Reborn As Mr. Coldwell's Wife
Chapter 182: A Dangerous Turn

Chapter 182: A Dangerous Turn

As Ellen left the café, she took a few steps down the sidewalk, trying to shake off the tension hanging on her shoulders. But before she could even take a calming breath, she felt a strong hand grip her arm, yanking her back.

Her heart skipped a beat as she turned sharply, only to see Gerald standing there, his eyes narrowed into a furious glare. His grip on her arm was tight, almost painful, but Ellen didn’t flinch. Instead, she looked him straight in the eye.

"Did you just slap me?" Gerald growled. His face was flushed, his jaw clenched so tightly she could see the muscles twitching. "How dare you do that to me!"

Ellen blinked, then slowly brought her hand to her mouth like she was pretending to be shocked. "Oh my god," she gasped, widening her eyes for effect. "There was a fly near your face, Gerald. I mean, surely you don’t think I would actually slap you, do you?"

The sarcasm poured out of her like honey, and she even added a small, sweet smile at the end, just to twist the knife a little deeper.

Gerald’s face darkened, his expression flickering between confusion and rage. He opened his mouth, but all that came out was a strained, "You—" He was clearly struggling to keep control of himself, but Ellen wasn’t about to back down.

Before he could say anything more, she yanked her arm free from his grip. "Don’t touch me," she snapped. She took a step back, crossing her arms like she was bracing herself but still ready to fight for what she believed. She didn’t need to be physically close to Gerald to make her point clear.

"And while we’re at it," Ellen continued, "you and Aubrey need to stop this ridiculous, childish plan to break up my marriage. Because guess what? It’s not going to work. It’s never going to work."

Gerald scowled at her, looking even more upset, but he said nothing. Ellen felt the tension in the air, but she wasn’t finished yet. Not even a little.

"You know, Gerald," she said, tilting her head slightly, "I’ve been thinking a lot about you and Aubrey’s little games. Trying to sabotage Mason and me, trying to worm your way between us. It’s pathetic, really." She could see the way Gerald’s jaw clenched even tighter with every word she spoke.

"But here’s a question for you," Ellen said, raising an eyebrow. "How would you feel if someone tried to do the same thing to your parents? You know, if someone swooped in and tried to destroy their relationship? How would that make you feel?"

Gerald’s eyes flashed with confusion, and for a moment, he looked taken aback by the question. But then he scoffed, shaking his head as if the idea was ridiculous. "My parents are fine," he muttered, waving her off. "There’s no one trying to—"

"Oh my god, Gerald!" Ellen exclaimed, throwing her hands up in frustration. "It’s just a what-if scenario! You know, just hypothetical? Why are you not getting this?"

Gerald opened his mouth to argue, but no words came out. He just stood there, fuming silently, unable to come up with a good comeback. Ellen could almost see the gears turning in his head as he struggled to find something—anything—to say, but nothing seemed to stick.

She crossed her arms again, this time with a satisfied smile curling on her lips. "Let me tell you something, Gerald," she said, leaning in slightly, her voice getting softer but still sharp as a blade. "If anyone tries to break my marriage, I will destroy them. And that includes you and Aubrey."

Gerald’s face twisted with anger, his eyes narrowing as he glared at her. "You really think you can keep Mason?" he spat. "You think he’s going to stay with you when—"

"Oh, I’m sorry," Ellen interrupted. "Did you say something? Because I really don’t care about what you think."

The two stood there, locked in a silent standoff, the tension between them so thick it was almost suffocating. Ellen could feel her heart pounding in her chest, but she didn’t let it show. She wouldn’t give Gerald the satisfaction of knowing he got under her skin.

Finally, Ellen decided she had had enough. She turned away from him, her patience worn thin. "I’m done here," she muttered under her breath, taking a step toward the street.

But as she started to cross, her mind clouded by frustration, she didn’t notice the car speeding down the road. It was only when she heard the screeching tires and the engine’s roar that she finally glanced up, panic flashing through her as the car sped toward her.

Before she could react, before she could even think to move, she felt a hand grab her arm again, pulling her back with such force that she stumbled onto the sidewalk, her heart racing in her chest.

She blinked in shock, her breath coming in shallow gasps as she looked up. Gerald stood there, his hand still gripping her arm, his face pale but his expression saying nothing.

For a moment, neither of them said anything. Ellen’s mind was still spinning from the close call, her heart pounding wildly in her ears. She could still hear the sound of the car speeding away, the tire screeches replaying in her thoughts.

Gerald let go of her arm, stepping back slightly. His face was still tense, his eyes focused on her with an intensity that made her skin prickle. But for once, there was no anger in his expression. No smugness, no contempt. Just... something else.

"You—" Gerald started to say, but his voice caught, as if he couldn’t quite find the right words. He swallowed hard, his gaze flickering between Ellen and the road where the car had sped by.

Ellen, still breathless from the near miss, took a shaky step back, her heart still pounding in her chest. She didn’t know what to say, didn’t know how to react to what had just happened.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.