CHAPTER 384: CHAPTER 384: HE REALLY DOESN’T LOVE HER

Audrey Sutton lay on the bed, holding onto her inner doubts.

She knew he was quick in the shower, usually done in five or six minutes.

So she waited, and when it had been ten minutes without him coming to her, Audrey decided to call him directly.

He answered but didn’t say a word.

Audrey immediately asked, "What’s wrong with you?"

"Hmm?" His tone carried a hint of confusion.

Audrey said, "I feel like you don’t want to talk to me."

He remained silent, unsure if he was admitting it, or simply hadn’t figured out how to respond to her.

Thinking about his inexplicable coldness, Audrey felt a bit wronged, lying in bed holding a stuffed rabbit, she spoke into the phone, her voice muffled, "Are you tired of me? Are you annoyed that I keep reaching out to you?"

At the hotel, Shane Warner stood by the spacious floor-to-ceiling window, phone in hand, gazing down at the bustling night scene outside from the high floors.

Hearing her question, his heart ached a little. He pressed his lips together, took a barely audible breath, and stayed silent.

His phone wasn’t left at the hotel by accident; he left it there on purpose.

He felt conflicted inside. Whenever he looked at her usual messages, he felt stifled.

He couldn’t bring himself to say any harsh words to question her, but he also couldn’t keep talking to her casually like usual.

Some things were changing silently.

He realized that his heart might not be under his own control.

He wanted to pretend as if nothing was happening and continue being affectionate with her.

But his emotions would inadvertently influence him, making it hard for him to hide them well.

After a long silence on the phone, when she spoke again, her voice was choked with sobs, carefully asking, "...Do you not love me anymore?"

Hearing her voice tinged with tears, Shane Warner frowned with distress, pressed his lips together, and said, "Don’t overthink it, get some rest."

On the other end, she said nothing for a long time, but he could vaguely hear her breathing.

She was crying, suppressing her sobs intentionally.

No one spoke, and no one hung up the phone.

After a while, he heard her choke on her words, asking, "Will you be back tomorrow?"

Shane Warner lowered his gaze, paused for two seconds, and softly said, "Mhm."

Audrey replied, "Then let’s talk when you get back."

"Beep—"

She hung up the phone.

Undoubtedly, it was going to be a sleepless night for both of them.

After the call ended, Shane Warner didn’t toss his phone aside but instead stared at the lock screen with her childhood photo in a sunflower field.

Staring blankly...

"Knock knock—"

The knock on the door came just as the phone’s lock screen went off automatically.

Shane Warner collected his thoughts and turned to open the door.

Lucian Quinn stood outside, handed him a folder, and asked, "Master Shane, should I book the flight for tomorrow afternoon?"

Shane Warner thought for a moment, "Book the early morning flight."

Lucian Quinn was taken aback, wondering why he would delay until the early morning when he usually couldn’t wait to fly back right after finishing his work.

"...Do you have plans tonight?" Lucian Quinn asked.

Shane Warner shook his head, "Change the flight to Paris to the morning the day after tomorrow."

Lucian Quinn, upon hearing this, thought it strange that he seemed not to want to spend time with his young wife. But he didn’t feel it was his place to gossip, so he just nodded and turned away.

Listening to what Audrey had said on the phone earlier, Shane Warner didn’t know what she wanted to talk about when he returned. If she was questioning his change in attitude, he might not have a reasonable explanation to offer.

If she intended to confront him, that was even more something he didn’t want to face.

For the first time, he felt so unsettled, conflicted, and unsure of what to do next.

According to his past self, if he discovered someone betraying him, he would unhesitatingly choose to let go, but now that it was happening with her, he seemed to lack that resolve.

Unwilling to leave her, but not knowing how to face her, he chose to avoid, trying to give himself some time to calm down, to make a decision that would be good for both of them...

The next day, Audrey only knew he would come back but didn’t know when.

She had no classes in the afternoon, so after having lunch at school, she went home to wait for him.

She waited from daylight to darkness, as the sun gave way to the night’s final dusk.

Sitting alone on the sofa with her phone, she kept switching between his phone number and WhatsApp page.

Yet she never reached out to him first again.

Hungry, she waited until eleven at night. Then she called Faye Xavier, who told her that their flight was scheduled for after one, estimating an arrival around three.

After hanging up, Audrey felt her eyes brim with tears.

She slumped on the sofa, tears trailing from the corners of her eyes.

She had reflected well today, but she still didn’t know what she had done wrong to start another cold war between them.

And every cold war, he ended up as the winner, always leaving her to be the one who couldn’t bear it, reaching out to him first...

It left her doubting once more, did he really not love her anymore? Is that why he hesitated to say "I love you" to her?

But thinking back, they had indeed been happy and sweet together recently.

Could it be that such mundane life lacked novelty for him, making him weary?

Was it that she was the only one afraid of losing this marriage?

General drooped his head, crouching beside her, whimpering lowly, and Audrey burst into tears even more fiercely.

...

The flight was delayed, expected to arrive at around 2:40, but didn’t get there until after three.

By the time the car stopped in front of the house, it was close to four.

The lights were on inside, and the place was so quiet you could hear the crickets chirping in the grass.

Shane Warner walked quietly into the house, the TV and lights in the living room were on.

The only one to greet him at the door was General.

He set his suitcase by the door without changing his shoes.

Walking to the sofa, he saw her curled up asleep.

He stood by the sofa looking at her, not picking her up to take her inside, but instead went upstairs to get a blanket, gently placing it over her.

She didn’t wake, with her puffy eyes a sure sign she’d cried herself to sleep.

Shane Warner’s heart softened, not wanting to fly to Paris in just a few hours, wanting instead to hold her and sleep well, to hear her playfully greet him in the morning with a "Good morning, hubby."

"Ding dong—" The phone in his pocket rang, but Shane Warner didn’t immediately reach for it, opting instead to pick up the remote to turn off the slightly noisy TV, quietly taking his suitcase upstairs.