Chapter 79 Be More Careful and Cautious When Dealing with Cordelia
Cordelia's bedroom door was slightly open.
Alaric stood there for a moment, then decided to head towards her room.
He paused at the doorway.
Inside, he could hear Allegra and Cordelia talking.
"Cordelia, your ankle looks more swollen."
"Mr. Hughes is so confusing. He used to treat you terribly, and now he can't seem to stay away from you. I just don't get him."
Cordelia pursed her lips and replied softly, "It's not that he can't stay away. Maybe it's just guilt and pity. After all, I did nothing wrong in this marriage. Or maybe it's because of Mrs. Hughes, so he feels obligated to come and see me."
Her voice was light, tinged with sleepiness.
"And once Ms. Martin returns to the country, he plans to divorce me. Clearly, he has no feelings for me. Rather than dragging it out, it's better to let him go and free myself too."
Allegra listened to Cordelia's words, a hint of sadness flashing in her eyes, and she responded gently.
"You're right."
"Mr. Gray is much better than him."
"If you had married Mr. Gray, he wouldn't have let you suffer like this."
Allegra's touch was gentle, easing the pain in Cordelia's ankle.
Cordelia closed her eyes, sleepiness washing over her. Allegra's words blurred in her ears, and she instinctively responded with a "Yeah," before drifting off to sleep.
From his angle, Alaric could see her slender leg.
Her foot was in Allegra's hands, being treated, while the other leg hung leisurely off the bed.
His mind flashed back to the time at Garden Vista Estates when she had fallen asleep on the couch.
His heart suddenly raced, and hearing her responses to Allegra, a mix of emotions welled up inside him, refusing to fade.
Allegra put down the ice pack and noticed Alaric standing at the door, startling her.
Luckily, she hadn't said anything bad about him in front of Cordelia, or he would have heard everything.
Allegra breathed a sigh of relief and looked away from him.
Cordelia's current sleeping position had one leg dangling off the bed. Allegra wanted to lift it back onto the bed, but before she could, Alaric stepped in.
He gently adjusted Cordelia's position with a soft embrace.
Allegra was momentarily at a loss for words.
She glanced towards the door and saw Donald gesturing for her, so she quietly left Cordelia's room.
Cordelia's sleep was restless, likely due to the discomfort from her ankle, her delicate brows furrowed tightly.
Alaric sighed, sat by the bed, and reached under the covers to hold her injured ankle, gently massaging it as Allegra had.
A man's strength was always greater than a woman's.
Even though he tried to control his strength, it was still heavier than Allegra's.
Cordelia let out a soft moan, and Alaric's movements stopped.
"Allegra, you can go downstairs and rest. I'm fine now."
She murmured with her eyes closed, then turned over.
Alaric sat by the bed, looking at her, unable to hide the tenderness in his eyes.
After a long while, he finally got up and left the bedroom.
Donald, having taken his medicine, was sitting on the sofa.
Alaric went downstairs and greeted him, "Mr. Stone, I'm heading out now. Sorry to disturb your rest."
Donald sighed, "Why are you doing this?"
Alaric's eyes darkened, but he didn't respond.
Seeing this, Donald didn't say more and simply got up to see Alaric out of The Stone Manor.
Alaric sat in his car, started the engine, and couldn't help but glance at Cordelia's balcony.
He felt puzzled about his own actions.
Maybe it was because, for the past three years, Cordelia had never left him. Now, without the bond of marriage, she had so effortlessly moved on, while he was still trying to process it all.
He sighed, rubbed his temples, started the car, and drove away from The Stone Manor.
That night, Cordelia slept soundly.
The next morning, she woke up feeling much better.
She lay in bed scrolling through her phone, noticing that the topic of Alaric and Evelyn's secret marriage was gaining traction, and she couldn't help but feel puzzled.
Alaric had often been rumored to be secretly married to someone, but it had never blown up like this before.
Yesterday, photos of Evelyn and Dominic at the airport had been leaked online.
In the photos, Dominic seemed very attentive to Evelyn, which the public interpreted as a hint of romance.
[Rumor has it that after Evelyn married Mr. Hughes, they lived separate lives.]
[Evelyn may look cold, but she's quite wild behind the scenes.]
[Apparently, she used to date Mr. Hughes's good friend, Bruce.]
This comment sparked a flurry of responses.
Rumors of Evelyn's infidelity were getting more and more outrageous.
Cordelia frowned as she read the negative news about Evelyn online.
She pulled out her phone and found Janet's number, dialing it.
Janet answered quickly.
"Ms. Stone, I didn't expect you to call."
Her voice was cheerful, sounding in a good mood.
Cordelia frowned and said sternly, "Ms. Martin, I suggest you clarify things online soon, or you'll be playing with fire."
Janet paused for a few seconds, then denied it.
"It has nothing to do with me. Ms. Stone, I'm working. Please don't disturb me."
With that, Janet hung up.
Remembering how Cordelia had treated her when she sought information about Evelyn, Janet felt a sense of satisfaction and flashed a smile.
She had finally gotten her revenge.
She smiled smugly, putting her phone away just as a message popped up.
[Janet, thanks for the big scoop. The editor praised me today. I'll treat you to a promotion party next week.]
Janet smiled at the message but didn't reply, instead deleting it.
What did this have to do with her? She had merely mentioned that the person Alaric was secretly married to might be Evelyn, and the other party had taken it upon themselves to investigate.
Besides, the reports were true, and the Stone family would likely handle it quietly.
The public's anger was directed at Evelyn, leaving Alaric unscathed.
Cordelia had said that Alaric and Evelyn were getting divorced, so this situation was beneficial for the Hughes family, who wouldn't intervene.
Janet stood by the water cooler, sipping her drink.
Evelyn had been dealt with, but it was a pity she couldn't drag Cordelia down with her just yet.
She couldn't touch Cordelia now.
If she went after Cordelia, Alaric would be affected and would surely pursue the matter.
Janet clenched her paper cup tightly, longing to pull Cordelia into the public scandal as well, but knowing she had to be more cautious.
To deal with Cordelia, she had to be very careful.