Chapter 77 You Have No
Idea How Crazy William…
Renee stared at the table overflowing with fiery dishes, and then shifted her gaze to William, momentarily at a loss for words.
“You said you had a stomachache,” she finally said, her voice carrying a hint of
disbelief.
William clutched his stomach, his brows furrowing as if to emphasize his supposed pain. “Yeah, it’s killing me.”
Renee arched a brow and gestured at the spread before them. “And yet, this feast of spice?”
William’s response was calm, sincere. “Because you love it.”
His words landed softly, yet they struck something deep inside her. So, he knew. And
yet, ever since their marriage, spicy dishes had become a rarity at their meals. To please him, she had slowly forced herself to let go of her once–passionate love for spicy food. Over time, the sharp heat that used to excite her became a distant memory, and she forgot just how much she had once craved the burn of chili on her tongue.
“It’s been ages since I stopped liking spicy food,” Renee murmured, almost to herself.
William had been reaching to place food on her plate, but at her words, his hand froze midair. His smile faltered, and for a split second, he seemed utterly still–like a man who had just heard something he wasn’t ready to face. It felt as if she wasn’t just talking about food.
When Renee looked up, her expression was unreadable. Their eyes met in a silent standoff, neither willing to blink first.
Then, as if grasping at straws, William placed a piece of spicy chicken wing onto Renee’s plate, his voice deliberately light. “A habit you’ve had for so many years doesn’t just vanish. Try it again–you might find you still love it.”
Renee said nothing, her face giving away little.
Just then, a bright, cheerful voice cut through the tension like a blade through butter. “William? That really you?”
Denton strolled over, flashing an easy grin before dropping into the seat beside William. He turned to Renee with a teasing smile. “Renee, I’m not crashing the party, am I?”
Renee shrugged, her tone breezy. “Not at all. I was just about done anyway. You two can catch up.”
“Whoa, whoa–hold up!”
As Renee turned to leave, Denton quickly stepped forward, blocking her path. William, on the other hand, grew visibly anxious, his eyes darting between her and Denton. He hesitated, his mouth opening as if he wanted to say something, but the words hung in the air, unspoken.
Denton gave William a subtle nudge, signaling him to calm down. Then, turning his attention to Renee, he smiled with a hint of mischief. “Renee, you don’t have a problem with me, do you? I just got here, and you’re already making a run for it? We go way back–you can spare me a few minutes, right?”
Renee exhaled lightly, shaking her head. “It’s not like that. I’m just full.”
Oddly enough, she hadn’t taken a single bite since sitting down.
William’s gaze darkened, something unreadable flickering behind his eyes.
Denton, ever the peacemaker, got up and poured her a glass of water, pushing it toward her. “Humor me. Just a little chat, that’s all.”
With no polite way out, Renee relented and sank back into her seat.
Denton shot William a quick wink before turning back to Renee with a casual air.
“You’ve been gone three years, Renee. You have no idea how crazy William went looking for you. I’d never seen him like that before.”
Denton’s words pressed down on her chest like a heavy stone, making it hard to breathe. A sudden fog clouded her mind, leaving her speechless. How was she supposed to respond? Should she offer William some hollow words of comfort? “It must have been hard for you.” Would that be the right thing to say?
But had anyone ever spared a thought for her all those years she endured in silence? William had turned a blind eye to her feelings, and only after she walked away did he finally realize what he had lost. Now, he was searching for her–what was she
supposed to make of that?
Denton kept going, his voice steady. “At first, I thought he would soon give up if he couldn’t find you. But for three years, he has been exhausting every possible lead. Any whisper of your whereabouts, and he was on it…”
“Oh, really?” Renee finally found her footing, cutting Denton off with a faint smile.
She was smiling, but her eyes held nothing but ice as they met William’s.
“Mr. Mitchell, such persistence,” she mused, her voice light but laced with something sharper. “Could it be that when we divorced, I forgot to pay back the money I took from you? Is that why you’ve been trying so hard to locate me? If that’s the case, then I
must admit that one is on me.”
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