William smiled, pulled Rachel into his arms, she knew.


    He pointed at himself.


    and gently patted her back. He was once again the patient andposed William


    “Of course I’ll follow your wishes. Besides, haven’t you always gotten along well with Cecilia?”


    Rachel felt uneasy. She couldn’t tell what William was thinking anymore.


    Lately, Cecilia had been looking for a new ce. Her previousndlord wanted to sell the apartment quickly because a family member had fallen ill. So now Cecilia and her whole family had to find somewhere else to live.


    But her sry wasn’t much. With kids to care for and daily expenses piling up, renting a decent ce was tough. If William rented the house to Cecilia, it would help her a lot.


    “That’s great. But she should still sign a contract with you.”


    William frowned. “We’re all in the samepany, and you know her. Is that really necessary?”


    “It is,” Rachel said. “A contract protects both parties.”


    What she was really worried about was if Cecilia didn’t have a contract, and one day Rachel was no longer around, William might take out his anger on Cecilia and kick her out. But with a lease in ce, even if he didn’t want to rent to her anymore, he’d have to wait until it expired.


    William didn’t press the issue. He just ruffled her hair affectionately. “Alright. As long as you’re happy.”


    Rachel gave him a gentle push. “Now go take care of your stuff. I’ll tell Cecilia the good news once I finish up.”


    “That can wait. I booked your favorite restaurant.” He had started making arrangementstest night. He wanted to surprise Rachel. He realized he had been neglecting hertely because of Samantha.


    Rachel looked confused. “Is there a special asion? Why the sudden dinner n?”


    William pinched her cheek with a smile. “Is that so strange? I’ve been busy with work and haven’t had time for you. Now that I do, I want to spend more time together.”


    Rachel felt a lump in her throat.


    If William had paid this kind of attention when she still cared, maybe things wouldn’t havee


    this.


    But now, it was toote.


    She gave him a casual excuse. “I already made ns with Cecilia. She finally got some time off, and I can’t back out.


    31


    William’s expression was briefly sullen. “But I’ve already made the reservation. I even booked the whole ce so we wouldn’t be disturbed.”


    Rachel reached out and hugged him. “It’s okay. We still have time. Any day will do. But Cecilia’s in a tough spot. If she doesn’t find a ce soon, she might end up on the streets with her kid.”


    It sounded serious, and William couldn’t argue against it even if he was clearly disappointed.


    “Alright,” he conceded. “I guess we’ll leave it for another day. But still want something today.” He leaned forward and tapped his lips.


    Now, whenever Rachel saw him, all she could think about was what had happened between him and Samantha.`


    She forced herself to ignore the rising disgust and to reply yfully, “Come on. We’ve already been married for so long. Don’t be dramatic. I really have to go.”


    With that, she gave him a light tap on the chest and walked past !