After Justin came back, Sue explained the incident and made a few indifferent remarks. The man merely cast a casual glance at Rachel, who was standing in a corner, without stating his position. Even so, Rachel wasn’t disappointed since she had expected such an outcome long ago.
On the other hand, Amber couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly. Doesn’t this show that he doesn’t care about Rachel at all? she thought to herself. With a big smile on her face, she walked up to Justin and held out to him the coffee she had brewed. “Have some coffee, Justin. You’ve been busy all day long, so let’s quench your thirst with this.”
Much to her surprise, Justin refused and said, “It’s not necessary. It’s late, so you should go home now.”
Amber’s smile froze on her lips. She deliberately acted cute, pretending not to understand that Justin wanted to chase her away. “I want to learn something from you so that I’ll do a better job of helping my Dad manage his company in the future, Justin. Can I do that?”
Normally, a man wouldn’t have the heart to refuse a coquettish plea made by such a pretty and graceful lady, but Justin narrowed his eyes. “If you don’t leave right now, you don’t have to come here anymore.” The scar on his face made him look very menacing when he looked at someone chillingly.
Upon that, Amber’s expression changed slightly. She hurriedly smiled in a placating manner to save herself from the embarrassment. “All right, all right. I know you are afraid that my Dad will be worried about me, right? You’re only saying so for my own good, and I understand that, Justin. In that case, I’ll be going home first. I’ll come again some other day.” She was still smiling when she left, but her face instantly darkened as soon as she left the place. In the end, she glanced at the Burton Residence’s gate with a look of determination in her eyes.
After Amber left, Rachel held a cup of brewed Earl Grey tea and placed it on Justin’s desk. She knew that Justin liked to make a cup of tea whenever he came home from work, which was why he refused to drink the coffee Amber had brewed. However, her body tensed up subconsciously as she could sense his dark gaze falling on her even with her head lowered.
“Why are you lingering around here?”
Rachel pursed her lips and looked up at him. Then, she put her palms together and placed them between her neck and her shoulder to make a sleeping gesture. Aren’t you going to sleep?
She merely asked the question casually, but the man had obviously misunderstood her. Justin furrowed his brows and asked, “Do you want to sleep with me?”
Rachel was stunned for a moment before she shook her head vigorously.
Justin then strode off and replied, “Since that isn’t the case, don’t disturb me.”
Rachel froze on the spot for a moment before leaving in silence.
However, neither of them spotted Julian standing outside the window. A hint of shock flashed across his eyes; he wanted to reminisce about the past with Justin at first, but he didn’t expect to witness this scene. Justin isn’t actually nice to her, he thought to himself. Upon realizing this, he immediately figured out what had been puzzling him. No wonder even Mrs. Duncan dares to lord it over her.
Julian heard from the nurse who looked after Rachel’s grandmother that someone had paid for the old woman’s treatment at first, but the financial support had been cut off for no reason. Thus, he speculated that Justin was probably the one who cut off the financial support, which was why Rachel was worried. Furthermore, he heard what Mrs. Duncan said during the daytime and witnessed Sue’s manner toward Rachel. What else could he not understand? Come to think of it, any woman would find herself in a very difficult situation if she was a mute who couldn’t speak, was detested by her husband, and had an awkward position in the Burton Family, let alone a weak and helpless woman like Rachel. How could she afford her grandmother’s expensive medical bills?
Rachel was only a stranger whom Julian had met twice, but for some unfathomable reason, Julian found his heart aching for her. Perhaps I should help her, he thought to himself.
……
When Rachel woke up the next morning, everyone else in the Burton Residence continued to ignore her. Sue had stopped asking her to do the household chores ever since she did it and was stopped by Justin. Rachel finished her lunch under the servants’ contemptuous gazes, but when she got up, Julian called her, “Miss Hudson.” He did not address her as his cousin-in-law. Instead, he kept calling her ‘Miss Hudson’ so that she didn’t feel so embarrassed.
Rachel’s face showed a look of confusion. Then, she heard Julian reply, “The hospital director told me that your grandmother has regained consciousness. As it happens, I’m going to the hospital to do a follow-up examination on her, so I can give you a lift.”
Rachel was first delighted at the news of her grandmother regaining consciousness, but she then hesitated somewhat. She asked with sign language. Can I go with you?
Since he knew what she was worried about, Julian shook his head with a smile. “It’ll be fine.”
In the end, Rachel’s eagerness to visit her grandmother got the better of her.