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:

Bennet and Grace are a good

he's handsome. He's a

since his

danger I see is her getting pregnant before they even marry. He looks like a beast in

giggles,

it did. Not because

had a long list of suitors. And yet, she

a bitter taste in

gently, tilting her head to look at him. "Aren't we

deepened as she crossed her arms under her

to talk, then

silence dragged on, Haines rubbed his leg

despite her frustration,

her lips into a thin line. Is

her at the thought. He's probably enduring pain

been driving her every night without fail, it wouldn't be surprising if

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

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

at last, the click of

him, lips

the seatbelt release and climbed out of

Haines watched her silently

no words passed between them—not in the car,

his voice low and

at him and nodded, but said nothing

space between them. If not for the "DING!" of the elevator, it might have

a step

only

in front of

code, and

with a familiar

stepped halfway inside