Chapter 3 What Else Do You Want
“Should I book a restaurant, boss?” Conner Hayes asked Brayden tentatively.
Brayden pinched his brows irritably as he replied to his special a**istant, “No.”
He knew that Alison was just venting her dismay on him. If he could make her feel better by letting her spend his money, so be it.
As soon as he said that, he received another text message regarding the deduction of 4.5 million from his bank account.
Conner and Brayden’s four bodyguards merely watched from the sidelines. No one dared to let out even a squeak as they carried Alison’s shopping bags silently.
After Alison was done with her purchase, she pa**ed her jewelry bag naturally to Conner since he was empty-handed. Just as she was about to continue shopping, Brayden’s phone rang.
His frustration seemed to have calmed a little, and his frown was also released. After sliding his phone screen with his slender finger, he answered the call in an exceptionally tender voice, “Hi, Julia.”
Conner and the four bodyguards went speechless at that.
Did you forget that your wife is right beside you, boss?!
“Mr. Cornell, Julia got into an accident on the road when she was on the way to the hospital, and she’s still in a coma right now.” The voice on the phone sounded a little loud and anxious. “Can you please come over? She’s been calling your name before entering the operation room just now.”
“Send me the address. I’ll come over right away.” Brayden felt his heart clench tight as he gave a prompt answer.
When he hung up the call, he looked at Alison and was about to explain before realizing it wasn’t necessary. Hence, he turned to his a**istant. “You guys accompany Alison and let her buy anything she wants. If it’s too many to carry, just get them sent to our house in the afternoon.”
“Yes, boss,” answered the bodyguards.
With that, he strode away and left Alison, Conner, and the bodyguards in the mall.
The atmosphere was slightly awkward, so Conner figured that he should say something to defend his boss. Pushing his gold-rimmed gla**es up his nose bridge, he smiled. “Don’t worry, Mrs. Cornell. Mr. Cornell will be back after settling some matters.”
“I feel bad for you,” Alison uttered meaningfully, leaving Conner dumbfounded.
Huh?
Watching the luxurious decoration in the mall, she explained, “On top of working all day and all night, you even have to say things without conscience. Have you ever seen someone come back after leaving in the middle of a date?”
Conner and the bodyguards went silent.
The five of them looked at her with pity.
That must be the pain of being married to a wealthy man. She knew her husband was running to another woman, but she couldn’t do anything about it.
Sigh.
“Don’t look at me with those pitiful eyes.” Alison was amused by their reaction and said something realistic, “Pick anything from these bags you’re carrying. Mind you, everything here is worth your annual salary of up to ten years.”
Excuse me?! All of them inhaled a sharp breath.
She was insane!
“Is there anything you want?” she asked.
The five of them looked at her with puzzled expressions.
They honestly could not keep up with her random pace at all.
“Since he’s out to see his mistress, I’ll buy you guys anything you want using his money.” Waving the card in her hands, she uttered in a slightly sullen tone, but she failed to realize that she still cared about Brayden going to meet his first love and abandoning her.
She just wanted to max out his card at this moment.
Conner and the bodyguards stared at her in horror.
Realizing how boring they were, she continued shopping and swiping his card.
Initially, they thought Brayden would stay in the hospital with Julia for the whole day, so they didn’t expect him to appear during lunch in a murderous aura.
Before anyone could react, he dragged Alison all the way to the parking lot, and his grip on her hand was excessively strong.
Bang!
Alison’s back hit the car.
Suffering the sharp pain, she furrowed.
Is he insane?
Yet before she could speak, he questioned her.
“Why did you hurt Julia?” Brayden was burning with rage. If not for his sanity, he could’ve lost control of his grip on her. “Why did you hire someone to hit her?! I gave you everything from the car to the villa and even monetary compensation. What else do you want?!”
As if coming from hell, he exuded an eerily cold aura.
His narrow, long, and bottomless eyes looked like a deep abyss that could easily drown her.
“When did I hurt her?” Alison was completely baffled by his accusation.
“What’s the point of putting up an act now?” Brayden questioned in a voice as cold as ice. “Didn’t you purposely propose to come shopping today with me so that you could hire someone to hit her? You should know that once I commit to a relationship with her, I will never let her get hurt even if it means sacrificing my life.”
Brayden’s words were so cold it could make the listener shudder.
Alison, on the other hand, was initially enraged, but after listening to his accusation, she calmed down instead.
Looking into his eyes, she snickered, “Mr. Cornell, you’re the first person who managed to describe an affair so beautifully.”
“Alison!” Brayden was furious.
“Go and get help if you’re not well.” Alison did not even bother about his status when she counterattacked him. “Just think about it. Why would I hire someone to hit her instead of happily living my life after the divorce?”
“I don’t know. Ask yourself!” Brayden retorted in a threatening manner.
Hearing that, she suddenly realized what he meant. “Are you saying that I did that because I wanted you back?”
Brayden went silent at that, but his expression and attitude seemed to be saying, Is that not what it is?
“For what?” Alison tossed the question at him again before explaining rationally, “You made me a substitute. You were bold enough to cheat on me. Your heart belongs to someone else. Why would I want you back?”
She made him speechless.
Her words were pretty harsh, prompting him to explain, “I did not cheat on you.”
“Emotional cheating is also cheating.” Alison did not care about his pride at all.
Scrunching his brows, he stated, “Don’t change the subject.”
“You’re the one who started it,” she rebuked.
Brayden went silent and did not speak, but his cold gaze landed on her. A strong and intimidating aura emanated from him, as if he was meeting her for the first time.
Alison didn’t bother to entertain him as she didn’t enjoy taking the blame for what she did not do. “Do you believe her just because she claimed that I hired someone to hit her?”
“Yes.” Brayden gradually calmed down upon meeting her sincere gaze, but the aura he exuded didn’t fade away. “She never lies to me, and she has proof that you hit her.”
Alison raised her brows and eyes at him.
Clutching her bag tightly, she compromised, “Alright. Let’s get in the car. I’ll go to the hospital and see her.”
Instantly, the chilly aura he exuded dissipated as he never expected her to be so cooperative.
After all, she wouldn’t have suggested going with him if she was really the perpetrator.
In an instant, he felt torn. He didn’t know if he should believe the evidence.
“Excuse me.” Alison stared at his body and spat coldly.
Releasing his grip on her, he looked at her trying to distance herself from him. Somehow, frustration clouded his mind and heart, but he held the emotions back and unlocked the car.