The Contracted Ever After (Cordelia and Ronan) novel Chapter 702

Sure enough, after Grant left, Ronan started nitpicking with Cordelia.

“You got Harold a job and didn’t even tell me?” He tilted his head, giving Cordelia a questioning look.

“I set him up with Brenda’s firm, but it’s not a done deal yet. Besides, you’re always so busy, I didn’t want to bother you,” Cordelia pleaded, her voice tinged with a bit of desperation. “We see each other every night. I could’ve told you then, couldn’t I?”

Ronan turned away, muttering, “I hope that’s what you were thinking.”

Still, that evening, Ronan was pretty harsh with Cordelia, almost as if he was punishing her for not “reporting” to him. Plus, Ronan was really keen on having a second child, but Cordelia’s belly showed no signs of a baby, and their life together had slipped into a mundane routine.

“What if I can’t have another baby?” Cordelia panted, struggling under Ronan’s weight.

“If you can’t, then we’ll keep trying until you do!” Ronan declared.

...

Janice lay awake in her room, restless.

She pondered: What could have happened to Harold? She had checked the exact location of Jade Tower earlier; his military base was quite far from Millstone. He had no reason to be at Jade Tower.

A mother’s intuition kept Janice from sleeping. She wanted to check things out herself but knew she’d need to ask Mr. Evans for a day off.

While Cordelia and Ronan were upstairs making the bed creak, Janice quietly knocked on Ronan’s bedroom door.

“Who is it?” Clearly annoyed at being interrupted, Ronan’s tone was sharp.

“Mr. Evans, it’s me. My husband’s taken ill, and I need to go home to see him tomorrow. Could I please take a day off?” Janice’s voice was shaky.

Cordelia and Ronan sat down for breakfast.

Ronan had given Janice ten thousand dollars, deciding that since she was claiming it was for her husband’s illness, he ought to help sustain the ruse for the sake of both their dignities when they faced each other later.

Around 9:30 AM, Harold appeared. Dressed in a sharp suit, carrying a briefcase, he walked towards the tower.

Janice felt a lump in her throat at the sight of him.

When Harold reached Jade Tower and spotted Janice, both were momentarily stunned.

“Harold, what are you doing here? Why aren’t you with your unit?” Janice touched Harold’s arm, her voice filled with concern.

“Let’s go upstairs, Mom. We can talk there,” Harold said, leading Janice past Brenda’s unoccupied reception desk into his solitary office.