After His Sweetheart Moved In, He Came Home Every Night-Chapter 175: Third Uncle Also Says, The Older, The More Doting
For a fleeting moment, Alice York thought Rosalind Sawyer knew about her and Wyatt Sterling.
But clearly, that was impossible.
’If Rosalind Sawyer knew, she would never tolerate my presence!’
Rosalind Sawyer continued, "It’s the younger ones who are the problem. They’re so fickle and indecisive, always breaking up and making up. Doesn’t it get exhausting after a while?"
Alice calmly agreed, "You’re right."
Rosalind snipped another flower and held it out to Alice. Alice looked closely and recognized it as a gardenia.
Alice asked, "Is that for me?"
Rosalind Sawyer gave her a gentle smile, then plucked the blossom and pinned it to Alice’s glove.
"Do you have a sweetheart?"
Alice gazed at the flower on her glove. Its sweet fragrance drifted to her nose. It was lovely. "Not yet," she replied to Rosalind.
Rosalind said, "Arden has plenty of distinguished families. I’ll introduce you to some of their young heirs another day."
Alice nodded. "Whatever you arrange is fine. I’ll defer to you."
Rosalind was very pleased with Alice’s attitude. "Good girl."
"She’s just faking it to look good in front of you! She’s not obedient at all, not even as much as me!" Nathan Sterling, who had been quiet off to the side, suddenly piped up.
Alice’s heart tightened.
Simon Sterling’s tone was half-reproachful, half-indulgent. "Nathan, don’t talk about your sister like that."
He was used to "bullying" Alice at home, so no one took Nathan’s words seriously. They just assumed he disliked Alice and was trying to embarrass her at every opportunity.
Feeling aggrieved, Nathan huffed, turned, and ran off.
"Nathan, where are you going?" Simon Sterling called out.
Nathan paid him no mind, already running far into the distance.
Alice said, "Grandpa, I’ll go watch him."
"Sorry to trouble you. Go keep an eye on him, and don’t let him run wild," Simon said.
Alice nodded and turned to find Nathan.
Rosalind watched the retreating figure. "You’ve spoiled him rotten."
Simon walked to Rosalind’s side. "I have no choice but to spoil him. The boy already had an episode once, all because we didn’t indulge him."
Rosalind turned her head and said sarcastically, "And isn’t that just a mess of your own making?"
Her words struck a raw nerve. For a moment, Simon Sterling didn’t know whether to be angry or to laugh, and his expression slowly darkened.
’It was true, it was a mess of his own making. After all these years, not a day went by that he didn’t regret it.’
...
Alice was a couple of steps too slow. By the time she followed him out, Nathan Sterling was nowhere in sight.
She searched, asking servants along the way, but none of them had seen Nathan. Just as Alice was growing more anxious, Mason Cheney appeared.
"Miss Alice, Young Master Nathan is with the Third Master."
"..."
’Forget it. I’m not getting involved.’
She turned to walk in the opposite direction, but Mason called out from behind her, "Aren’t you going to go see, Miss Alice?"
Alice said, "That kid ran right into him. It’s his own bad luck."
Mason Cheney continued, "The Third Master is taking Young Master Nathan out. If the old master asks, Miss Alice, please let him know."
’Going out?’
Alice spun around. "Where is... Third Uncle taking Nathan?"
Mason replied, "The Third Master is taking Young Master Nathan out to enjoy the harbor breeze."
"..."
’He’s insane!’
Now Alice had no choice but to go report their trip to the old master. She just said that Nathan wanted to go out, nothing more. If anyone asked later, she would just say she happened to run into them. After all, you could always come up with an excuse.
Simon Sterling waved his hand. "Go on, then. Take good care of Nathan."
With his permission, Alice could finally leave, her mind at ease.
Wyatt Sterling had arranged for a minivan with a spacious back seat.
As she got into the car, Wyatt caught the faint scent of gardenia. His gaze fell upon her hand, stopping on the glove where a gardenia blossom was pinned. It suited the glove perfectly.
"Who pinned this on for you?" he asked, gently taking her by the wrist.
Alice replied, "Your mom."
Wyatt Sterling raised his eyes.
Nathan Sterling, sitting in the front row, suddenly turned his head around.
Mason Cheney, who was just about to start the car, also silently glanced at the rearview mirror.
Alice met Wyatt’s gaze and coughed lightly. "I mean, *your mother*."
A smile played on Wyatt Sterling’s lips. "She’s always had good taste. Of all the flowers in the garden, she picked the gardenia. It suits you best."
He squeezed her wrist gently. In his large palm, her wrist seemed exceptionally slender, as if it might snap with the slightest pressure.
She let him hold it and said, "Your mother also gave me some advice." 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖
Wyatt asked, "What advice?"
Alice said, "She suggested I find someone older than me. She also said older men know how to cherish you, and the older they are, the more they cherish you."
She deliberately stressed the final phrase, "and the older they are, the more they cherish you."
Wyatt’s expression remained neutral. "Are you implying I’m old?"
"Third Uncle, you’re overthinking it," she said, still intentionally emphasizing her words. "I’m just repeating what your mother said. Where’s the hidden meaning? Perhaps you’re the one who’s too sensitive."
Wyatt asked, "I’m sensitive?"
Alice nodded emphatically. "Yes. Otherwise, why would you immediately jump to the conclusion that I was taking a jab at your age, Third Uncle?"
Wyatt laughed in exasperation and squeezed her wrist a little harder. "’The older, the more cherished,’ is it? Well? What do you think?"
"It hurts..." she said, her brow furrowing.
Wyatt said, "Since you agree, that’s good to know."
"..."
’Damn him!’
She snatched her hand back, rubbing the wrist he’d squeezed. "If this injury is slow to heal, I’ll have Third Uncle to thank for it."
A smile hung on Wyatt’s lips. He slowly looked up and, seeing Nathan still staring back, said, "You’re next."
Nathan Sterling immediately snapped his head back around.
The minivan merged into traffic.
Alice didn’t ask where they were going. After all, Wyatt Sterling was the one who called all the shots.
Meanwhile, Finn Hawthorne had returned to the Hawthorne Family estate.
He had rushed back, travel-worn, and immediately taken a shower. Then, he spent a long time in his walk-in closet, meticulously deliberating before finally selecting the perfect outfit.
In addition to his exquisite clothes, he also had a stylist come over to do his hair.
The overall look was sharp, but the lingering bruises on his face were a detriment to his handsome features. He was someone who normally despised makeup, considering it sissy for men. This time, however, for the sake of his appearance, he had no choice but to let a makeup artist apply a light foundation to conceal the bruises.
Finally, a spritz of cologne.
’Perfect!’
Felix Hawthorne came home to retrieve a file, only to be greeted by a strange sight in the living room: his younger brother, who normally dressed in a cool and understated way, was preened like a peacock. He was even wearing a flashy pink shirt...
"Why are you all done up like that? Going to sell yourself on a street corner?" The overhead light glinted off Felix’s glasses, making his expression look exceptionally stern.
"Bro, what kind of thing is that to say..." Finn popped his collar and flashed a brilliant grin. "I’m just going out for a drive."
Felix frowned. "A drive?"
Afraid of wasting time, Finn hurried past Felix. "You don’t need to worry about me, Bro."
Felix turned, pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, and then beckoned. A bodyguard approached immediately.
Felix instructed in a low voice, "Follow him. See where he’s going."
