Chapter 789 I’m Not A Skinflint
Abel set Emmeline down on the sofa and took the invitation from her. Upon opening it, he saw that it was for Adam’s birthday tomorrow,
“Heh.” He could not help smiling faintly. “I completely forgot about this.
“What is it?” Emmeline asked, a brief flicker in her clouded eyes. “What did Adam send over?”
“An invitation,” Abel replied. “Tomorrow is his birthday; he’s invited us to the banquet.
“Then should I go?” Emmeline tilted her head questioningly. “After all, I can’t see anymore.”
“You still have your husband to look after you, right?” Abel lightly pinched her cheek. “Come with me, otherwise there’s nothing there to hold my interest.”
“You want me to go so I can be a protective ward and fend off any sultry sirens, is that it?” Emmeline teased. “Just so you won’t have any clinging vines hanging onto you and trying to seduce you away?”
“None of them will ever manage that.” Abel fondly slipped an arm around Emmeline’s shoulders. “But I do want them to beat a hasty retreat once they see how beautiful my wife is. Who’s going to be shameless enough to try and be a clinging vine after that?”
Emmeline laughed. “Well then, I’ll gladly be your protective ward. Alright, I’ll come with you.”
“Thank you, sweetheart.” Abel dropped a quick kiss on her cheek.
Emmeline tried to slip her arms around his neck, but he evaded her and pretended to get a glass of water. “What are we going to give Adam as a present, though? I’m afraid I can’t go and buy a gift since my eyesight’s gone…” She asked.
“Leave that to me,” Abel answered. “I know what he likes.”
“Alright then.” Emmeline held out her arms to Abel. “Let’s go upstairs. I’m very tired.
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Abel picked her up and gently carried her to the third floor. Emmeline listened to their footsteps they went up the stairs and asked doubtfully, “Something’s not right; this isn’t the second floor, is it?”
Abel chuckled. “Silly; have you forgotten that we’re remodeling the second floor so you can have a walk-in closet?”
“Oh, that’s right!” Only then did Emmeline recall these plans. “No wonder I heard so much activity once we came in.”
Once they reached the third floor, Abel carried Emmeline into the guest room and set her down on the bed, pulling the covers over her. He then poured her a glass of warm water and carefully put it into her hands so she could drink on her own. “I’m going down to supervise the construction work for a bit. You rest up, alright?” He gently stroked her hair.
Emmeline was momentarily at a loss for words. She had initially wanted to ask him to stay with her for a little, but since he wanted to go downstairs, she just nodded instead.
Abel hurriedly left the room. Once outside the door, he let out a deep sigh of relief. He did not trust himself to be alone with Emmeline right now. She looked so desirable that he could not help wanting to touch her and more. Dear God, he wanted her so much!
He went down and looked in at the construction happening on the second floor. As per his orders, the builders had torn down the wall between the main bedroom and the guest room next to it so that the entire guest room could be converted into a walk-in closet. There would be ample space for Emmeline to house dozens of outfits, shoes, and bags.
Abel headed to the basement after that; work was also progressing there. The place was also a hive of activity, but the construction on the second floor bore the brunt of the blame for most of the noise. Glancing around, he asked the construction workers, “Has the bath been installed?”
“Yes, Mr. Abel,” one of the workers replied. “Now we’re working on the cold room.”
“Can you complete it by tonight?” Abel asked. He did not know when something would stir his desire again; if that happened, he would be in excruciating pain. Since there was no antidote for now, the only way to lessen his suffering was to sit somewhere and freeze.
“We’ve already tested it,” the construction worker answered. “It should be ready for use by tonight.”
“Great,” Abel said, nodding. “Thank you for putting in such hard work.”
When he came up from the basement, the first person he saw was Luca. He had almost forgotten about the man.
Luca ran a hand through his hair and spoke first by way of apology. “Mr. Abel, I was at the Nightfall Cafe having a meal with Sam.”
“That’s fine,” Abel replied. “No worries.”
Luca was about to thank him when Abel continued, “So does this afternoon count as an absence or being late for work?”
Luca blinked. You’re joking, right?
When had Mr. Abel become so calculative all of a sudden?
“Don’t look at me like that,” Abel said blandly. “I’m not a skinflint.”
“Then…is this considered an absence or being late…”
“If you don’t want this to be considered an absence or being late, hurry up and get to work,” Abel ordered. “Go and get some ice from one of the cold storage facilities and put them in the cold room. Don’t let me catch you wasting time.”
“Yes, Mr. Abel!” Luca acknowledged his orders and hurriedly got to work.
