"You think this is enough to make believe you?"
Raina Reddington handed all the docunts back to Ethan Lancaster. "If I had really sent soone to investigate, I wouldn’t have been stupid enough to leave everything right under your nose when I knew you were getting in the car."
The man had to admit, that would have been incredibly stupid.
Raina gripped the steering wheel with both hands. "If I wanted to know about your romantic escapades, I would’ve just asked you directly. Why waste ti investigating? Fourth Master, it seems your little wildflower on the outside is getting impatient. She feels the need to challenge ."
Ethan Lancaster tapped the folder against his leg, then suddenly leaned in close. He asked with a roguish grin, "So, do you want to et this little wildflower?"
"I already have. She had an appointnt at my clinic today. She asked to help her get her body in shape, saying she’s preparing to have a child. Congratulations, Fourth Master."
Ethan glared at Raina, who clapped her hands lightly, her tone full of mockery. "You’re just so formidable, Fourth Master. So many won out there are lining up to have your children."
"That’s right! And it’s all thanks to you. Those super-nourishing soups are finally paying off."
"Alright, alright, I’m starving. Let’s find a place and grab a bite to eat."
Ethan watched her restart the car. "You still have the appetite to eat?"
"Don’t worry. As long as she doesn’t co looking for trouble, I’ll continue to act as if she doesn’t exist." Though Raina said this, she had other plans in mind.
’Miranda Caron is definitely different from that other woman who ca to the hospital. I’ve never even heard this na before, which ans Ethan has hidden her well. Does that also an he has so real feelings for Miranda?
So n play around until they end up kicking their wives to the curb. My situation is awkward. I definitely don’t want to go back to the Reddington Family, and if I get labeled an abandoned wife on top of that, I’ll be the very definition of a tragedy.
Instead of letting soone else kick out, I might as well find a way to get rid of the mistress myself.’
After dinner, the two of them went ho. Neither ntioned Miranda Caron.
「The next day.」
After a eting, Ethan Lancaster went to The Veridian Tower to rest. He had Seth Sinclair intentionally leak his whereabouts to Miranda Caron.
When Miranda arrived, she was carrying several bags. Hearing the door open, Ethan feigned surprise and said, "What are you doing here?"
"I haven’t seen you in so long. I asked Seth Sinclair how you were doing, and he told ."
Miranda carried the bags into the kitchen. "I’ll cook dinner for you tonight, okay?"
"Okay."
As she put the items into the refrigerator one by one, Ethan leaned against the doorway. "Don’t bother with all that. Isn’t it easier to just call for a maid?"
"It’s not the sa." Miranda closed the refrigerator and walked over to Ethan. She stood on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pressed her lips forward to kiss him. Ethan turned his face away. Miranda was a little surprised, and he himself was a bit taken aback.
It was the simplest gesture of intimacy, and it wasn’t as if they hadn’t done it before, but now he felt a distinct lack of interest.
Ethan pulled Miranda’s arms down. "What are you making for dinner?"
"All your favorites." She sensed sothing was off but didn’t show it.
Miranda was thoughtful and discreet, which made her very pleasant to be around. After she placed four dishes and a soup on the table, she went to get so wine.
"No need. I’m not drinking."
Miranda stopped in her tracks. "Are you in a hurry to go back?"
He hadn’t even realized it until she asked. From the very beginning, Ethan’s mind hadn’t been here. He had actually started getting used to going back to The Verdant Garden every day.
"I just don’t feel like drinking."
"Alright then." Miranda poured two glasses of water. Ethan picked up his chopsticks, ready to eat, but then he saw her open her purse and take out two boxes of dicine.
"Are you sick?"
"No."
"If you’re not sick, why are you taking dicine?"
Miranda was evasive. "Well, you know won. There are always tis we don’t feel well."
Just as she was about to pop the pills into her mouth, Ethan grabbed her wrist. He used his other hand to pick up a dicine box from the table. "Prescribed by a hospital?"
