Chapter 174 Really Know How to Pick a Husband
Blood smeared across Anthony's face, turning his features into an unrecognizable mess. His eyes burned with vicious fury as he wiped at the blood, trying to lever himself upright. But the injuries were too severe—he collapsed halfway up.
Leo rushed to support him. "Mr. Watson, I called for a doctor. They'll be here any second. Just hang on."
Anthony slumped against the wall, staring coldly in the direction Arabella had disappeared. After a long moment, he finally looked away.
He'd underestimated the situation. Never imagined Arabella had actually fallen for Alexander. A downtown apartment and six hundred thousand dollars—that's all it took to buy her loyalty?
Since his civilized approach hadn't worked, since neither of them knew what was good for them, he'd have to take more drastic measures.
Something dark and vicious flickered through Anthony's lowered eyes.
---
Meanwhile, Alexander guided Arabella out of the hospital, then paused to address Daisy. He gave a slight nod. "Thank you for protecting Arabella today. I won't forget it."
Daisy frowned. "Arabella's my best friend. Protecting her is what I'm supposed to do."
Sure, he was a big shot and she definitely appreciated the perks that came with being in his orbit, but she had her limits. Some things weren't for sale. Hell, even if it meant getting hurt herself, she'd take a bullet for Arabella without hesitation.
Alexander heard the sincerity in her words and smiled slightly. "I know. But I still appreciate it."
Internally, Daisy was doing a victory dance. Translation: he's going to throw more opportunities my way! I'm about to blow up! Arabella really knows how to pick a husband!
Out loud, she remained composed, nodding. "You're welcome."
Translation: Message received, loud and clear. Bring on those resources!
Alexander inclined his head. Their eyes met briefly—an entire conversation passing in that glance. Both understood perfectly.
Arabella looked between them suspiciously. "What secret code are you two speaking?"
"Oh, well..." Daisy hooked an arm around her neck conspiratorially. "You'll find out eventually..."
Suddenly, an earth-shattering shout rang out from nearby. "DAISY GRAY!"
Daisy's head snapped up in shock. In the distance, Ethan stood bent over, hands on his knees, wheezing like he'd just run a marathon.
Her expression became spectacularly complicated.
Ethan pressed a hand to his side, limping toward her at top speed. "You—you fucking—" Gasp. "You have no shame? I called you—" Wheeze. "—called you so many times and you—" Gasp. "If I hadn't happened to be across the street and spotted you—" Pant. "Were you really gonna ghost me? You've got the guts to sleep with me but not the guts to take responsibility?" Wheeze. "Sleep with me and then bounce like nothing happened—what am I, some cheap piece of trash?"
Daisy lunged forward instinctively to cover his mouth, but Ethan moved like a street fighter—slippery as hell. By the time she successfully clamped her hand over his mouth, he'd already spilled everything.
Her scalp prickled as she turned cautiously toward Arabella.
Arabella stood there shell-shocked by this bombshell revelation, giving Daisy a look that said volumes.
Even Alexander raised an interested eyebrow.
Daisy squeezed her eyes shut, then bodily pushed both Arabella and Alexander in the opposite direction. "You guys go home! Arabella, I'll explain later. Go, go, just go!"
Arabella struggled against her. "No! I'm staying with you. Who knows if this guy's dangerous? What if he tries something? I can't leave you alone!"
She absolutely had to stay!
Alexander added helpfully from the side, "Two women against one man—you might not win if it comes to a fight. I could provide a deterrent presence."
Daisy shoved them more desperately. "Not necessary! Got it? I don't need help. I can handle this. I could tear him into pieces if I wanted to!"
She was mortified...
If it were just Arabella, fine. But in front of Alexander? Her reputation was hanging by a thread. Plus, certain things she'd done—if Arabella found out, she'd probably die of embarrassment. Arabella might literally try to hit her.
Getting them to leave was the only viable option.
Arabella didn't actually want to make her friend uncomfortable—she was just teasing. She let Daisy push her along, playing along. But before leaving, she grabbed Daisy's arm. "Call me when this is over. You hear me?"
