William frowned instinctively at Tyler’s words and turned to look at him. “Do you understand sign language, Mr. Hunt?”
“I learned it back when I was volunteering abroad, so yeah, I understand it.” The tail end of his sentence dripped with sarcasm. William picked up on it, and his already grim expression darkened further. Even Rachel could feel the sting of humiliation in the air, as if someone had slapped William across the face in front of everyone.
She had already understood what William was trying to do the moment he started signing at her. He didn’t want to confront her with Tyler in the conversation, so he had tried to do it discreetly. But ever since Samantha joined the company, Rachel had noticed that William didn’t bother using sign language with her as much anymore. Perhaps he didn’t have the patience for it now.
William turned his head slightly and said coldly, “If there’s anything work-related you need to discuss, Mr. Hunt, you can bring it directly to me. Rachel isn’t feeling well right now and doesn’t have the energy to deal with it.”
Anyone else might’ve let it go at that, but not Tyler. Sure enough, he chuckled sarcastically. “Funny, she seemed full of energy just now. Since she’s the one in charge of this project, I think it’s more efficient for her to handle it. Besides…” His deep, dark gaze flicked toward Samantha, who still stood next to William. “You probably won’t have the time since you still have to take care of Ms. Judd.”
Samantha clung to William’s sleeve. “William, didn’t you say you’d drive me home? The doctor said I still need someone to watch over me tonight. If I get another fever, it could get serious. You know I can’t take any medication right now.”
William frowned, clearly torn.
Tyler leaned back against the hospital bed with one leg crossed over the other. He shot a sidelong glance at Samantha. “Ms. Judd can’t take medication? Don’t tell me you’re pregnant? Whose is it?”
Rachel’s eyes widened slightly. She hadn’t expected Tyler to hit the mark so directly.
Samantha froze for just a second, a flicker of panic appearing in her eyes. “N–No, Mr. Hunt, you must be joking.”
Tyler folded his arms, putting on his classic ‘not my business’ kind of smug disinterest. His voice sounded deliberately casual. “Oh? I just assumed that’s what it was since I’ve never heard of you having a boyfriend. People might get the wrong idea. They might think Mr. Lewis is your boyfriend.”
Tyler was known for never holding back, and Rachel had long since gotten used to his sharp tongue; it could make anyone uncomfortable. But for the first time, she actually enjoyed it, because this time, his words were aimed at Samantha and William.
Rachel had been watching their reactions the whole time Tyler was talking. At the mention of ‘pregnant,’ both their expressions changed. Samantha’s eyes were full of guilt. William’s expression went stiff, and his brows furrowed tightly.
Samantha had no choice but to force a smile. “N–No way. William’s just being nice. We went to the same college, and he’s known my mom for years. That’s all.”
Tyler nodded slowly, then shifted his gaze to William, who had been silent this whole time. “Is that so, Mr. Lewis?”
Something flickered in William’s eyes, but he quickly recovered and nodded stiffly. “Yeah.”
Chapter 142
Tyler smiled. “Sure. But being someone’s mistress is rather shameful these days. If word gets out, it’ll be messy.”