Raina’s vision blurred. The woman gently placed a hand on Ethan Lancaster’s shoulder, then lifted her gaze to look at Raina, who stood inside the master bedroom.
Raina couldn’t make out her expression, but she was sure it was triumphant, joyful even.
’She’s co all the way to my ho to throw her weight around, and she has soone to back her up. Such audacity is certainly sothing to be proud of.’
Ethan Lancaster carried the woman out of The Verdant Garden. A cold, gloomy wind blew outside as a light drizzle began to fall. Seth Sinclair stood by the car, his expression shifting slightly as he pulled the door open.
Ethan Lancaster settled the woman inside the car before walking around the rear to the other side. Seth Sinclair then shut the door.
The two n’s eyes t across the roof of the car. Seth Sinclair watched Ethan Lancaster reach up and lightly brush his shoulder. The rain was light, but a sheen of moisture had already settled there, now clinging to his fingertips, damp and cool.
He bent down and got into the car. The woman was rubbing her ankle. Ethan Lancaster glanced down; even the top of her foot was swollen. "To the hospital."
Seth Sinclair signaled the driver to head for the hospital. The woman, in considerable pain, couldn’t help but complain. "Fourth Master, Mrs. Lancaster is such a green-eyed monster. Not only is she sour about everything, but she also did this to ."
Seth Sinclair kept his eyes on the road ahead as he heard Ethan Lancaster say lightly, "I only told you to wait downstairs. If you hadn’t been running around, this wouldn’t have happened."
"But..."
"Stop talking. All that talking will make your foot hurt."
The woman could hear the impatience in Ethan Lancaster’s voice and wisely shut her mouth.
Raina walked into the hospital room to see May Sullivan lying alone in bed, looking impossibly frail.
Despite how light her footsteps were, the older woman heard them. May Sullivan struggled to open her eyes, but they brightened noticeably when she saw Raina. "Raina."
"Auntie, it must be awful right after chemotherapy, isn’t it?"
"It’s not so bad." May Sullivan patted the edge of the bed. "Here, sit down."
"Why are you all alone?"
"Miles had to leave for sothing urgent. He said he’d arrange for soone to take ho later." After speaking, May Sullivan took Raina’s hand. "Raina, I want to give you a gift."
"Oh, you don’t have to..."
May Sullivan pulled a bracelet out from under her pillow and, taking Raina’s hand, tried to slip it onto her wrist.
Raina quickly made a fist. "Auntie, I can’t accept this."
"Raina, I’ve always wanted to give this to you. I just never had the chance before. Even though Miles was foolish and married soone else, in my heart, I always considered you the one."
May Sullivan had little strength, and the simple movent left her breathless. Raina quickly freed one of her hands to gently pat her on the back.
"Auntie, please keep it. I really can’t accept this."
"I don’t an anything by it..."
"I know," Raina insisted gently but firmly. ’Sotis you have to be direct to avoid giving false hope.’ "Auntie, I’m married. And my husband and I... our relationship is quite good. He gets jealous easily, so he wouldn’t be happy to hear about this."
May Sullivan stared blankly at Raina before lying back down, her eyes filled with disappointnt. Raina’s stance was crystal clear: even if Miles Hawthorne ever had a chance to co back to her, she wouldn’t take him.
After saying a few more words of care, Raina left the room.
Just as she reached the doorway, she saw Miles Hawthorne leaning against the adjacent wall. Raina gently pulled the door shut behind her.
"You couldn’t even humor her for a mont?"
Raina stuck her hands in her pockets. "Why lie? Besides, that gift is too valuable. I really couldn’t accept it."
"You know what my mom ant by it."
"So, don’t you think it’s absurd?"
As Raina turned to leave, she glanced at Miles Hawthorne. "You should spend more ti with your mother when you can."
"She likes you and wants to see you. Will you spend more ti with her?"
Raina didn’t answer his question directly. "You should be careful, too."
"What do you an?"
"You’ve offended so many people; surely you know what I an." With that, Raina walked away quickly. She didn’t know how many pairs of eyes were watching Miles Hawthorne, but she knew one thing: the closer she got to him, the more danger she would be in.
After work, Raina got a call from her family asking her to co ho.
When she entered the house, she found the entire family sitting in the living room. Raina walked over to greet them. "Dad, Mom."
"So, you finally decided to co ho."
"It’s been especially busy at the hospital lately."
Ronan Reddington set down his teacup. "There are so things I can only ask you in person. How are things with the Lancaster Family? Are they holding up?"
"Dad, you don’t need to worry. A starved cal is still bigger than a horse." Raina didn’t want to be grilled, but Mia Reddington’s face was a clear picture of schadenfreude. "Exactly. Why worry so much? As long as the Lancaster Family can still help us out, it doesn’t matter how big their problems are."
Raina sat for a while. Since it was getting late, Zoe Scott naturally insisted she stay for dinner before heading ho.
The doorbell rang. A maid put down her tableware and went to open it.
"The son-in-law has arrived!"
Raina instinctively rose to her feet. Sure enough, Ethan Lancaster was walking in through the doorway. Ronan Reddington stood up as well.
"Dad, Mom." The man’s expression was as placid as ever as he stepped forward and greeted them.
"Ethan, you’re here," Zoe Scott said, quickly gesturing to the sofa opposite her. "Please, have a seat."
"Raina, go wash so fruit."
Raina, who wanted to avoid him anyway, imdiately headed for the kitchen. Ethan Lancaster followed right behind her. "I’ll go too."
Zoe Scott chuckled and shook her head. "Look at them. The young couple can’t bear to be apart for even a mont."
Mia Reddington sat silently in her wheelchair. Ever since the last incident, the sight of Ethan Lancaster made her tremble. If he hadn’t shown up on his own, she would never have dared to cross him again.
Raina took several types of fruit from the refrigerator, turning as Ethan Lancaster followed her in. "What would you like?"
"Whatever."
Raina picked two at random and walked to the sink. Just as she was about to turn on the faucet, Ethan Lancaster seized her hand.
"Raina Reddington, if you dare move back into the Reddington house, I’ll make sure no one here has a mont’s peace."
She glanced up at him from the corner of her eye. ’So that’s why he ca here. He thought I was going to move back in with my family.’
"Don’t worry, I’m not moving back in."
Raina pushed his hand away. "Fourth Master’s thods are quite forceful. The Reddington Family isn’t foolish enough to throw an egg against a rock."
They had beco this distant. Ethan Lancaster leaned against the counter, watching Raina wash the fruit one by one. His all-nighters had beco routine, and word of it had surely reached the Reddington family.
After Raina finished cutting the fruit and arranging it on a plate, she picked it up to leave, but Ethan Lancaster raised his right leg, blocking her way.
"Do you dare say you want a divorce again in front of your family?"
Raina shot him a look. "I wouldn’t dare. Even if I did, you wouldn’t agree. Why bother asking for trouble?"
Ethan saw she was being sensible for once. "I wouldn’t be so sure. Maybe by now, I’d agree."
Dubious and with a heavy heart, she carried the plate of fruit out of the kitchen.
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