"Rhys Lucas!" Vincent Hawthorne’s voice turned icy.
Rhys Lucas knew he had hit a sore spot and reluctantly apologized, "Alright, alright, I was talking nonsense! Your precious ex-wife will definitely co back safely."
Vincent took a deep breath and shifted the topic back to Declan Pierce.
"Do you know where Declan is right now?" He paused, then asked, "And about Wynn Winslow, what exactly is her relationship with Declan?"
"I have no idea where Declan is, but there’s one thing I’m sure of. Wynn is still in Aris, probably with Declan. As for their relationship... ha, what do you think it is? When Declan first appeared publicly as an heir, the woman beside him wasn’t Tanya Sinclair, but Wynn Winslow."
Rhys played around, saying, "In other words, Declan never publicly acknowledged Tanya Sinclair’s identity. But Tanya Sinclair sure is ’consistent’. She chased after you before, married into a wealthy family, and now after divorce, she’s turned to Declan... ha, but I think she’s still a bit too naive to play with soone like Declan..."
Vincent frowned and corrected him, "It was Declan who had been pursuing Tanya Sinclair before!"
Rhys scoffed, "Vincent, I know you’re hung up on Tanya Sinclair now. But we’re all n—what we can’t have is always the best. Once in hand, even soone like a dream girl turns out to be just an illusion. If Declan really cared about Tanya Sinclair, do you think he would let her go to such a dangerous place as a hostage?"
"..." Vincent was montarily silent.
He hung up the phone, the screen going dark in his palm like a mirror reflecting his tightly knit brows.
Yes, if Declan wanted, he could have stopped it entirely...
The only answer is, he doesn’t care.
He doesn’t care whether Tanya Sinclair is in danger or not...
A strange sense of joy suddenly welled up in Vincent’s heart.
What true love and passion?
The feelings Declan has for Tanya Sinclair might not even compare to his own!
As long as Tanya Sinclair can co back safely this ti, she’s smart enough to realize Declan is only toying with her, which ans he still has a chance! To win Tanya back!
"Mr. Hawthorne, what are you thinking about?" Leah Thorne ca out holding a fruit platter, only to find Vincent lost in thought with the phone in his hand.
Vincent raised his eyes to look at Leah in front of him. She placed the washed fruit platter in front of him, and as she bent over, the collar of her clothes opened with the movent, giving Vincent a perfect view of her white lace lingerie.
He did not avert his gaze.
After all he’d done, there was no need to pretend to be a gentleman now.
Leah realized she was exposed but instead of covering her neckline, she reached out to cover his eyes.
"Don’t look."
It was clearly a flirtatious gesture.
Though his eyes were covered, his sense of hearing was heightened.
He realized only then that Leah’s voice sounded just like Tanya Sinclair’s.
Vincent pulled down her hand, his pair of overly tinted, alluring eyes staring straight at her with intense aggression.
Leah, young as she was, couldn’t quite handle it and blushed deeply.
"Mr. Hawthorne..." She gently pulled back her hand, "You still haven’t told what you were thinking."
"Nothing."
Vincent naturally wouldn’t ntion Tanya Sinclair to her, not for fear of her overthinking, but because it wasn’t necessary.
Just a stand-in, after all.
Once Tanya was back, he’d just pay her off and send her on her way.
Leah was smart and tactful. When he didn’t want to answer, she imdiately switched topics to give herself an out.
"The stove’s still on in the kitchen. I’ll go check. Dinner will be ready in half an hour. Help yourself to so fruit in the anti, Mr. Hawthorne."
After saying this with a smile, Leah headed towards the kitchen.
Vincent glanced at her back, which resembled Tanya Sinclair so closely, and his eyes narrowed slightly.
The college Tanya Sinclair didn’t have Leah’s little sches and manipulations...
Well, for truly innocent girls he indeed had no interest in touching.
Now that she had ulterior motives, and he treated her as a stand-in for Tanya Sinclair to play with, both got what they wanted.
It didn’t take long before dinner was ready.
Leah’s cooking was indeed good; two dishes and a soup, all simple yet savory ho-cooked als.
She didn’t eat, just looked at Vincent with anticipation, waiting for his evaluation.
Vincent tried a bit and truthfully said, "Not bad."
Leah smiled, seemingly relieved.
"That’s great, Mr. Hawthorne. You’ve had all sorts of delicacies, tasted Michelin-star chefs’ dishes. That you think this is not bad ans my cooking isn’t too shabby."
Vincent smiled slightly, adding, "It’s really not bad. At your age, few girls have such good cooking skills. My sister Yvonne Hawthorne is a few years older than you. When she was in college, she bought a big flat near school with two maids to accompany her."
Leah voiced her envy softly, "I’m not that lucky. My parents live in the city with my brother, and I grew up with my grandparents. They preferred boys over girls, so I had to take care of my cousins. I learned to cook because I had to prepare als for them before going to school..."
As she spoke, Leah served Vincent a bowl of soup.
Seeing him hesitating, she laughed, "But I’m quite capable. Not only did I learn to cook, but I also got into one of the best universities. From the mont I entered college, I’ve been earning my own tuition and living expenses."
She pushed the soup towards Vincent, filled with sincerity.
"Mr. Hawthorne, I didn’t just say all that to make you feel sorry for . I just wanted you to know a bit better. I don’t aspire to marry up by being with you. I genuinely like you, and I’m grateful. You’re the person who treats the best."
The last part was half true.
But Leah knew her advantages—she was young and lively and importantly, she resembled Tanya Sinclair.
It didn’t matter if Vincent believed her or not; what mattered was, as long as she could soften his heart just a bit... she’d win!
Leah took a bite of greens, her peripheral vision casually glancing at the phone beside her.
The call should co soon...
As this thought crossed her mind, a call ca in.
Reviews
All reviews (0)