Refusing to Remarry: Mr. Hawthorne, You Are Out-Chapter 25: Love Is Willing, Never Regret Our Meeting
With just one sentence, Mason Sullivan shot up like someone had stepped on his tail, baring his teeth and grumbling, "Why are we still bringing that up? Eat, hurry up! I’m starving!"
He made Raine Sinclair laugh out loud. "If we really start on that topic, we’ll be talking for three days and nights."
"Just eat your fish!" Mason quickly scooped some food onto her plate, and, feeling it wasn’t enough, ladled her some soup too—it couldn’t be more obvious what he was trying to do: shut her up.
Raine just happily enjoyed someone tending to her, and had a lovely meal.
After lunch, Leon Grant headed out, and Raine went back to the office for a meeting.
She finally found a quick break amid all the chaos. Mason burst into her office, phone in hand, anxious. "Raine, did you go to the hospital this morning? Are you feeling alright?"
"How do you know I was at the hospital?" Raine frowned, lifting her head from the pile of documents, eyes full of confusion.
Mason handed her his phone. "Here, isn’t this you? The reporters caught you—and that douchebag and The Mistress!"
Raine took a look, and sure enough, the photo on the phone was her—just this morning at the hospital when she ran into Jonas Hawthorne and Candace Ford.
The headline was big and bold: Ex-Wife vs. New Flame! Mr. Hawthorne Revels in His Blessings?
Honestly, these reporters really write anything...
Raine rubbed her temples, feeling helpless. "Even with this, they can recognize me?"
She’d worn both a hat and a mask!
Mason glanced down at his phone again before pocketing it. "It’s obviously you—how did you end up running into them? Did you talk?"
Raine took a deep breath and roughly recounted what she’d said to Candace Ford.
Mason just stood there, dumbstruck. "You actually called Jonas Hawthorne trash to his face?"
Even though he also thought Jonas was trash, in Sedonia, Jonas was someone who could flip the clouds and rain with a flick of his hand.
Saying that about him right in front of everyone... can he just swallow that?
"I did," Raine said, nodding decisively!
Not slapping him right then and there was already generous!
After a brief silence, Mason gave her a big thumbs up. "Hell yeah! That’s satisfying!"
He had been wondering if Raine, who once loved Jonas Hawthorne so deeply, could really just stop loving him.
Now he saw—she really had let go.
Otherwise, how could she say something so brutal?
Now that he had his answer, Mason circled back to his point. "Are you sure you’re really okay?"
"I’m fine, just did a routine checkup," Raine replied, pulling out another file—this one with Grant Group written across it—and frowned. "Hey, tell me, why did Leon Grant agree to help us?"
Mason snapped back to reality at the mention of Leon Grant—immediately he snorted. "Who knows what his deal is? He’s gotta be up to something!"
Thinking about how Leon was acting all attentive to Raine at lunch just now made him seriously annoyed!
Raine, thinking he was talking about business, shrugged it off, "Forget it. We’ll deal with whatever comes our way!"
After all, Sinclair Group’s not to be messed with!
If Leon Grant tries anything shady, she’ll be the first to slam the door in his face!
——
Night.
Raine arrived right on time at Silas Linton’s private villa.
She figured Silas had taken into account why Raine no longer wanted to go back to the Hawthorne Estate and deliberately chose the villa outside.
It was quiet, undisturbed.
Perfect for a real heart-to-heart.
As soon as she entered the living room, Silas was already telling the maids to serve the dishes.
"Raine, hurry over! I specially made pan-seared cod—your absolute favorite!"
Silas really did adore Raine Sinclair, always grinning whenever he saw her.
Especially now, with all the drama surrounding the divorce, Jonas Hawthorne even forced Raine out by bringing The Mistress—pregnant, no less—into their home. Silas felt even more guilty toward Raine.
He couldn’t help wanting to be even kinder, to make it up to her somehow.
"Grandma," Raine blurted out, but quickly realized this wasn’t proper anymore, so she corrected herself with a smile, "Grandma Linton, why are you cooking yourself?"
Silas’s cooking was great, but he hadn’t personally made food in ages.
First, it was his age—sometimes hands and eyes didn’t cooperate, easy to get hurt.
Second, with so many chefs around, all it took was a word, so he hardly had the chance to show off his skills.
And tonight he’d done it himself.
When Raine called him Grandma Linton, Silas’s expression stiffened for a split second.
He could feel Raine’s distance, and a trace of sadness crept into his heart. He walked forward and took her hand. "Raine, just call me Grandma, okay? It just feels weird all of a sudden."
Raine smiled softly, sitting down at the table with Silas. "You’ll get used to it after a while."
Noticing she didn’t intend to change her mind, Silas just switched focus to the food. "Let’s not talk about that. Quick, try the fish! It’s terrible once it gets cold!"
"Thank you." Seeing how enthusiastic Silas was, Raine couldn’t help but beam as she started eating. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺
Say what you will—the fish really was tender and delicious!
Halfway through the meal, Silas finally brought up the real reason for inviting Raine over tonight.
"I saw the trending searches this afternoon." He started off tentatively, watching Raine’s face for any reaction.
Seeing no sign of anger, he sighed and continued, "I’ve gone to Jonas a few times, asked him to throw that woman out! Sigh..."
Raine’s hand paused, chopsticks frozen in mid-air.
So Silas had tried to intervene, but Jonas still did whatever he wanted?
He’d always been a dutiful grandson, but now, for Candace Ford, he’d thrown even Grandma’s wishes aside.
Looks like he really did love Candace...
There was a faint ache somewhere deep inside her.
Raine set her chopsticks aside, a smile tugging at her lips. "Grandma Linton, Jonas and I are divorced. Whoever he’s with now, whatever goes on—it’s none of my business. I honestly don’t want to hear anything about him."
She spoke slowly, her tone gentle yet firm.
Hearing how determined she sounded, Silas let out a long, deep sigh. Again, he squeezed Raine’s hand, soothing her, "Grandma knows you suffered. It’s the Hawthorne Family who owes you!"
The words made Raine’s eyes mist over.
After a long pause, she finally whispered, "Love was my choice, I regret nothing. No apologies, no bitterness—just gratitude for the meeting."
So simple, but it summed up all the uncountable hardship and heartbreak she’d carried these years.
Silas held her hand even tighter. "You really are a wonderful girl—Jonas just wasn’t lucky enough to deserve you!"
Just as the words left his mouth, a voice called from outside: "Madam, the young master is home."
Raine’s eyes narrowed, and she instinctively turned to see Jonas Hawthorne already standing inside the living room.
He wore a dark coat, looking like he’d rushed home from a long journey.
Under the crystal chandelier, the light cast a golden halo around him, like he glowed.
