Chapter 4

4: 4

4

She spoke with the corners of her eyes tilting up, her tone taking it all for granted.

I slowly drew my arm free of her grip, met her eyes, and kept my voice low but perfectly clear.

“He bought the bed. Why should I pay for it?”

The smile froze on Madison's face.

Her brows knit, and displeasure rose fast in her eyes. “Orson, what's that supposed to mean?”

“It's barely morning. Are you trying to start a fight again?”

That was when Laurence walked over.

He wore just the right amount of concern, his voice gentle. “Madison, don't be like this.”

Then he turned to me, his gaze earnest, but carrying a faint, barely-there sneer.

“Orson, if you think the bed's too expensive, I can help cover it.”

“There's no need for the two of you to fall out over a little money like this.”

I laughed all of a sudden.

“A mere eighty grand. You think I'd call that too expensive?”

My gaze slid across that lavish bed they'd just finished assembling, then settled on Laurence's slowly stiffening face.

“Laurence, that rosewood tea table you ‘borrowed’ from me goes for four hundred sixty thousand on the market.”

“That top-of-the-line imported built-in kitchen suite? The invoice came to one point two million.”

“And that blue-and-white porcelain vase from my study, the Qianlong-era one. It sold at Christie's last year for three point eight million.”

I kept my pace steady, every word crisp and unmistakable.

“Oh, right. And there's that last figurine cabinet.”

“Any out-of-print piece in there is worth six figures, easy.”

“Do you want me to go through them one by one?”

With each number I named, the color drained a little more from Laurence's face.

He didn't dare meet my eyes, glancing in a fluster toward the few workers nearby who had stopped what they were doing and were straining to listen.

The workers' looks had already shifted from curiosity to shock, and then to open contempt.

Madison's face changed too.

First disbelief, then anger taking its place.

Her cheeks flushed red fast, not from embarrassment, but from the hot rush of humiliation and rage.

“Orson!”

She cut me off with a shriek, her voice trembling slightly with fury.

“Shut your mouth! Who told you to say all this?!”

She lunged a step forward, practically jabbing a finger at my nose.

“So Laurence took a few of your things, so what?”

“I said it was borrowing! Is that too hard for you to understand?”

“A grown man, keeping such careful accounts. Doesn't that disgust you?”

“Do you have to be this petty about it?”

“Fine! There's no living with you!”

“Break up! You hear me? We're breaking up!”

She screamed the last words and stared me down.

Expecting to see me panic the way I always had, give in, apologize.

Behind her, Laurence kept his eyes lowered, trying to hide the awkwardness on his face.

But those pressed-tight lips and the faint twitch at the corner of his eye gave away just how humiliated he was.

I smiled again, took out my phone, and looked at the workers.

“Guys, how much is the bed plus installation, all in?”

They named a figure, and I transferred the money on the spot.

When the payment confirmation chimed, Madison's face eased a little, the corners of her mouth lifting again.

Thinking I had finally, once more, bent to her will.

Right then, the doorbell rang.

I turned and opened the door.

A pretty young woman stood outside.

Long, softly waved hair, big eyes, fair skin.

A few neighbors trailed behind her.

She looked at me a little timidly and asked in a small voice.

“Hi, we're here to take the things. Is now a good time?”

I nodded with a smile.

“Of course. Help yourselves, everyone.”

“Take whatever you like, no charge.”

“And if anything's too heavy to carry, I can lend a hand.”