Chapter 10 She Might Have Gone Home
In a restaurant in the East District, flashy and dazzling lights lit up the entire room from the center.
Kolton and Iris sat across from each other at a square table. The waiter opened a bottle of Bordeaux wine and poured it into a decanter.
The reddish–brown liquid refracted the light, and a beam of light just happened to hit Kolton’s well–defined face.
His sharp features softened a bit, and his half–closed eyes were fixed on a piano nearby.
“It’s weird. Why isn’t anyone playing the piano tonight?” Iris was wearing a ginger–colored dress, with her wavy long hair cascading down.
She looked more gentle compared to when she was in a business suit.
Kolton raised an eyebrow slightly. “No idea.”
Cecilia, who was used to a life of privilege, surely couldn’t stand sitting there playing the piano.
He even guessed that she might have already gone home by now.
Cecilia was always thoughtful and wouldn’t interrupt his work
So in the morning, knowing he was busy, Cecilia left tactfully.
“Guys, here’s a dish for you. It suits you well!” Veronica’s brash voice rang out.
She placed a steaming hot dish on the table and took the opportunity to size up Iris.
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“Haggis?” Iris was surprised. Why would a fancy restaurant serve something like this?
“This is a traditionally Scottish dish that consists of the heart, liver, and lungs of a sheep,” Veronica said with a cold smile, pulling her gaze away. “This dish is suitable for heartless people!”
In an instant, the tension around them seemed to freeze the air.
Veronica thought she was fearless, but for some reason, every time she tried to provoke Kolton, she felt uneasy.
Maybe it was because she was just standing up for Cecilia, and without solid proof, she couldn’t really outsmart Kolton?
After an awkward silence, her neck felt tight, like an invisible hand was choking her.
She turned around and left without a second thought.
Iris looked puzzled. “Kolton, do you know her?”
“Not really,” Kolton said, his eyes landing on the dish, deep in thought.
Within seconds, his phone on the table suddenly rang.
He hadn’t saved Cecilia’s phone number.
But for the past two years, Cecilia had sent him a message every noon to remind him to have lunch.
And she would call every evening to ask if he was coming home.
He knew at a glance that it was Cecilia calling.
Kolton curled the corner of his lips in a mocking smile and hung up without hesitation.
“Why aren’t you answering?” Iris stood up and refilled his glass with red wine. She glanced at the strange phone number on the screen and pursed her lips. “This is a meal, not a meeting. I’m not saying you can’t answer calls.”
“I don’t know who it is. There’s no need to answer,” Kolton replied casually.
He took the wine from her hand and leaned over to pour some for her too. “You’ve been working hard these days.”
Iris sat back down, smiling. “Do you think a glass of wine can brush me off?”
“Here’s my secondary card. Buy whatever you want,” Kolton said, taking out a black card, placing it on the table, and pushing it toward Iris. “Officially, I’ll toast to your hard work with a glass of wine. Privately, the gift is my way of saying thank you.”
The square table was covered with a red tablecloth. Kolton’s hand had well–defined wrist bones and looked alluring.
When Iris reached out to take the card, her finger lightly grazed the back of his hand.
Her touch was just right, soft and gentle. Her fingertip lightly hooked his little finger.
Her eyes sparkled with charm as she studied every expression on Kolton’s face.
Kolton’s thin lips were pursed. He casually pulled his hand away, acting as if nothing had happened. Then he leaned back in his chair, looking relaxed.
He seemed not to have noticed anything.
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Iris put the card in her bag and then looked at the place where the piano
was.
Cecilia didn’t come today.
Iris was plotting against something.
Soon, the waiter served the meal, and Kolton ate in an unhurried manner.
Before he knew it, Iris took out her phone to take a picture of the two of them dining through the glass window.
Unexpectedly, the flash went off.
Kolton raised his eyelid and looked at Iris with a scrutinizing gaze.
An awkward look flickered across Iris’s face. Under Kolton’s gaze, she handed over her phone.
“Ashley asked me to report my whereabouts on time every day and eat on time. See?” Iris tried to explain.
The phone was on the WhatsApp chat page. Besides the photo that had just been sent, there were many other photos before.
There were not only photos of Iris alone in the office but also those of her with Kolton.
Kolton’s gaze was intense. His face softened a bit, but he kept slicing the steak. “With me around, she has nothing to worry about.”
“I’ve told her that you’ll take good care of me. But she…” Iris said, sounding both helpless and doting..
At the edge of the table, Kolton’s phone rang again, interrupting Iris’s words.
It was Trenton.
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Kolton picked up the phone, and Trenton’s anxious voice came through. “Mr. Thompson, Mrs. Thompson just called me. She said the Thompson’s house caught fire, and Madam Thompson got burned. She asked you to go over quickly!”
Kolton abruptly stood up, and the chair screeched as it scraped against the floor.
“I’m going back now,” Kolton said to Trenton and hung up the phone. Turning to Iris, he said, “I’ve got something urgent to take care of.” With that, he grabbed his coat and left.
The Maybach sped down the highway, darting between cars and constantly overtaking other cars.
***
The Thompson’s house was nestled on a hillside, with neon lights flickering on the twisty mountain road.
Cecilia took a taxi. When the taxi pulled up to the Thompson’s house, the entire villa was brightly lit. It wasn’t on fire like she had expected. What a relief.
But when she got out of the car, the strong smell of burning in the air was very pungent. She couldn’t help but quicken her pace and hurry inside.
She didn’t even have time to change her shoes and rushed straight to the living room.
On the couch, Kianna sat upright, her hair silver–gray.
The nearly eighty–year–old lady was energetic, munching on snacks, wearing reading glasses, and watching TV intently.
“Cecilia, you’re back!” Kianna greeted.
Seeing Cecilia come in, she put down the snacks and waved. “Come over
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here!”
Cecilia was panting, a fine layer of sweat on her forehead.
She walked over to Kianna. “Kianna, didn’t they say there was a fire?”
“There was,” Kianna said, pointing to the ashes in the backyard that had been put out. “But it’s out now.”
Words failed Cecilia.
She carefully recalled what the servant had said on the phone.
She thought, “Indeed, they didn’t mention that Kianna was burned.
“But didn’t their urgency and hesitation mean Kianna was in danger?”
“Why did you come alone?” Kianna looked behind Cecilia. “Where’s Kolton?”
Cecilia pursed her lips, trying her best to hide any oddness. “He’s busy with work. Maybe he’s in a meeting. He didn’t answer my call.”
Kianna’s eyes sparkled. “He didn’t answer your call. Are you mad at him?”
“No,” Cecilia denied it quickly.
The moment the call was cut off, she was more worried than angry.
She was afraid that something really happened to Kianna and Kolton wasn’t around…
So she called Trenton right away, and when he said he had already told Kolton, a sense of relief washed over her.
On second thought, Kolton had ignored her call on purpose.
Her heart went cold, and her chest felt tight. She could hardly breathe.
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Seeing her embarrassed expression, Kianna thought she was mad at Kolton. Without hesitation, Kianna said, “Don’t worry. I’ll definitely get him back for you today.”
Cecilia was stunned.
Her mind was in a mess. She was actually a bit confused by Kianna’s words.
She thought, <How did it become about getting Kolton back for me?
“Wasn’t it Kianna who just used the fire as an excuse to call us back?”
As she was feeling puzzled, a sharp gaze suddenly landed on her.
She instinctively looked over and saw Kolton hurrying over.
His deep eyes were icy cold, and the lingering worry hadn’t fully faded yet.
