Chapter 572: Chapter 572

Jefferson took two steps back, his usually gentle gaze turning sharp and piercing. He pinned his eyes on Stella. “No matter how much gossip you hear, Ms. Zink, remember where you are and who you’re working for. Don’t simply run your mouth.”

Adjusting his glasses, his voice was mild but tinged with a hint of forcefulness. “Faymon Group’s PR department isn’t for show, and I’m no easy prey either.”

Stella’s expression changed slightly, but she immediately replied with a chuckle, “I heard that from someone else. Since I happened to run into you today, Mr. Hamilton, I brought it up casually.”

“Sometimes, a casual comment might only lead to disaster. What do you think, Ms. Zink?” Jefferson shot her a sidelong glance.

Stella went silent, stunned for a moment at the man’s blatant jibe.

By the time she snapped back to her senses, he had already brushed past her.

She turned around and glowered at his back, her hands slowly balling into fists.

He loves Rayna beyond words, so he can’t possibly be unaffected by my remark earlier. Why was he still calm and unruffled?

Could it be that he was feigning indifference before me? But if so, he’s overly good at it.

Afraid that he would discern her motive, she quickly retracted her gaze. Pushing open the door, she entered the coffee shop. All the while, she inwardly wondered whether Jefferson was truly unperturbed by those news reports or merely feigning nonchalance.

Boniel is coming to Norwal City soon. For the plan to proceed smoothly, I must sever Curtis and Jefferson’s relationship. As a matter of fact, it’d be even better if I can get them to turn on each other. If my words today hadn’t worked on the latter, I’ve got to figure out another way.

Meanwhile, Rayna had stayed in the hospital for over two weeks. With sufficient time to recuperate, her gunshot wound had healed ages ago.

Not even a scar remained, what with her having used the salve from Jeremy’s laboratory.

She noticed that Jefferson stopped coming over to visit her after the day Sandy came to the hospital to meet him and ask him to walk her out.

Worried that Sandy had said something hurtful to him when he saw her out, Rayna pestered him about his absence through WhatsApp. Nonetheless, Jefferson merely claimed that he was busy with work and had no time to drop by.

As she had been keeping an eye on the company and the development within the industry, she knew that they were preparing a new product and were indeed swamped. Hence, she didn’t fret anymore.

She had been eating well while hospitalized, thus gaining quite a lot of weight. The most substantial change was the size of her belly.

In the past, she could still conceal her pregnancy if she wore loose clothing, but after recuperating for two weeks, her belly swelled by the day, ending up like a watermelon. Verily, she was terrified that her stomach might explode.

Early in the morning, Rayna woke up to pack. That was the day Jeremy said she could be discharged from the hospital.

There wasn’t much to put away, merely some clothes and skincare products.

She only bent for a while as she packed, but her stomach felt so heavy that it felt like it was going to fall to the ground.

Propping a hand at the back of her waist, she had just straightened and planned to phone Kristie when a hand shot out from beside her and snagged the small bag in front of her.

“Is this all? Here, I’ll help you.” Curtis placed a hand at her waist, his voice low and deep.

Rayna turned, only to see that the man, who had never once visited her since she was admitted to the hospital, had finally put in an appearance. He looked exceedingly cool in a suit, but he had dark circles under his eyes and seemed dead on his feet.

“Have you not been resting well recently? What have you been doing?” As she was overly concerned for his well-being, Rayna momentarily forgot that he was acting too intimate with her while placing his palm on her waist. They walked out of the hospital room together.

Smiling, Curtis answered airily, “It’s time for the semi-annual report, so it’s rather busy at the office. Why...”

He proceeded to turn and study her intently. “You’re mad that I was so wrapped up in work that I didn’t come and visit you at the hospital?”

Abruptly realizing that she had shown him too much concern, Rayna put on a cold expression and scoffed, “I don’t need you to visit me! I just thought that Mr. Nicholson had been making things difficult for Faymon Group and was afraid that I’d be his next target.”

