Blood And Promises Novel by Sabrina Hart Chapter 10

Blood And Promises Novel by Sabrina Hart Chapter 10

As the morning sunlight just filtered through the window panes, the doors of every yard in the military base housing were knocked by orderlies, who stuffed the day’s morning newspaper, still carrying the scent of fresh ink, into each home.

At first, there were a few cries of surprise, and then a deathly silence enveloped the entire compound.

Soon after, whispers erupted like drops of water thrown into boiling oil, crackling and popping, quickly merging into an uncontrollable frenzy.

The front page headline, bold black letters, struck every face like a resounding slap.

It was a statement of divorce.

“I, Samantha, and Richard, due to irreconcilable differences, have, after mutual agreement, officially dissolved our marriage. From now on, we are free to marry others, and have nothing to do with each other. This is hereby declared.”

There was no background, no elaboration, just straightforward, decisive, and resolute.

“Divorced? Samantha and Major General Cantrell?”

“A public statement in the newspaper? My God…”

The buzz of discussion filled the air, shock, suspicion, schadenfreude, disbelief—various gazes collided and intertwined in the atmosphere.

Richard’s orderly, Giovanni, clutched the newspaper, his hands trembling like leaves in autumn wind, his forehead covered in cold sweat.

He almost stumbled to the office door, took several deep breaths, and only then dared to knock and enter.

Richard was sitting behind the spacious desk, reviewing documents. The morning light outlined his cold, hard profile, and his brows carried their usual solemnity.

“Major, Major General Cantrell…” Giovanni’s voice quivered as he handed over the newspaper with both hands, his head bowed low. “To-today’s newspaper…”

Richard did not even look up, reached out to take it, and his gaze casually swept over the headline.

The next second, his fingers holding the edge of the newspaper tightened ever so slightly.

But that was all.

He stared at those lines for a few seconds, and the corner of his mouth pulled into a faint, almost absurd curve. He tossed the newspaper aside and picked up his pen again.

“Nonsense.” His voice was calm, even tinged with helpless indulgence. “What tantrum is she throwing now?”

Giovanni stole a glance at his expression, his heart pounding with anxiety.

Was this reaction… a bit too composed?

Richard picked up the next document, the tip of his pen hovering over the paper, but he did not write.

The unease that had been lingering since yesterday quietly spread, like ink dropped into water, expanding.

Suddenly, the red direct line phone on the desk rang, its shrill sound shattering the silence.

Richard answered, and his father, General Agustin Cantrell, roared so loudly it nearly broke the receiver: “Richard! What are you doing?! A divorce announcement in the newspaper?! Where does that leave the Cantrell family’s reputation? Immediately! Right now! Go get Samantha back for me! Clean up this mess!”

Richard held the receiver away for a moment, waited for the shouting to subside, and then spoke in a formulaic, steady tone: “Dad, Sammy is just being childish, throwing a tantrum. I’ll handle it.”

“Handle it? How will you handle it?! Now the entire military base knows! You’ve ruined my reputation! I’m telling you, no matter what you do, bring her back immediately and suppress this matter!”

No sooner had he hung up on his father than Emerson’s call came through, his tone much more complicated, cautious, and subtly distancing: “Richie, Sammy… she was spoiled by her mother since childhood, she’s willful and immature, please be tolerant… But this newspaper announcement… sigh, isn’t it a bit too much? Look at the impact, it’s not good, you need to take charge, really take charge…”

Richard rubbed his aching temples, his voice carrying a hint of fatigue but still resolute: “General Serrano, don’t worry, I understand. She’s just throwing a tantrum, I’ll talk to her when I get home and it’ll be fine.”

After hanging up, the office returned to silence, but the quiet pressed down heavily.

Richard stared at the newspaper tossed aside, those lines burning into his eyes like a red-hot branding iron.

Suddenly feeling irritable, he yanked open the collar button and said to Giovanni, who stood by with his hands at his sides: “Go home and see if Samantha has returned. If she has,”

He paused, then added, “Tell her I’ll be home for dinner tonight.”

Giovanni glanced at his expression, his Adam’s apple bobbing, and his voice grew even lower: “Major General Cantrell… Mrs. Cantrell, Mrs. Cantrell did come home yesterday afternoon, but then she left again…”

Richard’s heart relaxed slightly, and the pen tip touched the paper again: “Hmm. Where did she run off to this time? The Army Band? Or did she go to her friends to unwind?”

Giovanni bowed his head even lower, his voice barely audible: “Mrs. Cantrell left with a suitcase… Mollie said Mrs. Cantrell left a message…”

Richard’s pen paused, and a drop of thick ink spread across the document, quickly blooming into a blot.

He slowly raised his head, his gaze sharp as a blade, fixed on Giovanni’s face: “What message?”

Richard ended his work early.

When the jeep drove into the yard, dusk had just fallen. He opened the door and got out, his steps quicker than usual.

Only a wall lamp was lit in the living room, casting a dim light.

Mollie was absentmindedly wiping the already gleaming coffee table with a cloth. Hearing footsteps, she looked up like a startled rabbit, and upon seeing him, her eyes instantly reddened.

“Major, Major General Cantrell…” Mollie’s voice was tinged with tears, and she stood there helplessly.

The unease in Richard’s heart instantly intensified. He scanned the room, but the familiar figure was absent, and the quiet was unnerving.

“Where’s Samantha?” he asked, his voice taut.

Mollie’s tears fell as she trembled, and she repeated Samantha’s parting words verbatim: “Mrs. Cantrell said… if you ask when you return, tell you… she left covered in blood and bruises, beaten by your beloved. She wishes you and your beloved… a lifetime of happiness together.”