Alfredâs suggestion was too tempting, so Melora was tempted to say yes.
However, she hesitated. It would be one thing if she were alone, but now she had Berthold.
If they couldnât be together for New Yearâs, it would be disappointing and disheartening.
Alfred knew what she was thinking.
He ruffled her hair and told her, âLetâs talk about this later. After you finish shooting, head home straight away.â
He should be leaving after saying that, but he lingered for a while.
It was indeed challenging for him to find the opportunity to meet her.
Finally, shooting resumed.
Alfred walked out of the studio, and it was snowing heavily.
Leslie was about to take off his own coat to give it to Alfred, but the latter stopped him. âThe cold doesnât bother me. Iâm not an elderly man.â
Leslie didnât think much and replied cheerfully, âYou should be taking good care of yourself at this age.â
Alfred did not respond.
Leslie knew he had said the wrong thing.
He opened the car door for Alfred, who climbed in and brushed the snow off his shoulders. In a self- deprecating tone, Alfred remarked, âYes, Iâm no longer young, but I still canât provide my wife and child with a complete family.â
Leslie sighed at that.
After Alfredâs departure, Meloraâs condition was far from ideal.
She struggled to regain her composure and ultimately completed the ad shoot. However, she declined the film crewâs invitation to dine together.
Her assistant was smart enough to offer to pay for the film crewâs dinner.
Melora missed Berthold a lot.
She rushed back to Henryâs mansion to retrieve Berthold, planning to return to her own condominium. However, upon her arrival, she realized that it was getting late and snowing heavily.
Henry was sitting on the couch, working on his laptop.
Without looking up, he said, âWhy donât you stay here tonight? Berthold has been eagerly anticipating playing in the snow, and heâs been waiting all day.â
Melora glanced at her son.
Berthold approached and grasped her hand, pleading, âI want to play with Skyler and Christopher.â
Melora had always felt a sense of indebtedness toward him, so she couldnât bring herself to refuse his request.
She patted his head. âOkay. Remember to wear your padded jacket.â
Berthold shrieked with joy and dashed outside with Skyler and Christopher to play in the snow. The children appeared incredibly delighted in the winter wonderland, causing Melora to feel tears welling up in her eyes at the sight of their happiness.
Henry had stopped working and was gazing at Melora quietly.
Over the years, Melora had undergone significant changes during her time with Alfred.
She had matured, but Henry couldnât help but wish that she could have remained innocent and naive forever, shielded from the harshness of sadness.
Gazing at her hands, he noticed she was holding half a cup of hot chocolate.
He asked calmly, âDid Alfred buy that for you? Why do you treasure it so much?â
Melora pursed her lips and said nothing, afraid that he would be upset.
Henry cast a glance at her. âYou showed quite a bit of backbone this afternoon, didnât you? Why are you so moved by a cup of hot chocolate now?â
Melora protested, âHenry!â
Henry adored her and couldnât bring himself to yell at her. He said gently, âIf you want to wait, go ahead. Youâre an adult now, after all.â
With that, he went upstairs to keep Crystal company.
Melora sat in the living room alone.
Cradling the cup of hot chocolate, she approached the window and gazed outside, where the snowfall was intensifying.
Has Alfredâs private plane landed? Is he safe now?
Regret gnawed at her for having a conflict with him earlier in the day. His free time to visit her and Berthold was a rare occurrence, and if she hadnât allowed her anger to take hold, they could have had more time together.
After hesitating for a long while, she made a call.
It was answered pretty soon.
Melora sniffled. âDid you return to Coldbridge by car?â
Alfred hummed in acknowledgment.
She could hear Leslie talking to the driver, and it was clear they were in a hurry.
Feeling bad, Melora blurted out, âBe carefulâ
Alfred fell silent for a moment before saying. âTake care of our son. Iâll visit you when Iâm free.â
Melora wanted to tell him there was no need for him to do so, but she couldnât bring herself to say that out loud.
Crystal was often sleepy as a pregnant lady.
She had just woken up when Henry pushed the door and came into the bedroom. Under the soft illumination of the lights, she appeared gentle, and they accentuated the delicate hairs on her face. She looked utterly adorable.
He sat at the edge of the bed, and Crystal didnât move.
