Chapter 196

Nicholas Perkins set his teacup down, his deep gaze sweeping over Alice Bennett. A flicker of something unreadable passed through his eyes. Ever since that fiasco at the hospital, he'd gotten quieter at home, like the air around him had thickened. His eyes had gone darker too, like hiding stuff he didn’t want anyone to see. “Take me back to the room,” he said flatly. Alice quickly nodded and started pushing his wheelchair. “Mr. Perkins, did I say too much just now?” she asked softly on the way, sensing his mood had shifted. Her heart tightened a little as she glanced at him. “Smart women don’t ask questions they already know the answer to,” Nicholas replied in a low, frosty voice. It carried no emotion, but was enough to make her feel chills. Alice pressed her lips together, choosing silence. She kept her head down and continued wheeling him back. Meanwhile… On the fourth floor of the Perkins Mall, where all the restaurants were, Samantha Quin bounced excitedly toward a hot pot skewer