Chapter 27

Edward glanced at the file, his expression stone-cold. “Not going.” That woman? She didn’t matter enough for him to make a special trip. Back at the Hawthorne family estate, the mood couldn’t have been more different. The old man and Alice were deep in conversation, laughter filling the antique-scented air. Mr. Hawthorne fondly rolled the sandalwood prayer beads between his fingers, smiling so hard the wrinkles on his face looked even more defined. “Next time, don’t bother bringing me anything. Just seeing you is more than enough.” These couple of years, it was this girl keeping him company that kept him from feeling lonely. Alice smiled. “I just saw it while shopping and felt like it really suited you—I had to bring it over.” Mr. Hawthorne grew more and more fond of her. In his eyes, she was thoughtful and sweet—a real gem. He glanced at the clock on the wall. Half an hour had passed. Why hadn’t that rascal Edward shown up yet? Their conversation drifted casually from one topic to the