Chapter 636
She called them out directly—before meeting each other, both of them were as
cold as ice. Who would’ve believed that the collision of two glaciers could
somehow turn into a roaring fireplace?
Hawthorne replied with a soft, almost amused tone, “There you go making things
up again. I’ve always been friendly and warm—when have I ever not smiled?”
Leonie nearly rolled her eyes. Seriously, did her uncle even know what he was
saying? Maybe he should take a good look in the mirror.
As far back as she could remember, she’d never seen him crack a smile.
“My meeting ended last night, but I left early,” he continued.
Truth was, he missed his wife terribly. The moment he saw that news article, he
couldn’t sit still. If he waited any longer, someone might just swoop in and steal
her away.
After thinking it over, he decided it was better to come home and keep an eye on
things. As long as she was under his watchful gaze, he’d like to see who’d dare
lay a finger on his wife.
Gwyneth was both surprised and a little worried. She’d seen in the news that he
was the president of the Echo City Business Association.
“Is it really okay to leave early? Won’t that cause problems?”
Hawthorne gave a soft laugh. If only Leonie weren’t still hanging around getting in
the way, he’d have scooped his wife up and kissed her already.
“Of course not.”
The two of them just stared at each other, lost in their own world. Leonie opened
her mouth, wanting to say something, but realized she didn’t stand a chance of
being heard.
“Alright, Uncle,” she sighed, “it’s been a while since you and Auntie spent time
together. I’ll leave you two alone.”
She knew when to make herself scarce—their eyes were practically shooting
sparks at each other. As Gwyneth was about to invite her to stay, Hawthorne beat
her to it.
“Alright. I’ll have Hans drive you back.”
Leonie shot her uncle a resentful look. It had taken her ages to get close to
Gwyneth, and now he’d snatched her away, leaving Leonie all alone again.
Without another word, Hawthorne swept Gwyneth into his arms and carried her
upstairs, entirely unconcerned about what Leonie might think.
Leonie grabbed her purse and stormed out, fuming as she walked.
Those two—so wrapped up in each other, they’d forgotten all about her. Didn’t
they care about her, their perpetually single friend, at all?
Gwyneth and Hawthorne spent a passionate night together. The next morning,
Gwyneth woke to find the space beside her empty.
She frowned in mild displeasure—she never liked waking up alone after sharing a
bed with him.
But then her eyes landed on the clock hanging on the wall. It was almost eleven.
Shocked, she sat up instantly.
Her phone buzzed with a message from Hawthorne.
“How are you feeling? Did I hurt you last night…?”
Just reading the first line made Gwyneth’s cheeks turn scarlet. Scrolling down,
she saw that Hawthorne had already arranged for Hans to call HR and take care
of her leave for the day. She could rest at home—no need to go into work.
Gwyneth was mortified. Who takes a day off for something like this? But as she
lifted the covers and tried to get out of bed, her legs nearly gave out and she
almost toppled onto the carpet.
Alright, she had to admit—Hawthorne really was impressive. Maybe she did need
a day off after all.
She hurried through her morning routine, applied a touch of makeup, and let her
waist-length hair tumble down. Feeling refreshed and pretty, she practically
skipped downstairs for breakfast.
The butler watched Gwyneth bounce
into the dining room, looking nothing
like a dignified lady of the
house—more like the girl next door.
He couldn’t help but knit his brows.
Was a woman like this really suited
to spend a lifetime with the master?
He said nothing, though, simply instructed the staff to serve breakfast and went
about his duties.
After eating, Gwyneth wandered
about, bored. Leonie’s last message
still sat unread on her phone. She’d
asked how last night went, but
Gwyneth was too embarrassed to
share any details. She replied with a
few vague words, then headed out
to the koi pond in the garden to feed
the fish.
She’d noticed that the estate’s
architecture had a distinct, almost
old-world charm to its layout.
Hawthorne’s koi were pampered and
plump, gliding lazily among the
rocks and greenery. Some of the
older ones were practically the size
of footballs, while the new arrivals
were vibrant and striking—perfect
for admiring on a slow morning.