Chapter 381 Rather Ruthless

Lyla woke up. She squinted her eyes. “Mark?” Softening his gaze, Mark looked at her. “Did I wake you?” Lyla shook her head. “No, I had a dream that you were by my side. It never crossed my mind that I’d wake up just like that.” She rested her head against him. “What time is it?” “It’s four.” “How long have I been asleep for?” Lifting her head, Lyla asked. Mark curled his lips into a doting smile. “It’s normal to crave sleep when you’re pregnant. Moreover, it’s been tiresome for you on the road.” Hearing this, Lyla chuckled and lifted her head to stare at him. “It appears that the boss won’t talk bad about me skipping work.” “The boss allows you to play hooky.” “Is there really such a boss?” “Normally, there isn’t but an exception can be made from having an improper relationship with the boss,” Mark teased. Lyla grinned. “Then, Boss, are there any benefits to having an improper relationship?” “What benefits are you looking at?” “Something like having a salary without working.” Lifting her gaze, she bewitchingly enquired. He knew her too well yet a single look or gentle sweet nothings from her still sent a familiar rush to his core. He jumped on her. “Of course you can. With great service, comes an offer of all my money to you.” Detecting the burning desire in his eyes, Lyla dared not go on playing with fire. She said, “All your money is already in my hands.” Mark replied, “... I can make more.” “What’s the point of having so much? The money is enough for me to live a lifetime,” Lyla answered. She withdrew her coy tone and put on a serious face. “What? Are you saying that you don’t want me anymore?” Lyla solemnly bobbed her head. “Well, that would depend on my mood. It is possible if I’m not feeling it.” “Don’t even think about it. Even if you refuse me, I’m going to cling onto you.” Letting out a snicker, Lyla put her arms around him. “Be nice to me and I won’t ditch you.” Mark studied her face. Feeling the moment, he solemnly nodded. “I will protect you forever.” Lyla laughed. So did Mark. They only had eyes for each other. It took a while before Lyla turned to him. “Do tell. Did something happen?” Mark narrowed his eyes, in shock at how well she knew him. “It’s nothing big.” “It’s nothing big but you came from the office to watch me while murmuring to yourself?” Lyla replied with a question.” “You heard it?” “I heard you talking but I have no idea what you were talking about,” she explained before adding, “I was half asleep.” Closing his eyes, Mark hesitated for a moment and retorted, “I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you worried.” “It’s about me?” Mark nodded his head. “How can I avoid danger if you don’t let me know?” Lyla replied. She had her reasons. Mark gave it a thought and looked into her clear eyes. “Caty Davis escaped.” Lyla was dumbstruck. “She ran away? How did she manage to do that?” “She faked a heart attack and fled while she was sent to the hospital.” With a frown, Lyla dwelled in her thoughts before answering, “Are you worried that she’d come after me?” “I’m not worried but certain that she will,” Mark said. “Why?” “This is the mentality of a criminal. There’s no reason for it,” Mark firmly answered. Lyla furrowed her brows, feeling a little concerned. With her belly growing each day, Lyla would not be so worried if she was alone. However, now that she was carrying a child, she might lose the baby if anything were to happen to her. Observing the wrinkle between her brows, Mark held her face. “Trust me. I won’t let anything happen to you this time.” Lyla looked at him with trusting eyes. She nodded. “I trust you.” Still having his eyes on her, Mark pulled her into his arms. “There’s nothing much going on these days anyway so I won’t leave the house and stay put at home.” “Oh?” “Of course.” “Can you sit still for that long?” “If I can’t, I’ll go with you to the office. Surely, nothing will happen under your watchful eye?” Lyla threw the question at him with a smile. Mark did not answer but his smile said enough. ... Mark went to work every day, occupied with organizational matters and the wedding, while engaged with finding Caty Davis. The wedding would be a disaster if Caty was not found. He could not possibly allow Lyla to be in danger once again. On this day, J entered the office. “Mr. Pattinson...” He shook his head. Mark frowned. “We have invested a lot of money yet gained no intel in return. Could she have left?” J asked. “I hope so. It’s a shame if she hasn’t though.” Mark enunciated each word clearly. “What do we do?” J enquired. Mark was lost in his thoughts for a while before picking up the phone to dial a number. “Mark Pattinson, do you find it funny? You know how important these few days are to me...” “I have something I need to talk to you about.” Neil was cut off before he could finish. Judging by his serious tone of voice, it must be a matter of importance. Neil put on a straight face. “How big of a deal are we talking