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:

Grace are

and he's handsome. He's a respectable soldier, and

a little complicated, since his line of work is

her getting pregnant before they even marry. He looks like a beast

came the giggles,

it did. Not because Grace was being linked to

And yet, she was

left a bitter taste in his

to look

her frown deepened as she crossed

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

on, Haines rubbed

her frustration,

into a thin line. Is

the thought. He's probably enduring pain in his leg, she reasoned. That must

night without fail, it wouldn't be surprising if the strain

his silence slowly faded, replaced with guilt. She stared at him apologetically, reminding herself to be more mindful. Be kind to the old

and halted. Still, neither of

said at last, the click of his seatbelt echoing in the

at him, lips pursed.

word, she pressed the seatbelt release and climbed out of

Haines watched her silently

passed between them—not in the

said finally, his voice low and tired. "I'm just...

and nodded, but said nothing in

not for the "DING!" of the elevator, it might have

kept a step behind her

stopping only once

front of her

in the code, and

with a familiar

opened it, stepped halfway inside and