It really wasn’t that the maid was slacking off–ever since Bennett had started acting like a different person, drinking late into the night and snapping at anyone who dared wake him in the morning, she’d simply been caught in the crossfire.
Under Heather’s impatient urging, the maid had no choice but to steel herself and go knock on Bennett’s door. As expected, she got a
tongue–lashing for her trouble.
In the end, it took Heather herself to march upstairs and finally get
Bennett to come down.
Salome was well into her second trimester now; any delay in breakfast left her feeling faint with hunger.
She reached for a slice of scrambled egg, but Heather shot her a sharp glare. “Your husband isn’t even at the table yet and you’re already eating?”
Salome immediately set down her fork, forcing a sheepish smile. “Sorry, Mom. I was just so hungry–I won’t do it again.”
Heather gave her a look that said, “That’s more like it.”
By the time Bennett finally appeared downstairs, Salome was practically starving, so she ate a little more hastily than usual.
Bennett sat down with a frown, but unlike before, he didn’t take the seat beside Salome. Instead, he left two empty chairs between them.
He couldn’t explain it, but lately, just looking at Salome made him feel annoyed. She used to eat so delicately and proper, but now–what had gotten into her? She ate like she’d just escaped a famine.
Salome was oblivious to the look of disgust on Bennett’s face. When she was finally full, she dabbed her mouth with a napkin, then turned to him with wide, pleading eyes and a sweet, almost childlike tone.
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“Bennett, today’s my birthday. Will you spend the day with me?”
She had gone out of her way to get her friends to procure something to spark a little romance between them–she’d planned to use it last night, but Bennett had come home far too late. It hadn’t been easy to get, and she didn’t want it to go to waste.
Bennett barely hid his impatience. “I don’t have time today. Here, take my card–go out and treat yourself to something nice.”
Salome’s disappointment was plain. “But I just wanted to spend time with you.”
Heather gave Bennett a warning look, silently reminding him to be careful–after all, Salome was carrying the Vance family’s precious heir.
Only then did Bennett reluctantly explain, “I can’t just let the Hawksley Group project go. I need to negotiate with them again, and coincidentally, today’s the Hawksley heir’s wedding. On such a happy occasion, I’m hoping the talks will go a little smoother.”
Looking at Salome’s rounded belly, Bennett thought, As soon as the baby is born, all of this will finally be over.
He remembered what he was supposed to be doing–keeping Salome
calm and content.
Noticing how poorly he’d been treating her lately, Bennett forced himself to add, “Salome, work’s just been overwhelming lately. I know I’ve been neglecting you, but don’t take it personally. Those late nights out? They’re
all for business.”
Salome beamed at his words, scooting closer until she was nestled against his side, her belly pressing into him. “I know you work hard. I try not to bother you about anything. Wasn’t I good?”
Her performance was so over the top that even Heather couldn’t stand it anymore; she quickly changed the subject. “So, the Hawksley heir is getting married today–strange that they’re keeping it so low–key, isn’t it?”
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Bennett shrugged. “The richer people are, the less they flaunt it. Not like that guy Edith married after her divorce–he threw such a gaudy affair, like some lottery winner showing off.”
He remembered the mountain of tacky wedding gifts the Sumner family had stacked up for Edith’s second marriage. In Bennett’s mind, the new husband must’ve thought Edith was naïve enough to be impressed by a pile of cheap showy junk.
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.