something is going to happen today,” Estelle explained.
Eva glanced out the window at the heavy rain and said, “It’s pouring, and the roads are likely slippery. There might be some accidents.”
‘Car accident…’ Hearing these words sent a shiver down Estelle’s spine, and her face turned pale.
“Mrs. Hans, are you okay? You look so pale.”
“It’s nothing,” Estelle replied, shaking her head. “Let’s go.”
“Okay. Let me help you with the suitcases!” Eva offered.
Estelle and Eva proceeded downstairs and quietly exited the villa. Together, they loaded the suitcases into the car’s trunk.
The rain intensified, showing no signs of letting up for the night. Eva, holding an umbrella, assisted Estelle in getting into the car. She then took the driver’s seat and started the car.
“Mrs. Hans, we’re on our way now,” Eva informed.
“Okay. Please drive carefully and stay safe,” Estelle replied.
“Of course,” Eva acknowledged before driving away. The car gradually merged into the traffic.
During the journey to the Grand Hotel in Hadale City, Eva noticed that Estelle remained silent, her head lowered as if deep in thought. Concerned, Eva decided to strike up a conversation. “Mrs. Hans, we probably should have left as soon as we finished packing without waiting for the rain to stop. It looks like the rain will continue throughout the night.”
“… I wasn’t waiting for the rain to stop,” Estelle clarified.
“Then… were you waiting for the children to go to bed?” Eva asked. “If that’s the case, you made the right choice. If the kids saw you moving out, they would be upset and cry.”
Taking a deep breath, Estelle asked, “How is Christina doing now?”
“Mrs. Hans, you can rest assured. Mr. Hans has arranged everything well. He personally selected the doctors and nurses for Christina, so she will receive excellent care,” Eva reassured Estelle.
“Can I talk to Christina on the phone?” Estelle asked.
“No,” Eva replied. “But please don’t worry, Mrs. Hans. Christina will receive the best care. Once she is transferred to the general ward, you can visit her anytime you want.”
Estelle felt relieved hearing this. Despite Cristofer’s past actions that had hurt her, she knew he cared deeply for their children. She trusted that the medical staff would provide the best care for Christina, especially because of Cristofer’s involvement. Her only wish was for Christina to recover quickly and be moved to the general ward so she could visit her.
Around half an hour later, Eva parked the car at the entrance of the Grand Hotel in Hadale City. “Mrs. Hans, we’ve arrived.”
It took Estelle, who had been lost in thought, a moment to realize that they had reached the hotel. “Okay…” She opened the car door and stepped out.
Eva helped her retrieve the suitcases from the car and handed them to a bellhop at the entrance. “Please take these to Room 1231.”
“Of course,” the bellhop replied. With everything sorted, Eva approached Estelle and bid her farewell. “Mrs. Hans, get some rest. I’ll head home now.”
“Drive safely,” Estelle mechanically replied with a nod, her thoughts seemingly elsewhere.
After Eva drove off, Estelle entered the hotel. While waiting for the elevator, her phone rang. When she answered, she heard Victor’s familiar voice on the other end.
“Where are you?” he asked. His voice still had that husky charm, but there was a hint of anger. “Why didn’t you reply to my messages?”
Looking at the caller ID, “Mr. Mysterious” appeared on her phone’s screen. She sighed and explained, “I was busy packing earlier and didn’t check my messages. What’s going on?”
“Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for you?” Victor’s voice held impatience.
“Didn’t we agree to meet tomorrow?” Estelle questioned.
“Today is the last day of your three-day agreement with Cristofer, and you had nothing important to do. You could have taken me to the Hans’ Residence, but you didn’t. Estelle, are you going back on your promise?”
Estelle had a difficult day and felt a surge of anger at Victor’s words. She tried to stay composed and said, “I said I’d take you there tomorrow, and I won’t break my word. Why are you pushing me? Besides, why are you in such a hurry to go to the Hans’ Residence?”
“Of course, I want to visit my dear brother and grandfather. I’ll tell them about the debt the Hans family owes me and make them return it.”
Estelle’s frown deepened, and she was at a loss for words.
Victor pressed, “You still haven’t told me where you are right now.”
“I’m currently at the Grand Hotel in Hadale City.”
“Why did you go to the hotel?”
“Do you think we can still stay at Rose Garden?”
“Why not? Yes, the apartment is messy and dusty, but I’ve been here for three nights already,” Victor replied. His tone turned sarcastic as he continued, “You come from a wealthy family while I’m an abandoned child. While I struggled to make ends meet, you enjoyed a life of luxury. It’s understandable if you don’t want to stay in a place like this, but I actually find this apartment quite nice.”
Estelle’s expression darkened, and she sighed deeply. “Sir, why did you call me?”
“I just wanted to… Forget it. I’m heading to the Grand Hotel in Hadale City now. Let’s talk when we meet. What’s your room number?”
Estelle was briefly surprised by the question. “You don’t know the room number?”