Brenton pulled up behind Arabella and hit the horn again and again, but she didn't respond. Instead of reacting, she dropped her gaze and walked faster.
Brenton's brows tightened as he brought the car to a stop. He got out without delay and caught up to her in a few steps. "Get in the car!" he snapped and grabbed her wrist.
"I'll feel sick if I ride. I want to walk," Arabella replied, waving him off. She couldn't pretend otherwise. There were things she simply couldn't force herself to tolerate.
The image from earlier still lingered in her mind. During the video call, the looks Brenton and Brinley exchanged had been obvious to everyone present, even without words. How did others stay so unaffected? How could they move on like nothing mattered?
Her mind kept telling her to let it go, yet her emotions refused to follow. She was trying to recover and pull herself together, and she needed Brenton to stay away from her.
"Let go! Don't touch me!" she hissed as she struggled against him.
But the next second, he lifted her off the ground, his movement impatient and rough. He shoved her into the passenger seat, fastened her seatbelt, and shut the door with force.
Inside the car, silence settled in, broken only by their uneven breathing.
"Bella, what's wrong with you?" Brenton finally broke the silence.
Arabella turned her face toward the window and gave no response.
His hands tightened around the steering wheel, his expression showing his irritation.
Arabella kept her gaze away from him.
With a restless motion, Brenton loosened his tie, then reached over and caught her wrist, pulling her closer. "Arabella!"
When she finally looked at him, Brenton went still.
Her face had lost all color, her eyes dark and seemingly veiled by a mist, making it hard to gauge her emotions. A faint redness lined her eyes, with a slight flush at the corners.
Tears gathered in her eyes, though she kept them from falling, and it looked like she was barely holding herself together.
A tight ache spread through Brenton's chest, and concern showed across his face.
"Let go!" Arabella said as she struggled against his grip. "What do you mean what's wrong with me? I'm burned. My whole body hurts. Can't I be angry? Brenton, answer me. Do you even still care about me?"
Uneasiness filled Brenton's gaze as he reached out and patted her back. "Honey, I'm sorry. This is on me. I didn't pay attention. I thought the soup had cooled down. Let me check the burn, alright?" he said as he leaned in, trying to lift her shirt.
Arabella's hand struck his away, but he didn't react with anger and instead tried to calm her. "We're going to the hospital now."
He leaned closer, intending to kiss her forehead, but she turned her head aside. He ruffled her hair and then started the car.
They hadn't gone far when his phone began ringing over and over.
Brenton cut the call twice, but in the end, he put on his Bluetooth earpiece and answered.
The same man who had rushed to take her to the hospital suddenly changed his tone. He said there was something urgent at the company and asked her to get out of the car, his voice carrying an apology.
Without a word, Arabella opened the door, stepped out, and shut it behind her.
"Stay here. I'll have Cade come get you," Brenton said through the window.
Arabella stood still and looked at him without any expression.
The wind lifted the hem of her dress, while her face remained distant and cold.
At that moment, Brenton felt as if she were something he couldn't hold on to anymore, slipping away from him.
He paused, torn for a second, but Sallie's voice from the call came back to him, filled with tears as she spoke about a car crash.
He thought about how Arabella had followed him since she was young, how she left the Rogers family at eighteen just to live with him in that basement, how she had always stayed by his side.
After some thoughts, Brenton stepped on the gas and drove off. Arabella loved him too much. She wouldn't leave him. He had all the time in the world to make things right, so there was no need to hurry.
Arabella stayed where she was and watched the Maybach disappear from sight. A faint, mocking smile curved on her lips. She would definitely divorce Brenton. Did he really think a brief tenderness and a few soft words would be enough to bring her back?
The Rogers family estate stood in a quiet hillside area, far from the main roads. Only private cars could reach it, so getting a taxi wasn't an option.
After calling Madisyn, Arabella started strolling down the slope.
As she rounded a turn, three children came into view. They were gathered under a tree, shouting and jumping, while a little boy around ten struggled to climb up.
"Careful. Come down from there!" Arabella called out.
The tree stood beside an artificial lake, and the little boy, unable to climb higher, nearly slipped down the slope.
Arabella hurried over and reached out to stop him.
"We have to get up there. Our drone got stuck in the tree. Can you climb up and bring it down?" a little girl asked, tugging at Arabella's clothes.
The little girl looked about five, blinking up at Arabella with wide eyes.
Arabella bent down and patted her head. "I can't climb trees."
The little girl's lips turned down, and Arabella pointed at the controller she was holding. "But I know how to fly drones. Give it to me, and I'll get it down for you. Alright?"
Another boy came closer. "That won't work. It's caught in the branches. It can't fly out."
"I've already tried so many times. If you can't climb, don't get in the way," the boy on the tree said with a scoff.
A small laugh escaped Arabella. "If I fail, I'll buy you a new one. But if I get it down, you'll all say, 'Ms. Sullivan, you're the best.' Deal?"
"Deal! Let's see how you handle it. Carole, give her the controller."
Arabella grinned confidently. "Watch carefully."
Her gaze fixed on where the drone was stuck, and her fingers moved over the controller without hesitation.
The boy gave a dismissive snort, already expecting it to crash. But in the next instant, his eyes widened.
The drone, which had been stuck in place moments ago, suddenly shifted direction and moved with control. With a steady hum, it slipped through the branches and came out smoothly, rising into the air.
"It's out! It's flying again!"
Cheers broke out as the children jumped in excitement. Arabella stepped back while guiding the drone, sending it through a quick turn, lowering it toward the lake, and then pulling it up again.
The children clapped and shouted without stopping.
With her head raised, Arabella watched the drone move through the fading light, and the weight in her chest eased.
Another step back, and a smile spread across her face.
Then, she bumped into something behind her. She paused. The surface she hit didn't feel like a wall. It was solid, warm, and it shifted slightly.
Arabella turned at once, and a breath brushed past her ear.
Realizing she had run into someone, she panicked and twisted to move away. Her footing slipped, and her body fell backward, landing against him and pushing him back a step.
There was nowhere for him to move, and his back met the stone wall behind him.
Trying to steady herself, Arabella reached out and grabbed his tie, inadvertently pinning him against the wall.
Her eyes followed the line of his neck, from his jaw down to the collar of his shirt.
His throat moved slightly, and the small mark above it shifted with the motion.
A low sound came from above her, and she suddenly realized she had been pulling on his tie, leaving a mark at his collar.
She let go at once and stepped back in a hurry, just as the children shouted behind her.
"It's going to crash!"
"Oh no!"
"The drone!"
Arabella lowered her gaze to the controls, unsure what to do next.
Just as she lifted her head to look for the drone, a hand covered hers and guided her grip.
The drone moved with a steady buzz as it came closer.
When Arabella looked up, she saw the drone drop, turn, brush past the branches above her, then move forward and rise again.
The branches shook, and petals fell.
At the same time, as the twilight faded, surrounding lights suddenly illuminated.
With the sound of the drone still in the air and the breeze carrying the scent of flowers, Arabella met a pair of calm eyes.
