Chapter 28
Sweet Subterfuge
When Larissaâs shoulder had healed to the point where she could return to work normally at the hotel, two weeks had already passed.
Her colleagues celebrated her return by booking a private room at the most upscale fineâdining restaurant in Covenford. They hung banners, inflated balloons, and even bought her a big cake.
Larissa felt guilty about accepting their grand gesture. As such, she accepted every single toast that came her way-
Andâ¦she got drunk again.
Some of the others wanted to send her home, but they didnât know her address. When asked about her family or friendâs contact number, she could only stare back blankly without saying a word.
âAh!â Someone raised their hand suddenly. âI have Ms. Seymourâs husbandâs contact number! One time, Ms. Seymourâs phone died, and she borrowed mine to give her husband a call. I conveniently saved his number back then!â
âCall him! Call him!â the group urged.
Someone spoke up weakly. âArenât Ms. Seymour and her husbandâ¦divorced?â
This was undoubtedly breaking news to many of them.
âIs that for real?â
âI never realized it! Ms. Seymour is no different from before.â
âYeah! Exactly! Is your source of information reliable?â
Bombarded with a series of questions, the person who revealed the news about Larissaâs divorce was no longer certain about the authenticity of the news.
âI heard the news from the front desk. About a month ago, Ms. Seymourâs inâlaws came to the hotel and caused a racket. At that time, it was Ms. Seymour herself who revealed that her husband had a mistress. She even said that she wanted to file a divorce with her husband immediately.â
âWith a wife as good as Ms. Seymour, her husband still cheated?â
âThat man must be blind!â
The group was indignant.
âSo should we still give Ms. Seymourâs husband a call?â Amid the chaotic discussion, the person who first suggested calling Travis, interrupted.
Everyone looked at each other.
âShould weâjust give it a try? What if Ms. Seymour hasnât divorced her husband yet?â
The call connected quickly. Travis asked, âWho is this?â
Larissaâs assistant was pulled over to act as a spokesperson. âHi, Iâm Ms. Seymourâs assistant. Ms.
Seymour is drunk now. Could you please come over and pick her up?â
Travis was shocked. He had originally intended to ask, âHave you dialed the wrong number?â but instead, he asked, âCan you pass the phone over to Larissa?â
Larissa was drunk? He couldnât believe it.
Larissa was an extremely disciplined woman. She knew her limits when it came to drinking, and she would never drink excessively in public due to her low alcohol tolerance. It was only when they were both at home that she would accompany him for a few extra drinks.
He suspected that this was some kind of trap.
Her assistant glanced at Larissa sitting quietly in her seat and replied reluctantly. â Ms. Seymour is so drunk that sheâs no longer conscious of her surroundings. Iâm afraid she canât speak to you right now.â
Travis remained alert. âThenâcan you switch on the video camera on your end?â
Her assistant felt that his requests were excessive, but she switched on the video camera regardless.
Larissaâs face appeared on his screen immediately, startling Travis.
He quickly regained his composure and observed her carefully.
Larissaâs pale cheeks were dusted pink. Those bright, lively eyes had completely lost all of their luster, making them seem unusually empty.
Someone called her in the background. After two or three minutes, her eyes swiveled in their direction groggily, and she opened her mouth to let out an âmmâ sound.
That sound she made aroused Travis immensely. It twisted and turned and latched onto his heart like an unrelenting hook.