"Yes, it’s all very legitimate."
Miranda knew Ethan had a dedicated family doctor who had looked after him since he was a child. He was ticulous, especially when it ca to dication; he had to know every detail before approving its use.
Ethan glanced at the instructions on the back of the box. Nothing seed out of the ordinary. "Let Dr. Sheffield take a look."
"Okay."
Ethan called Dr. Sheffield, explained the situation, and then sent him photos of the two dicine boxes.
In no ti at all, Dr. Sheffield called back.
Miranda watched as Ethan’s expression grew tense, his brows knitting together tightly.
After a long mont, he said just one thing, "Okay, I understand."
Miranda saw him put his phone down on the table. "What’s wrong?"
"Which hospital did you go to?"
"rcy Seas Hospital."
"Which doctor did you see?"
Miranda searched her mory carefully. "She was quite young and very beautiful, but I didn’t catch her na."
"It should be on the registration slip, right?"
"Yes. What’s going on?"
Ethan held the two boxes of dicine in his hand. "This dicine has certain side effects. You’d better not take it."
"Side effects?" Miranda looked completely shocked. "That’s impossible. The doctor even told I could keep taking it if I were trying to conceive, that it wouldn’t affect the baby..."
Ethan shot a sharp glance at her. "Trying to conceive?"
The rest of her words caught in her throat. She knew this was a taboo subject; besides, Ethan hadn’t co to her once since his marriage. "That’s not what I ant. I an, that’s what the doctor said. She specifically told that even if I were to get pregnant, it wouldn’t be a problem."
"If you took this dicine while pregnant, it would directly cause a miscarriage. Understand?"
Miranda’s face went pale with fright. "How is that possible? I don’t even know that doctor. Why would she do this?"
Her reaction was just as he’d expected. In an instant, Ethan lost his appetite, no matter how hungry he’d been. "Is the registration slip still here? Let see it."
The woman grabbed her bag from the side and rummaged through it, finally pulling out a palm-sized piece of paper. "I just tossed my dical records in my bag after leaving the hospital."
Ethan took it and saw Raina Reddington’s na printed clearly on it.
"Do you know who this doctor is?"
"Who?"
"My wife."
Miranda was stunned, her expression shifting repeatedly. "She... Ethan, does she know about us?"
"I know she’s been investigating you. She has all your information," Ethan said, playing along.
She tossed the pills in her hand aside. "She must have found out about , and since I happened to go to rcy Seas for a check-up, I walked right into her trap. She was afraid I might have your child, so she prescribed that dicine."
Miranda had already constructed this entire narrative on her own. She put on a weak and pitiful act. As long as Ethan believed her, Raina would surely be in for a world of trouble.
"I never thought soone could be so malicious." Ethan’s face was grim. Miranda cautiously tried to soothe him, "Mrs. Lancaster is just afraid of losing you."
"I’m going back to settle the score with her."
As soon as the words left his mouth, he stood up. Miranda quickly grabbed his sleeve. "At least have dinner before you go. I made it especially for you..."
"No need."
Ethan grabbed his phone and jacket and strode out. Miranda felt a pang of disappointnt, but the reflection in the distant floor-to-ceiling window soon revealed a face with a faint, knowing smile.
When he returned to The Verdant Garden, Raina was sitting cross-legged on the sofa, holding a cup of instant noodles. The living room was filled with the sll of pickled vegetable noodles. Ethan changed his shoes and walked in. "Are you crazy? We have perfectly good food at ho, and you’re here eating instant noodles."
"I was just craving it."
Ethan walked over to the sofa, his gaze dropping to look at her. "I’m hungry, too."
"Didn’t your little girlfriend on the outside make you sothing good to eat? That’s not very up to par, then."
Ethan smiled and patted Raina’s leg. "The ones on the outside need to be spoiled. The ones like you... you need to serve ."
The words were utterly vile. Raina wanted nothing more than to kick him squarely in his damned leg.
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