Chapter 8: The Distressed Princess

"Layla, this is for you. The clerk said it has a self-heating function for massages. Try it out later! ... And this is for Alice. Keep it for her until she gets back."

By evening, Rebecca had returned to Pinewood Mansion. She kept her marriage to Frederick hidden from the school to prevent any unnecessary complications.

She kept it from Alexa to avoid stirring up her emotions, but she had no plan to conceal it from Layla.

Seeing Layla's eyes redden with impending tears, Rebecca smiled and reached out to hug her. "Layla, don't worry about me. There are plenty of couples out there who live their whole lives without love. Mr. Windsor and I might get along just fine too!"

She felt like cursing Dennis, hoping that a lightning bolt would hit him eventually. She also considered how crushed Alexa would be if she discovered the truth.

Layla remained silent, simply nodding repeatedly.

Thinking about Frederick, a flutter touched her heart. Even without love, there had to be some degree of concern, didn’t there?

Her mind kept returning to the image of Frederick carrying Rebecca through the doorway, his expression sharp and intense, as if he could conquer the world.

Layla opened her mouth to speak but ultimately said nothing.

"Even without a wedding or a reception, today is still a good day. We should celebrate!"

Patting Rebecca's hand, Layla signaled her to go rest, then turned to instruct the kitchen to prepare an elaborate candlelit dinner.

When darkness settled, Layla and the household helpers left.

Outside the tall windows, snowflakes floated softly, forming a peaceful and romantic view.

The fireplace hissed and popped with aromatic logs, filling the room with a subtle pine fragrance. Outside, everything was hushed.

Rebecca paused at the top of the stairs, taking in the snug living room below, and felt a brief spell of amazement. Frederick had kept his promise.

He promised her all the privileges of being Mrs. Windsor and delivered them promptly.

The master bedroom’s previously empty dressing room and jewelry cases were now stocked with all her favorite designer pieces.

An unlimited black card.

The disappearance of debt-collection calls.

And a customized treatment plan for Alexa, with meticulous care in the hospital.

Just yesterday, she was stressing about a ₦100m debt and Alexa's illness.

Overnight, she seemed to revert to the carefree rich girl from the Getty family.

Only now, she had a new title.

Mrs. Windsor.

Frederick had given her so much, yet she had nothing to offer in return.

No matter how you looked at it, Frederick was getting the short end of the stick.

Feeling a bit guilty, a humorous line popped into Rebecca's mind: "I have nothing to offer but myself!"

Well, they were already married, so she had already offered herself, right?

She decided to do her best as Mrs. Windsor.

Lifting her gown, she walked to the dining table. Seeing the food was getting cold, she called Frederick.

"Frederick..."

His voice on the other end was as clear and cold as the icicles hanging from the eaves outside.

Her head, slightly dizzy from the wine, instantly sobered up.

Everyone in the banquet hall fell silent, stopping their chatter.

Frederick walked to the window. "What's wrong?"

"When are you coming home?"

Rebecca's voice sounded pitiful. "I'm so hungry. I only had a steak at Meet for lunch, and it's cold, so I got hungry quickly. If you're going to be late, can I eat first?"

She... was waiting for him to come home for dinner?

Frederick's gaze softened.

He could almost see Rebecca sitting at the dining table, resting her chin on her hand, waiting for him.

"About... 15 minutes."

Frederick's voice was deep. "If you're hungry, go ahead and eat. I'll be home soon."

He returned to the dining table, raised his glass to the guest of honor. "Let's call it a night. Tomorrow... no, tomorrow at noon, I'll host you all again."

With that, he downed his drink and left.

Everyone was stunned.

A multi-billion-dollar deal, scheduled weeks in advance, and he just left?

They were speechless.

The Maybach raced to Pinewood Mansion, pulling up directly in front of the villa without going into the garage.

Frederick got out of the car, his face dark, and strode inside.

"Rebecca, what were you thinking?"

He quickly took off his coat and draped it over her, then pulled her inside.

Noticing Rebecca trembling in the cold, he appeared on the verge of scolding her.

"I, I... Achoo!"

Rubbing her nose, Rebecca grabbed a wool blanket from the sofa and wrapped herself in it, then moved closer to the fireplace. "You said you'd be home in 15 minutes, so I came out to check if you were here."

"I didn’t think the door would shut with just a gentle pull. It’s your door’s fault, and that darn…"

Her voice trailed off as Frederick's gaze grew colder. She decided to shut up.

Rebecca was wearing a burgundy strap dress.

Her long hair cascaded around her shoulders.

Her face was pale from the cold, and her nose was red from sneezing.

She looked like a distressed princess, pitiful yet adorable.

Thinking about how she had run out barefoot upon hearing the car, Frederick's expression softened.

"Frederick..."

Seeing Frederick turn to leave, Rebecca's voice caught in her throat.

Before she could figure out where he was going, he returned from the bathroom with a steaming white towel.

He tossed the blanket aside and picked her up, placing her on the blanket.

Frederick grabbed her foot and wiped away the dirt.

It tickled a bit.

But Rebecca didn't dare laugh.

She watched him retrieve a pair of slippers from the shoe cabinet and place them in front of her.

Her heartbeat finally returned to normal, and she let out a sigh of relief.

The Frederick just now was really... scary!

Thankfully, he wasn't that unreasonable...

Before she could finish her thought, Frederick pulled her up and led her to the door.

He registered her face and fingerprints.

Seeing Frederick's stern face, still looking angry, Rebecca smiled appeasingly. "I wasn't out there for long, really! The door locked just as I saw your car, really!"

"Frederick..."

Seeing Frederick turn to leave, Rebecca asked casually, "What's the door code?"

Her face and fingerprints were registered.

He had to give her the code, right?

In case the facial recognition didn't work with makeup or the fingerprint scanner failed.

Frederick paused.

Under the bright chandelier, his face was dark and handsome, like a movie star returning from an awards show.

But his expression was unreadable.

Realizing she shouldn't have asked, Rebecca quickly said, "Never mind, I don't need to know."

But Frederick led her forward.

His expression was natural, as if the momentary lapse hadn't happened.

Only his voice carried a faint trace of unease. "The code is 1028."

Her heart skipped a beat.

Rebecca was stunned.

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