Remarried Wife: Mr. Ex, We Will Never Reconcile!-Chapter 64: Obtaining Ian Kane’s Hotel Record from That Night
He bit his molars, looked at Vera Sheridan, and met her gaze.
"Whose call was it?" she asked.
Ian Kane slightly curved his lips, his eyes softened, and handed her the phone.
Seeing it was Noah Grant, Vera suddenly remembered before she lost consciousness, Nina mentioned evidence, and answered the call, "Senior Brother—"
Beside her, Ian Kane’s brows furrowed slightly, and his chest rose and fell dramatically.
The next second, she asked, "Did Nina give you the evidence?"
The man seemed like he had been hit with a stick, his temples throbbed, his eyes darkened with a flash of pain.
She trusts Noah Grant so much!
Even disregarding his feelings, she asked directly in front of him!
At that moment, Noah Grant was sitting in the driver’s seat, his elbow resting on the window frame, pressing his temples with his fingertips, "This Nina again went back on her word, said there was no evidence."
Vera closed her eyes, took a deep breath, "Okay, thank you for your trouble."
Noah Grant, "Take care."
"Mm."
The call ended, and Vera put down the phone.
The atmosphere in the bedroom was noticeably tense.
Vera turned her head slowly and met Ian Kane’s wounded eyes, "What evidence? What did Nina say to you again?"
"She said she still has evidence of you having an affair with him." Vera said plainly.
Ian Kane laughed bitterly, "Is there really?"
Vera closed her eyes, "She said there’s none again."
"It’s obvious she’s playing you for a fool, what’s Noah Grant doing getting involved, you’re a married person, is it appropriate? Did you trust Nina again because of him?" Ian Kane’s chest swelled with a strong sense of jealousy, his tone was sarcastic.
Who exactly is playing me for a fool? Vera closed her eyes, didn’t look at him, nor did she reply to him.
Ian Kane was certain, she trusted Noah Grant!
The whites of the man’s eyes quickly filled with bloodshot veins, his chest felt stifled, his large hand reached for her thin chin, and Vera abruptly opened her eyes, meeting his fierce look.
The trembling tiger’s mouth almost pinched her jaw, but then he pulled back, Ian Kane put down his long legs, got up, and left the bedroom.
The door slammed heavily. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚
Under the covers, Vera’s hand tightly gripped the sheets.
Late at night, on the terrace.
Ian Kane leaned against the railing, sat in a corner of Wendy Donovan’s small garden, the door light illuminated his desolate and gloomy face.
Like an addict, he smoked fiercely, cigarette butts littered the ground, as if only this could suppress the sarcastic voice in his heart saying, "She was never yours to steal in the first place."
He punched the concrete ground, a muffled groan echoed from deep in his throat.
...
Vera came out of the bathroom and saw Ian Kane, who had stormed out just moments ago, entering with a tray.
His left hand was wrapped in a bandage, a bit of red seeping through, his lips dyed with gentle smile.
"Wife, come have some food."
He placed the tray on the nightstand and pulled over a chair.
Vera went over to sit down, took a few sips of chicken soup with a spoon, and then didn’t want to eat anymore.
Just as she was about to get up, Ian Kane pressed her shoulder down, picked up the porcelain spoon himself, scooped the soup, and brought it to her lips, "Good girl, drink a little more, Professor Donovan said you hadn’t eaten anything all day after breakfast."
Vera, "I’m not hungry."
The spoon approached her lips again, with the intention of not allowing her to refuse, she opened her mouth and drank it, and was about to get up.
Ian Kane pressed her down again, "Have a bit more."
Vera took another sip, "I have no appetite."
Ian Kane seemed to remember something, put down the spoon, and quickly went out.
As soon as he left, Vera lay back down.
Within a day, she endured three different ordeals, her heart still plagued with unresolved matters, leaving her utterly exhausted.
About half an hour later, a scent of sour soup filled the air.
