Chapter 72 She Is Truly Disappointed
Rachel was momentarily taken aback but quickly regained her composure and took a good look at Asher standing in front of her.
His face was clean, with a high nose bridge, sharp features, and a pair of deep, slightly upturned eyes that held a hint of mischief and defiance.
He looked a lot like he did before.
There was no sign he'd ever experienced any setbacks or trauma.
Although it was her first time meeting him, Asher's scandals were quite well-known.
In the elite circles of Dawnlight City, he was a notorious playboy.
She didn't normally follow entertainment news, but his dating history was practically common knowledge.
Besides Rowan, there were also two or three actresses from the entertainment industry.
At just 25, his love life was quite colorful.
Rachel smiled gently and nodded slightly, "Hey there."
Her gaze shifted slightly, meeting Benjamin's eyes for a second before she smiled and greeted him too.
Benjamin nodded back in return.
Asher said clearly, "Rachel, Benjamin told me about the case. I gotta thank you. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been released so soon. It would have taken at least another six months."
Rachel smiled faintly, "I just happened to come across it."
"That means it was fate."
With that, he made a gesture of invitation, "Don't just stand there, have a seat. Today, you should eat to your heart's content. Don't worry about saving me money. The lobster, seafood soup, and steak here are all excellent."
Just as they were about to sit down, a deep and puzzled voice came from the door, "Honey?"
Rachel froze and turned her head, her calm and gentle eyes reflecting a familiar tall and slender figure.
It was Steven!
She was surprised, not expecting him to be here.
Thinking this, she asked, "What are you doing here?"
"My client's dinner is at this restaurant," Steven walked in naturally, smiling warmly. "I didn't expect you guys to be dining here too."
His gaze swept toward Benjamin, but when he saw Asher, his expression showed clear surprise.
As a member of the Martinez family, he often mingled in Dawnlight City's elite circles and naturally knew Asher.
But they hadn't interacted much.
Wasn't he supposed to be dining with Benjamin?
Why was Asher here too?
He pressed his lips together, suppressing his confusion, and refocused on Benjamin, speaking warmly, "Long time no see, Mr. Wright."
"Not that long, we just saw each other at the hospital a few days ago." Benjamin replied indifferently.
Steven was momentarily speechless, frowning before letting out a laugh, "True. Rachel mentioned you had someone bring over scar cream from abroad. Thank you for the trouble."
Benjamin glanced at him and smirked. "No need, it was the least I could do. I should be the one thanking her for what happened in the parking lot."
"Mr. Wright, you're too polite. My wife is always kind-hearted. Since she was there, lending a hand was no big deal."
Benjamin had felt the hostility emanating from Steven before.
It seemed to happen every time they met, except for the first time at a school event.
He glanced at Rachel instinctively, then quickly looked away, "Rachel saved my life, so of course I owe her my gratitude. No need to be so formal, Mr. Martinez."
Their brief exchange created a tense atmosphere.
Asher, observing from the side, knew that Benjamin was handling Rachel's divorce case, but Steven was still in the dark.
As the tension mounted, Asher stepped in to break the ice, "Mr. Martinez, I've heard a lot about you."
"The pleasure is mine, Mr. Holden." Steven nodded, finally tearing his gaze away from Benjamin.
"Let's drop the formalities. I'm just here for a free meal today. Let's all relax." Asher deliberately shifted the host role to Benjamin.
"Come on, let's sit and chat."
Rachel frowned tightly and stayed silent. From the moment Steven appeared, she knew his intentions.
Last night, she had openly told him she would be dining with Benjamin tonight. If he had mentioned wanting to join, she wouldn't have stopped him.
But now, he was pretending to have a business dinner here, just to satisfy his hidden suspicions.
She asked, "Don't you need to entertain your client?"
Steven paused in pulling out a chair for her, meeting her cold gaze and realizing she was upset.
His heart tightened, and he smiled gently, "It's fine. My assistant and subordinates are there. It's just a small dinner. I'll send them a message later."
Rachel said nothing more, pressing her lips together as she sat down.
As the atmosphere grew tense again, Asher spoke up to lighten the mood, "Today, Benjamin is treating us. Mr. Martinez, Rachel, don't worry about saving him money."
As he spoke, he pushed the menu toward Rachel.
Rachel gently pushed it back with a faint smile, "You decide. I'm not familiar with this place and don't know what's good."
Asher took on the task, flipping through the menu as he asked, "Sure. Any dietary restrictions or allergies?"
Steven naturally answered, "Rachel doesn't like onions and celery. She's allergic to mangoes and nuts like cashews, walnuts, almonds, and peanuts."
"That's quite a coincidence. Benjamin also avoids those two and is allergic to mangoes and peanuts." Asher turned to Benjamin for confirmation, "Isn't that right, Benjamin?"
Rachel paused in drinking her water when her eyes met Benjamin's.
He lowered his gaze and responded lightly, "Yeah."
Steven frowned, feeling an inexplicable bitterness spreading through him. He gripped his glass a bit tighter.
"What a coincidence. But many people are allergic to those things nowadays."
The implication was that they weren't the only ones with such allergies.
Benjamin gave a faint smile, his deep and cold eyes showing a trace of laziness and mockery.
Asher then steered the conversation with jokes, easing the tension.
The meal was marked by an underlying awkwardness. Benjamin spoke little, and Rachel only responded when Asher engaged her.
When the dinner ended, Benjamin paid the bill. After saying their goodbyes at the door, Rachel's expression turned cold.
On the way home, Steven tried to talk to her several times, but she ignored him.
Once home, Rachel went straight inside. Steven, frowning, followed her, and asked irritably, "Rachel, what's the matter? How long are you going to stay mad? You were cold to me during dinner, and now this?"
