Chapter 13 Kiss Mark
Rachel woke up the next day around eight in the morning.
Even though she had slept for a long time, she still felt wiped out. Those chaotic dreams had drained her completely.
The rain outside kept pouring steadily.
Quinn brought her breakfast, and after eating, Rachel sent a package of photos, videos, and recordings to Benjamin.
After thinking it over, Rachel typed out a message: [Mr. Wright, if he regularly books a hotel room to meet his mistress, does that count as cohabitation?]
It took Benjamin over ten minutes to reply: [Does he stay for long periods each time?]
Rachel bit her lip: [Not sure, but this time it was just two days.]
Benjamin: [Legally, cohabitation usually means a married person living with a third party in a long-term, stable manner, not just as husband and wife. If he only books a room each month to stay with the third party for a few days, it doesn't count as cohabitation.]
Rachel felt a chill run through her.
Was this Steven's consideration too?
She paused, then typed: [What if I can get records showing he regularly books the room and stays there with his mistress every month?]
Benjamin: [If you can get that, it would definitely help. But cohabitation is defined pretty strictly. If there's enough evidence, he could be charged with bigamy. However, based on what you've said, it only proves his infidelity.]
Rachel: [Got it, thanks.]
Since Steven could regularly book a room at the Sunbeam Hotel, he likely had a good relationship with the hotel. If she went to the staff with her marriage certificate to ask for invoices or records, it would definitely alert him.
She could only look for hotel orders on Steven's phone.
She logged into several of Steven's online banking accounts and checked the transaction records from last year when he started seeing Nancy. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
She didn't expect to find anything, as these bank accounts were public, and Steven was cautious enough not to be blatant.
But unexpectedly, she found a transfer of $1,314,520 in July this year. The recipient was Nancy.
Rachel stared at the transaction amount, her hand trembling uncontrollably as she swiped the touchscreen.
Once her hand steadied, she took a photo of the screen and logged out of the online banking.
Steven returned at eleven-thirty in the morning.
Besides his suitcase, he carried a strawberry cake from Enchanted Bakery, a well-known shop found only in Verdant City.
Rachel had tried their cakes twice; they were pretty good.
She was surprised that Steven brought back a cake from the Bakery.
If she hadn't seen him with Nancy at the Sunbeam Hotel last night, she might have believed he really went on a business trip to Verdant City.
So how did he get this cake?
Steven walked up to her, waving his hand in front of her face, smiling, "What's on your mind? Don't recognize your husband?"
Rachel snapped out of it, forced a smile, and took the cake. "Of course I do. I'm just surprised you brought me a cake from Enchanted Bakery."
"Happy?" Steven asked.
"Yeah." Rachel's eyes sparkled. "Thanks, babe. You worked hard."
Steven studied her expression. "Did you eat and sleep well these past two days?"
"Yeah, I slept fine last night," Rachel replied, taking a few bites of the cake.
How did this cake come about?
Rachel couldn't figure it out, but as Steven leaned closer, she noticed a mark under his collar. It looked like a hickey. It seemed to have been covered with foundation, not very noticeable, but the collar had rubbed it off a bit.
Last night must have been quite passionate.
Rachel's heart tightened, feeling a painful pressure. Her smile faded slightly. She lowered her lashes, hiding the misty tears.
At noon, they ate together. Steven thoughtfully peeled shrimp for her. During the meal, he received a call from the president of the University of Dawnlight, inviting them to attend the school's anniversary celebration.
Steven didn't immediately agree; he looked at Rachel for her opinion.
Rachel accepted the invitation. Though she didn't know why their relationship had reached this point, the campus held many beautiful memories beyond their romance. She wouldn't let those memories be tainted.
After agreeing, Steven chatted with the president for a few more minutes before hanging up. He adjusted his collar, put on gloves, and continued peeling shrimp for her. "Honey, do you want to buy some new clothes? I noticed you haven't bought much since fall started."
"Sure."
Rachel paused, then looked away, her voice calm, the tone carrying a hint of melody. "I have a meeting this afternoon. I'll go shopping with you afterward."
She shook her head. "No need. I'll pick out some things online and have them delivered. I don't want to go out in the rain."
Steven chuckled. "Still hate rainy days?"
Rachel didn't eat the shrimp he peeled, instead picking some vegetables. "Yeah, I hate them."
"Then shop online."
Steven noticed she wasn't eating the shrimp. "Does the shrimp taste bad today?"
She usually loved shrimp.
"No, I just want something lighter. Don't waste it, you can eat it." She smiled gently, pushing the peeled shrimp towards him.
Steven knew her appetite hadn't been great lately. "I'll cook dinner for you tonight."
"Okay."
They finished lunch warmly. Steven left for the office after sitting for half an hour.
Rachel stood at the door for a while, her face cold, until Quinn approached. "Mrs. Martinez, you shouldn't stand in the wind, you'll get a headache."
"Okay."
She replied softly, her gaze shifting from the pear tree as she turned and went inside, curling up on the couch to pick out clothes from several brand stores.
She carefully coordinated three sets of clothes with matching accessories. She used the card Steven had transferred money to Nancy in July. She spent over four million dollars.