Reclaiming Her Heart

Selena just said, "No," and hopped right in.

Raymond pulled her close, his suit brushing against her clothes.

His fingers slid down her back, stopping at her waist, giving a gentle massage.

Selena was sore from working all afternoon. Now, with the massage, she closed her eyes in comfort.

Finding a comfy spot, she dozed off in Raymond's arms.

When they got to Ashbourne Manor, Raymond carried her out.

John drove off, planning to pick them up early the next morning.

Raymond took her to his bedroom on the second floor, laid her on the couch, filled the bathtub, undressed her, and put her in.

Selena stayed asleep. It wasn't until Raymond massaged her sore spots that she mumbled a few words.

Raymond glanced at her, dried her off with a towel, and carried her to bed. Then he took a shower himself.

Selena was still out cold, half her face buried in the blanket, looking peaceful.

He pulled her into his arms, ready to sleep, when his phone rang.

He quickly got up and answered, "What's up?"

The guy on the other end said, "Mr. Montague, we checked all the guys named Mario around Ms. Fair. Her life is pretty simple, mostly between the county and Silver Bay City. None of the Marios in the area have been seen with her." Raymond asked, "What about the small town Selena visited?"

The guy replied, "Besides Ms. Fair, there were no other traces in the hotel there, including the ones in Silver Bay City. Seems like a skilled hacker erased all the surveillance. Our guess is 'Mario' might be a fake name."

'A fake name? Is Selena being played?' Raymond's brow furrowed, his hand clenching the balcony edge, anger rising within him.

Raymond demanded, "Keep digging. Also, check out the guys she interacted with in Ridgefield. If Mario's a fake name, find out his real one ASAP."

He only acted calm in front of Selena. If he showed too much concern, she'd think it was her fault. But it was Mario's fault.

He wanted to light a cigarette but remembered she was still sleeping inside, so he held back.

Raymond said, "Let me know right away if you find anything."

After hanging up, his eyes were cold. He took a moment to calm down, and when he turned around, he saw Selena standing at the balcony door. He had no idea how long she'd been there. Raymond suddenly felt nervous because she had told him not to investigate, but he was doing it anyway.

Selena rubbed her eyes, "I accidentally fell asleep. Were you handling work stuff?"

So she hadn't heard. He exhaled in relief, walked over, and hugged her, "Yeah."

Selena said nothing, resting her forehead on his shoulder, nuzzling.

This dependent look made him very satisfied, and he patted her back.

"You look really tired. Go back to sleep."Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

Selena raised her hands, wrapping them around his neck, still a bit dazed. "Raymond, did you have dinner?"

Seeing her state, Raymond knew she probably wasn't fully awake yet. He picked her up and carried her back to bed. She fell back asleep immediately after lying down.

Holding her in his arms, his anger instantly melted away.

Meanwhile, Aria had failed twice in spreading rumors. She had hoped that after the rumors, Raymond would dump Selena, but lately, everyone was saying that Raymond and Selena were very much in love. Aria was furious, clenching her fists so tightly that her nails almost pierced her palms. 'Anyone can be happy, except for that bitch Selena!'

She called Rachel to ask what to do..

Rachel was also at her wit's end. Seeing Raymond and Selena's relationship getting better, if Tessa got angry, she might end up in jail.

Rachel said, "Target someone close to Selena. Now that Betty is hidden away, go after Ann. She's just an ordinary person. If you get rid of her, no one will trouble you, and it will upset Selena." Anything that upset Selena, Aria was happy to do.