As Samuel’s arm cradled Kathleen’s slender waist, he grandly declared, “This is our house. It’s where we’ll stay from now on.”
Kathleen was confused by his statement and asked, “Isn’t this the place you prepared to stay in with Nicolette?”
Samuel didn’t reply, so Kathleen turned to look at him expectantly.
“If you truly knew her, you would know that she doesn’t like the style of this place. Furthermore, when I made my preparations to move into this house, I didn’t consider her at all,” replied Samuel calmly.
That wasn’t a lie. Indeed, Samuel had designed the place with only his likes and dislikes in mind.
“I started designing and building up this place before we got married, but the construction work didn’t complete in time. That condominium unit is far too small, and it doesn’t have a yard. Thankfully, they wrapped up the work at this place just a few days back, but there’s still some essential furniture that still require about a month or so to arrive. I gave the word yesterday for them to expedite the delivery and paid a fair sum for the delivery fees alone,” explained Samuel.
Kathleen pursed her lips as he spoke.
“However, what’s most important is that you find the place and the set-up comfortable. Go in and take a look,” added Samuel as he lifted her in his arms and stepped out of the car.
Just like that, Kathleen was cradled in his arms as they both disembarked from the car. Immediately, the housekeepers stationed within the mansion rushed out to welcome them. A middle-aged man led the charge. He was Sebastian, the butler here.
Sebastian greeted the pair with a smile and said, “Welcome home, Mr. Macari and Mrs. Macari.”
Kathleen was taken aback by how formal everyone carried themselves. As Samuel continued to guide Kathleen into the mansion, the latter saw that the interior was nothing short of grand and opulent. Even then, it managed to retain a sense of style and refrain from going overboard with the grandeur. Kathleen couldn’t help but be amazed by the sight she took in.
“The first floor houses the living room and dining area, along with the kitchen and the housekeepers’ residences,” explained Samuel. “You don’t have to rush to take everything in for now. There’s plenty of time for you to familiarize yourself with the layout of the place. Let me first take you to the bedroom.”
Kathleen froze where she stood as she wondered why Samuel was so insistent on escorting her to check out the bedroom. As he stood beside her, Samuel could visibly pick up on her now stiffened frame.
The doctor had instructed that Kathleen focus on her recuperation for two whole months before they would be allowed to share a bed together. Although Samuel wanted to skip ahead, he had no choice but to take Kathleen’s physical condition into consideration. He didn’t want to put her into a spot, after all. With that, the pair headed up the stairs.
The entire mansion consisted of three separate levels, each as expansive as the one that came before. Just a single bedroom alone could occupy about ninety square meters, and there were four of them on each level. On the second floor, only the master bedroom and guest room remained untouched. The remaining two rooms had been converted into Samuel’s study and Kathleen’s workstation, respectively.
When they reached the second floor, Samuel guided Kathleen toward the master bedroom. There, Kathleen saw that it was spacious and well-lit by natural lighting. The fixtures within the room had a muted extravagance to them and had features tailored to each of the occupant’s needs. For example, the walk-in closet was huge and packed full of clothing. Almost all of Samuel’s clothing seemed to be formal wear, and they consisted mostly of darker and more muted colors.
The rest of the space was dedicated for Kathleen’s use. It accommodated a range of outerwear, shoes, and even small accessories that she could use immediately. Everything had been prepared meticulously, and the sheer quantity of items present meant that it took up a sizeable bulk of the walk-in closet’s space.
The master bedroom also boasted an expansive bathroom that even contained a twin bathtub equipped with a massage function. In totality, the entire tour so far simply screamed of luxury.
“Are you satisfied?” asked Samuel.
Kathleen could only nod numbly in reply.
Samuel curled his lips and said, “You’re the lady of this house. Feel free to let Sebastian know if there are any areas in which you feel need to be changed.”
“It’s already good enough,” replied Kathleen numbly.
Samuel smiled faintly as he stated, “Ultimately, the key is whether you like it or not.”
“While we were on our way here earlier, I saw that this place is located rather close to the Macari residence. Is it?” asked Kathleen in confusion.
“Yes, it is. I was afraid that you would have no one to chat with when I’m not around. That’s why I purposefully picked a location closer to the Macari residence. That way, it would take a mere ten minutes by car for you to get to the Macari residence if you ever need to,” replied Samuel.
Kathleen paused for thought and realized that this was finally an aspect of the place that she was fully satisfied by.
Samuel reached out and gently cradled her head in his hand as he pulled his thin lips closer to hers. He planted a light kiss on her plump lips before he added, “You don’t seem particularly happy at all.”
