Chapter 6 What's the Rush?

Quintez huffed lightly. Why must they tell her this of all times?! Leanna hung up the phone. "I need to go home right away! Let's discuss our matters later. Until we reach a consensus, I hope you won't spread my photos. Otherwise, I'll sue you, and it will be a complete mess!" At that, she headed toward the door but returned halfway to scribble down her phone number on a piece of paper on the table. "This is my phone number. We'll get in touch later. Give me your number, too." Quintez glanced at the string of numbers and immediately dialed the number on his phone, testing its authenticity. Leanna glanced at the caller ID on her phone screen and nodded. "I'm leaving now!" She hurriedly left the room without looking back this time. Quintez sighed. "What's the rush? Aren't you going to be sleeping with me tonight anyway?" The Rainbowridge Villa neighborhood had quite a reputation in Shadowvale. When it was first established, the real estate developers promoted it as a villa garden within the city, which attracted a lot of attention at the time. Rainbowridge was conveniently located in the outer ring area of Shadowvale. It was adjacent to the highway, which made it easy to exit the city and provided a fast route to the city center. The villas were built in the classical style, making them a unique landscape within the city. However, after the villas were built and sold, there were rumors of hauntings. Several households reported strange occurrences, and some elderly people said it used to be a cemetery. The haunting incidents worsened over time, and gradually, people who moved in began to move out, and those who were considering buying houses changed their minds. The neighborhood slowly became deserted, resembling a dead city. At first, Leanna was reluctant to live here when she heard she had to live in this place. First, she didn't have enough money to rent a house, and second, she had to let her younger brother know that she was married, so she had to live outside. Therefore, she reluctantly moved in, but after a year of living here, nothing strange had happened, and she gradually forgot about it. As soon as she entered the house, Leanna saw the maid appointed by her husband, Beatrice Zellerbach, sitting on the sofa with her legs crossed, cracking peanuts, and the TV volume was turned up loud. It seemed that Beatrice was more like the mistress of this house. Leanna walked over and sat down next to her. "You said on the phone…" "Yes, yes, you must be thrilled, right? You've been alone for a year, and your husband finally returns," Beatrice said disdainfully, spitting out the peanut shells, full of contempt. "Why did he suddenly want to come back?" In the beginning, Leanna was also angry at the maid's arrogance. She was living a life of leisure here, not working as a maid but acting more like a mistress. However, Leanna knew she was just a village girl from the village. According to her, she used to serve Leanna's mysterious husband well, living and eating well there, but when she came here, she suffered. Leanna didn't bother to argue with her, and with her limited return visits, they just went their separate ways. "How would I know? This is the master's home. This is Mr. Wood's house. He can come back whenever he wants! Do you really think this place belongs to you?" Beatrice spat out peanut shells and glanced at Leanna. "Let me make one thing clear: I've been serving you here with all my heart and effort. You better appreciate it," Beatrice's voice was high-pitched and thin, giving people goosebumps. "With all your heart and effort?" Leanna rolled her eyes, snorting. "May I ask you, have you cooked for me once?" Beatrice wasn't afraid. "How would I know when you'll be back or not? Don't forget, I have something on you!" "What do you have on me?" Leanna was curious. Beatrice sneered, "You've spent only two nights here in a week. Where do you go the rest of the time? As a married woman, disappearing every night, I wonder what the master would think when he finds out." Leanna smiled. Beatrice clearly felt superior, but Leanna couldn't be bothered to deal with her. She turned around and headed upstairs. "Oh, let me remind you, be careful to serve the master properly. He has a bad temper. You don't want to accidentally anger him and have the blame fall on me." Leanna paused at the sound of this, then continued upstairs. Sitting in her bedroom, Leanna felt quite nervous. She couldn't figure out why the old man had suddenly decided to return. He has ignored me for a year, so why return now? Can it be that… he wants my body?! The thought disgusted Leanna. That bald old man looked to be over sixty years old. Just imagining his body pressed against hers made her skin crawl. However, she couldn't refuse him. After all, they were legally married, and if he touched her, it would be legal and reasonable. What should she do? As the evening approached, there was still no sign of the old man's return, but Leanna did receive a dinner from Beatrice, a rare occurrence. The taste was mediocre, and Leanna barely ate any. "Didn't your master say what time he'd be back on the phone?" Beatrice chewed her food loudly. "Master is busy all day long. He can't predict his schedule. What's the rush?" Leanna didn't want to talk to Beatrice, so she went upstairs directly. She waited until 10 p.m., feeling tired as she hadn't slept well the night before. She yawned and checked the time. Don't old people sleep early? It's already so late; he probably won't come anymore, right? At that, she took a quick shower and went straight to bed. At 10.30 p.m., a Rolls-Royce commercial vehicle pulled up at the entrance of Villa 18 in Rainbowridge. Quintez got out of the car, the sapphire diamond earring on his left ear shining brightly in the moonlight. As he was about to step into the house, he suddenly stopped, took off his earring, and handed it to Luca. "Mr. Wood, should I wait for you here or…" Since this was one of his residences, maybe he would stay here overnight and not leave, so Luca still asked. "Wait for me here." Quintez dropped the earring and walked straight into the house. As soon as he entered the house, Beatrice rushed over. She had been waiting eagerly for Quintez's return. "Mr. Wood, you're back! Would you like something to eat? Shall I make you something?" Beatrice's face was full of flattery, her smile radiant. Before coming here, in Quintez's Crystal Chateau, she was just a maid who cleaned the outside, rarely seeing Quintez. Quintez glanced at her, furrowed his brow, and replied, "No need, where's my wife?"