Vera realized, Ian Kane had gone to cook her favorite sour broth noodles.
Gripping the sheets, she did not open her eyes.
Soon, she heard the man’s doting voice, "Wife, get up and eat."
Vera opened her eyes slightly, "I don’t want to eat anything."
Ian Kane maintained his good temper, "It’s your favorite noodles, I went out of my way to buy them from a convenience store three streets away, just cooked it."
Vera closed her eyes, "Thank you, but I really can’t eat it."
Ian Kane’s face darkened, but he said, "Alright, I won’t force you."
Then, sitting at the edge of the bed, he gently brushed back the stray hair from her forehead, "Is your mood still not good?"
A sharp pain pricked Vera’s heart.
"I’ve deleted all the online videos, no one will laugh at you anymore, calling you crazy."
"From now on, we’ll be good, I’ll cherish you more, and never let you get hurt." Ian Kane gazed at her face, his voice hoarse.
When he finished speaking, he leaned down, his thin lips gently pressing on hers.
The scent of male hormones filled Vera’s nostrils, she opened her eyes, meeting his face just inches from hers.
She did not instinctively push him away as she usually would; strangely, there wasn’t any sense of fear inside her.
Even when looking into the eyes of Ian Kane, full of desire, she didn’t have the former fear.
Realizing this, Vera was taken aback.
Ian Kane also noticed, their lips were almost touching, yet she didn’t reactively avoid him.
The man’s Adam’s apple bobbed.
In the dim light, her cold, stunning look resembled a white rose at autumn dusk, proud yet fragile.
Ian Kane felt an ache in his chest, kissed her forcefully.
Vera turned her face away.
Not out of fear of intimacy.
Ian Kane’s lips brushed past her cheek, catching a glimpse of her indifferent profile as he lowered his eyes.
The man’s brows knitted tightly, his eyes flashed with a hint of disappointment, suppressing the urge to kiss her forcefully, he straightened up, his tone indifferent, "Sleep."
Ultimately, he wasn’t willing to show any ugliness in front of her.
Unaware of how much time passed, Vera opened her eyes, looked around, and realized she was alone in the bedroom.
She reached for her phone, opened it to find the explicit violence video previously sent to her by her psychiatrist. She always closed it immediately upon opening it.
She lacked the courage to watch.
In the quiet bedroom, her phone screen emitted blue light. Vera watched the explicit scenes calmly, listening to the sounds of desire and violent roars bombarding her eardrums through Bluetooth earphones.
But aside from the discomfort in viewing, she did not feel any fear, nor did she flash back to that childhood scene.
Vera closed the video, removed the earphones.
She sent a message to Maeve Holloway abroad: Mae, I think I’ve overcome my psychological barrier, Ian Kane probably did cheat after all.
A rush of sorrow hit, and tears streamed down Vera’s face.
At that time in Corinium, the lights were just coming on.
Maeve was attending a masquerade ball with a few friends, her phone on silent, unable to reply to her immediately.
Early the next morning, the police, Ian Kane’s lawyer, all came to the door concerning Nina’s case.
In the living room, the officer handed Vera a document, "Mrs. Kane, Nina admitted to fabricating a false image of Mr. Kane’s affair with her to lure you into catching them and to provoke your emotions in a malicious competition with you. This is her statement, please sign it if there are no issues."
Vera took the document.
Opposite her, the young lawyer adjusted his glasses, "Mrs. Kane, Nina only sent you a text message, without public dissemination, it is not sufficient for defamation or public provocation charges. I will file a civil suit against her, asserting a violation of personality rights."
"Her actions caused you to become mentally unstable, leading you to misunderstand Mr. Kane, which directly resulted in harm to you, but any punishment for her might be limited to a public verbal apology."
Vera paused as she signed her name, then nodded, "Let’s proceed according to the legal procedures."
...
