CHAPTER 908: CHAPTER 908: HER HEARTBEAT WAS PRETTY LOUD

The next morning.

After washing up, Ann Vaughn walked out of the guest room, rubbing her sore shoulder as she descended the stairs. Just as she reached the top of the staircase, her calf suddenly felt a weight.

A chubby little dumpling hugged her leg, looking up with a soft, adorable face and sparkling eyes gazing at her.

"Mommy, good morning!"

Today, the little dumpling was wearing the panda pajamas Ann Vaughn had bought for him before. From Ann Vaughn’s perspective, it looked as if a little panda was hugging her, making her heart flutter with cuteness.

Oh, how she wanted to steal him home...

"Good morning, Kenny." Ann Vaughn ruffled his little head and asked, "Does your tummy still hurt?"

The little dumpling’s eyes rolled around before he shook his head pitifully, "It doesn’t hurt, not at all."

Seeing that he was saying this just to keep her from worrying, Ann Vaughn’s heart ached even more, but besides worrying, she could do nothing.

"Good morning, Miss Vaughn." At this moment, a man’s magnetic and clear voice sounded from behind, "How did you sleep last night?"

Ann Vaughn turned around to see Cyrus Hawthorne, dressed in dark loungewear, descending the stairs. His slightly messy black hair and lazy demeanor added a casual charm compared to last night.

"Good morning, Mr. Vaughn." Ann Vaughn responded with a slight smile, remembering she had woken up in the guest room this morning. Her brows unconsciously furrowed slightly.

Cyrus Hawthorne nodded slightly and said warmly, "That’s good. Sorry to make you and Kenny squeeze into a small bed last night."

"Ah? No, no need to apologize." Seeing his ignorant expression, the trace of doubt in Ann Vaughn’s heart immediately dissipated.

It wasn’t James Vaughn who put her back on the guest room bed last night.

Could it be... she was sleepwalking?!

Before Ann Vaughn could figure out this question, she was sandwiched between the father and son and taken to the dining room.

After breakfast, Ann Vaughn was about to leave. The little dumpling puckered his lips, looking at her with an unhappy face full of grievance.

His gaze almost made Ann Vaughn want to pick him up and run away.

The little dumpling stared for a long time, expecting his mommy to change her mind, then turned his gaze to Cyrus Hawthorne, looking at him as if accusingly.

"I’ll take Miss Vaughn then." Cyrus Hawthorne directly ignored the little dumpling’s implied look and stood up, speaking to Ann Vaughn.

Little Dumpling: ?

Ann Vaughn shook her head repeatedly, "No need, I can take a taxi back myself, so I won’t trouble Mr. Vaughn."

"Such a small thing is no trouble at all."

Seeing his insistence, Ann Vaughn had to agree, then fondly patted Kenny’s head, gently saying to him, "Kenny, be good. We’ll see each other next time."

The little dumpling did not want to part from Ann Vaughn for even a moment, but due to the agreement with Cyrus Hawthorne, he had to compromise.

...

The black Maybach stopped at the back door of Vaughn Clinic.

"Thank you, Mr. Vaughn, for bringing me here." Ann Vaughn thanked Cyrus Hawthorne while unfastening her seatbelt.

"You’re welcome." Cyrus Hawthorne responded in a deep voice, his narrow eyes resting on her slightly tense face, his thin lips twitching slightly.

Ann Vaughn didn’t notice anything, only wanting to leave this enclosed space as soon as possible, lest the events of last night kept popping into her mind.

But the more anxious one is, the worse things go.

Ann Vaughn fumbled with the seatbelt buckle for a long time with her left hand, almost reaching the point of despair, but the seatbelt refused to unfasten.

"Let me do it." Cyrus Hawthorne leaned over, instantly closing the distance between them, their breaths clearly audible to each other.

Ann Vaughn’s breath hitched as she instinctively retreated backward, her tense back pressed against the seat, leaving her nowhere to hide.

The man’s handsome and indifferent face was so close, his arms crossed beside her waist, deftly unfastening the stubborn seatbelt buckle for her.

Throughout the whole process, he maintained propriety, without any overstepping; his arm didn’t even touch her clothing.

Yet Ann Vaughn’s heartbeat inexplicably grew faster and faster, wishing she could escape from here immediately.

... Damned!

"Done." Cyrus Hawthorne slowly straightened up, noticing Ann Vaughn’s small ears turning a vibrant red, his narrow eyes deepening further.

"Th-thank you!" Ann Vaughn feigned calmness, tossed this sentence, immediately opened the car door, and got off the car, leaving the scene.

No matter how one looked at that departing figure, it spelled panic.

Cyrus Hawthorne propped his elbow on the steering wheel, his well-defined long fingers inadvertently brushing his lips, bringing up a slight, joyful smile.

The little one’s heartbeat is quite loud.

Ann Vaughn didn’t know her uncontrolled heartbeat had betrayed her as she dashed into Vaughn Clinic, heading towards the lounge.

Her mind was in turmoil, such that she didn’t notice she bumped into someone ahead of her.

"Ouch!" The person yelped.

Coming to her senses, Ann Vaughn immediately apologized, "I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention to the road just now..."

Before she could finish speaking, she met the person’s gaze, instantly feeling a mix of surprise.

"It’s you?"

"It’s you?"

They both exclaimed in unison.

Ann Vaughn never imagined that in the far-off S Country, she would encounter someone she had once met in Gothasen.

"Fancy meeting you here." Joyce Chancellor looked at Ann Vaughn with delight, "If you hadn’t pulled me back that day, I might have ended up under a car’s wheels."

"I am quite surprised too." Ann Vaughn replied with a gentle smile.

"I was terrified then, I even forgot to thank you. Later, when I realized, I couldn’t find you no matter how hard I tried." Overwhelmed with emotion, Joyce Chancellor felt guilty and said, "Thank you for saving me. Out of so many people, you were the only one who risked danger to reach out to me."

Ann Vaughn shook her head slightly, casually saying, "It’s a small thing, no need to worry about it."

Joyce Chancellor began to smile again, taking out her phone, "Meeting like this must be fate. Can we add each other on WeChat? By the way, my name is Joyce Chancellor, and you?"

"Ann Vaughn." Unable to resist her enthusiasm, Ann Vaughn added her as a WeChat friend.

Hearing her name, Joyce Chancellor’s smile froze for a moment but quickly returned to normal.

"I just joined Hawthorne Group yesterday as the President’s secretary. If you ever need help, you can find me there."

After speaking, Joyce Chancellor subtly observed Ann Vaughn’s expression with the corner of her eye.

Hawthorne Group?

Ann Vaughn’s eyes froze, her eyebrows slowly knitted together.

"What’s your president’s name?" After pondering for a few seconds, Ann Vaughn asked.

Joyce Chancellor looked at her with a face full of wonder, "You don’t know?"

Ann Vaughn shook her head honestly, with a vague suspicion in her heart.

"Our president’s name is Cyrus Hawthorne. There shouldn’t be anyone domestically who hasn’t heard of this name." Joyce Chancellor replied with a smile, "How come you don’t know?"

But whatever Joyce Chancellor said afterward, Ann Vaughn could no longer hear it.

Sudden stabbing pain in her head instantaneously drained her face of color, the back of her head felt a heavy, aching drag, making her feel dizzy and unsteady.