There was a brief silence in the other line. Then, Victor said, âBye.â He ended the call without giving Carson the opportunity to respond.
Carsonâs eyes narrowed and the corner of his mouth twitched, it seemed that things have gone quite different from what he planned. He had thought that once Victor learned that Rachel was with Roger, he would ask him where they were and then go look for her. However, Victor was surprisingly calm.
Carson even believed that seeing the depressed and regretful man in the past four years was an illusion. Nonetheless, he had already led Rachel to the villa.
Carson shrugged it off and still sent Victor the villa number, muted the phone, and tossed it on the passenger seat. A smile formed on his lips. âAs a friend, this is all i can do.â He stepped on the accelerator. The Ferrari pulled out of the parking lot and drove away from the Waterfront Hotel.
Ding!
A message popped out. Victorâs eyes narrowed as he examined Carsonâs text message on his phone.
When he was done reading, he deleted everything in a swipe. .
He tightened his fists unconsciously as he closed his eyes. Just when he had calmed down, Rachelâs face appeared in his mind again. He missed her so much and his heart longed for her. He couldnât help but murmur her name in a hushed voice. There was a garden between the hotelâs main hall and the villas for the guests. In the garden, there were various crisscrossed trails. The air was refreshing and it was also incredibly quiet. Many customers who dined at the hotelâs restaurant enjoyed taking a stroll through the garden.
There were dimmed road lamps on both sides of the cobblestone path, allowing people to see the way while giving them an aesthetic feel. Rachel looked at the sign and proceeded to the villa the waiter had just mentioned. However, despite walking for more than ten minutes, she was unable to find the villa.
She grimaced as she checked the time on her phone. She changed her SIM card after coming back and she wasnât able to save Claraâs phone number yet. Because of that, it was impossible to contact her and it might take forever to find her at this rate. Luckily, a woman who appeared to be working at this place was passing by and Rachel quickly walked up and called out to her.
âHello, what can I do for you?â the staff asked respectfully as she looked at Rachel. âIâm sorry to bother you, but where can I find this villa?â Rachel told the woman the villa number. â âItâs still a long way from here. How did you get here? You took the wrong way. The villa is in the opposite direction.â
The woman was obviously surprised. âIn the opposite direction?â âBut I followed the sign hereâ¦â Rachel murmured. âOh! Yes, maâam. Weâre very sorry. A drunk guest broke the sign yesterday. We havenât repaired it yet. Itâs our honest mistake.â
The corner of Rachelâs mouth twitched. She had walked such a long way but she was actually getting farther and farther from where she was supposed to go. âI see. So I should take that way?â Rachel pointed in the direction the staff had told her just now. She needed to give the medicine to Riley and she didnât have time to care about the sign.
âYes. Let me take you there. Itâs the least I could do.â âThank you.â
âPlease, follow me.â The woman turned around and led the way. Rachel walked closely behind her.
Some people were chatting on the garden bench, while others strolled across the garden. But as Rachel walked further, the garden became deafeningly quiet. Except for her and the woman, there was no one else.
âWeâre almost there. The villa is in front of us,â the woman said with a smile as she turned to Rachel.
Rachel nodded and looked up, noticing a villa with lights turned on not far away. The woman evidently quickened her pace when they were about to arrive as if she couldnât wait. She appeared to be a little jittery. Rachel had her movements in sight.
Soon, they arrived at the door of the villa.
âThis is our stop. You can go in now, maâam.â The woman stood at the entrance, smiling at Rachel as if she wasnât the one who had just walked in a haste. Rachel cast a cautious glance at the closed door and her eyes darkened as she looked back at the woman. âWhoâs inside?â
âWhat?â The woman was taken aback by the question, and her smile froze. âI wasnât walking in the wrong way, and the sign wasnât broken, right? This isnât the villa I want to go to, is it?â Rachel had a slight grin on her face. Her eyes, on the other hand, were cold and penetrating. Her deep stare jolted the woman, making her face turn pale.
âMiss Bennet, I⦠I donât understand what you mean.â The displeasure on Rachelâs face made the woman nervous. âHow do you know my last name is Bennet?â Rachelâs eyes grew sharper.
The womanâs complexion turned paler. âI⦠Iâ¦â âTell me, who sent you here? Why did you bring me here?â Rachel remained still in her place, but she seemed to have everything under control. A bead of sweat on the womanâs brow rolled down from the corner of her forehead and eventually fell to the ground. âNo one sent me here.â Her hands were clenched tightly. âSince you donât want to tell me, Iâll take a guess.â
The woman gulped in response when she heard Rachelâs remark. âIs it Susan? Did she ask you to take me here?â Rachel raised her eyes and gave her a firm look. The womanâs legs almost gave out as she heard Susanâs name, nearly falling to the ground. It was already obvious because of her body language, but she refused to admit it by shaking her head. âNo, not at all!â âWhy did Susan give you the order?â Rachel crossed her arms and started to take a few steps forward. Her tone was calm, but the aura she was giving off intimidated the woman in front of her.
The woman bit her lower lip and shook her head continuously. âEven if you donât admit it, do you think Susan will let you go once she learns that you havenât completed your task?â Rachel said with a faint smile.
âNo, that wonât happen. She isnât going to make things difficult for me,â the woman mumbled. Then she noticed Rachelâs smug face. She quickly realized she had betrayed Susan and covered her mouth in shock. Rachel continued to stare her down, then she glanced at the villaâs door once more with dark eyes. With a guilty huff, the woman lowered her head in disbelief. She didnât dare to talk and tightly clenched her clothes. âSince youâre so stubborn, then come in with me,â Rachel coldly said. âNo, no!â
When the woman heard Rachel was going to drag her in, she abruptly raised her head, turned back, and attempted to flee. However, Rachel swiftly grabbed her arm. âMiss Bennet, please donâtâ¦â The woman begged with teary eyes, knowing that she couldnât get rid of Rachel. âI canât go in.â
You canât? Why? I thought you said no one sent you? Arenât you going to escort me inside?â Rachel looked at her coldly.
There is a man insideâ¦â the worker remarked in a trembling voice after a little pause.
The trembling woman was afraid to continue, but Rachel was well aware of the situation. Miss Bennet, Miss Salazar asked me to do this⦠I had no other choice. If I didnât do this, I would lose my job. I have to take care of my grandma, so I canât risk losing it.â
And then?â Rachel raised a brow. âPardon me?â The woman didnât understand what she meant. âI donât think Susan just wants me to spend a night with a man. What will happen if I go inside?â\
The woman swallowed nervously and looked at Rachel with uneasiness. Finally, she began to speak.