After sending off the police and the lawyer, Wendy Donovan returned from grocery shopping. As she tidied up, she couldn’t help but grumble, "What evidence did Nina say she had? Even with Noah having someone watch her, there was never any evidence, and yet she deliberately provokes you under our noses."
"A slap was getting off lightly; such ingratitude, so heartless!"
Wendy Donovan spoke in defense of Vera.
She understood well that Vera had once sponsored Nina, not only because she was a naturally gifted ballet talent, but also because the young girl came from a poor family, relying on her dancing to support her father and brother’s medical bills. She sympathized with her, seeing a reflection of her own past.
Vera helped organize the groceries and put them in the fridge without speaking.
Wendy saw her still looking down, "Vera, as your teacher, I think if Ian really was cheating, why go through so much trouble to hide it, even still putting on an act? Only someone foolish would do such a thing."
"Teacher, I don’t understand it either. But after yesterday’s breakdown, I’m calm now. It’s okay, don’t worry about me." Vera lifted the corners of her mouth into a serene smile.
Hearing this, Wendy nodded, trusting her words.
"Vera, the heads of the dance troop are considering your emotional instability and depression, so they haven’t decided on you playing the lead role yet," she added.
Vera was a bit stunned, "Alright, I was planning to return to Ardendale first anyway."
Wendy, "I’ll let you know as soon as there’s any news."
...
In the architectural compound of West Veridia.
A small mountain stream flowed through the back garden, and in a pavilion within, the elderly Old Master Grant, nearing seventy, was playing Go with his grandson Noah Grant.
Among the Grant Family descendants, Noah was considered the least "successful," as the others all entered the political and legal sectors.
Only he insisted on abandoning his civil service exams just before graduating from university, refusing to enter politics.
"You’ve become clever, deliberately letting me win to make me happy!" Old Master Grant teased, looking at his absent-minded youngest grandson across the board after winning the game.
Noah’s gaze finally returned to the board, realizing he had been beaten by his grandfather, "Respecting the elderly and cherishing the young, it’s necessary."
Old Master Grant was taken aback, as this boy had rarely been willing to let him take a single piece usually!
"Something on your mind?" the old man sipped his tea.
Noah smiled faintly, "Not really, nothing to be worried about."
Old Master Grant, "Indeed, a single man who’s well-off and carefree has nothing to worry about."
At this moment, Uncle Blackwood, Old Master Grant’s butler, came in from outside, glancing at Noah.
Noah informed Old Master Grant before getting up and walking over to him.
They walked to the front yard, and Noah handed Uncle Blackwood a cigarette, "Found anything?"
Uncle Blackwood took the cigarette, placed it behind his ear, and took out a list of Ian Kane’s hotel bookings, "Got it."
Noah’s eyes scanned over the long list, finally pausing on one entry as his fingers tightened on the paper.
"Thanks, Uncle Blackwood."
Uncle Blackwood dismissively waved and walked away.
Noah picked up his phone, his finger hovering over Vera’s name, hesitating to press down.
In his mind echoed Ian Kane’s words, "She fell down the slope for me and injured a foot."
The man gripped the phone tightly, his chest heaving as he looked up at the gloomy sky.
...
At noon, Ian Kane and Owen Sheridan finished their work in Veridia and came to pick Vera up for the airport.
To prevent Vera from having another stress reaction at seeing that Maybach, Ian Kane deliberately used a new car, a limited edition Hongqi L7 with the same license plate number ending in "622."
In the back seat, Vera rested with her eyes closed, as Ian Kane adjusted her seat back and covered her with a blanket.
"Husband, could you book a flight straight to Tristone for me? I want to rest at The Glimmer Garden for a few days," she opened her eyes, her tone calm.
Ian was slightly taken aback and smiled, "Sure, I’ll go with you."
Her willingness to go to The Glimmer Garden implied she trusted him.
Owen knew the significance of The Glimmer Garden to the couple, and seeing Vera wanting to go there, he felt reassured.
When they reached the mountainous area, a gentle rain was falling, and Vera kept looking outside the car window.
