Chapter 193: Meredith's Questions
Human beings of course do not have mouths solely for eating; they are also for speaking. Given Meredith's doubts, she opted for a direct approach. She only half-believed Stella's words and decided to verify the truth with Terrence Sterling herself. In the past, Meredith might have felt too shy to inquire, but now, she was quite bold. She looked at Terrence with a light smile playing on her lips.
However, Terrence felt a chill from her smile today; it seemed to threaten that a wrong answer might banish him to the couch for the night. Meredith's seemingly simple question was, in fact, a loaded one. Terrence chose his words carefully, "I wanted to move out of Ravenwood and just picked a place randomly. The apartment had a nice layout and a nice price, so I bought it."
"Oh, is that so?" Meredith responded, her eyes smiling as she served him some fish. "Try this; it tastes wonderful."
Sensing the danger had passed, Terrence asked, "What did my mom say when she visited?"
Meredith filled her glass with wine and said, "She came to chat about your ex-girlfriend. I asked her who was prettier, me or your ex, and she stormed off in a huff."
As for any stories between Terrence and his ex-girlfriend, Meredith prudently chose not to ask. Why stir up trouble?
Terrence, looking down, took a sip of his soup, and said, "I don't have an ex-girlfriend; there's only you."
Meredith, shocked, blurted out, "Do you really have no health issues?" Living for thirty years without a single ex-girlfriend seemed unbelievable to her. He was, after all, a powerful CEO; it was almost scandalous in the corporate world to be so singularly unattached.
Terrence raised an eyebrow, his lips curling in amusement, "Meredith, are you not aware of my health? It seems the impression I left on you wasn't profound enough; try not to get too drunk, you might need to deepen that impression later." Meredith couldn't help but spit out her wine in laughter, realizing she had shot herself in the foot. Terrence calmly handed her a napkin, chuckling, "Regretting it now? Too late."
Meredith was silent, feeling as though Terrence could read her mind. She quietly took another sip of wine, bolstering her courage. She had promised over the phone to treat him well tonight, but now she felt the need to drink a bit more. That night, however, Terrence did not make love to her; they simply slept, cuddled together. Meredith, unable to sleep, murmured in the dim light, "Aren't we doing push-ups tonight?"
Terrence, with one leg over her, pressing her down, his arm around her waist, eyes closed, murmured back, "Sleep."
Meredith felt constrained, as if he feared she might run away. She was still hoping for something to happen when she heard his even breathing; Terrence had fallen asleep. Was he truly just resting early tonight? Meredith wondered if she had done something wrong or upset him, perhaps by bringing up the ex-girlfriend topic.
As she pondered, sleep overtook her, and she didn't realize when she drifted off. Over the next few days, Terrence did not touch her, a stark contrast to his previous ardor. Meredith began to suspect that he might be impotent from previous excesses and now needed some rest.
...
Time flied.
After serving her time, Joy Chaucer was released from the detention center, and Bianca was there bright and early to pick her up.
When Joy walked out of the detention facility, she had visibly lost weight and looked utterly exhausted. Bianca, seeing her distressed state, quickly approached and comforted, "Joy, let's go home, it's all over now."
This time, Joy didn't lash out or make a scene; she quietly followed Bianca to the car. Throughout the drive, Bianca tried to offer comforting words, but Joy stared silently out the car window, responding with silence. The quieter Joy was, the more Bianca's heart ached.
Upon arriving home, Joy headed straight to her room without interacting with Bianca. "Joy..." Bianca's voice faltered, failing to bridge the gap as the door slammed shut.
As Bianca wrestled with her emotions, the nanny approached and said, "Mrs. Chaucer, Miss Chloe is here."
Planning your weekend reading? Ensure you're on
005s.org for uninterrupted enjoyment. The next chapter is just a click away, exclusively available on our site. Happy reading! "Chloe is back?" Bianca quickly wiped the tears from her eyes.
Just then, a woman who bore a resemblance to Bianca hurried in from outside. It was Chloe Chaucer, Bianca's younger sister. Bianca, with a relieved smile, greeted her, "Chloe, what brings you back so suddenly? I didn't even get a hint of your arrival..." "I heard about Joy's troubles and rushed back to check on her," Chloe said quickly. "Bianca, what happened? How did Joy end up in detention? Where is she now?" "She just got back, she's upstairs," Bianca explained. "It's complicated, and right now, Joy is quite upset with me. Chloe, could you please go up and check on her?" Ten years ago, it was Chloe who had helped her find Joy Chaucer. Now, once again, Bianca hoped that Chloe could bridge the gap that had formed between her and Joy.