Around five minutes after Dorothy got into the car with Belle in her arms, Credence walked out of the studio and joined them in the car as well. He started the engine and drove back.
However, with steady hands on the steering wheel, his gaze remained deep as he looked at the rearview mirror to regard Dorothy’s face. Occasionally, when their eyes met, he would raise his eyebrows and smile at her which made him look inexplicably devious.
When Dorothy remembered how he had taken advantage of her when she was in the fitting room a little while ago, she snorted and averted her gaze from him.
However, Belle did not seem to be aware that anything was amiss. She was still on cloud nine after the photoshoot and her little face was still blushing with excitement. “Daddy, I’m so happy today. Will you bring Mommy and me out for more photoshoots in the future?”
Belle loved it when cameras were aimed at her. She sat in the middle, while her parents stood next to her on both sides, holding her hand. The three had looked into the camera lens with bright smiles, resembling a happy family.
It made her think that perhaps this man she had just met was not such a horrible father after all.
As he was handsome, she would not hold a grudge and reluctantly forgive him.
When Dorothy heard her daughter’s request, her face darkened. If there really was a next time, she was sure that every part of her body would undoubtedly be taken advantage of by the shameless man.
But when she saw the excitement on her daughter’s face, she could not bear to refuse the little girl and crush her hopes. Dorothy could only nod stiffly and said in a low voice, “Alright, we’ll do it after you get better.”
When Belle received Dorothy’s approval, she had not yet understood that Dorothy only wanted to delay the idea. None the wiser, she happily hugged the Barbie doll in her arms and thought to talk about something else. She suddenly let out a giggle at the thought of something.
“Mommy, your birthday is in two days, isn’t it? Daddy Juelz used to accompany you, and he would always buy you gifts. Oh, and he always tries to gift you a diamond ring, but you’ve never accepted it. If he gives you a diamond ring on your birthday this year, will you accept it?”
Before Dorothy could even cover her daughter’s mouth to stop her from speaking, Belle had already laid everything out.
She had always thought that Juelz’s attempt to gift her a diamond ring on her birthdays was nothing significant. Little did she expect her daughter to have an exceptional memory and remember things like this so clearly.
“Belle, stop messing about.”
Dorothy lowered her gaze and patted her daughter’s head warningly with a helpless frown.
From her angle, she could not see that the little girl had managed to catch Credence’s eye from the rearview mirror and was laughing playfully. Her big blue eyes stared back and challenged him, as if they were saying, “Mommy’s beauty is desired by many, there are still lots of men out there who want to pursue her, so let’s see what you’re going to do about that!”
It was not the first time Credence had seen his daughter’s mischievous side. However, at that moment, he did indeed feel disgusted with his old self. He was truly a b*stard with no feelings.
In her four years of marriage to him, Dorothy had devoted herself to taking care of him and his comatose father. Even so, what she got in return had only been cruel indifference and humiliation from him, yet she had never complained. He knew that she had even secretly made medicinal soup to cure his stomach problem and have Benjamin brought to him every day. However, not once had she gotten credit for all the good that she did, nor did she ask for any.
But what about him?
Back then, he had been bewitched by Rosalie and was tricked into believing that his wife was a malicious, scheming woman who would stop at nothing to marry him. He had done all that he could to make her life miserable and had viciously hoped that she would suffer as much as possible every single day.
Apart from the one time when he bought her a butterfly-shaped diamond brooch to coax her into a smile, he had never shown her any warmth.
He did not even bother to remember her birthday, nor did he care to.
More and more memories of the past flashed in Credence’s mind. They had been through so many ups and downs but he had only finally come to his senses when Rosalie’s true colors were revealed.
In the end, he found that he had been wrong about Dorothy from the very beginning. He had even continued to make mistakes after mistakes, causing Dorothy nothing but unfathomable physical and mental damage.
He really was a good-for-nothing, a b*stard!
However, this time, he was willing to put his pride away for her so that he could win her and her mercilessly broken heart back sooner.
Credence licked his dry lips at the thought and looked at Dorothy’s slightly guilty and stubborn expression through the rearview mirror. He processed what he wanted to say and eventually spoke with a frown. “So, Juelz has been trying to gift you a diamond ring on your birthdays. How big is the diamond?”
Dorothy looked at the handsome man’s impassive face and pondered. She could not decipher what was going on in that head of his at that moment.
According to his domineering behavior of claiming her as his own and not allowing any other men to get close to her, shouldn’t he be furious at her at this moment?
This man was getting really strange and unfathomable.
She hated him for always acting so noble and indifferent to everything around him. With a small snort, Dorothy replied, “Credence, I’m only going to say this once. Juelz did try to gift me a diamond ring, but I refused. That’s all there is. Also, what happened between the two of us has nothing to do with him, so stop trying to constantly think of ways to put him down.”
The phrase “the two of us” pleased Credence.
Even though Dorothy’s words had warmed him, he still acted ascetic and indifferent as he pursed his cold thin lips. “Dorothy, what about a diamond ring as big as a pigeon’s egg? Would you accept that?”
Dorothy was stunned. She did not know where the conversation was headed. With a blank face, she asked, “What do you mean by that?”
“It’s nothing. You’ll know in time.”
The man’s deep facial features darkened and he no longer wanted to speak. He did not look like he wanted to converse with her anymore.
They had been married for four years, but the two have never truly gotten to get to know each other at all. Whenever they communicated, they never seemed to understand each other, as if the gap was a distance bigger than the Milky Way.
If he did not want to explain himself, Dorothy would not ask. She only lowered her head and talked to her daughter from time to time, ignoring the unfathomable man.
Just as the car was about to turn into a street on the right, Credence once again noticed two black cars following them from behind. His gaze suddenly turned cold, a hostile aura began to radiate from him. With a serious tone, he instructed Dorothy who was in the back seat, “Sit tight! I’m going to park the car at the entrance of a pharmacy in about two minutes. Take Belle and get into the pharmacy as fast as you can. The boss is Jonathan’s cousin. Tell him my name and he’ll bring you to the back door.”
Credence could not believe how bold these fearless scums were. How dare they follow him!
Dorothy could sense the telltale signs of danger once she caught a glimpse of the man’s serious face. She immediately reached out and helped Belle out of the children’s seat. After that, she looked back at him with a worried frown, “What about you?”
“There have been plenty of people coming after my life for years, but I’m still alive and well, aren’t I?”
Realizing Dorothy cared despite always acting cold towards him, Credence turned around and stared at her with a deep gaze, “Don’t worry about me. I’ll keep myself safe for Belle’s sake and yours.”
Dorothy’s face flushed. She lowered her head and murmured, “Don’t flatter yourself. Who’s worried about you?”
Even though she wanted to come off as uncaring, the slight furrow on her eyebrows and her lips that she had unconsciously pressed together out of nervousness said otherwise. However, she was not aware of her actions.
She still cared deeply about him.
This new information made Credence’s body warm all over. He let out a few soft chuckles at her attempt to disguise her worry. Just as Dorothy was about to glare at him and retort, he quickly turned back around and focused on driving. When the lights turned green, he drove the car straight towards the pharmacy that was located nearby.
There was an open space at the entrance of the pharmacy that was just big enough to park a car.
The black Maybach happened to be able to block the entrance to the pharmacy. It was easy enough to sneak Dorothy and Belle out without anyone noticing them for their protection.
After he saw Dorothy and Belle safely leave with the owner of the pharmacy, Credence let out a cold smile and hurriedly stepped on the accelerator with his right foot.
A loud screech could be heard.
The expensive car rushed into the bustling streets like an angry bolt of lightning towards the two black cars that were following them!