Daisy nodded frantically, practically shoving them into the car. Only after it pulled away did she exhale in relief and turn to face Ethan.
He stood exactly where she'd left him, watching her with tense eyes. When she approached, he let out a cold laugh. "Thought you'd use the opportunity to run again. Why didn't you? I was totally ready to chase you down."
Daisy looked at him like he was an idiot. "Run from what? I'm not the one feeling guilty here!"
Ethan snorted. "Who's the one who pulled up her pants and pretended nothing happened?"
Daisy laughed in disbelief and shoved his shoulder hard. "Look, you can't handle this! If you weren't guilty, why'd you air our business in front of my friends? You just wanted to force my hand in front of witnesses, make me give you an answer. I should be the one demanding explanations from you! Standing there all righteous—who the hell do you think you are?"
Ethan's face flickered with discomfort—clearly she'd hit the nail on the head. "If you hadn't been so irresponsible, would I have to do this? It's been days! Have you acknowledged me at all? That night when you had your arms around my neck, you sure weren't this cold and heartless..."
Before he could finish, Daisy kicked him. "Are you insane? You want me to take responsibility? Would you even dare let me? Aren't you engaged? Scumbag!"
She'd only found out a few days ago that Ethan was already engaged. And to Rachel of all people—that bitch!
Originally, she'd been fine with treating it as a casual hookup. Good times, then goodbye. But after learning this? She wanted to murder him. Engaged and still sleeping around with her, and with terrible taste to boot. His character and judgment were clearly garbage. Not worth another second of her time.
Bringing up the engagement made Ethan visibly uncomfortable. "That—I was pressured by my family! I haven't even touched her. If I'd known something would happen between us, I never would've agreed to the engagement..."
"But you are engaged," Daisy said, eyeing him skeptically. "And let me be real with you—Rachel's a disease. I can't stand her. It's her or me. Your choice."
Ethan immediately raised his hand like taking an oath. "I'll break it off right now! The engagement's getting canceled, no question. We already... did that. We have to be together. It was both our first times—we don't have a choice but marriage."
Daisy laughed derisively, utterly unbothered. "First time, so what? There's a first time, there'll be a second. It's just a piece of skin. Maybe you were my first, but you sure as hell don't get to control who's second or third!"
Ethan looked genuinely upset. "I don't care what you say. You asked how I'll take responsibility—this is my plan. I'm breaking off the engagement, then we get together. Will you agree or not?"
Daisy scoffed. "Break it off first, then we'll talk. You want me to commit before you've handled anything? You want me to keep seeing you? Show me you're serious first!"
Ethan's expression turned grave. "Fine. I need to go home for a few days. My family's in Seaside City—two days travel, plus however long it takes to fight with them... I'll be back by next weekend at the latest. Wait for me."
Daisy scraped the toe of her shoe against the pavement, saying nothing.
Ethan's anxiety spiked. "You—you can't go find some other pretty boy while I'm gone! Look, I know I wasn't great that night, but... everyone's like that the first time. I'm actually really good. How about before I leave, you give me another shot to prove it?"
"Prove your ass!" Daisy whacked him over the head with her purse, then turned and started walking.
Ethan scrambled after her, anxiety pouring out. "Just promise me, okay? Don't rush into a second or third time with someone else. Wait until I get back and see what I can do. Just one week. Please?"
Daisy didn't respond, just kept walking. Ethan jogged alongside her. "Come on, just promise! You're making me panic here!"
The camera pulls back. The sky darkened completely, dim streetlights casting yellow pools on the pavement. The woman's silhouette cut a slim figure, her stride purposeful. The man bounced around her like an anxious puppy, begging for a single promise.
The two figures walked farther and farther into the distance. At some point, the man quieted down. They walked shoulder to shoulder, like they'd already been together half a lifetime.
In matters of the heart, falling is easy. Growing old together is the shore only a lucky few ever reach.
---
Back home, Arabella noticed something odd immediately. The pair of stuffed rabbits Iris had given her—they were gone. She'd left them right on the living room couch.
