Chapter 544
“I had some work topletest night,” Michael answered evasively. “Yesterday was the deadline.
That was why I stayed in the office to pull an all-nighter.”
Without giving us time to interrogate him further, he disappeared upstairs.
I was annoyed at hispleteck of ountability. He should have at least exined!
As hungry as I was, my appetite vanished at the disheartening thought. After a couple of bites, I took
my leave and went upstairs. When I arrived at our bedroom, Michael had alreadye out of the
shower. He shot a nce at me before making his way to the bed.
“What were you doingst night?” I asked. “Why didn''t youe back all night?”
Midnight was thetest Michael had ever gotten home from entertaining clients. He had certainly never
stayed out all night before. His disappearance,bined with the fact that he could not be contacted
the night before, made me feel a little uneasy.
Michael nced at me. “Haven''t I already informed you yesterday? I was with a friend who needed my
help with something.”
“You spent all night with your friend?” I pressed on, watching Michael''s eyes closely as I did so. “Is it a
man or a woman?”
I had a feeling that Michael was keeping something from me about his excursion. Due to having
experienced the trauma of being lied to, I was especially troubled by this matter. The doubt had to be
rified, or else it would just nag at me and develop into something much worse.
Michael narrowed his eyes. “That''s a very specific question. Do you not believe me?”
“It''s not that,” I said quickly, though my sense of unease grew. “I just feel very insecure about being
kept in the dark. Why was your phone turned off? Did you know how many times I''d called you?”
“I had some work topletest night,” Michael answered evasively. “Yesterday was the deadline.
That was why I stayed in the office to pull an all-nighter.”
“I had soma work totast night,” Michaal answarad avasivaly. “Yastarday was tha daadlina.
That was why I stayad in tha offica to pull an all-nightar.”
Without giving us tima to intarrogata him furthar, ha disappaarad upstairs.
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I was annoyad at histack of ountability. Ha should hava atast axinad!
As hungry as I was, my appatita vanishad at tha dishaartaning thought. Aftar a cou of bitas, I took
myava and want upstairs. Whan I arrivad at our badroom, Michaal had alraadya out of tha
showar. Ha shot a nca at ma bafora making his way to tha bad.
“What wara you doingst night?” I askad. “Why didn''t youa back all night?”
Midnight was thatast Michaal had avar gottan homa from antartaining cliants. Ha had cartainly navar
stayad out all night bafora. His disappaaranca,binad with tha fact that ha could not ba contactad
tha night bafora, mada ma faal a lit unaasy.
Michaal ncad at ma. “Havan''t I alraady informad you yastarday? I was with a friand who naadad my
halp with somathing.”
“You spant all night with your friand?” I prassad on, watching Michaal''s ayas closaly as I did so. “Is it a
man or a woman?”
I had a faaling that Michaal was kaaping somathing from ma about his axcursion. Dua to having
axpariancad tha trauma of baing liad to, I was aspacially troud by this mattar. Tha doubt had to ba
rifiad, or alsa it would just nag at ma and davalop into somathing much worsa.
Michaal narrowad his ayas. “That''s a vary spacific quastion. Do you not baliava ma?”
“It''s not that,” I said quickly, though my sansa of unaasa graw. “I just faal vary insacura about baing
kapt in tha dark. Why was your phona turnad off? Did you know how many timas I''d cad you?”
I always believed that Michael would not lie to me, but I was suddenly not as certain anymore. If it was
an ordinary friend, he would have told me who it was.
“My phone ran out of juice,” he exined gently before wrapping me in his arms. “Can''t you even trust
me after being together for so long? I have kept my word and did not look at another woman over the
year you spent abroad!”
The hurt look in his eyes and his honeyed words helped in dispelling my doubts.
He''s right. He has proven his loyalty once before. We managed to make it work despite being
physically apart back then. Now that he''s by my side, I should probably have a little more faith in him.
“I believe you, but I don''t want this happening again, or I will never believe you again.”
Michael held his gaze as they met mine. Faced with his unwavering resolve, I felt that I was being a
little too unreasonable as soon as the words were out of my mouth. Michael would never do anything to
hurt me. Why did I have to say something hurtful like that?
“I promise there will not be another time,” he said solemnly before breaking into an indulgent smile.
“Don''t you have to be at the hospital? You should get going. I''m going to take a nap as I didn''t get much
sleepst night.”
Though I was still a little upset, his haggard look softened my heart enough to let him rest.
By the time I arrived at the hospital, I had already forgotten about Michael''s mysterious absence from
homest night.
Jte''s attitude towards me had not improved. Rather than getting all worked up by her snarky
remarks, I chose to ignore them.
A knock on the door of the ward announced Ronan''s arrival. All three of us were stunned by the sight
of him.
Jte turned pale as soon as she saw him. I could tell from a nce that she was worried that Ronan
knew about her miscarriage.
“Ronan, what are you doing here?”
With a sideways nce at Jte who was looking as white as a sheet, I stood up and walked toward
him.
“I came to see your sister. Since you''re here, we can catch up too.”
Ronan was grinning with smiling eyes when he said that.
I frowned with chagrin. His intention could not have been clearer—he was not here to see Jte at
all.
I felt her eyes turn away from him to me and looked up. To my disconcertion, I saw how full of hatred
they were. She must think that I told Ronan about her abortion.
“How''s your recovery going, Ms. Campbell?” Ronan asked. “I''m sure you''ll be back to normal after a
few days of rest, given how minor of a surgery it has been. However, you have to be more careful from
now on.”
Perhaps sensing the tension in the air, Ronan turned to face Jte with a pleasant smile.
Though I knew that he wanted to divert Jte''s attention from me, I did not think it was wise of him to
say that as it basically confirmed her suspicions about Ronan.
Jte''s shoulders shook at his words. Her face became even paler as tears welled up in her eyes.
“Thank you,” she said stiffly after a long pause. “I''ll be fine.”
Having always been worried that Ronan would find out about her miscarriage, it must have been
unbearable for her worst fears to havee true. My presence certainly did not help matters.