Chapter 257

Rachel barely ate anything throughout dinner. Every second felt like torture. What made it worse was the group of people nearby who constantly took pictures of them with their phones.

The harsh camera flashes made her frown, and she finally turned toward them, “Excuse me, would you mind not taking any more photos?”

Before she could say more, William gently pressed her hand down and signed to her, “Rachel, I arranged for them to be here. What happened between you and Tyler caused too big a stir online. Right now, this is the only way to try and salvage your reputation.”

Every word sounded like it came from someone genuinely concerned for her, but Rachel knew better.

She knew exactly what he meant by ‘salvage her reputation’.

This wasn’t about helping her. It was about William not trusting her and using this excuse to justify his actions.

She smiled sarcastically. “I don’t care what others say about me. But what about you? Do you think the same way they do?”

William froze slightly. He then chuckled and signed patiently. “You misunderstood. How could I not believe you? Everything I said before was just to remind you. But Rachel, you should know, you’re my wife. I won’t allow anyone to slander you. Do you understand?”

Rachel’s mouth twitched. He sounded so serious, as if he was doing something noble. She nodded obediently. “I understand. I was just joking earlier, that’s all.”

After hearing her response, the tension in William’s brows eased. He let out a long sigh.

“That’s my girl. Do you want to walk around the mall after this? I heard they just had a new shipment of jewelry. Do you want to take a look?”

Rachel waved him off. “No, it’s fine. I need to help Cecilia with her packing later. I checked the weather forecast. Tomorrow is a good day to move.”

William frowned. “You’re still going to help her? Can’t she do it herself? We’ve already given her such a good deal on the rent. And besides, what if you really are pregnant? You shouldn’t be doing anything strenuous.”

Rachel gave him a sidelong glance. “It’s not like I’m going to keep it. So what does it matter?”

William was silent for a moment. He then reached out and gently grabbed her shoulder. “If you really want this baby, I guess it’s not impossible.”

Rachel could see the hesitation written all over his face. That was the answer of a man who truly wanted a child.

She forced a smile and patted his arm.

“It’s fine. A baby can wait. You’re still building your career, and now isn’t a convenient time anyway. I heard your company is going to be working with a foreign firm later this year. Isn’t that so?"

“Yeah. There’s a lot going on. Honestly, I probably won’t have much time for anything else for a while.” As he said this, a tired expression crept onto his face.

Rachel nodded. “That’s great news. It’ll be a major step forward for the company.”

Just as she expected, as soon as William started talking about the company, his eyes lit up. Rachel knew that his heart and his time were now led to Samantha and his business. She didn’t know what kind of guilt trip had led him to suddenly plan a surprise for her today, but whatever it was, it was already too late. She barely touched food for the rest of dinner.

Chapter 257 +25 BONUS

When William went to the front desk to settle the bill, Rachel stood by quietly and waited. She overheard him speaking to the manager.

“Make sure you go through all the photos they took. Have them sent to Arsen.”

The manager instantly nodded. “Understood, Mr. Lewis.”

Standing beside him, Rachel felt like her already shattered heart had just been torn open again.

The surprise, the flowers, and the fireworks were all for show. It was a performance for the media.

How thoughtful of him.

When William finally finished giving instructions and turned back around, Rachel was no longer there.

He asked the nearest waiter, “Did you see the woman who came in with me earlier?”