Chloe read the report in the email that Samuel had intentionally sent to her. She concentrated hard to understand the information provided by her assistant.
She investigated for a long time. Needing further clarification, she decided to call Samuel.
“Sam, are you sure about the report you sent me this time?”
“Of course. Please double-check, ma’am. In the same year when Ms. Nathalie passed away, it’s mentioned that Mr. Edward wasn’t in a relationship with anyone.”
“It’s possible that he was involved with Nathalie but the media didn’t know about it.” Chloe responded.
“Please take a look at the reports I attached in the email. Almost all the women who dated Mr. Edward were introduced to the public. That means he’s the type of man who never hides his relationships. I dare to conclude that your husband has never been in a relationship with Ms. Nathalie.”
“Okay, even if Edward didn’t have a relationship with Nathalie. Then why was his business card in her purse? And why did Nathalie order me to find him until I succeeded? What was it for, Sam?” Chloe asked, growing emotional. “Don’t forget, I didn’t just find a business card there. There was also a blue handkerchief with Edward’s name on it.”
On the other end of the phone, Samuel let out a frustrated sigh. He had been trying to solve the mystery of Nathalie Arley’s death for a long time, but until now, he hadn’t found any clear leads. The only hope was Nathalie’s diary. However, they still didn’t know where to find it.
“Ma’am…” Samuel spoke again. “My advice is, until we have strong evidence, don’t do anything that could endanger you or others. I really don’t want you to get involved in a big problem.”
Unconsciously, Chloe nodded as she held her phone. “I’ve told you many times, I know what to do.”
After a lengthy conversation, Chloe ended the call. Still sitting on the sofa, she heard the bedroom door open. It was Edward, who had just returned after finishing his work outside.
“Have you had dinner?” he asked while unbuttoning his coat. Getting ready to go into the bathroom.
“Yes,” she replied briefly.
Edward approached Chloe first. He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead while softly saying, “In that case, rest now.”
As Edward freshened up, Chloe moved from the sofa to the bed. Instead of sleeping, she leaned back, bringing her hands to massage her forehead, which still felt a bit dizzy from last night’s drinking.
“Why again?” Edward asked as he emerged from the bathroom, shirtless, and approached. As usual, he sat on the edge of the bed, not far from where Chloe was sitting.
“I don’t know. My head still feels a little dizzy sometimes.”
“Should we go to the doctor?” he asked, concerned.
Chloe shook her head. “No need. It’ll probably go away soon.”
Edward grabbed a glass of water from the nightstand and handed it to Chloe. “Drink first. People who are hungover usually experience dehydration. It’s best to drink plenty of water.”
“Yes, I know that,” Chloe obeyed Edward’s command. After finishing the water in the glass, without being asked, Edward brought his hand to gently massage Chloe’s forehead. “I thought with a gentle massage like this, you’d feel more relaxed.”
Chloe sighed softly. Instead of avoiding it, she just accepted her husband’s treatment. “You probably used to do this to every one of your dates, right?”
Continuing to massage, Edward chuckled softly. “Why do you always accuse me without reason?”
“Don’t all playboys behave like that?” Chloe countered, as if she knew well the habits of a womanizer.
“Maybe I’m an exception,” Edward replied casually.
“But if I may ask…” Chloe prepared to inquire further. She thought this might be the right time to dig a little deeper into information about him. “As a playboy, do you remember how many women have been your girlfriends?”
Edward stopped his hand movements. It was evident that he was thinking or perhaps mentally counting the number of women who had been close to him. “Maybe eight or nine.”
“Huh? Eight?” Chloe asked skeptically. “I don’t believe it.”
“How many then?”
“I thought you’ve dated more than 10 or even 20 women.”
Edward burst into laughter. “I’m not that wild!”
“Who knows,” accused Chloe. “And out of all of them, are you still on good terms with all of them?”
Edward smiled wryly. “Luckily, none of them are at odds with me. Like I said, deep down, I’m a good guy. If you’ve been living in England for a long time, you’ve probably never heard any bad news or scandals about me, right?”
Chloe shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe you’ve paid the media to keep quiet. What’s so difficult about it? You’re from a wealthy family. So it’s easier to do anything.”
This argument from Chloe sounded ordinary. In this day and age, many wealthy people use their power and money to silence anyone they consider a threat to their position.
“Who knows,” Chloe continued, “maybe out of all the women you’ve dated, one of them got pregnant and asked you to take responsibility. But because you have a lot of money and don’t want to commit, that woman was silenced or maybe even disappeared.”
Edward winced. But on the other hand, he tried to understand that his wife always had negative assumptions about him. It’s challenging to convince someone who fundamentally dislikes you.
“Actually, I don’t know how else to prove to you that I’m a good guy,” Edward said.
Edward stared at Chloe without blinking, returning her gaze without any fear.
“Instead of making people disappear, I wouldn’t want to hurt any woman. There’s no need to go far, if I were a jerk, why would I have to bother looking for you when you willingly gave your virginity to me?” Edward spoke calmly, trying to break the negative assumptions that had filled his wife’s mind all this time. “I could have taken advantage of you last night while you were unconscious. But, as I said, I’m not the villain you imagine me to be.”
Silence stretched between them. Chloe gazed into Edward’s hazel eyes for a long time, as if searching for any trace of lies.
“Sleep now,” Edward ordered. He was even preparing to get up from his seat. “It’s late. You need to rest.”
Edward gave a quick kiss on Chloe’s forehead. As soon as he stood up, she gently grabbed his wrist and softly said, “Don’t go,” pleading with sincerity, never taking her eyes off Edward’s face.
“I just want to get my clothes. After that, we’ll sleep.”
Instead of agreeing, Chloe pulled Edward back, making him sit again.
“I said don’t go,” she commanded. “Don’t move an inch away from me.”
“But if we keep sitting like this shirtless, I might catch a cold. That’s why-”
Quickly, Chloe pulled Edward’s nape, silencing any words that might come from his mouth, replacing them with a deep kiss.
Edward’s eyes widened, caught off guard by Chloe’s actions.
“Are you not drunk now?” Edward asked as Chloe ended the kiss.
“I’m a hundred percent sober,” Chloe tried to reassure him. With boldness, she moved closer to his face and whispered, “I think maybe it’s time for both of us to do it while completely sober, without any influence of alcohol.”
A mischievous grin formed on Edward’s face. “Don’t tempt me. Besides, I never forced you to do anything. Let everything flow-”
Again, without hesitation, Chloe pressed her lips into another passionate kiss with Edward. Her hands reached out to pull him closer.
“Are you sure about this?” Edward asked between their kisses.
Chloe nodded with confidence. “Tonight, I’m all yours.”
In the next moment, Edward guided Chloe to lie on the bed. He began placing kisses on every inch of her body. They worshiped and enjoyed each other’s sensations until they united once more without pause, without barriers, like two souls inseparable.
Edward even smiled with happiness as he could finally experience Chloe’s body in a conscious state, without any coercion. In his heart, he was convinced that after this, their relationship with her would be better than ever before. Hopefully!