Returning home, Leah Sinclair changed her shoes in the entryway and walked straight into the guest room. She took off the pearl necklace and bracelet, putting them back into their box. Just as she was about to take a shower, footsteps sounded behind her.
Kian Hawthorne stood at the doorway of the guest room, his gaze sweeping across the space. Her skincare products were arranged on the vanity, a few books sat on the nightstand, and her everyday clothes hung in the wardrobe. Sometime recently, her belongings had been moved out of the master bedroom and into here.
Kian frowned. "Why did you move to the guest room?"
Leah was busy hanging up the gown she had just changed out of. She didn’t even lift her head. "The hospital sometimes calls in the middle of the night. Plus, I have to wake up very early to cook and deliver the food. I was afraid of disturbing your sleep."
In reality, the number of times he spent the night at home was decreasing. He barely set foot in this house a few times a month, so "disturbing" him was hardly an issue.
Kian didn’t say anything. It seemed like it had been a while since he had taken a good look at her, and he suddenly noticed that she had lost weight. He walked up to her and raised a hand to gently caress her cheek. It was warm and soft.
"Hire a caregiver. Whatever it costs, I’ll pay for it," he said, looking down at her.
Leah tilted her head slightly, seamlessly dodging his touch, her gaze falling on the set of pearl jewelry resting on the nightstand. "What should I do with this jewelry set?" she asked, changing the subject. "We don’t have a jewelry safe at home."
High-end jewelry needed to be stored in professional safes with temperature and humidity control, especially pearls. "How about we take it back to the Hawthorne Family estate? There’s a jewelry cabinet there," Leah said.
Kian remembered Jean Finch forcing her to sign an IOU tonight, and a cold anger quietly sparked in his chest. "We’re not taking it back," he said coldly. "I’ll take it to the company tomorrow to store it."
The company had a safe for precious jewelry. No matter who gave this set of pearls, once it was in his hands, it belonged to him. He forgot to press the issue of Leah moving to the guest room. By the time he remembered, she had already gone to shower. The faint sound of running water drifted from the bathroom through the closed door.
Kian stood there for a moment before turning around and heading back to the master bedroom, grabbing a change of clothes to take a shower. As the warm water cascaded over his body, he closed his eyes and caught the scent of the body wash. It was the one Leah had picked out—a scent he actually liked.
They had been married for two years, and he had never once held her. He hated her for scheming to marry into the Hawthorne Family, so he deliberately gave her the cold shoulder. Later, Selene returned from abroad. It made it even more impossible for him to touch this wife in name only. Perhaps it was because he hadn’t been back to this house in so long, but the familiar scent made him feel a subtle sense of warmth.
He turned off the faucet, dried himself, threw on a bathrobe, and walked out. The bed in the master bedroom was empty. The duvet was neatly folded, and the pillows were perfectly arranged. She was nowhere to be seen.
Kian walked out of the master bedroom, crossed the hallway, and stopped at the guest room door. He twisted the doorknob. It was locked.
His brows furrowed, and his fingers lingered on the handle for a moment. Just as he was about to raise his hand to knock, his phone suddenly rang. It was his private phone. The screen lit up, displaying the caller ID: Selene. He glanced at the guest room door and turned back to the master bedroom.
"Kian, you’re not asleep yet, are you?" Selene Shaw’s voice came through the receiver, soft and carrying a hint of a smile.
"No."
"Justin is here. They insisted I call you."
Justin Sutton. His high school classmate. Back in the honors class at City First High School, Kian had been the class president, Justin the vice president, and Selene the class representative. The three of them had been known as the "Iron Triangle." Justin came from a good family background, but he hadn’t rushed to inherit the family business. Right after graduating from university, he took the civil service exam and was now the youngest deputy division chief at the Municipal Commerce Bureau.
"We’ve invited Chief Sutton out so many times, but he always said he was busy. He finally came out tonight," Selene said with a smile. "Are you coming, Kian?"
If it were anyone else, Kian would have flatly refused. But it was truly rare for Justin to join a gathering. "I’ll head over now."
He hung up the phone and changed into a comfortable set of casual designer clothes. After checking his reflection in the mirror to ensure he looked presentable, he grabbed his car keys and headed out.
As he passed by the guest room, the lights were already off. It was pitch black beneath the doorframe with no light seeping through. She was probably already asleep. He stood there for two seconds before turning and leaving. When he left, he took that set of pearl jewelry with him.
Leah lay on her side in bed, wide awake. She had heard him answer a call and leave. It must have been Selene calling to summon him away. That was fine. She closed her eyes, utterly exhausted.
***
When Kian walked into the private room at the bar, he indeed saw Justin Sutton sitting in the center seat. Wearing a white shirt and gold-rimmed glasses, he looked refined and spoke with a gentle, breezy tone, lacking any of the haughty airs of a government official.
"What wind blew you here today, Head Chief Sutton?" Kian smiled as he sat down on his right.
Justin pushed up his glasses. "Selene called me personally. How could I dare not to come?"
Kian smiled. His gaze swept over the liquor on the table before he turned his head to Theodore Jennings. "Clear away all the expensive liquor. No one is allowed to take photos or post on Instagram tonight." Given Justin’s status, he had to be careful when dealing with businessmen.
The liquor was cleared away and replaced with light beverages. Kian and Justin started chatting. Hawthorne Corporation had a few projects launching soon, and it was a good opportunity to hear Justin’s opinions. The two men leaned in close, keeping their voices low as they talked seriously.
On the other side, Theodore had at some point opened the paper bag Kian brought. The set of pearl jewelry was exposed, giving off a warm, mellow glow under the dim lights of the private room.
Selene’s gaze fell upon the jewelry set, pausing for a moment. She had set her sights on these pearls at first glance tonight. The starting bid had been 3.8 million, and she had thought Kian would win the auction and give them to her. In the past, he would have given her anything.
Theodore leaned over and lowered his voice. "That woman wouldn’t look the part even if you draped her in gold. See how quickly Kian brought the jewelry out? He definitely thinks she’s not worthy of it either."
Selene pursed her lips, her fingers gripping her glass, and said nothing.
Growing bold, Theodore called out to Kian, "Kian, why did you bring the jewelry out so fast? Your wife actually let you take it?"
Kian, who had just reached a critical point in his conversation, frowned slightly at the interruption. He looked up and said flatly, "She doesn’t like this kind of stuff."
Theodore laughed sarcastically. "What kind of woman doesn’t love jewelry? She’s faking it, right?"
Kian’s expression darkened. He was already annoyed that Theodore had rummaged through his things without permission, but that comment was particularly grating.
"Leah is my wife." His tone turned cold as he enunciated every word. "If she wants something, all she has to do is ask. What’s a few million in jewelry to her?"
Selene’s eyelashes fluttered. She hadn’t expected him to defend that girl like this.
Theodore got defensive too. "If she doesn’t like it, why did you buy it for her? Selene clearly had her eye on it first."
Selene tugged at Theodore’s sleeve. "Stop talking."
Rebuffed and embarrassed, Theodore awkwardly picked up his glass. "I was out of line. I’ll take a penalty drink." GULP. He chugged it down, stood up, and mumbled, "I’m going to the bathroom."
With that, he pushed the door open and walked out, slamming it a bit too loudly. Selene shook her head. "I’ll go check on him." She stood up as well and followed him out.