She reached out and wrapped an arm around his waist.
Henry was handsome and muscular, so Crystal loved to hug him.â
She asked softly, âAre Skyler and the others playing outside?â
Henry grunted nonchalantly.
âMelora is taking care of them.â He touched her arm and asked in a hoarse voice, âWhy are you sleeping naked?â
Crystalâs cheeks turned pink as she refused to admit to it.
Thus, the man reached under the covers, âLet me checkâ
Crystal immediately tried to stop him, but it was too late, as he had already touched her. Henryâs gaze lit up as he fondled her for a while before they began kissing.
The room was warm, so he pushed the covers away, revealing her naked body.
His gaze was dark, and Crystal was afraid he wouldnât restrain herself, so she pleaded, âDonât harm our child.â
Henry caressed her belly gently.
She was pregnant with their third child. Crystal had taken excellent care of herself, so it wasnât immediately apparent that she had already given birth to two children. Her complexion was fair, and her skin taut, with a slight bulge to her belly despite being four months along.
Younger men might have reservations about pregnant women, but for a mature man like Henry, his pregnant wife held a special allure.
When he went hard on her, she would be on the verge of tears.
He found it endearing when tears clung to her lashes and the corners of her eyes took on a rosy hue.
Henry carefully became intimate with her and kept asking whether she felt okay, Crystalâs lips were slightly parted, but she refused to utter a word. He came closer and teased her, âDo you like it so much?â
Crystal couldnât stand it anymore and turned away, her cheeks flushed.
As she was pregnant, they only had sex once.
After it came to an end, he hugged her tightly and murmured some sweet nothings.
It felt good until Henryâs phone rang.
It was an unknown number.
After answering the call, he went out to talk in the living space. Two minutes later, he came back and began to put on his clothes.
âI need to head out.â
As he spoke, he zipped his pants.
Crystal was displeased. âItâs snowing. Why are you heading out?â
Henry bent down to kiss the corner of her lips and whispered, âItâs work, not something to do with women. Donât worry, Miss Winters.â
Crystal leaned against the bed frame, feeling drained of energy.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and gazed at him, saying, âHenry, I wonât suspect you.â
Though it was a brief statement, Henry felt a pang in his heart upon hearing it. He had been through a lot with Crystal before she was able to give him her trust. He gave her a gentle kiss. âIâll be back before ten. I need to put my wife to sleep!â
Crystal kissed him back, Henry barely managed to pull back. He gave her a smile. âIf I donât leave now, weâll have to do it again!â
He put on his coat and went downstairs, walking into the snow.
Henry drove away himself.
One hour later, his black Land Rover stopped at a dark and dingy building.
He got out of the car and slammed the door shut, A man in his thirties who looked like a private investigator instantly came out to greet him. He reported in a low voice, âMr. Miller, he was dead when I arrived. It appears he was strangled to death with a rope. As for the scene... youâll understand when you see it.â
Henry pulled out a pack of cigarettes and fished out two cigarettes.
Both men lit up cigarettes as they walked into the old building.
They came to a stop in front of unit 302.
The door creaked open, revealing a young man sprawled on an old, cramped bed within the house. He was not wearing any pants.
There was a red mark on his neck, indicating that he had been strangled. He was already dead.
Walter, the private investigator, said in a low voice, âHe died less than two hours ago. He also had hard sex before he died.â
Henry put on some gloves and picked up a work ID from the old desk.
The dead man was twenty-four years old and worked as a technician.
Henry then looked around.
He could make an educated guess as to who was behind this and realized they wouldnât find any DNA evidence. It was evident that the culprit had meticulously removed all traces. Clementine was trying to silence him!
There was a hundred grand on the bedside table.
âReport this to the police. Additionally, conduct a thorough background check on this individual and provide his family with five hundred thousand dollars as compensation. Make sure they remain unaware of my involvement,â Henry instructed.
Walter couldnât understand Henryâs actions, but Henry didnât need anyone to understand him.
He walked out of the suffocating space quietly. The dead manâs image remained stuck in his mind.
In the snow, he finished smoking half a pack of cigarettes.
However, that didnât do anything to erase the smell of death from his nose.
Upon arriving home and seeing the illuminated mansion, he finally felt a sense of warmth wash over him.