Chapter 449 +15 BONUS

“Roger that.”

Although it sounded ridiculous, Arsen still obeyed William’s order.

Just the thought that Rachel had done all this for Tyler made William feel as though something was stuck in his throat. It was bitter, suffocating, and impossible to ignore.

He had been with Rachel for seven years. She clearly loved him, too. She had decided to divorce him only because of Samantha.

William refused to believe that Rachel could be completely heartless toward him. He had known her since college—no one knew her better than he did.

As he reached a fork in the road, he made a sharp turn a bit too fast.

Samantha nearly got thrown out of her seat. Off-balance, her body slammed hard against the car door. The pain brought tears to her eyes. She bit her lower lip and looked at William with a pitiful expression.

“William…”

William glanced at her, realizing he had been a little too rough just now. Since there weren’t many cars at the moment, he reached over and rubbed her head gently to comfort her.

“Sorry. I’ve just been really exhausted these past few days.”

But Samantha knew very well that this had nothing to do with exhaustion. Ever since William overheard the news about Tyler and Rachel, he had been acting off.

He couldn’t even pretend to keep his emotions in check.

Samantha clenched her fists tightly, her fingertips turning red from the pressure. She was all choked up.

“William, do you still have feelings for Rachel? If you do, I’ll leave right now. I promise, I won’t ever get in your way again.”

In the past, William used to find this side of Samantha sweet and considerate. The way she cried made her seem delicate and endearing.

She wasn’t like Rachel.

Rachel always handled everything on her own. She never asked for help, unless he offered it himself.

But now, seeing Samantha like this didn’t move him. If anything, it annoyed him.

Maybe it was because she had always been this way for so many years. Eventually, he just got tired of it.

He missed Rachel more. She had always been gentle when he needed her, and she gave him space when he needed it.

William didn’t want to argue with Samantha. Once she got upset, she would throw a fit again.

He suppressed his irritation.

“No, stop overthinking. I just haven’t been sleeping well. Let me take you home first.”

Samantha pouted and was still trying to confirm it with him.

“William, have you really gotten over Rachel? You don’t have to think about my feelings. You two were doing just fine before. If I hadn’t loved you so much, things would never have turned out this way.”

“This has nothing to do with you. Don’t overthink it. Didn’t the doctor say your mom’s been getting better these past few days? Maybe you two should take a short trip abroad and clear your mind a little.”

In the past, Samantha would’ve been touched by his thoughtfulness and agreed immediately.

But now, with Rachel back and William reacting this strongly, she just couldn’t feel secure enough to leave.

She declined politely.

“No, that’s fine. The doctor said that Mom’s condition still needs close attention. We should stay home and let her recover properly. Don’t worry about me. Just focus on your work at the company.”

Samantha knew how to balance affection and restraint. If she kept pushing and complaining, she would only drive William further toward Rachel.

After dropping Samantha off at home, William immediately drove to LS Enterprise.