“That won’t happen. He has too much on his plate to make trouble for Faymon Group.” Curtis’ voice was placid, but the look in his eyes was chilly.

Her pupils constricting, Rayna stopped in her tracks. “C-Curtis...”

Panic inundated her, and she grabbed the man’s sleeve. She couldn’t even speak properly anymore. “Don’t tell me that was why you were so busy previously? Are you sick of living? Don’t fight with him.”

“Don’t stammer when you talk, or the kids might follow your example.” Curtis gathered her into his arms. He couldn’t help kneading the flesh that felt soft and supple under his palm.

Rayna instantly sensed what he was doing and smacked him hard.

Despite the pain, Curtis didn’t drop his hold on her. He traversed the corridor with her to take the elevator. Flashing her a faint smile, he assured, “I’ve still got to support my wife and kids, so I naturally cherish my life. Be good, and don’t overthink things.”

Unable to push his hand away, Rayna had no choice but to give up. With a dark expression, she demanded, “You didn’t do anything bad?”

“No.”

Pursing her lips, Rayna urged softly, “Just forget it, Curtis. Selena is already dead. If Mr. Nicholson were to pursue the matter, apologize and compensate him. Don’t blow things out of proportion.”

She wasn’t a forgiving person, but she was aware of Noel’s immense power and connections.

Selena was right. A businessman with no connections in the military and political arenas was inferior to others.

As such, Rayna didn’t want the matter to take a turn for the worse.

Curtis glanced at her out of the corner of his eye while walking and grunted in acquiescence. “I’m a law-abiding citizen.”

In response, Rayna rolled her eyes at him.

A law-abiding citizen, my foot! What law-abiding citizen would have a gun at home?

Rayna wore a cap and a mask for fear that there would be reporters when they left the hospital. She even tried putting some distance between her and Curtis.

However, Curtis took her hand. “It’ll be fine even if you don’t wear a mask. No one would dare snap your picture.”

From the time Rayna was hospitalized, he had instructed Gabriel to keep a close eye on things at the hospital. If any reporter were to sneak into the inpatient department and seek her out, Faymon Group would take over the entire media industry.

Fortunately, the media heeded his warning and didn’t lie in wait around the hospital.

Rayna said nothing. When they reached the car, she made to pull open the passenger door, but Curtis stopped her from doing so and swung open the rear car door instead.

“It isn’t safe in front, so sit in the back.”

A frown promptly marred Rayna’s countenance. “It’s only a ten-minute drive to my condominium. I trust in your driving skills.”

“No way. Sit in the back. Even though my driving skills are superb, there might be instances of a sudden brake. Listen to me.”

Curtis sounded authoritative, leaving no room for negotiation.

Words eluded Rayna.

His fastidiousness drove her crazy, but at the same time, that thoughtful gesture of his also had a wealth of warmth suffusing her.

Muttering unintelligibly, she ultimately climbed into the backseat.

After settling in the car, she noticed a box of fruits on the seat beside her. She could faintly smell the aroma of oranges.

Lifting the cover on top, she was greeted by the sight of a box of fresh oranges.

Curtis got into the car as well. As he fastened his seatbelt, he stole a peek at the backseat via the rearview mirror. “An employee from the orchard delivered it to my car this morning. It just so happens that I’m driving you back to the condominium, so I brought this along for you.”

Taking an orange out of the box, Rayna started peeling it. “I can’t finish everything. Let’s give Kristie some later.”

“Keep them. If you can’t finish them, throw the remainder away. She can go get herself some oranges if she wants to,” Curtis countered.

That wasn’t the first time Rayna perceived how biased he was toward her, but she still couldn’t help blushing. While peeling the orange, she ventured, “Is there any news about Jessie?”

Curtis didn’t answer her right away.

A few seconds passed before he admitted, “The flow of water at the port is rapid. Perhaps she has been rescued someplace else, but we haven’t found her.”