about?” “Lives are at stake.” “Do tell. When do you need to see me?” “The latest would be tonight.” “You...” “It’s a priority,” Mark emphasized. “Fine, fine, fine. Got it. Remember, you owe me one.” With that, the call was terminated. Although Mark was reluctant to disrupt Neil amid his happiness, the severity of the situation left him no choice. His mind would be at ease with Neil’s help. J could tell who Mark was on the phone with. He uttered with a grin, “It saves us a lot of trouble with Young Master Neil’s assistance.” Mark met his gaze. “Prepare the car for me. I’m heading out.” Bobbing his head, J went down to business. ... The car pulled up outside the Collins’ residence. Watching from inside, Mark had no idea how he should walk in. He had no clue whether she had let go of the matter or whether his sudden appearance would be a blow to her. It was awkward for him to look for her but he had all the reasons to. After much hesitation, he whipped out his phone and gave her a call. Just then, the gate to the Collins’ residence was opened. Delilah came trodding from inside. With her phone ringing, she picked it up for a look. Once at the gate, Delilah fixated her gaze on Mark’s car. She did not accept the call because she could identify Mark’s car. Noticing her gaze, Mark hung up the call. He pushed open the car door and hopped off the car. Delilah narrowed her eyes the moment their eyes met. Amid her silence, Mark approached her. “What’s the matter?” Delilah threw the question at him. Her tone was distant as though speaking to a stranger. No, it was more than strangers. Mark looked at her and sighed. “I have something to discuss with you. I wonder if you have the time?” Delilah focused on him. Mark had mentally prepared himself to be rejected but after an extended period, she finally gave a nod. Mark’s lips curled into a smile. “I won’t keep you long.” Without a word, Delilah made a beeline toward his car. Mark went up ahead and opened the car door for her in a display of gentility. ... In the cafe. They sat opposite each other. It had been a while since their last encounter and Delilah appeared quite thin. Nevertheless, she was beautiful and of graceful bearings as always. “Tell me. What do you want with me?” She asked. Mark hesitated for a moment before asking, “Have you seen Caty Davis lately?” Delilah was surprised by the mention of Caty. “What are you trying to say?” Mark measured her up, attempting to identify anything out of place. Narrowing her eyes, Delilah uttered in displeasure, “Mr. Pattinson, I’m happy to answer any questions but don’t bother if you’re trying to sound me out.” Mark pursed his lips and replied, “I’m sorry, I’m just trying to ascertain a matter.” “What’s going on?” Delilah enquired. “She escaped.” “Escaped? What do you mean?” “She faked a heart attack and ran away from the hospital,” Mark faintly stated. Delilah widened her eyes. “How could this be?” “I’m not sure myself, so I came over to find out more from you.” “I had no idea about any of this,” Delilah retorted. Mark was without a word. Pulling herself together, Delilah gazed at him. “Are you worried that she’s up to something again?” “She will be up to no good now that she’s out. Of course, I hope this is not the case. I’m taking the precautions nonetheless,” Mark replied. Delilah was speechless in the face of his defensiveness. “I will talk her into returning if she comes to look for me.” “I hope that you would tell me if she comes for you.” Delilah frowned, revealing her annoyance between her brows. “Relax, I’m not going to do anything to her. I just wish she can return to where she’s supposed to be.” “Can’t you just let her go? She’s punished enough.” “The fact that she ran away shows she doesn’t believe that she’s in the wrong. A person ignoring the law is capable of doing anything.” Delilah jumped onto her feet. “Do you want to see a vibrant life spending the rest of her life behind bars?” Mark squinted his eyes. “This was her choice, so she should bear the consequences.” Delilah looked at him with eyes of resentment, hatred, and incomprehension. Not knowing what to say, she shot him a look before packing up her purse to leave. She was pissed off. Delilah found Mark rather ruthless. She had to admit that she did have her own selfish motive. Even though Caty took the wrong path too many times and shared a special bond with Delilah, she was the only one who was sincere and nice, giving her life to Delilah. Hence, Delilah was hot with emotions to find out about the news. Delilah even selfishly hoped Caty would flee to a faraway place, never to return if she really escaped. Feeling overwhelmed with emotions, she took quick paces out. Delilah hailed a cab and took off. She grabbed her phone intending to trace Caty but soon realized that she had no clue where to start. Mark observed her receding figure. Her reaction and expression indicated nothing close to lying. Where could Caty be if she did not seek Delilah?