When she saw a courtyard-style inn with two golden characters "Vani" on the entrance plaque, she instinctively moved her right foot.
"Husband, I heard this inn is owned by Uncle Warren’s daughter Serena? She once told me on WeChat that they have a traditional dish, Cloud Forest Goose," Vera looked at Ian, speaking with a hint of craving.
Seeing she seemingly regained her appetite, Ian’s eyes lit up, "Yes, there’s such a dish—it’s good, cooked according to Qing Dynasty’s Yuan Mei’s ’Suiyuan Shidan.’"
"The dishes here are all authentic, made with organic, natural ingredients."
Picking up the intercom, he instructed the driver, "Head to Vani."
Vera, "Aren’t you going back to Ardendale tonight?"
Ian leaned back comfortably, eyeing her leisurely, "Since you have an appetite, I’ll have dinner with you and rush back overnight."
Vera smiled, gently leaning her head on his shoulder.
Before long, their car arrived at Vani.
Although Vani is an inn, it’s a high-end establishment unaffordable to ordinary people, operating by reservation.
Thus, it usually didn’t have many guests.
Just as they entered the lobby, a young woman in a modified Hanfu came downstairs from the second floor. Upon seeing them, she slightly hesitated and then broke into a smile, "Mr. Kane, Mrs. Kane!"
She was Serena.
Uncle Warren’s daughter from The Glimmer Garden.
Since childhood, she’d always had an unrequited crush on Ian Kane.
Vera had heard that she had been driven out of the old house by Ian’s mother after attempting to seduce Ian.
Ian remained indifferent, "We’ll have dinner here tonight with your sister-in-law."
Serena eagerly said, "Sure, all the chefs are here. The skilled dishes take time, would you like to enjoy some tea in the tea room first?"
Vera smiled, "I’ve seen on your moments that you have many rare teas here—I’ve been craving them."
Ian raised an eyebrow, surprised she had Serena on WeChat.
Serena, "This small shop of mine is fortunate to get Mr. Kane’s care, as every year, tea merchants from around the country deliver their best teas here for his sake."
Hearing this, Vera’s expression subtly changed, "Then I’d definitely like to taste them."
Serena nodded, inviting them upstairs.
As they climbed the stairs, Vera discreetly glanced at the cashier’s computer.
There was normally only Serena there.
Having learned tea art and skilled at brewing various teas, Vera prepared the tea herself, not needing a tea master.
While demonstrating the long-spout kung fu tea, she poured tea over Ian’s shoulder, but the spout suddenly deviated from the cup, sending the hot tea streaming onto his thigh.
With a cry of surprise, Ian reacted quickly, rising to his feet, clutching his pants, wet with steaming heat, a stinging pain in his leg.
"Husband, are you okay?"
Ian frowned before seeing her nervously holding the copper pot, and stepped forward, taking it from her hands and setting it down, "Don’t worry, I’m okay. I’ll go inside to rinse with water."
With clenched hands, Vera said, "I’ll go find some burn ointment for you!"
With those words, she limped out of the tea room, heading straight downstairs, "Serena, my husband’s scalded—do you have burn ointment here?"
Serena was clearly startled, hastily opening a drawer to search, "Yes, I do!"
She quickly reached Vera, handing her the ointment.
Vera took only a few steps, holding onto the stair railing, inhaling sharply, "My, my foot hurts, Serena, please hurry and take it to my husband."
Speaking, she gave Serena the ointment.
Without any hesitation, Serena quickly disappeared around the stairwell corner.
Vera squeezed her hands and walked towards the cashier counter.
The grand lobby was empty save for her; as she opened the computer’s reservation system, the only sound was her heartbeat echoing in the silence.
With trembling hands, she entered the date of the day.
Four months ago, during the epidemic control period, all inns and hotels had to register strictly and were taken over by community personnel.
Pressing the Enter key, she clearly saw the names of Ian Kane and Nina Sullivan...
