Having finished the al by herself, Alice York was a little stuffed.
After the waiter ca and cleared the table, she prepared to do so cardio, even queuing up the music. Wyatt Sterling, however, found it unnecessary and scooped her directly onto the bed.
He pressed down on top of her, his body carrying the scent of tobacco.
Alice turned her face away, a little repulsed. "The sll of smoke is so strong, I feel like I’m being cured in it."
He took off his jacket and casually tossed it on the floor. "It’s gone now."
With that, he lifted one of her legs and draped it over his arm.
Alice took the opportunity to plant her foot on his shoulder, trying to push him back, but he grabbed her by the ankle a second later and pulled her back. "What are you hiding from?"
He looked a little displeased.
Alice accused him, "Is that all you ever think about, Third Uncle?"
"It’s late, and I have a beautiful woman in my arms. What else should I be thinking about besides romance? Should I be thinking about all the things you’ve done to piss off?" He held her leg down, preventing her from pushing him away again.
Her leg immobilized, Alice gave up. "Dredging up the past works too. Let’s see who breaks first."
Wyatt Sterling pinched her chin. "Full of little sches, aren’t you? Still plotting this?"
"I’m not. You brought it up first, Third Uncle." She lifted her chin, letting him pinch and stroke it. "On the topic of Miss Lancaster, I could talk until dawn."
Wyatt Sterling released her, slowly straightened up, and began unbuttoning his shirt as he asked, "Which Miss Lancaster?"
’He’s decided to play dumb?!’
Alice sat up as well, grabbing his collar with both hands. "You and Miss Lancaster were never actually together, were you?"
With his shirt collar in her grip, Wyatt Sterling stopped unbuttoning and calmly studied her.
Alice was calm, too. She had held this question in for so long, and it hadn’t been easy to finally ask it.
"Third Uncle, why aren’t you answering ?" she pressed, demanding an answer.
Wyatt Sterling narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure you want to hear it?"
Alice nodded emphatically. She had wanted to ask for ages, so how could she not want to hear it? Whatever the answer was, she wanted to hear it from his own lips.
Wyatt Sterling lowered his head to kiss Alice’s lips, but she dodged him, refusing to let him have his way. "Don’t avoid the question, Third Uncle. Answer first."
He looked at her for a long ti.
Then he slowly bent down, the lines of his fra creating a powerful silhouette as he leaned over.
Their breaths mingled as he stared into her eyes and said, "We were never together."
Alice’s eyelids fluttered, her long lashes trembling slightly. "Never... together?"
Wyatt Sterling said, "It was all just for show."
As he finished speaking, Alice’s hands, which had been clutching his collar, moved to wrap around his neck. "So all that affection Miss Lancaster showed you... it was all an act?"
Wyatt Sterling pecked her on the lips. "These lips have only ever kissed you."
Alice’s heart skipped a beat, and she felt dizzy, almost breathless.
His attitude at the dinner table earlier, and that sliver of unease in her heart, all vanished in that instant.
He wouldn’t be with anyone else.
She was the one he cared about.
...
「The midnight air was cool.」
Outside the arched window, the wind rustled through the dancing shadows of the trees. The window was shut tight, the light was dim, and Felix Hawthorne sat quietly at his desk.
A docunt lay on the desk. He read it over and over again.
As he reached the end, he actually laughed out loud—a laugh so hard his chest trembled, a laugh that eventually brought tears to his eyes.
He took off his glasses and tossed them aside, his fingertips lifting the test result on top. "Oh, Wyatt Sterling, Wyatt Sterling... I really should thank you."
「Outside the room.」
Finn Hawthorne was passing by the door when he suddenly heard the laughter from inside and froze for a second.
He had never heard his older brother laugh like that before.
’What in the world happened?’
After a mont’s hesitation, Finn Hawthorne knocked on the door.
"Who is it?"
Felix Hawthorne’s low voice ca from inside.
Finn raised his voice. "Brother, it’s ."
A mont later, the door opened. Felix Hawthorne stood in the doorway, not wearing his glasses.
Finn stared at his brother’s calm face, searching for any trace of the booming laughter from monts before, but found none.
"Did you need sothing?" Felix asked gently.
Finn said, "I heard you laughing in here just now."
Felix pressed his brow bone with his hand. "I just learned so good news and couldn’t contain my laughter."
’What kind of good news could make his brother laugh like that?’
This made Finn even more curious. He wanted to press for details so he could share in the joy, but just as he was about to speak, his brother said, "Finn, it’s getting late. Go get so rest."
Finn started, "But..."
But Felix cut him off. "Finn, there’s sothing I can’t tell you right now. You’ve never been good at hiding your emotions, and you’ll ruin things."
"..."
’Why does that sound like this is sothing serious?!’
But since his brother had put it that way, he had no choice but to drop it. He finally nodded. "Alright, then. I’m heading to bed."
He turned and took a few steps.
But he quickly doubled back.
’I almost forgot to ask.’
"Brother, what did you and Alice York talk about tonight?"
’They talked for so long, and I wasn’t even allowed to be there. I was so worried he was going to go after Alice, I had to watch from upstairs because I was so uneasy.’
’Thankfully, my brother didn’t do anything to hurt her. I just couldn’t hear their conversation, so I don’t know what they talked about.’
Felix rested his hand on the doorfra. "We didn’t talk about much. I just told her she’s welco to visit the Hawthorne Family more often."
Finn’s eyes widened. "Really? Brother, you really an she can co to the Hawthorne estate often?"
"You can spend more ti with her, too," Felix said.
Hearing this, Finn almost fell to his knees in excitent. "Brother, you’re the best! I’m going to find Alice York tomorrow! I’ll show her all of Arden!"
...
「The next morning.」
Alice York returned to the hospital for a follow-up IV drip.
After inserting the IV needle, the nurse remarked with so puzzlent, "Your throat was much better after yesterday’s drip, and your voice wasn’t hoarse anymore. How did it get a little worse today?"
Alice: "..."
She shot a resentful glare at Wyatt Sterling, who was standing nearby.
He’d certainly had his fun last night, but she was the one who suffered for it. Her throat hadn’t fully recovered, and because she’d been screaming for so long, it was worse again today.
The nurse adjusted the roller clamp to slow the drip rate, then instructed Alice, "Talk less today. Stick to a bland diet, don’t indulge in snacks, and avoid strenuous exercise."
The more the nurse said, the lower Alice buried her face.
By the end of it, Alice had hidden her face completely in the blanket, too embarrassed to look up.
Only after the nurse left did Alice dare to raise her head. ’That was so humiliating. The nurse definitely guessed what happened. She must have pretended to be puzzled to avoid making it awkward, but that last sentence was clearly a warning for .’
"This is all your fault," she said indignantly to Wyatt Sterling.
A smile played on Wyatt Sterling’s lips, but his tone was completely serious. "My fault for being too rough. I couldn’t hold back. I’ll be more careful next ti."
"..."
She stiffly turned her face away. "It’s not your fault anymore, just stop talking."
’If he keeps talking, soone might hear. It’s so embarrassing.’
Just then, a rhythmic knock sounded at the door.
Alice looked up and saw Mason Cheney knocking at the doorway.
He didn’t enter, just stood at the threshold to announce, "Third Master, Miss Alice, the Eldest Young Master Hawthorne has arrived."
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