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

He's a

a little complicated, since his line of work is

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

giggles, mischievous

But somehow, this time, it did. Not because Grace was being linked to his nephew,

of suitors. And yet, she was with him. An old man with a

left a bitter

to look at him.

frown deepened as she crossed her

she muttered. "If you don't want to talk, then I'll just

silence dragged on, Haines

her frustration,

a thin line.

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

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

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

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

said at last, the click of

him, lips pursed.

she pressed the seatbelt release and

This time, Haines watched her silently

in the car, not in the

not angry," he said finally, his voice low

him and nodded, but

the "DING!" of

step

only

front of

in the code, and

a familiar

it, stepped halfway inside and