He half-squatted in front of her, his movements and strength unchanged. His blue eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze focused on her feet.
“She’s very reserved, she’d never ask me to massage her feet, or even take her socks off in front of me,” he said softly.
“You guys were engaged, right? What’s there to be reserved about?” she replied indifferently.
“It’s probably just her personality. She’s a very reserved person. From engagement to breakup, she hardly ever asked me to do anything,” he said, his expression becoming somewhat melancholic, even his movements losing their precision.
She winced slightly in pain. “Andrew, you’re hurting me!” she pouted, giving him a reproachful glance.
“Sorry,” he said.
“Then you owe me ten more minutes of massage,” she ordered confidently.
He chuckled and obediently continued to serve her.
She blinked her pretty eyes and added, “Andrew, your fiancee is really peculiar.”
She rolled over and lay on the bed, humming, “Massage my shoulders a bit more. They’re so sore.”
He stood up, sat on the edge of the bed, and placed his hands on her shoulders, kneading them with moderate pressure.
She closed her eyes in comfort, almost drifting off to sleep.
She was in a drowsy state when she suddenly felt a chill on her back.
The zipper on Isabella’s back had been opened by him at some point, and his hand followed her back, skillfully moving to her chest.
“Andrew,” she whispered, subconsciously grabbing his restless hand.
“Don’t, I’m tired,” she murmured in a spoiled tone, looking pitiful.
For nearly a month, every night she claimed to be tired, looked at him with pitiful eyes, and then, Andrew would relent.
Having his mate in his arms but not being allowed to touch her was torture for Andrew. If this continued, he was afraid he’d develop internal injuries.
“I’m so sleepy, I’m going to bed. Goodnight.” She leaned over and kissed him lightly on the lips, then turned over, pulled the blanket over herself, and fell asleep.
She slept soundly, but poor Andrew had to take two cold showers.
Isabella’s concert was in full swing. The preliminary publicity had already been released, stirring up a buzz online.
The first stop of the concert was in Ithaca town, and the pre-sale tickets had already sold out, with prices online being more than five times their face value.
She couldn’t believe how popular she had become, and even suspected at one point that Andrew was manipulating things behind the scenes to save her from embarrassment.
Later, she found out from Ryan that there were significant issues with a new project acquired by the Turner family consortium, and if they weren’t resolved promptly, it would have serious consequences.
Andrew was about to go on a business trip, and even on the day of her concert, he might not be able to make it back.
Isabella made an excuse of feeling unwell and took half a day off from her dance teacher to specifically go to the airport to see Andrew off.
Before boarding, she tugged at his sleeve and advised, “The concert for the national tour has many stops. Missing this one isn’t a big deal; your business is more important.”
He listened, smiling as he hugged her.
His little girl, when she wanted to be naughty, she was so cute. When she needed to be sensible, she was so sensible that it made people ache inside.
“I know, you be good,” he said, lowering his head to plant a gentle kiss on her smooth forehead.
After seeing Andrew off, she planned to return to the Harris family estate.
Her first concert meant something special in her life. She had deliberately reserved two VIP tickets for Ava and Lily.
However, when she arrived at the villa, she learned that Ava was actually sick.
Ava had developed pneumonia due to a severe cold and fever.
Ava had been her mother’s servant and had always been loyal to them. Charlotte had never liked her and couldn’t overtly kick her out, but she made things difficult for her whenever she could.
Ava’s severe cold was neglected, which worsened her condition, leading to pneumonia. She was only given a few days off when her condition became critical.
Ava lived in a room on the third floor. Isabella sat by her bedside, watching her pale face and cracked lips due to the fever, tears streaming down her cheeks in distress.
“Ava, you’re so ill, why don’t you let Lily take you back to your hometown to recuperate? When I have more say in the future, I’ll bring you back here to enjoy life,” Isabella suggested.
“Silly girl, pneumonia isn’t a big deal, a few days of IV treatment will do. I can’t leave, this is your home, and I want to help you take care of it,” Ava said between coughs.
