Reborn As Mr. Coldwell's Wife
Chapter 192: Urgent Call

Chapter 192: Urgent Call

Ellen’s eyes lingered on Mason’s face as they walked down the grocery store aisle, she couldn’t take her eyes off the bruising on his jawline.

As much as she was grateful to Gerald for saving her the other day, a sharp pang of frustration bubbled within her every time she saw the bruise. Gerald had punched Mason for the sake of Aubrey—of all things, Tch, Aubrey. Ellen sighed inwardly. Gerald was wrapped around that woman’s finger, and now Mason had paid the price for it.

Mason noticed her staring. "You keep looking at my face like it’s about to fall off," he said with a laugh.

Ellen blinked, snapping back to reality. Her thoughts had drifted again. Before she could respond, Mason clapped his hands in front of her face, the sound startling her.

"Earth to Ellen. Move. You’re blocking the way, and people are trying to get through."

"Oh!" Ellen realized she had been standing in the middle of the aisle, holding onto the grocery cart and preventing others from passing. She glanced behind her, catching the apologetic smiles of a few shoppers waiting to pass. Her cheeks flushed as she quickly pushed the cart forward.

"Sorry!" she mumbled, avoiding eye contact with the other customers as she continued walking down the aisle, trying to shake off her embarrassment.

Mason chuckled softly beside her, leaning over to grab a box of cereal off the shelf and dropping it into the cart. "You’re a daydreamer, Ellen. Always have been."

Ellen smiled sheepishly but didn’t say anything. Truthfully, she was just glad Mason had agreed to come grocery shopping with her today. It was the first time they’d done something so... domestic, and though he had been reluctant at first, she had managed to drag him along.

It wasn’t just about the shopping—she needed him by her side. After what had almost happened the other day, she couldn’t get rid of the unsettling feeling inside her. She never mentioned it to Mason, not wanting to worry him more than necessary, but having him close felt like a kind of safety she couldn’t really describe.

Ellen and Mason kept wandering through the aisles, picking up the essentials they needed. Mason casually scanned the shelves, tossing random stuff into the cart—most of which Ellen would sneak a look at and quietly put back when he wasn’t watching. She couldn’t help but smile at how out of place he seemed here.

Ellen couldn’t stop smiling as she trailed behind Mason, her hand resting lightly on the handle of the grocery cart. This was what normal felt like, wasn’t it? Walking through a grocery store with her husband, the most normal, ordinary thing anyone could do. For the first time in what felt like forever, Ellen felt a flicker of hope that maybe, just maybe, she could live a normal, happy life. With Mason.

He’d chosen her. Mason had chosen her over Aubrey.

Mason turned and caught her staring. "What?" he asked with a grin, his eyes bright, the faintest hint of mischief there.

Ellen shook her head, a smile playing on her lips. "Nothing."

They kept walking down the aisle, the cart’s wheels squeaking a bit as they rolled over the floor. As they passed other shoppers, Ellen noticed a few people glancing at Mason. She could see the way their eyes lingered a little too long on his face, their expressions wincing slightly when they caught sight of the bruise still fading along his jaw.

It was small, but it was enough to make Ellen feel kind of awkward. Of course they’re looking, she thought.

She watched as an older woman pushed her cart past them, her eyes flicking from Mason’s face to Ellen’s, then quickly looking away as if she’d been caught staring. Ellen couldn’t help but wonder what people thought when they saw that bruise. Did they assume Mason had gotten into a fight? That much was obvious, but... what if they thought she had something to do with it?

She wasn’t that violent to get violent with her husband. Haha.

As they neared the end of their list, they made their way to the register. Ellen started unloading items onto the conveyor belt, neatly stacking cans and boxes while Mason stood beside her, mindlessly scrolling through his phone. Just as she placed the last item on the belt, her phone started ringing in her purse.

She reached for it, glancing at the caller ID. It was Helga. Ellen grinned as she answered the call. "Hello, my beautiful neighbor! What’s up?"

But before she could say anything else, she heard Helga’s voice, panicked and breathless on the other end of the line. "Ellen? Oh my God. Ellen, where are you? Are you okay?"

Ellen’s smile vanished, and her tone turned serious. "I’m fine, I’m just doing some grocery shopping. Why? What’s going on?"

Helga let out a sigh of relief, though her voice still trembled with unease. "Thank God... I thought you were at home."

Ellen’s heart skipped a beat. Her grip on the phone tightened as she exchanged a confused glance with Mason, who was now watching her closely. "What do you mean? Helga, what’s happening? Why would it matter if I was home?"

Helga hesitated for a moment, and Ellen could hear the tension in her voice. "I don’t want you to panic, but... you need to come home. Right now."

"What? Why?" Ellen pressed, her voice growing more anxious. "What’s going on, Helga?"

"Please, Ellen, just get home as soon as you can. I can’t explain over the phone," Helga said hurriedly before hanging up, leaving Ellen staring at her phone, confused and unsettled.

Mason leaned in slightly, his brow furrowing. "What was that about?"

Ellen shook her head, her eyes still locked on the phone screen. "I... I don’t know. Helga just told me to come home. She sounded freaked out."

Mason’s expression darkened with concern. "Do you think something happened?"

"I don’t know," Ellen repeated, her voice quieter now. She couldn’t shake the strange feeling creeping up her spine. Whatever it was, it wasn’t good. She glanced at the items they had just placed on the register, but suddenly the groceries didn’t matter anymore. "But we need to go."