All Too Late

As Samuel’s arm cradled Kathleen’s slender waist, he grandly declared, “This is our house. It’s where we’ll stay from now on.”

Kathleen was confused by his statement and asked, “Isn’t this the place you prepared to stay in with Nicolette?”

Samuel didn’t reply, so Kathleen turned to look at him expectantly.

“If you truly knew her, you would know that she doesn’t like the style of this place. Furthermore, when I made my preparations to move into this house, I didn’t consider her at all,” replied Samuel calmly.

That wasn’t a lie. Indeed, Samuel had designed the place with only his likes and dislikes in mind.

“I started designing and building up this place before we got married, but the construction work didn’t complete in time. That condominium unit is far too small, and it doesn’t have a yard. Thankfully, they wrapped up the work at this place just a few days back, but there’s still some essential furniture that still require about a month or so to arrive. I gave the word yesterday for them to expedite the delivery and paid a fair sum for the delivery fees alone,” explained Samuel.

Kathleen pursed her lips as he spoke.

“However, what’s most important is that you find the place and the set-up comfortable. Go in and take a look,” added Samuel as he lifted her in his arms and stepped out of the car.

Just like that, Kathleen was cradled in his arms as they both disembarked from the car. Immediately, the housekeepers stationed within the mansion rushed out to welcome them. A middle-aged man led the charge. He was Sebastian, the butler here.

Sebastian greeted the pair with a smile and said, “Welcome home, Mr. Macari and Mrs. Macari.”

Kathleen was taken aback by how formal everyone carried themselves. As Samuel continued to guide Kathleen into the mansion, the latter saw that the interior was nothing short of grand and opulent. Even then, it managed to retain a sense of style and refrain from going overboard with the grandeur. Kathleen couldn’t help but be amazed by the sight she took in.

“The first floor houses the living room and dining area, along with the kitchen and the housekeepers’ residences,” explained Samuel. “You don’t have to rush to take everything in for now. There’s plenty of time for you to familiarize yourself with the layout of the place. Let me first take you to the bedroom.”

Kathleen froze where she stood as she wondered why Samuel was so insistent on escorting her to check out the bedroom. As he stood beside her, Samuel could visibly pick up on her now stiffened frame.

The doctor had instructed that Kathleen focus on her recuperation for two whole months before they would be allowed to share a bed together. Although Samuel wanted to skip ahead, he had no choice but to take Kathleen’s physical condition into consideration. He didn’t want to put her into a spot, after all. With that, the pair headed up the stairs.

The entire mansion consisted of three separate levels, each as expansive as the one that came before. Just a single bedroom alone could occupy about ninety square meters, and there were four of them on each level. On the second floor, only the master bedroom and guest room remained untouched. The remaining two rooms had been converted into Samuel’s study and Kathleen’s workstation, respectively.

When they reached the second floor, Samuel guided Kathleen toward the master bedroom. There, Kathleen saw that it was spacious and well-lit by natural lighting. The fixtures within the room had a muted extravagance to them and had features tailored to each of the occupant’s needs. For example, the walk-in closet was huge and packed full of clothing. Almost all of Samuel’s clothing seemed to be formal wear, and they consisted mostly of darker and more muted colors.

and even small accessories that she could use immediately. Everything had been prepared meticulously, and the sheer quantity of items present meant that it took up a sizeable bulk of the walk-in closet’s

boasted an expansive bathroom that even contained a twin bathtub equipped with

satisfied?” asked

nod

and said, “You’re the lady of this house. Feel free to let Sebastian know if there are any areas in which

already good enough,” replied Kathleen

“Ultimately, the

we were on our way here earlier, I saw that this place is located rather close

to chat with when I’m not around. That’s why I purposefully picked a location closer to the Macari residence. That way, it would take a mere ten minutes by car for you to get to

realized that this was finally an aspect of the place that she was fully satisfied

in his hand as he pulled his thin lips closer to hers. He planted a light kiss on her plump lips before he

of her head. While it was true that she wasn’t unhappy, she wasn’t particularly

“I have other matters to deal with in the afternoon. Stay here and wait

as she pursed

ask where I’m going?” asked Samuel as he shot her

inform her in advance even

you trust me this completely

asked where he was headed. She replied, “I used to

realized that all this was

He continued, “I’ll have the staff prepare some food for you. You can go ahead and have a good rest once you’ve eaten. Don’t fret over anything else. What’s most important right now

nodded obediently

girl,” stated

distant from him. He couldn’t help but feel a strong urge to shrink her and tuck her into his pocket

spend with her. After all, he was a truly busy man, especially toward

believe if someone were to claim that Samuel spent each day in Nicolette’s company, day in and out. She knew that she couldn’t bank on a workaholic like him to waste

interrupted Kathleen’s train

some oatmeal. Do have it while it’s still warm,” stated Sebastian warmly as he carried a tray