“Your concert is next week. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely recover by then,” Ava said, holding Isabella’s hand.
Isabella nodded and pulled out two tickets from her handbag, handing them to Ava. “These are your and Lily’s tickets. You must promise not to deceive me and ensure you’re well enough by then.”
“Silly girl, why would I deceive you?” Ava’s eyes softened with affection and she said, “It’s getting late, you should go back early. Pneumonia is contagious; what if you catch it?”
“I’m not a child with no immunity,” she insisted on staying a little longer to accompany Ava.
Seeing this, Ava signaled to Lily.
Understanding, Lily immediately pulled Isabella up and said, “Ma’am, Auntie needs to rest now. If you stay here, she won’t be able to relax.”
Lily’s words were reasonable, so Isabella stood up, instructed Ava to take care of herself, and then followed Lily out of the room, descending the solid wood staircase to the ground floor.
Just as they reached the first floor, they saw Victoria walking in from outside, greeted by Elowen with a bright smile.
“Victoria, you’re back! Your dad has been talking about you these past few days,” Elowen said openly as she appraised Victoria, praising, “Look at you, as beautiful as a lotus flower. Sister-in-law is truly fortunate.”
“You’re too kind,” Victoria replied with a gentle smile.
Elowen bent down to offer her slippers, but Victoria stopped her. “Aunt, you’re a guest here; how can I let you do these things?”
Victoria briskly retrieved a pair of new women’s slippers from the shoe cabinet, exchanged a few pleasantries with Elowen, and then went upstairs.
Seeing this, Lily was almost stunned. In her understanding, Elowen and Victoria should be at odds with each other, with their relationship being irreconcilable.
“They didn’t start fighting as soon as they met; they’re like a loving family. Am I seeing things?” Lily raised her arm and rubbed her eyes forcefully.
Isabella smiled wryly. “They’re both natural actors. When they meet their match, let’s sit back and enjoy the show.”
With that, she walked away in her high heels without looking back at the Harris family.
Meanwhile, in Charlotte’s room.
Victoria sat on the small sofa by the bed with a stern face, while Charlotte sat on the edge of the bed, tearfully recounting recent events.
After hearing everything, Victoria couldn’t help but sneer. Ever since Elowen entered this house, it had been like a chaotic mess.
“This woman is cunning. Mom, you underestimated her this time,” Victoria remarked coldly.
“Your grandma, that old hag doesn’t know where she found this vixen. Now, she’s bewitched your dad, playing the role of the mistress at home, while acting submissive and pitiful in front of your dad. Your dad sneaks into her room late at night often. It’s shameful!” Charlotte cursed bitterly, her words becoming more and more unpleasant.
“Mom, what kind of person is Dad? Haven’t you figured it out after all these years? If he were really a gentleman, you wouldn’t have had the chance to rise up,” Victoria sneered.
She glanced at Charlotte with some disdain, feeling annoyed by her tear-streaked face. “Stop crying; what’s the use? With your abilities, you can only deal with fools like Eleanor, who values her pride over everything. Now that you’re up against Elowen, you’re in disarray!”
Charlotte wiped away her tears and couldn’t help but sigh, “I’m getting old, while Elowen is as fresh as a flower. Your dad is full of fickleness; of course, he’s attracted to young women.”
“Elowen may seem fresh, but she’s not suitable for the limelight. You’re the legitimate wife of Dad now. Dad values his future more than anything else, and he’ll never divorce you for a country girl like her,” Victoria said calmly.
“So what? I’m just a nominal presence in this house now, while Elowen has become the mistress.” Charlotte sighed heavily and cursed Mrs. Ada in her heart. If it weren’t for her support for Elowen, she wouldn’t have had the audacity.
“Elowen’s momentum is strong now, so avoiding her sharpness is the right move,” Victoria continued, “Just endure it for a while longer. I’ve sent someone to investigate Elowen’s background in her hometown. A woman like her who’s restless must have a dirty past. Once we find some evidence, we’ll figure out a way to deal with her.”
Charlotte had always trusted Victoria very much and nodded in agreement at her words.