William reached out and pulled Rachel into his arms, his strong face full of guilt.
“I’m so sorry, Rachel. I should’ve protected you better. Howard is an asshole. I’ll talk to his father and get this straightened out!”
“I just want to sleep,” Rachel replied.
She felt completely drained, like the fire inside her had burned up all her energy.
“Okay,” he said softly. “Let me dry you off. You can’t sleep like this, or you’ll catch a cold. I’ll run to the store later and get you some new clothes.”
He helped her sit up against the headboard of the bed, but Rachel waved her hand. “Just give me the towel. I can do it myself.”
Just then, William’s phone started buzzing. Rachel saw the name on the screen: Samantha.
A mocking smile touched her lips. So, that woman couldn’t even wait this long. Unfortunately for her, she would still have to endure a little longer.
William turned his back and answered the call.
“I’m with Rachel right now. Did you call an ambulance? Okay, don’t cry. Just hang on….”
When he hung up, he looked back at Rachel and hesitantly signed as he explained, “Samantha got into a car accident on her way home. It sounds serious, and she’s really scared. You know she has no family here. Who else could she call?”
Rachel didn’t need him to finish. She could already guess what he was about to say.
Just as William hoped, she forced a gracious smile and said, “Go ahead. I’ll be fine here.”
The relief on his face was instant. He leaned down to kiss her forehead. “Rest. I’ll be back soon.”
Rachel heard the door close behind William and let out a bitter laugh, closing her eyes for a moment. Samantha getting into an accident had left him so panicked that he had even forgotten about getting his own wife some clean clothes.
Samantha was scared? What about Rachel? She didn’t have any family either.
Rachel gritted her teeth and toweled off her damp body. As she reached for the bathrobe, she caught sight of a white garment bag on the side table. Inside, she found a pale yellow dress and even undergarments.
There was also a small note tucked inside.
[20,000 for the set. Scan the QR code.]
There was no name, but just from the tone, she knew exactly who it was,
Funny, really. Tyler was obviously rich, yet always acted like he was strapped for cash. Then again, he had built his empire to rival William’s in just two years. Of course he had unique ways of turning a profit.
Rachel slipped into the clothes, surprised at how perfectly everything fit–both the undergarments and the dress itself. It was impressive. If he hadn’t dated a few women and had no experience it would be impossible to guess so accurately.
An internet meme flashed through her mind: “My eyes are the ruler.”
The thought of Tyler mentally undressing her with that calculating gaze sent an involuntary shiver down her spine. But what puzzled her more was William’s reaction. She had noticed it at the auction too–that flicker of unease around Tyler.
Tonight confirmed it: something had happened between them.
Yet, in her seven years with William, he had never once mentioned Tyler’s name.