“I’m not unhappy,” replied Kathleen with a shake of her head. While it was true that she wasn’t unhappy, she wasn’t particularly overjoyed either.
Samuel didn’t pick over the finer details. Instead, he stated, “I have other matters to deal with in the afternoon. Stay here and wait for me obediently.”
“Okay,” replied Kathleen as she pursed her lips.
“Aren’t you going to ask where I’m going?” asked Samuel as he shot her a long and meaningful glance.
“Aren’t you heading to work?” asked Kathleen in confusion. She didn’t understand what he was getting at. Normally, he wouldn’t inform her in advance even if he were to head into the office. She had no idea what was going on with him today.
Samuel sighed and remarked, “I can’t even tell if you trust me this completely or if you simply don’t care about me.”
Kathleen picked up that it was because she hadn’t asked where he was headed. She replied, “I used to ask, but you found me to be too annoying and controlling.”
Samuel was rendered speechless as he realized that all this was of his own making.
“If that’s the case, I’ll take the initiative to report my movements in the future,” promised Samuel as he reached in and planted another light kiss on her lips. He continued, “I’ll have the staff prepare some food for you. You can go ahead and have a good rest once you’ve eaten. Don’t fret over anything else. What’s most important right now is for you to take good care of yourself and recuperate. Do you understand?”
Kathleen nodded obediently in response.
“Good girl,” stated Samuel with satisfaction.
Samuel reflected that she really was obedient if not a little cold and distant from him. He couldn’t help but feel a strong urge to shrink her and tuck her into his pocket to keep her with him wherever he went.
“I’m heading off,” he declared. He didn’t have that much free time to spend with her. After all, he was a truly busy man, especially toward the end of each year.
Kathleen was fully aware of how busy Samuel was. As such, she found it hard to believe if someone were to claim that Samuel spent each day in Nicolette’s company, day in and out. She knew that she couldn’t bank on a workaholic like him to waste so much of his time just lounging around in someone else’s company. Regardless of how much he loved Nicolette, that was a sheer impossibility.
Suddenly, the sound of the doorbell ringing interrupted Kathleen’s train of thought. She called out, “Sebastian?”
“Mrs. Macari, Mr. Macari instructed us to prepare some food for you. Here’s some oatmeal. Do have it while it’s still warm,” stated Sebastian warmly as he carried a tray into the room and gently place the bowl of oatmeal on the desk.
“You don’t have to be this polite with me, Sebastian,” commented Kathleen as she fidgeted uncomfortably.
“You’re the lady of the house, Mrs. Macari. It’s only right for us to treat you with the dignity and respect you deserve,” replied Sebastian in an upright manner.
“Thank you for the meal then,” she stated.
He smiled and said, “Enjoy your meal, Mrs. Macari. Please feel free to shout out to us if you need anything.”
Kathleen nodded her head in acknowledgment, and Sebastian headed out.
As she stared at the warm bowl of oatmeal sitting before her, Kathleen couldn’t help but sigh once again.
After she finished her bowl of oatmeal, Kathleen slowly drifted off into a deep sleep. When she finally woke up, she made her way downstairs and bumped into Sebastian. He said, “Mrs. Macari, Ms. Staines is here.”
Kathleen immediately headed to the living room, where she saw Wynnie seated on the couch as she sipped slowly at her cup of coffee. Kathleen entered the space and greeted her, “Mom, you’re here.”
Wynnie pursed her lips and said, “I went to the hospital to check on you, but they informed me that you were discharged. I headed to the condominium after that, and that’s how I found out you no longer live there.”
Kathleen came to a sudden realization and asked, “Didn’t Samuel inform you?”
“Don’t bother mentioning him. He was barely willing to let me know about this place, let alone that you had moved over. I don’t know what’s on his mind!” puffed Wynnie angrily.
Kathleen had no idea what was on his mind either.
“Are you feeling better?” asked Wynnie as she eyed her with a frown.
“Yes, the doctor said that I’ll have to recuperate slowly,” replied Kathleen.
“I see… Then you should get a good rest,” replied Wynnie. Her tone darkened as she continued, “Kate, do you still intend to divorce Samuel?”
Kathleen was a little taken by surprise, and she clenched her fingers as she looked down nervously.
“It’s all right. I’m not here to force you into anything. I’m just worried that you feel burdened. It would be great if you no longer feel like getting a divorce. That would allow Samuel to take good care of you as you recuperate. Otherwise, I would find it difficult to relax if you were to end up in the care of a random stranger. I would be so worried that you would get bullied!” explained Wynnie.