"You have the nerve to bring up dinner? What, do you think it was something to be proud of?" Rachel turned to him, raising her voice to cut him off.
Steven was taken aback.
He and Rachel had been dating for three years and married for another three. The Rachel he remembered was bright-eyed, gentle, and composed.
Even during their past arguments over Nancy, she had never spoken to him in this tone.
His face darkened, "I just joined you for dinner with them, and you think I embarrassed you? Rachel, are you blaming me for Benjamin now?"
"Then why didn't you say you wanted to come with me last night? Why follow me secretly? Do you think that's honorable?"
"Rachel, is that really how you see me?" Steven's expression was hurt.
Rachel demanded, "I want to know what I did to make you so suspicious of me. Why do you keep acting like I'm having a thing with Benjamin?"
"Are you going to doubt every male friend I have from now on? Steven, you don't trust me at all. After all these years together, how have I ever wronged you?"
Tears welled up in her eyes; she looked disappointed.
His two-faced behavior totally shattered everything she thought she knew about him.
Her heart, already riddled with wounds, ached once more, tears welling up but refusing to fall.
Why had the bright, gentle young man she once knew become like this?
She felt drained, her voice cold and indifferent, "Think whatever you want."
With that, she turned and went upstairs.
Steven stood there, stunned. Her red-rimmed eyes, the tears, and the deep disappointment on her face made his blood freeze, his heart feeling like it was being crushed.
He was in so much pain he could hardly breathe.
Without thinking, he rushed upstairs, finding her in the walk-in closet.
He hurried over, seeing a white suitcase open on the floor, Rachel packing her clothes into it.
"Rachel."
Rachel ignored him, continuing to toss her everyday clothes into the suitcase.
Once it was nearly full, she closed the suitcase and was about to lift it when Steven rushed over, grabbing her arm and taking the suitcase from her.
"Where are you going?"
"Let go!" Rachel angrily shook off his hand, "If you're going to be this suspicious of me, then there's no point in continuing this. I'm going to my parents' house."
"I'm not, honey. Listen to me, I wasn't following you secretly, it was just a coincidence."
Hearing that she was going to her parents' house made Steven panic. He apologized softely, "I was wrong, okay? I'm sorry. I shouldn't have spoken to you like that. It was my fault."
Rachel stubbornly held onto the suitcase handle, refusing to speak.
"Honey, I really know I was wrong." Steven knelt on one knee, looking up at her pleadingly, "You can hit me, yell at me, just don't hurt yourself."
After a moment of tension, Rachel finally spoke expressionlessly, "Get out. I don't want to see you right now. Don't come back to the master bedroom without my permission."
"Honey."
Seeing her determination, Steven sighed and softly asked, "Okay, as long as you don't leave, I'll do whatever you say. Let me help you unpack your clothes before I go, okay?"
He tentatively opened the suitcase, taking out the clothes and hanging them up one by one.
Rachel ignored him, stepping into the bathroom.
That night, Steven did move to the guest room, taking several sets of clothes with him, and he truly did not step into the master bedroom without her permission.
The next morning, when she came downstairs, Steven had already prepared breakfast.
He still wore a gentle smile, "Good morning, honey. Did you sleep well?"
Rachel didn't respond, pulling out a chair and silently eating.
Steven wanted to drive her to work, but Rachel refused.
Her cold demeanor left Steven feeling lost and somewhat defeated.
They had been together for so long, and Rachel had never treated him this way.
Steven's expression showed a hint of sadness.
At Stargaze Gallery, Rachel met with Wayne, Carol, two department heads from the curation team, and the head of the research and planning department to meet with Leo and members of the art association.
After reaching a cooperation agreement, they discussed the theme for the joint exhibition.
It was past noon when the theme was finalized.
Returning to Stargaze Gallery, it was already after 2 PM.
She instructed Carol, "Gather all departments for a meeting in the conference room at 2:30 PM."
"Yes."
Just as she reached her office door, her phone chimed with a text message.
[Radiant Beauty Spa will be subject to a surprise inspection by the market regulation and quality inspection departments at 10 AM tomorrow. Your uncle had someone anonymously report Radiant Beauty Spa for false advertising and consumer fraud. Tomorrow, rumors unfavorable to Radiant Beauty Spa will spread in the industry.]
Rachel's eyes flashed with surprise.
She didn't expect Michael to act so quickly.
Now she had to find a way to retrieve the remaining account books Heather kept in The Martinez Manor's safe.
Her phone suddenly rang.
It was her uncle Michael calling.
Since her visit to The Parker Manor three days ago, Michael hadn't contacted her.
This was his first call.
She entered her office, closed and locked the door, then answered, "Uncle Michael."
"Rachel, are you busy lately?" A strong, authoritative voice came from the other end.
"Not too busy."
Michael got straight to the point, "How long have you known about Radiant Beauty Spa's underground activities?"
Rachel was taken aback, "Not long. I initially suspected it, but it was confirmed when the tax department came to investigate, and I saw part of the illegal accounts."
"Did you get those accounts?"
"No, but I took pictures of a few pages. It's incomplete."
Michael paused, "I had people secretly investigate Radiant Beauty Spa's activities in the past few days. Heather has hidden things well, and we haven't found much. So, we can't rush this. Especially since you're a shareholder of Radiant Beauty Spa, even if you haven't been involved in its decisions and operations, this could still negatively impact you."
"Especially if Heather tries to drag you down with her. You need to clear your name and get out before things escalate. I have some connections with the Wright family. Their second son is a top lawyer in Dawnlight City. If he handles your case, you'll have a better chance."
Rachel was momentarily stunned.
The Wright family?
The second son?
She tentatively asked, "Uncle Michael, are you talking about Benjamin?"