Chapter 24
Chapter 24
The following day, Hackett slowly opened his eyes, only to find himself lying on the sofa in the club. A crystal chandelier hung overhead. Due to his hangover, his head was pounding mercilessly.
His long fingers supported his forehead as he sat up. He shook his head to clear it, but the headache remained.
"Hackett, have a cup of coffee." Cheryl's voice suddenly came from beside him.
Hackett looked up and saw Cheryl holding a cup of coffee standing there. He wondered when she arrived. "Why are you here?" He sat up, leaning against the sofa, his brow furrowing due to the throbbing headache. "Last night, I called you, and Finn answered. He said you were drunk, so I came here to take care of you."
Hackett frowned displeasingly and muttered under his breath, "He sure does enjoy sticking his nose into things that don't concern him."
He took the cup of coffee from Cheryl's hand, took a few sips, and placed it on the nearby coffee table. Then, he stood up and put on his suit jacket in one fluid motion. As he did so, he asked, "I should head to the office. Do you need a ride back home, or are you headed somewhere else?"
"I'd like to go to the company for a while. I have a variety show recording today."
"Okay."
Hackett turned and headed toward the door. But the instant he turned, the smile on Cheryl's face vanished.
Just as he walked out, he took out his phone and dialed a number, commanding. "Arrange a burial plot for me right away."
Upon hearing Hackett's words, Cheryl felt an overwhelming sense of bewilderment.
She could not fathom why Hackett was suddenly inquiring about a burial plot. And then, a suspicion unfurled in her mind. She wondered if his pursuit of a burial plot was somehow linked to laying Valeria's aborted baby to rest.
Yet she struggled to comprehend why he would seek a burial plot for a child that never fully formed and was terminated early. To her, it seemed utterly senseless. After all, an undeveloped fetus could not even be considered a person in the truest sense. Anxiety gnawed at Cheryl's heart. She felt that Hackett still cared about Valeria, and he just had not realized it himself yet.
Cheryl felt she could not sit idly by any longer. She had to act while Hackett's feelings for Valeria were not fully realized to take the initiative and ensure there was no chance of their reconciliation.
Cheryl took out her phone and sent a text message. [Let's begin.]
At Emerald Garden, Valeria walked into Alex's room and found him still sleeping. She had called Alex to wake up half an hour ago and had gone to prepare breakfast. However, she was surprised that Alex was still lazing in bed. "Alex, wake up! It's time for kindergarten!"
Alex was lying on his stomach with his little bottom sticking up, sleeping soundly. He murmured, "Mommy, I'm so tired, I want to keep sleeping."
"No, you have to get up. We'll be late!"
Valeria picked up Alex, and as she did so, she began to dress him. Then, she carried him to the bathroom to get ready for the day.
Just then, the doorbell rang.
Most likely, it was the nanny arriving. She squeezed toothpaste onto a toothbrush and handed it to Alex's tiny hand, saying, "Here, brush your teeth nicely. I'll go open the door for the nanny. When I return, I want to see that you've brushed your teeth, okay?"
"Okay."
Alex, still half-asleep, held the toothbrush and brushed his teeth lazily.
Valeria hurried over to open the door. Indeed, it was the nanny.
"Ms. Sharp, I've brought a little breakfast for the baby. He probably hasn't eaten yet, right?"
"Thank you. That's perfect because I made a simple breakfast, and I was worried he wouldn't eat enough."
Valeria was quite satisfied with this nanny. She was very responsible when it came to taking care of Alex.
After the nanny came in, she went to check on Alex.
Valeria was about to change into another set of clothes when the doorbell rang again.
She was taken aback. She did not know who it could be at this time.
The doorbell was incessantly pressed as if someone had a bad temper and wanted to break the doorbell.
"Who is it?"
As Valeria opened the door, her entire body stiffened. Seeing the man standing outside, her heart nearly stopped beating.
In the next second, the door slammed shut with a resounding thud.
It was Hackett.
She did not understand how he found this place and, more importantly, why he was there.
Alex was at home. If he found out, her lie from yesterday would be exposed.
The doorbell continued to ring persistently.
Without even uttering a word, Hackett was met with a slammed door. His handsome face clouded over, and he pressed the doorbell again.
After a while, Valeria cautiously opened the door, her expression nervous. It seemed like she was hiding something as if she had a man hidden inside her house.
At this moment, Valeria had changed her clothes. She opened the door and walked out, not considering letting him inside.
"Why are you here? How did you find my house? What do you want, Hackett?"
Valeria was on the verge of breaking down. With Hackett and Alex just a door away, all it would take was for Hackett to barge in to discover Alex's existence. She was highly anxious.
"Why are you so nervous? Won't you invite me in?" Hackett said in a deep voice.
"Why would I be... Why would I be nervous? Why are you coming in? I have to hurry to work. If you have something to say, say it quickly," Valeria said, guarding the door behind her firmly, determined not to let him in. Hackett observed her expression closely and felt that she was hiding something.
"Come over here. Let's go downstairs to talk. It's not good to be seen by the neighbors here."
Valeria grabbed his arm and walked towards the elevator. The closer she got to that door, the more nervous she became.
Hackett allowed her to lead him, and they took the elevator to the lobby on the first floor.
Valeria finally breathed a sigh of relief when they arrived there. She said, "So, what do you want from me? Say it quickly. I'm running out of time."
"Are you hiding a man in your house? You seem nervous."
"What are you talking about? Do you have something important or not? If not, I'm leaving."
Hackett grabbed her delicate wrist and said, "Clear your schedule for today and come with me somewhere."
Then, he forcefully pulled her towards the exit.
"Where are you taking me? I have cases to handle."
"I'm giving you a day off."
Valeria was speechless.
Lately, she had indeed been caught up in the James Group's case, and she had another negotiation with the James Group scheduled for later.
An hour later, Hackett drove Valeria to a cemetery in Alcomara. As she got out of the car, she was stunned. She did not understand why he brought her here. Everything around her was gloomy and lifeless. "Why did you bring me here?"
Suddenly, Valeria seemed to realize something and angrily said, "You didn't move my mother's ashes, did you?"
Hackett threatened her multiple times about moving her mother's ashes.
Hackett squinted slightly. "Do you think so poorly of me?"
"It's because you've threatened me several times. Why did you bring me here if it's not about moving my mother's ashes?"
Upon arriving, Valeria could not help but want to see her mother's grave. However, she hesitated to go, fearing she might break down in tears.NôvelDrama.Org © 2024.
Hackett did not respond but walked straight into the cemetery.
With a mind full of questions, Valeria followed him. She could not figure out what he was up to.
Hackett stopped in front of a tombstone.
Valeria also came to a halt and saw her mother's tombstone. A smiling and gentle photo of her mother was attached to it.