Free Web NovelChapter 308: Chapter 308: Guarantee
Chapter 308: A Promise
Alexander Sullivan suddenly asked, "Have you figured out what happened with Rowan?"
Tristan Sterling grunted in affirmation.
Seeing his lack of enthusiasm, Alexander Sullivan could guess what was going on. "I’d advise you not to get involved. Rachel won’t necessarily appreciate you repaying a debt of gratitude on her behalf. It will only make things ugly."
Hearing this, Tristan Sterling’s face darkened, but he said nothing.
Alexander Sullivan didn’t stay for long, leaving before lunch.
*
Rachel Royce went downtown to buy a gift first, then took Melissa straight to Azure Cove Apartments.
They ran into Joanna Sutton in the parking garage.
"Joanna," Melissa said politely.
Joanna Sutton couldn’t resist scooping Melissa up in a hug.
Honestly, looking at Melissa and Stella, she really wanted a daughter of her own.
The three of them went upstairs together.
Rachel Royce asked her how she’d been doing lately.
"It’s been okay, I guess."
Rachel Royce could tell from her tone that she was just passively accepting things. If she had truly embraced her situation and was happy with it, she wouldn’t have sounded like that.
Rachel Royce didn’t know what to say.
They arrived at the apartment.
Mrs. Jennings and Ian Quinn were there with Julian Jennings, who had just been discharged from the hospital.
Since it was nearly the end of the year, many relatives were coming to visit, so Mr. Jennings had returned to Portington early. That left Mrs. Jennings to look after Julian.
Julian Jennings mainly needed to stay in bed and rest. Fortunately, the holidays had already started, and his overseas business was being handled by Ian Quinn, so he could focus on recovering.
Seeing how much weight he’d lost, Rachel Royce couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt.
As if sensing her emotions, Julian Jennings said, "It’s mostly superficial injuries. I’ll be fine in no time."
Rachel Royce forced a small smile and nodded.
"Go have fun with June. Don’t worry about anything else."
"Okay."
After lunch, June Jennings dragged Rachel Royce and Joanna Sutton to the mall, leaving Melissa and Stella to play at the apartment.
June Jennings’s main purpose at the mall was to pick out a bikini. Rachel Royce chose three, and seeing the size she picked, June couldn’t help but look at herself and lament, "A slim waist and long legs are one thing, but you’re so busty too! Rachel, are you trying to leave us mere mortals no chance at all?"
Rachel Royce didn’t have a bony figure; she was curvy. Her legs were shapely like wine glasses—fuller at the top—which meant she definitely looked heavier in photos.
But perfect bodies aren’t just born; she had simply put in more effort than the average person, sculpting her figure through sheer willpower and exercise.
Joanna Sutton laughed. "If you had half of Rachel’s willpower, I’m not saying you’d look just like her, but getting even a third of the way there wouldn’t be bad."
June Jennings looked exasperated.
Rachel Royce couldn’t help but chuckle. "It’s a miracle if her willpower lasts a month."
"I think she just lacks motivation," Joanna Sutton said. She then looked at Rachel Royce and raised an eyebrow. "Maybe we need Peter Preston to give her a little pep talk."
The longest June Jennings had ever stuck with an exercise routine was during her stay with the Royce Family. It wasn’t like Peter Preston actively used his looks to charm anyone, so now, June’s motivation was gone.
Rachel Royce smiled. "I’ll talk to him about it later, then."
June Jennings huffed. "Well, I suppose that wouldn’t be the worst thing."
After choosing their bikinis, the three of them wandered around the mall, had afternoon tea, and ended up eating dinner there as well.
「Silvermist Bay Villa.」
「In the study.」
A maid knocked and entered, saying, "Sir, dinner is ready."
Tristan Sterling had just gotten Melissa on the phone. "Melissa, have you eaten?"
"We’re eating right now. Have you eaten, Daddy?" Melissa replied.
