Secret Admiration: Finding True Love After …

Chapter 673 Mind

After Meryl returned home, she enjoyed a quiet dinner and then took a stroll around the neighborhood with Susan, who had come to keep her company. The doctor had advised that moderate exercise during the late stages of pregnancy could help facilitate a smoother delivery. Estimating that Chandler would be home soon, Meryl ambled back, only to find Walter sitting in the living room when she arrived. She snacked on some fruit while waiting for her husband.

“Mr. Aniston had to leave on a business trip unexpectedly. I’m here to pack some of his clothes and take them to the airport,” Walter explained.

“Business trip?” Meryl raised an eyebrow, surprised. Chandler hadn’t mentioned anything about it that morning before he left.

Walter sensed her confusion. “It’s a last-minute thing. There’s been an issue with a multinational project. It shouldn’t take long—he’ll be back in three days at most.”

Meryl nodded, turning to find a suitcase to help Chandler with his packing.

Walter’s face turned pale at the sight. “Mrs. Aniston, you’re pregnant! Please, just sit down. I can handle this.”

As Walter headed upstairs, Meryl plopped down on the sofa and grabbed her phone to call Chandler. He sounded like he had just finished a meeting, the rush of wind from the car’s speed audible in the background.

“Hey, are you heading out of town?”

“Yeah, Meryl. Once I get through this hectic workweek, I’ll be able to take some time off and spend more time with you.”

Meryl was eight months pregnant now, and she needed someone by her side. Chandler had been working tirelessly, trying to wrap up company matters to make room for her during the delivery.

“I ran into Rachel at the hospital today. She just came out of the maternity ward,” Meryl said, her fingers tracing the leather armrest of the sofa. She had wanted to tell Chandler this in person, but with his sudden trip, she couldn’t wait any longer.

Logically, Meryl trusted Chandler. After all these years of marriage, she could sense how much he cared for her and had faith in his character. But emotionally, Rachel’s words lingered in her mind, and the way women could overthink things made her uneasy. If they didn’t talk it through, she feared she wouldn’t be able to relax for days.

Chandler frowned. “Maternity ward? Are you sure you didn’t mistake her for someone else?”

“I’m positive. We even spoke. She’s pregnant.”

Silence hung heavy on the line.

After a moment, Chandler’s voice came through, steady but tense. “Turn the car around. I’m postponing the trip.”

Meryl was taken aback. “But didn’t the company have an urgent situation? Why the sudden change?”

“Let’s talk about it when I get home,” he replied, and the call ended.

Meryl sat there, her mind racing.

“Was Chandler worried about Rachel’s pregnancy?”

Just then, Walter reappeared, carrying a black suitcase. “Mrs. Aniston, I’ve got everything packed. I’ll be on my way.”

“The trip’s been canceled. Chandler will be back soon,” she said.

Walter’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“What? How is that possible? This project is crucial! Mr. Aniston pushed back several important meetings just to make time for this. There’s a mountain of issues waiting for him to sort out. He can’t just cancel like that!”

Meryl lowered her gaze, feeling a strange mix of emotions. “Maybe there’s something more important that he needs to handle.”

Walter looked puzzled.

He thought, “More important than a multi-billion dollar deal? What could be more pressing?”

Moments later, the driver pulled up outside, and Chandler jumped out of the car, rushing through the door without even changing into his slippers.

“Meryl, what’s going on? Who’s the father of her baby?”

Chandler was panting, urgency radiating from him as he stepped inside.

Meryl turned to him. “I don’t know, Chandler. Maybe only she knows.”

Deep down, she was certain the child wasn’t his. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have sprinted back in such a frenzy. Still, Meryl couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling churning in her stomach.

Walter, still in the living room, looked puzzled. “Mr. Aniston, you’re not going on the trip? They’re waiting for you over there…”

Chandler interrupted, his brow furrowed in concern, “Send more people to track down Rachel! She was at the hospital today. Check the security footage and see if you can find any leads! I want her found within three days!”

His mind raced with the implications.

“Pregnant? This is ridiculous! She’s not even married yet! What if she has been harmed while missing? What if this pregnancy is a result of someone taking advantage of her?”

Chandler felt a wave of guilt wash over him regarding Andy. He had promised to take care of Andy’s sister, but now, with Rachel pregnant, it was clear he had failed in that duty.

His expression darkened as he considered the possibilities.

Walter hesitated, still trying to process the sudden change. “Mr. Aniston, are you not going? I can keep an eye on Ms. Morgan. You should still go. It won’t delay anything… after all, this project…”

Chandler suddenly remembered he hadn’t changed his shoes. He turned back to the entrance and bent down to slip on his slippers. “Let’s find her first!”

He thought, “If Rachel’s been hurt, I’ll make sure that bastard pays for it.”

Chandler knew Rachel could be stubborn, often ignoring advice from others, but she always listened to him.

Chandler instructed, “Have the VP go in my place for now. I’ll handle things here before I head over.”

Meryl sat on the sofa, absorbing the way Chandler effortlessly orchestrated everything around him. Her thoughts were consumed by the fact that he would rather forgo billions of dollars than not find Rachel immediately.

That realization stung more than Rachel claiming Chandler was the father of her child. If Rachel said the baby was Chandler’s, Meryl could dismiss it as nonsense, but the urgency in Chandler’s voice showed just how significant Rachel was to him.

That night, as Meryl lay in bed, she tossed and turned, haunted by the same dream over and over again. In her dream, Rachel covered her mouth, laughing mockingly, declaring that she had won. She taunted Meryl, saying she had planted a seed in Chandler’s heart, one that was about to bloom.