The Perfect Wife's Perfect Revenge

Chapter 685

Hawthorne had a reputation in their social circles as the consummate, self- disciplined bachelor-wealthy, reserved, and famously unattached. Rumors about his recent marriage were swirling everywhere, and people couldn't help but speculate about the kind of woman who could possibly win his heart. The incident at the gallery only fueled the gossip, and Leonie's phone hadn't stopped ringing with friends eager for details.

She kept thinking it must've all been a misunderstanding. But now, her aunt had suddenly left home-could these things be connected?

Years ago, Leonie vaguely remembered hearing that her uncle might've dated someone for a while. But he'd never brought the woman home or even mentioned her to the family. Everyone assumed it was just a fleeting romance, nothing worth remembering.

Surely, she thought, her uncle and aunt weren't wrapped up in one of those melodramatic "first love" soap opera plots?

"Uncle," Leonie blurted, "you don't have some old flame Auntie just found out about, do you?"

Her words landed like a sledgehammer on Hawthorne.

His brow furrowed so tightly it looked like he might tie it in a knot. "How many times have I told you to focus on your studies and stop filling your head with nonsense? Those trashy romance novels are rotting your brain."

for him to scold her at such length; Leonie realized he was genuinely

likely anyway. For as long as she could remember, the Everhart men had a reputation for being devoted husbands—her great-grandfather, her grandfather, all the way down. None of them

things. If you

made her nervous. What did

her aunt truly adored her uncle, and he'd

"Alright..." she mumbled.

sent a message to Gwyneth. When he saw the red exclamation point-message undelivered his heart

no one picked up.

was furious; right now,

then, Hans called. The news

We've checked all major flights

say whether that relieved him