Mrs. Marsh's Revealed Identities novel (Jennifer and Ivan)
Chapter 1540: A Magical Night

Chapter 1540: A Magical Night

Belinda started to unbuckle her seatbelt, preparing to get out of the car.

"Uh..." Algerone Swain suddenly spoke up, then turned to look at her.

Belinda paused, met his gaze, and softly asked, "What's up?"

"I..." Algerone Swain thought quickly, "I'm a bit thirsty, could I come in for a drink of water?"

Belinda was momentarily stunned. Just as she was about to agree, her gaze inadvertently fell on a bottle of mineral water in the car. It was a full bottle. She was momentarily distracted. Algerone Swain also noticed it and quickly explained, "I've been having stomach issues lately, I can't drink anything cold."

Belinda opened the car door, "Then come in."

Algerone Swain followed her down the stairs and into the living room. The room was instantly bathed in light. Automatic home appliances were indeed wonderful.

Belinda headed straight for the kitchen, saying, "Have a seat for a bit. I need to boil some water. It'll be quick, just two minutes."

"Alright, take your time," Algerone Swain stood in front of the sofa, looking around the room, wondering how he should start the conversation. He hadn't prepared for this at all.

From the kitchen came the sound of water being drawn... After a short while, the sound of water stopped, and soon after, Belinda emerged.

Their gazes met. Algerone Swain seemed a bit constrained and almost forgot that this was actually his home.

"Please, sit," Belinda spoke softly, withdrew her gaze, and sat down on the sofa. The more time they spent together, the quieter it got, and the more unsure she felt.

"Um..." Algerone Swain began to speak, "Belinda, actually..."

Click!

"Ahh!" Belinda let out a scream, instinctively standing up.

The whole house was plunged into darkness. The power had gone out!

"Don't move!" Algerone Swain quickly took a few steps to her side and, in the darkness, grasped her arm.

Belinda had a lifelong fear of the dark that she could never overcome, a fact that Algerone Swain was aware of.

"Don't be afraid, it's okay," he comforted her just as he had when they first married over twenty years ago.

Belinda, unable to maintain her composure, tightly held onto Algerone Swain's arm, her body shivering. Algerone Swain immediately pulled her into his arms, "Don't worry, it's okay." Being held like this, her fear significantly subsided.

"I'll go check the fuse box," said Algerone Swain. He didn't intend to let her go, but she clung onto him, her fear resurfacing. She almost begged him not to leave.

"I..." Algerone Swain, holding her, spoke softly, "Don't worry, I'll take you with me." He glanced at the window, making an assumption, "This isn't a wide-scale power outage. The other houses have power. It might be a blown fuse or a bad connection. Trust me, I can fix it."

As he spoke, he carefully guided her towards the fuse box. Belinda cooperated.

Since it was his house, he knew exactly where to go and turned on his phone's flashlight.

Belinda was truly scared of the dark. When she was a child, a neighbor girl forced her to go into a haunted house, which scared her so much that she ended up in the hospital for two days, leaving her with a psychological trauma.

Belinda was no longer concerned about her cleanliness or properness. At that moment, all she wanted was a sense of safety. She didn't care about anything else.

Using the light from his phone, the two made their way to the fuse box. Algerone Swain freed one hand to open the box, "Don't be afraid, I'll shine the light in." Then he patted her shoulder, trying to raise his other hand.

With no arm to protect her, Belinda instinctively clutched at his shirt, shivering. She caught the unique scent of him, and his steady heartbeat caused her to space out for a moment.

This familiar yet unfamiliar sensation always tormented her unexpectedly.

Images of the past played out in her mind like a movie.