novelraw Chapter 129 - 127: Hot and Sticky
Chapter 129 - 127: Hot and Sticky
Mia Grant’s pupils contracted.
She had thought Hayes Hughes’s arrival was just a coincidence. She never expected it was because of Yates Donovan.
’Did Yates Donovan tell him what I’m planning to do...?’
’I made it clear before that I didn’t want to drag Hayes Hughes into this mess...’
’But with Yates Donovan’s unstable mind, there was no guarantee he hadn’t spouted a bunch of nonsense.’
Mia Grant took a deep breath and probed, "When did you two get so close? Aren’t you worried he’s lying to you?"
"I would almost hope he was lying to me. But it’s fine. As long as you’re safe, that’s all that matters."
’For Yates Donovan to have to contact me for help... that meant she must be in serious trouble.’
’Being tricked or deceived would be far better than something happening to her.’
He hadn’t personally witnessed her jumping off the cruise ship that day.
But after all this time, he never once felt grateful for that.
Instead, it felt as if a giant, invisible hand was squeezing his heart.
There were no surveillance cameras at that angle.
No one could tell him what she said or did before she was gone.
Not knowing anything left infinite room for speculation.
He wondered if she had cried.
Wondering why her Second Brother hadn’t come...
He had asked her older brother, asked that Mr. Keller he barely knew, and even inquired with her classmates.
Everyone reacted differently, but their response was always the same.
Silence.
No one could resolve his doubts.
During that period, he returned to that patch of sea countless times.
Standing on the deck, the sound of the waves lapping around him would, for a fleeting moment, turn into her sobs.
It was as if she was crying endlessly.
Even the gulls circling overhead couldn’t help but cry out in mourning, as if echoing her sorrow.
He knew it was the punishment he deserved.
This was the price he had to pay for not rushing to her side immediately.
She wasn’t the cruel one.
He was.
Mia Grant lowered her head in silence.
"Hayes, actually, I..."
Hayes Hughes looked away and asked softly, "Do you want something to eat?"
"..." Her prepared explanation cut off, Mia Grant lifted her head, looking lost. "Eat something?"
The man smiled, pulling a bag filled with desserts out of nowhere.
"Portuguese tarts and a soufflé."
"I remember I brought a box back after spending the Spring Festival in Portia once. You really liked them and said they were delicious."
"Want to try one?"
"Oh, okay."
Mia Grant reached out, still a bit dazed.
The desserts quickly captured her attention, and she forgot what she had been about to say.
"Wow, this is so good!"
Hayes Hughes gently stroked her long hair, the smile in his eyes even brighter than her own.
He was always like this. Seeing her happy made him even happier.
Unlike Silas Grant and the others, he wasn’t ambitious, greedy, or hungry for power.
He sought different things in life.
Mia Grant always felt he was like a clear, winding river.
Never fighting or grasping, he was gentle yet powerful.
He was a true older brother figure—patient and accepting of everything about her.
The good and the bad.
All of it.
No matter when, if she looked back, she could see that river. It flowed quietly through the mountain valleys, washing away the weeds buried in the muddy banks. At the same time, it silently accepted the sharp pebbles, carefully gathering them to rest on the riverbed.
A knock came from the door of the reception room, and then it was pushed open.
Kian Keller walked in.
Mia Grant took a bite of her tart and blinked, looking at him in confusion.
She made an effort to swallow. "Are you guys done talking?"
"Yeah." Kian Keller’s gaze rested on Hayes Hughes for a second before shifting to her. "It’s time to go back."
With a CRUNCH, Mia Grant took another bite. "Back where?" she asked, not following.
"Home."
"..." Mia Grant looked up.
"What about Yates Donovan?"
"He’s not leaving for the time being."
’Why?’ Mia Grant had no idea what they had discussed. ’Did they reach an agreement, or did it end badly?’
’They didn’t get into a fight, did they?’
’I didn’t hear any commotion.’
"Yates Donovan’s second uncle is still in the hospital, in critical condition." Kian Keller was, as always, a man of few words.
Fortunately, Mia Grant was already used to it.
As she hesitated, the man beside her stood up and packed the rest of the desserts for her. "Let’s go."
"Hayes, are you going back too?"
"Yes. The break is over, and it’s time to get back to work. You should be getting back to school, too."
Hearing that, Mia Grant’s worries subsided.
"Should I go say goodbye to my brother then?"
"No need. He’s on a conference call. He told his secretary to see you downstairs."
After Kian Keller spoke, Mia Grant saw Eric behind him, waving vigorously at her. "Miss Grant, Mr. Grant is tied up at the moment. I’ll escort you."
In the underground parking garage, the group got into their cars.
Mia Grant sat with Hayes Hughes, while Kian Keller’s car followed behind.
Eric got into the passenger seat of their car, saying he was to escort her to the airport.
’That’s not necessary.’ Kian Keller had brought plenty of men. It was just a trip to the airport, less than thirty minutes away. Nothing should happen.
"These are Mr. Grant’s orders."
Eric couldn’t do anything about it.
"Alright. Sorry to trouble you, then."
"You’re being too polite, Miss Grant." Eric turned back to smile at her, but the look in his eyes wasn’t quite how one would look at their boss’s sister.
’It was more like he was looking at... the boss’s lady.’
’Then again, Eric had been in the conference room and seen it with his own eyes... seen Silas Grant holding my hand.’
Mia Grant cleared her throat and looked away, only for her gaze to meet Hayes Hughes’s.
"..."
"What’s wrong?"
"Nothing." She shook her head vigorously, her cheeks turning slightly red.
Hayes Hughes placed his hand on her forehead, then let the back of it slide down to touch her cheek.
"You feel a little hot. You have a fever."
"Huh?" Mia Grant touched her own cheek. "I don’t think I do."
At that, Eric pulled a portable first-aid kit from somewhere in the car and handed an ear thermometer to Hayes Hughes.
Seeing the number on the display, Mia Grant knew for sure. She wasn’t blushing from embarrassment; she really did have a fever.
But her temperature wasn’t too high, and Hayes Hughes breathed a sigh of relief.
Seeing his reaction, Mia Grant relaxed as well.
’For a second, I was terrified Hayes would ask if I’d caught a chill, where I’d been, or what I’d done...’
’I didn’t know why I had a fever, either.’
’But thinking back, the only thing I could think of was the shower I took in Silas Grant’s office.’
The memory of it made the tips of Mia Grant’s ears burn.
Sweat soaking her dress, clinging to her skin, hot and sticky.
She had wanted to escape but was held fast, unable to move.
Her mind had been adrift. When she finally came to her senses, her gaze darted away, too shy to meet his eyes as she stumbled into the bathroom.
「Airport.」
Hayes Hughes got out first. Mia Grant didn’t follow immediately, holding Eric back.
"Did my brother have any message for me?"
Eric thought for a moment. "He did."
"For the foreseeable future, Mr. Grant will be extremely busy. He won’t be going to Jynsia again."
"He also hopes that you, Miss Grant, will not come to Portia again."
"Also, if anything important comes up, you can contact me. As for Mr. Grant... it’s best not to disturb him for the time being."