Pampered by my three brothers: the return of the neglected heiress

Chapter 1564: Maybe a little

Grace and Haines's night usually started with her birthday dinners. Even now, she hadn't changed her mind about catching up to his age. Perhaps, at this point, it was out of spite. Not toward him, but toward the feeling that either of them had been born too early or too late.

After the short celebration, Grace jumped into the car where Haines was already waiting.

"I did my best to leave as fast as I could," she said with a grin.

Haines cast her a brief glance and wordlessly started the engine. Her brows arched slightly; she could still sense that strange air around him.

I think I'm just imagining it.

The two of them had been fine all this time. Even before the birthday dinner, he'd sent her a short message letting her know he would be late. There was no reason to think there was something they needed to discuss. Nothing that could even remotely qualify as their first argument.

Brushing off the nagging feeling, Grace let the silence settle in the car for a while.

"By the way, are you coming tomorrow? I'm planning to move the venue a little closer, so you can just wait for me at my place," she said after a moment. "Sounds good, right?"

"Mhm."

Her brows rose again, and she gave him a quick side-eye. "Haines, do we have a problem?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Mhm."

"Then..." Grace huffed. She could no longer just throw the idea to the back of her head. There's definitely something wrong.

"...why do I feel like there's something we should talk about?"

Haines didn't answer. His expression remained stoic as he focused on the road ahead, unfazed. But his mind was elsewhere, replaying the conversations she hadn't heard at the birthday party.

He had arrived just as Grace stepped out with Hugo—and unfortunately, he heard everything the ladies had been saying:

and Grace are

a respectable soldier, and

that a little complicated, since his line of work

her getting pregnant before they even marry.

the giggles, mischievous and

did. Not because Grace was being linked

she was with him.

a bitter taste in

she called gently, tilting her head to look at him. "Aren't we going to talk about

deepened as she crossed her arms under her

you don't want to talk, then I'll just pretend we're okay when

on, Haines rubbed his leg absentmindedly, wincing

her

pressed her lips into a thin line. Is it

washing over her at the thought. He's probably enduring pain in

night without fail, it wouldn't be surprising if the strain had finally caught up

with guilt. She stared at him apologetically, reminding herself

The car eased into the parking space and halted. Still, neither of them moved. They didn't

the click of his seatbelt echoing

glanced at him, lips

she pressed the seatbelt release and climbed out of

watched

no words passed between them—not in the

angry," he said finally, his

over at him and nodded, but said nothing

reclaimed the space between them. If not for the "DING!" of the

kept a step behind her

stopping only

of her

code,

with a

it, stepped halfway inside