Chapter 450 An Intimate Photograph
“She said the same thing you did. That she hated me,” Samuel answered with indifference.
What? Kathleen said that to him? That’s great news! But why did she say that? How peculiar…
Despite those thoughts, Ashley finally felt relieved and let out a sigh.
It was then that Samuel stood up to head to the elevator.
Upon seeing that, Ashley hurriedly followed behind him as they returned to the condominium.
“Don’t ever sneak into my room when I’m asleep again,” Samuel frostily reminded.
His words shocked Ashley, who rebuked, “What are you saying? Samuel, we’ve always slept together in the past.”
“That was the past. Things are different now.” A bone-chilling frown crept up Samuel’s face. “I’ll move out if it happens again.”
“Oh, all right. I won’t sneak in anymore,” Ashley replied helplessly.
Following that, Samuel went into his room and locked the door, leaving a speechless Ashley behind.
The next day, Kathleen slept in due to her hangover.
When she finally came downstairs, Charles and Clarissa were looking after the two kids as they all ate breakfast.
“I hear you went out for a drive on your own last night?” Charles interrogated, his tone as cold as stone.
Kathleen was caught off guard by his question but she eventually replied, “Yeah.”
Still, Charles continued with his interrogation. “I also heard Tyson had sent you home afterward.”
Kathleen nodded.
“And you drank?”
“I only had a little to drink…” Kathleen took on a languid tone as she spoke. “Oh, stop worrying about me, Charles.”
A sneer instantly appeared on Charles’ scrunched-up face. “Don’t tell me you went to see Samuel.”
Kathleen was stumped as she did not know how to respond.
Before she could say anything, Yadiel entered the space and placed a new phone in front of Kathleen.
He explained, “Dr. Johnson, Tyson has been urging you to send your new phone number to Mr. Macari.”
Charles shot a narrow-eyed stare at Kathleen upon hearing that.
Right away, guilt ate away at Kathleen’s conscience.
“Also, there’s a document for you,” Yadiel added.
Kathleen accepted the document and the phone before heading upstairs.
When she arrived in her room, she switched on the phone and noticed her new SIM card had already been inserted.
She sent a message to her old phone before opening up the document.
What came out of the document’s package was a photo.
Upon closer inspection, Kathleen realized it was a photo of Samuel and Ashley in bed.
Ashley was on all fours while Samuel lay beneath her. Their position seemed intimate and sexually ambiguous.
Her nose scrunched up to her eyes right then.
That was when she suddenly received a call from Samuel.
Kathleen glanced at the caller number on the phone while pursing her lips into a thin line.
Moments passed before she accepted the call.
“You said you’d call me after getting home,” said Samuel.
Kathleen sounded unconcerned as she said, “Most establishments aren’t even open this early. How am I supposed to contact you if I haven’t settled things with my SIM card?”
Her snappy response made Samuel frown. “Are you still hungover?”
To that, Kathleen massaged her temples and questioned, “What do you want?”
“I need to have a proper chat with you.” Samuel’s tone returned to its usual iciness. “Are you free?”
“What is there to talk about between us?” Kathleen snarled into the phone. “Since Ashley loves you that much, and you’re super grateful to her, your precious savior, you two can live happily ever after together! Quit bothering me!”
With that, she pressed down hard on the red button, ending the call mercilessly.
Her fingers immediately raised to massage the spot between her brows.
D*mn you, Samuel! What a scumbag!
Meanwhile, on the other end of the call was a deeply frowning Samuel. Did she just hang up on me? Is her temper really that foul?
Kathleen’s phone had many contact numbers.
At some point, Samuel noticed Tyson’s contact and wasted no time in phoning the latter.
“M-Mr. Macari?” Tyson’s voice sounded as enthusiastic as always.
“Come over and pick me up. I’d like to drop by the company,” Samuel ordered without a trace of warmth.
“Got it!” Tyson nodded.
Then, Samuel hung up.
