The Perfect Wife's Perfect Revenge

Chapter 527

"Thank you."

Out of sheer politeness, Gwyneth Langford managed to murmur her thanks.

Hawthorne Everhart climbed into the driver's seat, hands steady on the wheel as he turned toward his own house.

"You don't need to head to the office this afternoon," he said. "I'll show you around so you can get your bearings."

Gwyneth rolled her eyes inwardly. Did he really think she needed a tour of his house? What was it going to be, a couple thousand square feet, maybe a three- story place at most?

But when the car pulled up to Hawthorne's front gates, and she saw the towering iron doors and high stone walls encircling the estate, Gwyneth's jaw all but dropped.

This was nothing like what she'd imagined. In fact, it was so far from her expectations it might as well have been on another planet.

The driveway was paved with old flagstones, their surfaces worn smooth by years of footsteps. On either side, willow trees swayed gently in the early spring breeze, their new leaves shimmering. Two massive stone lions stood sentinel at the gate, jaws clamped around carved orbs. The iron doors themselves were set with dragon-shaped knockers, their patina hinting at decades, maybe centuries, of history.

Even her grandfather's house back in Starfall City paled in comparison to this. Just the grandeur of the entrance made her want to stand up a little straighter.

"This is your home?"

Letting her stay here, even temporarily, seemed absurdly generous. She'd thought her own uncle's mansion in Evermore City was impressive, but this-this was the sort of estate you'd expect to find in the heart of an ancient European capital, not tucked away in a modern city.

"It is. Technically, it's the family estate."

Sixteen generations, passed down until it landed in his hands. He'd once planned to donate it as a historic site, but after a few too many run-ins with disrespectful tourists, he'd decided to take it back and live in it himself.

They stopped before the gates, and almost at once, the heavy iron doors swung open.

The place might look

"Mr. Everhart, you've returned?"

surprise flickering across his face as he took in

it was the timing. Maybe it was Gwyneth herself. But she couldn't shake the feeling that she didn't belong here at

"Yes," Hawthorne replied.

butler's gaze shifted to the suitcase at Hawthorne's side, then to Gwyneth, who-dressed plainly and looking fresh out of college-felt suddenly self- conscious. The butler said nothing, but

"There's nothing going on between us. I'm just... here for a

face expressionless, turned and started walking ahead,

adult, you know.

knuckles tightened on the handle of her suitcase. The butler's face twisted into something that looked like a

no secret of his dislike for

a low voice. "You can just call

and solemn demeanor, Adkins looked like he belonged in a Dickens novel, not like someone who

looked at her... like she was some runaway teenager. It made her

muttered. What was that look

followed Hawthorne

moment she crossed

she felt as if she'd stepped back in time. The corridors, the courtyards, the carved balustrades-everything exuded an old world charm. If she put on a period dress, she could almost

beam radiated age and craftsmanship;

alone could buy. The

second floor, a painting caught her eye-a subtle, flowing monochrome landscape. She paused, recognizing the

is it?" Hawthorne noticed her hesitation and stopped as

Gwyneth said,

painting by her grandmother. And not tucked

children and scouring the world for her mother's

woman of remarkable talent, a true lady of her generation-music, calligraphy,