Holden watched Sarah’s every move, finding it really interesting. He observed her expressions with a curious look and said, “But all that’s in the past.”
“Of course. If he tried to hit you again now, you’d definitely call the cops. No way you’d let him bully you from childhood to adulthood.”
Sarah understood these experiences all too well. In novels, the happiness of powerful men came in all sorts of forms, but their tragedies were always the same.
Usually, they were bullied as kids, turned dark along the way, grew up to take control, became powerful, and then turned the tables on those who mistreated them.
Given Holden’s current situation, he definitely took over the Smith Family Group. Those uncles who once bullied and made things difficult for him couldn’t act as arrogant in front of him anymore.
Holden’s story was so inspiring that it was no surprise he became the golden benefactor and key ally of the novel’s protagonist.
Sarah thought about it and decided to eat a bit more, just to make sure those who had bullied her boss wouldn’t get to enjoy the meal.
When Nicola and the others came back, they found that the best parts of the meal had been picked clean-the fish was gone, the tender hearts of the cabbage had been taken, the meat soup was finished, there was no chicken or mushroom left in the chicken stewed with mushrooms, the braised beef was mostly gone, the steamed crab was reduced to shells, and the lobster was missing from the lobster noodles.
The only dishes untouched were the greasy braised abalone, but Nicola and Linda didn’t want to eat anything fatty or heavy on carbs late at night.
Sarah and Holden got up and said, “We’re full. You guys enjoy the rest.”
Nicola, “…”
Linda was Reuben’s cousin, but he couldn’t stand her constant crying. And the way she clung to Holden like a lovesick puppy really irritated him.
Like Samuel, Reuben didn’t like Holden at all and saw him as an obstacle on their path to success. But despite their dislike, neither he nor Samuel could overpower Holden, so they had no choice but to endure his dominance over the years.
Seeing that all their favorite dishes had been picked over, and knowing it would take forever to get the chef to prepare more, Reuben was frustrated. “Why are you crying? Can’t you tell Holden can’t stand you?”
Not only did Holden dislike her, but Reuben would also feel the same way if a woman treated him like Linda treated Holden.
Linda was furious with Reuben. “You-”
Nicola wasn’t pleased either. “Reuben, how can you talk to your cousin like that?”
Nicola knew they’d never be able to take Holden down. The best plan now was to make Linda Holden’s wife. That way, even if Old Mr. Smith passed away, Holden couldn’t be too harsh on them.
Luckily, Holden was the kind of man who never hit women and never said anything insulting. When Linda pestered him, he simply ignored her or kept his distance-he never laid a hand on her.
If Holden had beaten Linda the way he beat Reuben and Samuel, Linda would’ve been scared off for sure without Holden needing to say a word.
Reuben looked at the table full of leftovers, he couldn’t take it any longer, so he got up and left the room.
Nicola sighed. “Linda, don’t hold it against your cousin. If you want to catch Holden’s attention, you’d better try a different approach. He’s not into this clingy act.”
Linda bit her lip. “But didn’t you say that strong men like Holden prefer delicate and gentle women?”
“That was before,” Nicola replied. “Now, it’s clear what kind of woman he loves.”
Linda looked at the table full of food. She knew there was no way Holden had eaten all that himself.
Given Holden’s upbringing in a wealthy family, he wouldn’t be so picky as to eat up everything he liked.
It could only be Sarah.
Maybe Holden liked a woman who could eat?
Linda served herself a piece of braised pork.
“Stop faking being sick from now on,” Nicola sighed. “I know it might take you some time to change, so let’s take it slow. Be more poised in your actions, and outshine Sarah.”
At this moment, Sarah was hugging a soft bunny plush and looking at Holden pitifully. “I really can’t go back tonight? If I’m late tomorrow and delay the shooting, the director will chew me out.”
“Sure,” Holden replied as he headed to the bathroom. “But Butler Ted has already gone home, so you’ll have to find your own way to the hospital entrance.”
Sarah protested, “I can’t find the hospital entrance.”
It wasn’t that Sarah was bad with directions; this hospital was just too big, and its layout was pretty complicated. If it were daytime, Sarah might have found her way out after wandering around for a while. But at night, she was a bit lost.
Holden offered, “Want me to take you?”
Sarah blinked. “Really?”
“Nope,” Holden said flatly. “But I could send a text to your director.”
“Forget it,” Sarah thought for a moment. “Our relationship isn’t something the director should know about.”
Sarah knew her place. She was just his contract wife. If her identity spread everywhere, it might benefit her, but it wouldn’t be good for Holden.
They just had a contract, after all.
With what she had now, Sarah felt pretty satisfied and didn’t want to use Holden’s status to get more.
If the director wanted to scold her, so be it. Everyone on set, from the cameraman to the actors, had been scolded at some point. Even the best actors got yelled at when they were off their game.
Holden’s room in the hospital was his private space, fully equipped with everything he might need. The style even matched the one he had at the Smith family home.
Sarah looked at the pair of ornaments on the table and thought they were pretty nice. They were made of black wood with some strange carvings on them, but they smelled really good. She couldn’t help but pick one up and feel it.
When Holden came out, Sarah asked curiously, “What are these carvings? They smell so nice.”
“They’re ghost-warding charms,” Holden said with a faint smile. “If you want one, you can pay for it with next month’s salary.”
Sarah asked, “A whole month’s salary for this?”
“They’re worth thirty million,” Holden replied.
Sarah suddenly wished she could cut off her own hand.
She couldn’t just go around touching a CEO’s stuff, could she? Definitely not.
Her favorite lipstick was only a few thousand at most, and she even kept them in a special makeup case organized by color and brand. Meanwhile, this guy’s stuff was worth tens of millions, just casually left out on the table.
“Never mind,” Sarah said. “I need my salary next month to buy clothes and bags. Why do you keep something so expensive just lying around here?”
Wasn’t he worried some kid might come along and smash it?
“It’s a ghost-warding charm,” Holden said nonchalantly. “The hospital’s haunted.”
Sarah’s face went pale. “Really?”
Holden just smiled without saying anything. Of course, it wasn’t true. Who still believes in that kind of stuff these days?
Sarah had been working with the film crew for quite some time, and she really believed in this sort of stuff. Back when she was filming period dramas, she had seen some pretty weird things. It freaked her out so much that she went to church to pray every day.
And honestly, hospitals always had this kind of eerie vibe. Sarah often heard people sharing weird ghost stories that supposedly happened in hospitals. She’d been scared of these things since she was a kid, and having had similar experiences before only made her even more afraid.
When she went to take a shower, Sarah kept getting spooked, constantly thinking something might be outside the window.