It was also that moment when Ashley entered the house and saw Samuel putting on his coat. She asked curiously, “Are you heading out?”
“I’m going to the company,” was Samuel’s curt response.
“I’ll accompany you.” Ashley was quick to offer. She clung to him like a leech at that moment as she did not want Samuel to spend any time with Kathleen alone.
Samuel impassively glanced at her without uttering a word.
Seeing that he did not refuse, Ashley secretly heaved a sigh of relief.
It was not long before Samuel took his walking cane and went downstairs with Ashley in tow.
The two waited at the main gate for a brief moment before Tyson arrived.
The latter then got out of the car to open the door for Samuel, who got in right after.
Ashley wanted to get in too, but Tyson stopped her while stating, “Apologies, Ms. Zeller. You can’t join Mr. Macari to the company.”
“Why the heck not?” Ashley’s shrill voice yelled.
Her displeased gaze was quick to look over at Samuel.
Like her, Tyson turned around to face Samuel and explained, “This has always been a rule that you set, Mr. Macari. You said that anyone unrelated to the company isn’t allowed there. Otherwise, it would be hard to maintain order at the company.”
Samuel nodded. His frosty gaze then shot over at Ashley as he ordered, “You can wait at home.”
“But!” A pout formed on Ashley’s face as she whined, “Who else will look after you if I don’t go?”
“I will,” Tyson tersely chimed in before shutting the car door and getting back into the driver’s seat.
The entire thing left Ashley enraged but helpless at the same time.
Ever since she learned that Samuel had met up with Kathleen, her mind was filled with worry.
After all, Samuel’s love for Kathleen knew no bounds.
Hence, Ashley deeply feared that Samuel would fall in love with Kathleen all over again upon seeing the latter.
Tyson ignored the grumpy-looking woman and drove off at once.
That left Ashley crestfallen with her fists balled tautly.
D*mn it! I’ll get Samuel to replace that irksome assistant of his sooner or later!
Just then, a series of heeled footsteps sounded behind her.
“It seems like you haven’t fully tied Samuel down, huh?” a familiar woman’s voice remarked.
Ashley turned around and instantly said, “Lauren, you made it.”
While chuckling, Lauren replied, “Yep. I was planning to head upstairs but saw you two coming outside, so I hid.”
Ashley pursed her lips.
“Don’t worry. Samuel and Kathleen will never have a future together,” Lauren casually declared.
“How do you know that?” Ashley frowned.
“Because I sent this photo to Kathleen.”
With that, Lauren deviously chuckled and extended her phone toward Ashley.
All it took was a glimpse before the latter’s eyes lit up with hope. “When did you take this?”
“I took plenty of such photos, but I personally feel this one packs the most punch,” Lauren commented with a half-smile.
“Indeed.” Ashley satisfactorily nodded as she praised, “You did so well, Lauren!”
With this picture, Kathleen will surely misunderstand my relationship with Samuel! This is great!
“Helping you is helping myself. If you marry Samuel, then I’ll have him to back me up.” Lauren’s malicious grin reached her eyes as she continued, “Let’s hope this utterly worsens Samuel and Kathleen’s relationship. That way, he won’t be sad even if I kill her. It’ll all be perfect!”
“You want to kill her?” Ashley lowered her voice to a bare whisper, fearful that anyone would hear them. “What are you trying to do?”
Lauren lowered her voice to match the former as she explained, “I plan to poison Old Mrs. Macari, then blame it on Kathleen. Given how little Samuel trusts Kathleen now, this is our best chance! He’s going to hate her if we succeed. Then, all we need to do is create an accident and kill off Kathleen without attracting any suspicion. Samuel won’t know a thing.”
Ashley nodded, saying, “That’s a good plan. Although, how are we going to poison Old Mrs. Macari? That’s impossible.”
“Hah!” Lauren snorted viciously before clarifying, “Sickness is inevitable in life. Plus, most foods contain toxins these days.”
