Chapter 3

Bethany dragged two suitcases out of Noah's villa. Judy Jordan, the housekeeper, had just returned from grocery shopping and froze when she saw her. "Are you going on a business trip, Ms. Porter?" Bethany chuckled. "Yeah." "Oh dear, I just bought groceries. Let me know when you're back, and I'll cook your favorites for you!" Bethany smiled. Soon, there would be a new lady of the house. So, she would never be back again. Nevertheless, she said, "Thank you, Judy! I'll get going now." Judy watched Bethany walk away and felt that something was off, though she couldn't quite put her finger on it. When she went back into the villa, she noticed that quite a few things were missing. All the soft, pastel pink decorations were gone. Judy hurried upstairs to the walk-in closet and opened the wardrobe. Fortunately, Bethany's clothes were still there. Little did she know that everything Bethany had left behind had been given to her by Noah. Bethany had not taken a single one of those items with her. The only things she took were the ones she had bought herself. Judy still felt uneasy, so she called her employer, who was in Montvera. "Ms. Porter came back today and took quite a few things with her, Mr. Vazquez." Noah was caught off guard. His brows drew together as he inquired, "Where did she go?" "She told me that she's going on a business trip for a few days." A business trip? He wasn't even in the country. As his personal secretary, what kind of business trip could she possibly be on? Their chat history was still frozen on messages from several days ago. He noticed multiple missed calls on his phone and froze. Just as he was about to call back, Ella hissed in pain. Bethany was perfectly fine back home. What could possibly have happened to her? He figured that she was probably just upset because he hadn't answered her calls these past few days. Noah set his phone down and hurried over. "What's wrong, Ella?" Ella was cutting fruit in the kitchen when she accidentally nicked her finger. "I'm such a klutz, Noah. I just wanted to cut some fruit for you." He immediately brought over the first-aid kit and bandaged it for her. Then, he affectionately patted her head. "I like this side of you." She lowered her head bashfully and pouted. "You're so annoying… Noah, when we get home tomorrow, can I invite my sister over?" His eyes flickered. He was well aware that Bethany was, in name, Ella's sister. He asked, "Aren't you on bad terms with her?" Ella's long lashes fluttered. "We aren't on good terms, which is exactly why I want to mend things with her. Mom and Beth don't get along because of me, so I should do something for her." "You're so kind, Ella." Noah's eyes crinkled. "But let's leave that for another time. We're flying back tomorrow, and I don't want anything to ruin your welcome dinner." Ella's gaze dimmed. "Alright then." She had always known that Bethany was nothing more than her substitute. When Noah's phone was left unlocked, she saw Bethany's message and realized the two of them had been secretly seeing each other. From then on, with just a little manipulation, Noah would always rush to see her. Even the post she had made the day before yesterday had been deliberate. Tomorrow, when she returned home, she would make sure that Bethany was gone. … The next day, Bethany went to the company to hand over her responsibilities. Mandy Sinclair looked at her regretfully. "Are you sure you don't want to stay, Beth? If it's about pay or benefits, I can talk to management for you." Talk to whom? Noah? Bethany smiled wryly. "That won't be necessary, Mandy. I have personal reasons." Bethany was the only woman among Noah's secretaries. In the past, the female candidates who had applied all harbored ulterior motives, hoping to use the job as a stepping stone. In the end, Noah kept only Bethany. She was meticulous, quick on her feet, and handled everything with ease, saving Mandy a great deal of trouble. As Noah's personal assistant, Mandy genuinely admired Bethany. Bethany was beautiful, knew her place, and followed the rules. However, she could not force her to stay. Mandy said, "Alright then. I'll approve your resignation. Mr. Vazquez, on the other hand… We'll have to wait until he returns from his trip to see if he signs off on it." Bethany's lips twitched at the corner. "Thank you. I'll get back to work then." Then, she went to the pantry and overheard employees from the administrative department gossiping. "Hey, did you hear? Mr. Vazquez didn't go on a business trip this time. He went to pursue his young girlfriend!" "Seriously? I thought he wasn't interested in women. I've been here for years and never heard any rumors about him." "Of course, that wasn't the case. The Vazquezes and the Reids had been allied for generations. Mr. Vazquez had been waiting for her to graduate and come of age. "The paparazzi even caught photos of them, but he suppressed the news to protect her. I'm shipping them so hard!" Bethany failed to notice that the cup in her hand was not aligned with the spout. Boiling water poured onto the back of her hand, causing her to hiss and withdraw it. In the blink of an eye, a large red patch bloomed across her skin, and excruciating pain shot through her arm. "Jesus, Beth, you need to be more careful! Hurry up and go to the restroom to rinse it under cold water, or it'll blister," someone urged, noticing her scalded hand. Bethany nodded lightly. "Yeah, I'll do just that." She stood at the sink, letting cold water run over her hand, her chest tightening unbearably as she replayed their conversation. So… Noah and Ella were already talking about marriage. And she had been foolishly waiting for him to make their relationship public. Her phone lit up on the counter. It was a message from her best friend, Holly. "My uncle is throwing a welcome dinner tonight for his girlfriend, Beth. I don't want to go. Will you accompany me?" Bethany swallowed the lump in her throat, realizing that Noah was already back in the country. "I can't, Hols. I have to work overtime tomorrow night."