Chapter 294

Chapter 294 A Sense Of Disquiet

I really couldn’t understand why Michael would do such a thing.

Time ticked by, and the two of them finally exited the restaurant about a little over an hour later.

Emma looked blissful as she took Michael’s arm while he remained expressionless. I couldn’t read his mind.

The duo climbed into the car and drove off. However, they weren’t heading toward Birchwood.

Watching as his car drove further away, I sprinted after him for a short distance. Alas, a human was no match for a car.

The corners of my mouth curved into a bitter smile.

Was my happiness a mere illusion? Does he really love me?

I started making my way home forlornly. Vivid images of them together kept replaying in my mind. A burning desire to know exactly why they were meeting each other seized me.

After what seemed like hours, I halted in my tracks and rummaged out my phone to call Michael.

It rang for an eternity before his alluring and low voice drifted out from the other end of the phone. “What’s the matter? Are you not in bed yet?”

His voice was still as gentle as ever, and I couldn’t hear anything different at all. The calmer he sounded, the deeper I fell into the icy abyss.

“Where are you right now?”

Suppressing the tremor in my voice, I did my utmost best to sound calm and collected.

“I just finished dinner with a client. I’ll be home in no time. Rest earlier if you’re tired. You don’t need to wait up.”

Michael’s voice turned all the more tender, and I could even imagine a faint smile on his face.

He’s so very handsome when he smiles. It’s mesmerizing. If I hadn’t seen him with Emma tonight, I would be moved by his tenderness. Now, however, I merely feel pain.

“Okay. I’ll be hanging up, then.”

I couldn’t quite hold my emotions back, so I hurriedly hung up before tears escaped my eyes.

For a brief moment, I had the impulse to confront Michael. I wanted to hear his explanation, yet I was afraid of the repercussion.

I was hoping that he’d take the initiative to come clean with me. From the look of things now, that is just wishful thinking on my part!

When I arrived home over an hour later, Michael still wasn’t back. Despite having no inkling of where he went with Emma or what they did, I didn’t dare mull it over either.

My worst fear might turn out to be true. Emma was an exceedingly beautiful woman, and she outshone me by far.

Besides, Michael had been restraining himself because I was pregnant. I was truly afraid that he couldn’t control himself and hooked up with her.

Another thirty minutes passed before he finally came home, looking a tad tired. I could smell the stench of alcohol on him. Nonetheless, he wasn’t inebriated.

When he stepped into the house, I merely threw him a placid glance because I didn’t quite know what to say right then.

“Didn’t I tell you not to wait up?”

Michael came over to me. Upon seeing that I was still awake, he cradled my face to kiss me.

In the past, I would never reject him. However, my mind was running amok with tons of questions—what did they do; did he kiss her?

Turning my face to the side, I dodged his kiss. At that very moment, my expression was cold and devoid of emotion.

Michael’s brows furrowed in displeasure, and his gaze was tinged with disgruntlement as he eyed me.

“I’m tired. I’m going back to the room to sleep first.”

I would frantically explain myself when confronted by his chagrined gaze, but I didn’t want to say a single word to him right then.

I headed toward the bedroom without even sparing him a glance.

The crease of Michael’s brows deepened. His eyes remained fixated on my back as I entered the bedroom, seemingly contemplating something or other.

Once on the bed, I stared at the ceiling blankly. My mind was filled with images of Michael with Emma together. I wondered if he had regretted choosing me over Emma or whether they rendezvous at her house or hotel.

The more I brood about it, the greater the torment that coursed through me. Clutching the covers tightly with both hands, I couldn’t help hammering my head a few times to force myself to stop thinking about it.

Soon, the creak from the opening door pierced the room as Michael came in. When I heard his footsteps, I immediately closed my eyes and feigned sleep. I really didn’t know how to face him right then.

After taking a shower, he lay down next to me.

Silence reigned for a long time. I thought he had already fallen asleep. As I grew increasingly galled, I turned and gave my back to him, sulking alone.

“Are you in a bad mood tonight?” At that precise moment, Michael spoke out of the blue. His voice was mild, betraying none of his emotions.

I opened my eyes and stared straight ahead silently. Hmph! He didn’t tell me the truth on the phone previously, so I’ve got nothing to say to him now!

Closing my eyes, I forced myself to go to sleep and forget about the man beside me.

Michael likewise turned to his side and hugged me around the waist from behind. It was his favorite position. I loved the feeling of being hugged by him, too. But at that very moment, I couldn’t help the aversion within me.

I took his hands away and inched closer to the edge of the bed to keep a distance from him.

“What’s wrong with you tonight? Have you gotten your wires crossed?”

My abnormal behavior time and again had Michael losing his patience. That was actually no surprise since he had never been a patient man. It was already impressive that he managed to hold his temper when I avoided his kiss and ignored him earlier.

“Nothing’s wrong. It’s late, so let’s go to sleep.”

I could tell that he was seething, but he was still trying his best to suppress his anger. However, I wasn’t in the mood to explain anything.

Nevertheless, my words didn’t appease Michael. He turned me around and bored his ebony eyes right into mine. I could see fury blazing in them.

“Anna, what exactly is wrong with you tonight? Are you angry because I came home late?”

Michael frowned slightly. Despite his wrath, he was still patient.

“No. You’re reading too much into things,” I murmured calmly.

His furious gaze would usually intimidate me. For some inexplicable reason tonight, I wasn’t the least bit afraid.