"I’m about to. When are you coming back, Melissa?"
"I don’t know. Mommy, Auntie June, and Miss Sutton are still out. They won’t be back for a while."
Tristan Sterling hummed in acknowledgment. "Then call Daddy when Mommy gets back."
"You can just call Mommy directly and ask her!" Melissa said.
"Okay, Daddy understands."
He hung up.
Tristan Sterling put his phone down.
After a long moment, he opened his chat with Rachel Royce on WeChat and typed into the dialogue box: When are you bringing Melissa back?
But just as he was about to hit send, he hesitated. In the end, he sent it anyway.
But after the message was sent, it was met with silence, like a stone sinking into the ocean.
The maid, who had been waiting off to the side, noticed the dark expression on his face and quietly left the study.
Rachel Royce did see Tristan Sterling’s message, but she ignored it. After that, Tristan Sterling didn’t send any more.
After dinner, they returned to Azure Cove.
She planned to have Melissa stay the night there, but they didn’t go up to their apartment until nine o’clock.
"Mommy, did Daddy call you today?" Melissa asked the moment they walked in the door.
As Rachel Royce changed her shoes, she asked, "What’s wrong?"
Melissa mumbled, "It feels like you and Daddy had a fight. Did you? Why?"
Rachel Royce took Melissa’s hand. "We didn’t fight. Don’t overthink it, sweetie."
Even though her mother said that, Melissa was sure they had fought.
After washing up, she lay in bed and sent her mother away by saying she was hungry and wanted her to cook some noodles.
They didn’t have any in the apartment.
So, Rachel Royce had to go downstairs to get some from Julian Jennings’s place.
"You be good, okay? Mommy will be right back."
"Go on, Mommy. I’ll be good."
Rachel Royce left the room.
Once she was sure her mother was gone, Melissa called her father. Tristan Sterling answered almost immediately.
"Melissa."
Melissa’s childish voice was accusatory. "Daddy, did you not call Mommy?"
"I sent your mother a message," Tristan Sterling explained.
Melissa huffed. "But I told you to call her!"
For a moment, Tristan Sterling didn’t know how to explain.
Melissa continued, huffing, "It must be because you made Mommy mad! That’s why she decided to take me and Auntie June to Corhaven."
Silence hung on the other end of the line.
Faced with his daughter’s interrogation, Tristan Sterling was completely at a loss for words.
"Daddy, why aren’t you talking?"
"Melissa, why don’t you just go have fun with your mother for now, and we’ll talk when you get back, okay?" Tristan Sterling said.
"Hmph! I’m mad now." Melissa’s cheeks puffed out like an angry frog.
Tristan Sterling sighed in resignation and promised her he would make it up to her mother. Only then did Melissa relent.
Just then, Rachel Royce returned. She pushed the door open to see Melissa sitting obediently on the bed, having just hung up the phone with her father.
"Mommy," Melissa called out, looking perfectly behaved.
Rachel Royce had just heard Melissa on the phone, but she didn’t know what was said. She was sure it had been Tristan Sterling, but she didn’t ask.
"Mommy’s going to cook your noodles now."
"Mommy," Melissa said, "I suddenly don’t want to eat anymore. I want to sleep."
She really was sleepy. She had been playing with Stella all day and hadn’t taken a nap at noon.
Rachel Royce let her be, pulling back the covers and getting into bed to coax Melissa to sleep.
「The next day.」
Rachel Royce took Melissa back to Hillcrest Villa. They were leaving tomorrow, so they had to finish packing today.
"Mommy, when are we going home? My luggage isn’t packed yet," Melissa said.
"I’ve already had someone pack it. It’ll be delivered here in a little while," Rachel Royce replied.
She had called the nanny and asked her to pack, and she would just have someone pick up the luggage directly.
Melissa said, "Oh," hearing in her mother’s voice that she didn’t want to go back to their own home.
But since her daddy had made a promise, she would just wait and see what he would do.
