Arranged Marriage: Beneath The Rumors

Chapter 60: Credit Alert

As Lugard ended the call, he gazed at Lisa's peaceful face, her chest rising and falling with each gentle breath.

He stared at her, feeling a sense of calm wash over him. Without thinking, he reached for his phone and snapped a photo of the two of them, the soft morning light illuminating their entwined figures.

He studied the image, his eyes tracing the curves of Lisa's face, the softness of her lips, and the gentle smile that played on her mouth even in sleep. Lugard's expression softened, his gaze lingering on the photo as if trying to memorize every detail. He felt a pang of...not quite tenderness, but perhaps possessiveness. This moment, this quiet intimacy, was his alone, and he felt like to hold onto it forever.

Lugard's movements were silent as he reached into Lisa's pocket and retrieved the door keys.

He slid out of bed, his eyes never leaving Lisa's, and approached the door. The key glided smoothly into the lock, and the door creaked open, revealing a sliver of the dimly lit hallway. Lugard's gaze darted back to Lisa, ensuring she still slept before he stepped out into the corridor. The cool air enveloped him, a stark contrast to the warmth of Lisa's body.

He paused, As he opened the door, he was met with a sea of expectant faces. The servants, maids, and guards stood frozen, their eyes wide with surprise. Lugard's gaze swept across the crowd, his brow furrowed in confusion. "What's wrong?" he asked, his voice firm but controlled.

The butler, Mr. Jenkins, stepped forward, his expression a mix of relief and concern. "Young master, we thought something terrible had happened. It's almost 9, and you haven't emerged. We were about to break down the door."

Lugard's eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched in annoyance. "Don't try it next time," he warned, his voice low and even.

As he spoke, the staff began to disperse, their movements hesitant and uncertain. But the butler lingered, his eyes fixed on Lugard's bandaged head. "But, young master, what about Madam? Should we not take her to the hospital?"

Lugard's expression turned glacial, his eyes flashing with warning. "What hospital?" he repeated, his voice dripping with menace.

The butler trembled, his eyes darting away. "N-no one should disturb her, she's sleeping," Lugard continued, his voice firm.

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving the butler and the staff looking puzzled and concerned. Their eyes drifted back to Lisa's door, wonder and speculation etched on their faces.

Lugard entered his spacious dressing room, the soft glow of the morning light illuminating the elegant space.

Lugard dressed up with precision, his movements economical and efficient.

As he tied his tie, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and paused. His eyes looked...different, less haunted than usual. He frowned, trying to pinpoint the change.

And then it hit him - he had slept. Without pills. Without effort. He had simply fallen asleep, lying beside Lisa.

Lugard's mind reeled as he tried to process this anomaly. He had insomnia, had struggled with it for years. But last night...last night had been different.

He thought back to the events of the previous evening, trying to recall anything out of the ordinary. Lisa's presence, her calm and peaceful energy...had it somehow affected him?

Lugard's gaze lingered on his reflection, his eyes searching for answers. He felt...off, like his carefully constructed facade was beginning to crack.

With a shake of his head, he turned away from the mirror and headed out of his room, his thoughts still whirling with the implications of his sudden, unexplained sleep.

He met his assistant, James, in the sitting room, and the younger man's eyes widened in surprise as he took in the bandage on Lugard's head.

"Good morning, sir," James said, his voice tinged with concern. "What happened to your head?"

Lugard's expression remained neutral, but his eyes flashed with a hint of irritation. "It's nothing, James. Just a minor accident."

James looked skeptical, but he knew better than to press the issue. "Very well, sir. Shall we review today's schedule?"

As James began to brief Lugard on the day's appointments and meetings, he couldn't help sneaking glances at the bandage. The servants' whispers had been true, then - the young master had indeed been involved in some kind of altercation with the young miss.

Lugard's gaze narrowed, his eyes seeming to bore into James' skull. "Focus, James. I don't pay you to speculate."

James nodded hastily, his eyes darting back to the papers in his hand. "Of course, sir. Right away."

After reading the schedule, Lugard stood up and walked towards the door, his assistant following closely behind. James felt like crying out in frustration, his mind racing with thoughts of "Master, why didn't you dodge? Why did you let her blast your head like this?"

He wondered why Lugard, the powerful and feared young master, had allowed himself to be injured by the young miss. James couldn't understand it - Lugard could have easily dodged and even crushed Lisa like an ant, yet he had let her harm him.

As they walked, Lugard's thoughts were similarly occupied. He thought about teaching Lisa a lesson, showing her the true extent of his power and control. But another part of him wondered why he had let her hurt him in the first place.

James' voice broke into his reverie, "Sir, shall I have the car brought around?" Lugard nodded curtly, his eyes fixed on some point ahead. "Yes, James. Let's go."

As they stepped out into the bright sunlight, Lugard's gaze fell on the waiting car, its sleek black body gleaming in the morning light. He felt a sense of relief wash over him - the familiar routine of his daily schedule would help him push aside the strange and unsettling thoughts that had been plaguing him since last night.

Lisa woke up from sleep. She opened her eyes, blinking away the drowsiness. She lay there for a moment, taking a deep breath and feeling the softness of her bed. Then, she sat up, rubbing her eyes and looking around her room.

As she was rubbing her eyes, she became clear-headed and remembered that Lugard slept in her room the previous night. She looked around the room, but there was no sign of him. The bed beside her was empty, and his shoes and photos were gone.

She checked herself and found out that the key to her room was no longer in her pocket. Her gaze moved to the door, and the keys were there, hanging from the lock. She breathed a sigh of relief after checking herself and lay back down, wondering when Lugard left and why he had left without waking her.

She reached out to her phone and checked if she had received any calls or chats. As she scrolled through her screen, she saw an alert and her brow furrowed. It was a credit alert from her bank, notifying her of a large deposit into her account.

In Davis's mansion, Mera walked to her mother with an angry face. Her mother, Mrs. Claire Davis, looked up from her seat and immediately knew something was wrong. She opened her arms wide and Mera fell into them, tears streaming down her face.

"Mummy, hotcakes! What's wrong? Why does your face look like that? Who made you angry?" Mrs. Davis asked, using Mera's childhood nickname to comfort her.

Mera sniffled and pulled back, her eyes blazing with indignation. "It's daddy! He only gave me 1 million dollars for this month, and he gave that bastard Lisa 1.5 million dollars

Mrs. Claire Davis's face turned ugly, her eyes flashing with anger as she stood up from her seat. "How dare he!" she spat, her voice low and menacing. "Why didn't he give my daughter the same share he gave his bastard daughter?"

She stormed out of the room, her high heels clicking on the marble floor as she made her way to her husband's study. Mera followed close behind, still sniffling and wiping away tears.