Chapter 203 Fireworks (Part One)
After the video call with Quintin, Rachel went to bed. By the time she woke up, the ship had already departed from Apliaria. Suddenly, she heard a knock on the door. âMiss Bennet, are you awake?â the maid asked cautiously from the other side of the door. Rachel got up from bed and opened the door.
The moment she opened the door, she was surprised to see Victor on the sofa reading a document. The maid whispered to her, âMiss Bennet, Mr. Sullivan knew you were asleep, so he didnât wake you up. Heâs been waiting out here for over an hour.â
The way she spoke made it sound like it was a great honor for Rachel that Victor was waiting for her.
Rachel shot her a cold glance. âAn honor? I donât even want this honor. Anyone can take it for free if they want it,â she remarked inwardly. âIvan.â Victor closed the file. âLet them serve the dishes.â âYes, sir.â
Ivan nodded before he left the room to inform the waiters to serve the dishes. Rachel frowned at Victor, uncertain of what he was trying to do. âAre you going to have lunch here?â she asked. âItâs lunch time, isnât it? If you donât want to eat here, we can go to a restaurant,â Victor said, staring into her eyes.
Clearly, there was nothing Rachel could do to refuse his offer. After a brief pause, she replied, âLetâs just eat here.â
Victor glanced at the maid and the latter immediately understood what he meant. âMiss Bennet, Iâll go see if thereâs anything I can do to help with the food.â Having said that, she left the room. Once more, the room fell into silence. Moments later, Victor said, âI was told that there will be a fireworks display at half past eight on the ship tonight.â Rachel was stunned for a moment. âHuh?â she asked, looking at him in confusion.
âIf youâre bored staying in the room, we can go to the deck and watch the fireworks display in the evening,â Victor replied after a brief silence. âSure,â Rachel replied indifferently. Her response disappointed him and put a frown on his face.
Clearly, the way she responded wasnât something he wanted to see. But when he thought of what Rachel had been through, he decided to stifle his displeasure. Soon, lunch arrived, interrupting their subtle stalemate.
After having just a few bites, Rachel felt nauseous. Seeing that she was about to put down her fork, he said, âFinish your food.â ; Upon hearing that, Rachel paused. She glanced at the remaining food on her plate before continuing to eat. As Victor stared her emotionless face, he felt distressed.
He recalled that the last time he asked her to finish her food, she argued with him. But now, she was being so obedient. âRachelâ¦â But before he could utter a word, Rachel covered her mouth, stood up, and ran to the bathroom at once.
Victor was taken by surprise at first, but he quickly gathered his composure, stood up, and followed her.
Nervously, he commanded Ivan, âCall the doctor. Now!â âNo, wait!â Rachel reached out her hand to stop him. âIâm fine.â If the doctor came, he would find out she was still pregnant. Victor didnât notice the anxiety in her eyes, but he frowned when he saw how pale her face was.
Afraid that he might get suspicious, Rachel added, âIâm just a little seasick, thatâs all. Whatâs more, I didnât have any appetite and I ate too fast just now. Thatâs why I had to throw up.â âYouâre seasick, huh? I seem to recall how you used to go out at sea a lot. Not once have I heard that you became seasick.â
âWell, umâ¦â Rachel pondered for a moment and continued, âItâs because Iâm not in good health lately.â
âIn that case, Iâll ask the doctor to examine you,â Victor argued. âSeriously, Iâm fine. I donât need to see a doctor,â Rachel insisted. âI just need more rest.â Though Victor was still worried about her, he had to concede since she was the one insisting upon it. âFine. But if you still feel uncomfortable after resting, Iâm calling the doctor.â Rachel nodded in response.
This time, Victor didnât make her finish the food in her plate anymore. Not long after lunch, the president of the Chamber of Commerce called Victor away. But before he left, he ordered the maid to pay special attention to Rachel and inform him if at any given moment she felt uncomfortable.
That night, the wind blew even stronger. The cold breeze seeped into the room, and Rachel was feeling a little cold. During the evening, Victor didnât come to have dinner with Rachel, but he asked Ivan to send her some food that she liked to her room. Right now, Rachel still had no appetite, but she knew that it was important to eat some for the baby.
Thus, she forced herself to eat. The maid watched her eat and smiled with glee. âMiss Bennet, would you like some more? Iâm sure Mr. Sullivan will be happy to know that youâre eating well tonight!â said the maid. Rachel pressed down on her stomach to alleviate her discomfort, and put down her fork. âIâm full,â
she said.
âOkay, maâam.â The maid wasnât stupid. She could see the tension between Rachel and Victor, and she knew that she shouldnât say anything about it. Rachel stood up and was about to go back to her bedroom. Ever since she boarded the ship this morning, she hadnât left her room and had been lying in bed for most of the day.
It wasnât because she wanted to sleep all day, but she was merely doing it for the babyâs sake. Although the baby was still alive, Rachel wasnât in good health. She had to limit herself from moving around as much as possible, or else she could have a miscarriage at any time. In particular, what she was planning to do next would put her and her child in danger if she wasnât careful enough.
Swoosh! All of a sudden, she heard the sound of fireworks exploding in the distance. A few seconds later, colorful lights appeared before her sight through the glass window. The fireworks bloomed in the night sky like flowers. âMiss Bennet, the fireworks display has started! When I went to the restaurant this noon, I heard there was going to be a fireworks display tonight. Itâs so beautiful!â the maid said from behind Rachel. Rachel stared at the scenery outside the window.
Another set of fireworks exploded into the night sky. The colorful lights above reflected onto the sea. The view was nothing short of magical. Only then did Rachel remember that this noon, Victor mentioned that there was going to be a fireworks display tonight. However, she wasnât interested in it.
With narrowed eyes, Rachel turned to the maid as an idea flashed through her mind. âYou like fireworks, huh?â Upon hearing her question, the maid was mildly abashed. âYes, maâam. This is the first time Iâve seen such a beautiful fireworks display. I rarely get to see them.â âIf you want, you can go to the deck, so you can enjoy it properly. Iâm sure the view is much better over there,â said Rachel.
Daily latest chapters only www.novelheart.com âNo, maâam. I canât!â The maid shook her head immediately. âI have to stay here, Miss Bennet. What if you need something and Iâm not around to attend to your needs?â After taking a sip of warm water, Rachel replied, âThe fireworks display will last less than a half hour at most. Donât worry about it. Iâll just be here in my room.â Glancing at the colorful fireworks display in the sky, the maid was moved by Rachelâs words.
âBut, maâamâ¦â âIf youâre still worried, I can come with you,â Rachel responded, looking into her eyes intently. The maidâs eyes lit up. Just when she was about to agree, she remembered that Rachel wasnât in good health. The wind at sea was strong during the night, and it was easy to catch a cold.
Moreover, there must be many people on deck right now. If something were to happen to Rachel over there, she could get into serious trouble. âMiss Bennet, do you want to watch the fireworks display as well?â asked the maid. âNot really. But youâre worried about leaving me here alone, arenât you?â
Rachel replied, noticing the hesitation in her eyes. After a brief moment of hesitation, the maid said, âMaâam, is it okay if I leave for ten minutes? Just stay here in your room and Iâll be back right away.â
Rachel smiled at her and said, âOkay.â