Chapter 92
He responded nonchalantly, his gaze drifting irritably out the window, where not a soul could be seen under the streetlight, but all the lights were on in the servant quarters.
Those quarters were tucked away in a house behind the Ivory Towers, overshadowed by grand European-style villas and easily overlooked.
âMrs. Ramirez, this is one of the better rooms,â the butler said âAre you satisfied with it?â
âItâs pretty good, thanks for that, Butler.â
How could this be good⦠Itâs just a tiny space⦠Ugh.â
Letitia couldnât help but chuckle, âI really think itâs quite nice.â
She had been dreaming of getting away from Elgin and having the bed to herself.
Sharing a room with him meant even breathing had to be on tiptoes.
Now, how liberating it was. She could peacefully work on her drawings until midnight, sleep till dawn, and toss and turn without any
restraint
âYouâre too easy to please. the butler remarked. âMs. Ward is justâ¦
âSheâs Elginâs woman. Better not cross swords with her on my account, or sheâll come after you.â
After the butler left, Letitia was so elated she felt like doing a happy dance.
Having Shela move into Ivory Towers was annoying as heck, but if it meant trading that for the freedom to sleep on her own, it was worth it
After all the title of Mrs. Ramirez was never really hers, and the divorce was around the corner. Once it was done, sheâd be free from any emotional entanglement with Elgin.
Suddenly her heart twinged with a slow, dull pain.
Letitia clutched at her chest and turned to freshen up.
That night was the most restful sleep Letitia had had since arriving at Ivory Towers!
She had a dreamless night, waking up at dawn!
She stretched mightily. Time to rise and shine!â
But as soon as she stepped out the door, she bumped into Shela, who stood there, arms folded, with a coy smile. âLooks like you had a good nightâs sleep.â
âIndeed, a very good one.
Typical lowlife luck, Shela spat. âCanât handle the deluxe master bedroom, so you settle for pigsty living
Letitia fired back, You finally clawed your way into the master bedroom of Ivory Towers, mustâve been exhausting pulling all those tricks
âAt least itâs better than your pigsty!â
âYou look all bright and perky. Elgin didnât touch you last night?â Letitia inquired, âOr maybe⦠you didnât sleep together at all?â
Hit the nail on the head, Shela was hopping mad, âWe⦠we slept in separate rooms, for safety!â
âSafety? What, for the baby?â
âYes!â
âIf Elginâs not into you, heâs not into you No excuses, no self-deception, Letitia shrugged. âWhen I was with him, he was alwaysâ¦â
Letitia trailed off, leaving the implication hanging
Predictably, Shela looked like she was about to explode.
âYou vixen, what sorcery do you use to bewitch men so completely!â
âWant to know?â Letitia teased with a sly crook of her finger, âCome here, Iâll teach you a trick thatâs guaranteed to work!â
Shelaâs heart raced at the prospect. Could there really be a way? Sheâd better learn it!
âYou youâll really teach me?â
âOf course, come hereâ
Shela dagerly leaned in, ready to learn a trick to wrap Elgin around her finger.
Chapter 92
And then, all she got was a âPH!!â
Letitia had played her!
âYou.â Shela nearly jumped with rage âYou dare trick mel
âWhen a man truly likes you, you donât have to do anything. Heâll want you badly enough to do whatever it takes,â Letitia said with a shrug. âLooks like Elginâs not as into you as you thoughtâ
At least, Elgin had nearly lost control with her several times.
And to think he could keep it together in front of the woman he supposedly loved, Shela?
This guy was something else, a fortress of self-control. Those who are harsh on themselves are even harsher on others.
Letitia was about to walk away when Shela wouldnât let it go, âDonât you spout nonsense here, Mr. Ramirez is very good to mel
âOh, then congrats to youâ
âLetitia, whatâs with that attitudeâ
When Shela reached out to grab her, Letitia dodged. Tve got work, not all of us can live off a man. Donât waste my timeâ
While they were entangled, Letitia looked up to see Elgin standing nearby, watching the scene with a detached expression
Upon seeing him, Shela immediately tattled, âMr Ramirez, Letitia just she just insulted mel
Talk about making stuff up.
But Letitia couldnât be bothered to explain.
So what if she had insulted her? If Elgin wanted to take Shelaâs side, bring it on
âDonât bother with her, Elgin, who had experienced Letitiaâs sharp tongue himself, advised, âIâve booked you the most prestigious and authoritative prenatal check-up at AquaCity. Iâll take you there.â
Upon hearing this, Shelaâs face turned as white as a sheet. She quickly masked her panic, stammering, âAh. Iâve just had a check-up, just got out of the hospital, everythingâs fine. no need for another one so soon, right?â
âThis time itâs with the top doctor, itâll be more authoritative.â
Then, then I can go by myself, Shela hurriedly said, âYouâre busy with work, no need to accompany me.â
Elgin responded, âIâll make time.
âBut a full check-up will take at least a whole morningâ¦â
âIâm aware
Shela was even more frantic but tried not to show it, merely nodding, âOkay okay.â
Sheâd agree for now, she couldnât keep refusing, or Mr. Ramirez would get suspicious!
She needed to consult her father about what to do!
After Elgin and Letitia left for the company, Shela immediately headed to the psychiatric hospital to find Mark
âDad,â she said anxiously, âMr. Ramirez mentioned heâs arranged a prenatal check-up and will be taking me⦠How on earth do we handle this?
Mark was equally startled, âWhat? When is he taking you?â
âMr. Ramirez didnât specify a time, but itâs bound to happen! What do we do? What do we do!
Shela clutched at Markâs sleeve, shaking it non-stop, scared out of her wits
If Elgin found out she wasnât actually pregnant, everything she had would be lost!
âCalm down, take a breathâ¦â Mark paced back and forth, trying to think of a plan of action.
Shela was pacing like an ant on a hot pan, desperate.
Back then, faking a pregnancy was all about fast-tracking the relationship and putting a bit of pressure on Letitia.
But who wouldâve thought Mr. Ramirez would suddenly suggest a check-upâ¦
His own doctor, too: Itâd be super obvious the moment they checked that she wasnât actually pregnant!
âI just canât fet Mr Ramirez find out Shela sobbed. âWhere on earth am I gonna find a real baby bump, dad? Help me out here!â
âCalm down, Iâm thinking: You didnât let Mr. Ramirez get a whiff that somethingâs up, did you?â
âNo way! Mark was racking his brains, eyeing Shelaâs belly, and he thought of a plan
Chapter 92
âSpill it!â Sholaâs eyes sparkled with hope, âDad, if anyone can trick him, itâs you!â