CHAPTER 4: CHAPTER 4: MASTER HAWTHORNE, YOU’RE NOT UP TO PAR

Caden Hawthorne shot Zachary Sutton a cold glance, "Boring."

Zachary Sutton pursed his lips, teasing with a cheeky smile, "Master Hawthorne, you’re already twenty-eight, and not a single woman around you. Could it be that you’re still a virgin?"

Upon hearing Zachary Sutton’s words, Caden Hawthorne’s expression grew darker, and his grip on the wine glass tightened suddenly, "Tired of living?"

Seeing Caden Hawthorne genuinely angry, Zachary Sutton quickly raised his hands in surrender, hastily saying, "Master Hawthorne, my apologies."

He then plastered a smile on his face, "But seriously, it’s not ideal for you to remain single like this. Don’t just worry Grandpa Hawthorne to the point of frustration; even I’m beginning to doubt your sexual orientation!"

Caden Hawthorne glanced at him without speaking.

Seeing his silence, Zachary Sutton looked worried, "Really, are you planning to become a monk?"

Caden Hawthorne still ignored him, and Zachary Sutton shrugged, seemingly realizing he was being ignored.

Right then, Caden Hawthorne cleared his throat and spoke slowly, "I have a question for you."

Zachary Sutton instantly perked up, "Please speak, Master Hawthorne."

Caden Hawthorne glanced at the women beside him, and Zachary Sutton caught on, immediately asking them to leave.

Suddenly, only Caden Hawthorne and Zachary Sutton were left in the private room.

"Zachary, you said there was a woman who slept with you, said she didn’t need you to be responsible, and ran off the next day. What’s the deal with that?"

"Hmm?" Zachary Sutton thought he was hearing things.

No way, no way? The aloof and ascetic Patriarch Hawthorne actually talking about this topic?

"I’m asking you!" Seeing Zachary Sutton silent, Caden Hawthorne urged coldly.

Zachary Sutton burst out laughing, "Hahaha, Master Hawthorne, are you saying that you slept with a woman? And then she dumped you the next day?"

Caden Hawthorne’s handsome face darkened, correcting his wording, "Not me, a friend."

"Imaginary friend, I get it, I totally get it," Zachary Sutton laughed even harder.

"What’s funny?" Caden Hawthorne felt a knot in his heart, lifted the wine from the table, and took a sip.

Zachary Sutton immediately transformed into a gossip reporter, scooted over, nudged Caden Hawthorne’s arm, and asked with a smile, "Master Hawthorne, when did this happen? I never thought that our ever-ascetic Patriarch would break his abstinence, finally seeing through the red dust and having earthly desires?"

Caden Hawthorne impatiently glared at him, "Stop talking nonsense and speak up!"

Zachary Sutton reined in his smile, stroked his chin, and analyzed seriously, "In my opinion, this woman is either playing hard to get or doesn’t want to have anything to do with you."

Caden Hawthorne frowned slightly, "Which one do you think she is?"

Zachary Sutton cleared his throat and continued, "If she’s playing hard to get, she’s doing this to catch your... his attention, deliberately keeping you on tenterhooks."

"If she doesn’t want to be involved with your friend, it’s either because she’s not interested, or..."

"Or what?" Caden Hawthorne frowned.

Zachary Sutton glanced at Caden Hawthorne, cautiously said, "Master Hawthorne, promise me you won’t get mad if I say this."

Caden Hawthorne’s long fingers lightly tapped the wine glass, seemingly carefree but full of cold warning, "If you keep talking nonsense, I guarantee you won’t see tomorrow’s sun."

Upon hearing this, Zachary Sutton involuntarily shivered, quickly admitting defeat, "Okay, I’ll say it. It’s either she wasn’t satisfied with your friend."

"Not satisfied?" Caden Hawthorne’s face turned somber, he was the dignified CEO of Hawthorne Group, worth billions, with impeccable looks and body, what is there to be dissatisfied with?

"This dissatisfaction usually comes in two forms." Zachary Sutton took a deep breath, he was going to be killed anyway, so he might as well say it.

"One is that Master Hawthorne’s technique is too poor. The other is, Master Hawthorne isn’t capable."

"Not capable?" Caden Hawthorne sneered, gripping the wine glass tightly.

"Look, look, you’re getting anxious." Zachary Sutton excitedly stood up, "I’ve been saying it’s you, yet you still won’t admit it."

The next second, the wine glass shattered in his hand.

Seeing this, Zachary Sutton instinctively sat back on the sofa, nervously swallowing.

He quickly let out a dry laugh to ease the current awkwardness, "Master Hawthorne, don’t be mad, that’s not what I meant. Besides, you asked me to say it, right? I’m just helping you analyze, maybe the girl didn’t mean it that way!"

Zachary Sutton’s curiosity grew stronger, as he started gossiping again, "Master Hawthorne, after all this talk, you haven’t told me who this woman is that’s so daring to climb into your bed?"

Moreover, ran off the next day, does she not care about Master Hawthorne’s face?

Zachary Sutton really wanted to meet this bold woman and see who she truly is.

Caden Hawthorne’s handsome face was as dark as charcoal, it wasn’t just Zachary Sutton who was curious, even he wanted to know who that woman was.

He had people investigate the hotel’s surveillance footage afterward, only to find it was deliberately destroyed.

Caden Hawthorne feeling gloomy, walked out of the private room and went to the bathroom.

Suddenly, he saw a familiar figure.

The girl was wearing a white dress, her hands braced on the sink as if she was about to vomit.

Caden Hawthorne walked over.

The girl seemed to sense someone approaching, slowly lifted her head, and an exquisite yet slightly pale face appeared before Caden Hawthorne.

The moment their eyes met, Caden Hawthorne’s gaze froze, his heart skipped a beat, those clear eyes identical to the girl from that night.

"It’s you?" Caden Hawthorne’s voice was low, suppressing the complex emotions within his heart.

The girl’s eyes were clueless, obviously not fully awake, a hint of surprise flashed across her face upon seeing Caden Hawthorne.

It’s him, Caden Hawthorne, why is he here?

Vivian Lynch forced herself to stand straight, outwardly pretending nothing was amiss, while her hands were nervously sweating.

"Sir, I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else."

As soon as she finished speaking, Vivian Lynch attempted to slip away; she couldn’t let Caden Hawthorne find out about her pregnancy.

Caden Hawthorne caught her arm, his voice clear and magnetic, "Trying to leave?"

Vivian Lynch looked at him with innocent eyes, struggling desperately, "You’re hurting me, sir!"

Caden Hawthorne stared intently at her, full of pressure, "Why are you running?"

"Sir, I don’t know what you’re talking about." Vivian Lynch’s heart missed a beat, could he have recognized her?

"Playing hard to get, huh?" Seeing Vivian Lynch pretend not to know him, Caden Hawthorne sneered, pinning her to the corner.

Vivian Lynch was startled, watching Caden Hawthorne lean in.

Vivian Lynch was so frightened that she instinctively turned her face away, the events of that night seemed fresh in her mind.

Caden Hawthorne paused, then leaned in, burying his head in her neck and sniffed.

Though he hadn’t seen her face clearly that night, he remembered her features and the delicate jasmine scent she carried.

Smelling the identical fragrance on Vivian Lynch, Caden Hawthorne murmured softly in her ear, "I remember your scent."