"Where are the rabbits?" she asked Alexander.
His expression remained neutral. "New plush toys can have issues with formaldehyde and other chemicals. To be safe, I took them to be professionally cleaned. They'll be back tomorrow."
Arabella didn't think much of it, smiling. "You're so thoughtful."
After dinner, Arabella volunteered for dishes while Alexander helped Becky with homework. Becky had excellent self-discipline and solid study habits—she finished everything in under an hour.
Alexander was about to leave when Becky stopped him. "Mr. FitzRoy..."
He turned. "What's wrong?"
She hesitated, clearly struggling with something. Finally, she asked quietly, "Someone came to school today to cancel Molly's enrollment. They said... Molly died. Is it true?"
Alexander was silent for a moment before nodding. "Yes. It's true."
Becky froze, pain flickering across her face. "How did she die?"
Alexander sighed, pulling her back down to sit. He explained carefully, "She wanted to live like wealthy people do. But the people helping her were just using her. High rewards usually come with high risks—she didn't understand that. This world isn't black and white. There are dark corners everywhere. That's why we have to be careful."
Becky nodded silently. After a pause, she said, "Thank you for telling me, Mr. FitzRoy. I understand."
Alexander smiled with relief, ruffling her hair gently. "Get some sleep. That chapter's closed now. Focus on living your own life well."
"Okay." Becky smiled back faintly.
Alexander closed her door and found Arabella standing in the hallway holding a glass of milk, clearly lost in thought. She'd obviously overheard the conversation.
Knowing she was probably still blaming herself over Molly, Alexander gestured toward the couch. "Come sit."
Arabella settled onto the sofa, sipping her milk slowly, forcing a smile. "What's up?"
Alexander sat across from her, legs spread, elbows on his thighs, leaning forward slightly to study her face. "Still upset?"
Arabella shook her head honestly. "I was really sad at first. But I'm okay now. It's just... so sudden. She was so young. It's hard not to feel some regret."
Alexander didn't criticize her soft heart. He simply nodded. "Death naturally makes us feel for others—it's in our genes to respond that way. What you're feeling is completely normal."
Arabella blinked, realization dawning. "Alex, are you trying to comfort me?"
Alexander paused briefly, then smiled openly. "You caught me."
Arabella laughed despite herself. "You don't need to comfort me. I really am okay."
She felt a little down, sure, but it wouldn't affect her daily life. When it came down to it, what was Molly to her anyway?
Alexander nodded, studying her intently. "I know you're okay. But when emotions are heavy, talking to someone can lighten the load significantly."
Arabella froze as warmth flooded through her. He was incredibly perceptive—he could see right through to her heart.
Her low mood would probably fade after a good night's sleep. In a few days, she'd barely remember any of this. Arabella was used to letting time heal her feelings. She'd never expected someone to actually care about the sadness she was experiencing right now—not dismissing it just because it would eventually pass.
She looked down at the milk in her glass and slowly began recounting everything—how she'd met Molly, why she'd sponsored her, the whole story from beginning to end.
Because of all the emotion she'd invested back then, her feelings about Molly couldn't be reduced to simple black and white. She'd never told anyone about it before. After Molly's betrayal, she'd forced herself to forget.
She spoke quietly. Alexander listened intently.
When she finished, Arabella realized she felt significantly calmer.
She smiled bitterly. "Thank you for listening to all that."
She hadn't even realized she just needed to talk it out. Simply saying everything aloud, without even needing comfort in response—that alone made her feel so much better.
Alexander smiled. "Don't mention it. Spending time with my wife—that's perfectly normal, isn't it?"
The word "wife" made Arabella's body tense momentarily. But she recovered quickly, smiling. "I should go wash up."
"Okay."
The moment Arabella disappeared into the bathroom, Alexander's phone rang. He answered to Moris's voice. "Mr. FitzRoy, we've finished dismantling both rabbits. Found seven micro cameras total—in the eyes, tails, and teeth. Plus six micro recording devices."