Chapter 604
Leonie finally managed to drag Gwyneth out of the restaurant, though Gwyneth still looked dazed.
“Did you really see your Uncle Hawthorne?”
She was skeptical-after all, hadn’t she just seen news about him attending a conference in Echo City yesterday? How could he possibly turn up here, of all places?
“I’m telling you, it was definitely Uncle Hawthorne. If he finds out I brought you here for a blind date, he’ll kill me.”
Leonie shivered, feeling a chill run down her neck. Gwyneth pulled off the oversized mascot head she’d been wearing, just as Ethan finished paying and hurried after them.
“Leonie, what’s going on?”
He stared at the two of them-one in a giant bobblehead costume, the other holding her own head under her arm-completely bewildered by the scene.
Gwyneth, still posing as Leonie, hadn’t expected Ethan to follow them out. The Leonie bobblehead behind her jabbed her in the rear.
“Mr. Sutherland, I—”
“No need to be so formal. Our families go way back. Just call me Ethan. Honestly, I’m very interested in you, and I’d like to get to know you better. What do you think of me?”
Ethan was as straightforward as ever. To him, Gwyneth was nothing like the other girls he’d met—she was effortlessly beautiful and carried herself with quiet grace. Even her hands, her hair, spoke of elegance. The moment she’d sat across from him, he’d already lost his composure.
She was everything he’d been searching for. Gwyneth, caught off guard, blinked in confusion.
Had she somehow given him the wrong impression? Did he not realize she was trying to politely turn him down?
Leonie stepped protectively in front of Gwyneth. “Sorry, but my aunt isn’t interested in you.”
Ethan looked from Gwyneth to the bobblehead at her side, absolutely lost.
“Aunt? What do you mean, aunt?”
He decided to just cut to the chase.
“I think we’re a perfect match. Our families know each other well. If you’re willing, why don’t we just make it official?”
“Make what official?”
Before Gwyneth could process what was happening, she suddenly felt herself tipping to the side. An arm reached out, steadying her, and she nearly stumbled right into someone’s chest.
Leonie, flustered, had dropped her own mascot head, which rolled to a stop right at Hawthorne’s feet. Her face flushed bright red. She tried to make@ run for it, but Hawthorne caught her by the collar, her legs kicking helplessly in the air. She squeezed her eyes shut, ready to face the consequences.
Ethan watched in shock as the woman he’d just fallen for was swept into another man’s embrace. He was about to protest when he blinked sure his eyes were playing tricks on him-was that really Hawthorne?
Wasn’t Hawthorne supposed to be Leonie’s uncle?
It dawned on him—maybe Hawthorne doted on Leonie so much he treated her
like his own daughter.
Ethan stepped forward, addressing
Hawthorne respectfully. “Mr.
Hawthorne, I’ve taken a real liking to
Leonie. Since you’re here, and you’re
family was hoping you could put in a good word for me. I’d really like to marry her.”
“”
Hawthorne’s gaze turned icy, enough to freeze the air. Leonie tried to slip away,
but froze in place under his withering stare.
“Well? Care to explain what’s going on?”
Gwyneth pressed her lips together. Leonie was too scared to utter a word. Meanwhile, Ethan noticed that Hawthorne’s arm was still firmly around Gwyneth, and his frustration started to boil over.
What was going on here? Why was Hawthorne holding onto his Leonie like that? “Uh, Mr. Sutherland, I’m actually Leonie. And this is my aunt, Gwyneth.” Leonie deflated like a punctured balloon. With Uncle Hawthorne right there, she knew if she didn’t tell the truth now, she might not live to see tomorrow.
Ethan stared in disbelief. The woman beside him was Leonie-so then who was-