CHAPTER 78: CHAPTER 78: UNRELIABLE MEN

Shannon Quinn got up and had just walked to the door when she heard a familiar voice outside: "Shannon? Are you home?"

It’s Aidan Lockwood!

She hadn’t expected it to be him. She remembered she hadn’t told Aidan her exact home address, but maybe Yara Hughes had mentioned it, or it was written in the employee records.

Standing by the door, she reached out to open it, but then remembered her current disheveled appearance, and her hand paused on the doorknob.

"Ding dong"—the doorbell rang again, "Shannon?"

"Aidan... Mr. Lockwood, just a moment!"

After responding, Shannon hurried back to her room, changed clothes quickly, grabbed a comb and began brushing her hair as she ran to the living room to draw back the curtains. Light streamed in, revealing a messy coffee table and some scattered paper trash on the floor.

She’d kept Aidan waiting for so long that she couldn’t worry about tidying up. Shannon rushed over to open the door, looking at Aidan standing outside. He must have just gone to teach at school, wearing a light gray suit and holding a teaching textbook.

"Mr. Lockwood... What brings you here? Is there something you need?" Shannon leaned halfway out the door, thinking Aidan was just here to convey something and would leave after exchanging a few words.

Aidan examined her twice, then asked instead of answering, "You don’t look well. Are you feeling unwell?"

"No, no, maybe you’re used to seeing me with makeup; without it, I look a bit pale."

Aidan looked at her a couple more times, half-convinced, though he trusted his own judgment, he didn’t pursue the matter further. He simply handed her the bag he held, saying, "A friend brought these dried fruits from abroad. No one at home eats them. I’ve heard pregnant women tend to like sour things, so I thought I’d bring these for you to try."

Shannon had always liked sour foods. Her appetite hadn’t been great these days, and she was craving something sour, so she reached out and took the bag from Aidan with a smile, thanking him.

"Now that I’m here, won’t you invite me in to sit for a while?"

With the conversation already at this point, it would be rude for Shannon not to invite him in.

"...I’ve been busy these days and haven’t had a chance to tidy up." Shannon grabbed a broom, embarrassedly sweeping the floor as she explained.

A woman’s home in such a mess made her feel a bit ashamed.

It was Aidan’s first visit, and he might think she always lived so untidily.

"Is your husband not at home?"

Shannon paused in her sweeping, then continued with a faint smile, "He’s on a business trip."

"Isn’t he often away? Didn’t he hire someone to look after you?"

"There’s not much happening at home, and I feel more comfortable living alone."

Aidan glanced around the interior, and joined her in organizing the mess on the coffee table, "Actually, I came today because I have work to discuss with you."

"Great, I was just wrapping up the current projects I’m working on."

"This project isn’t urgent; it’s for Air’s winter line. Take your time with it and make sure to rest. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself."

"Thank you, boss."

"I’m staying around here for the foreseeable future, so if you need anything, feel free to call me. We’ve known each other for years, no need to be formal."

Shannon smiled and nodded, "When have I ever been formal with you?"

Truthfully, she’d previously been quite close with Aidan, but it was mostly work-related, and they hardly discussed personal matters.

She felt no romantic feelings towards Aidan and believed he didn’t either. However, after Vincent Rhodes’s previous warning, she’d deliberately kept some distance from Aidan.

After a brief discussion about Air’s new products, he left as he had classes later that afternoon.

Shannon looked at the coffee table with the new project proposal, took a deep breath, tied her hair with an elastic band, and motivated herself.

She needed to pull herself together, as she had managed well enough before Vincent came into her life.

Knowing well that he was unreliable and couldn’t be depended upon, she had to live a good life independently.

Judging by Vincent’s current behavior, although he consented to her having the child, he might not be responsible for her and the baby, so she must work harder to secure a stable future for herself and her child rather than relying on a flaky man.

She spent the whole afternoon giving her home a thorough cleaning; the house was spotless, and her mood seemed to improve as well.

Carrying a watering can, she walked to the balcony and instinctively glanced at the opposite balcony.

To her surprise, there were men’s clothes hanging on the opposite balcony.

It was a white t-shirt and light-colored jeans—not Landon Sutton’s style at all; she’d never seen him wear such attire.

It had been a while since she’d seen Landon Sutton; had he moved out and replaced by new neighbors?

Confused, she finished watering the flowers and dug out Landon Sutton’s room key from her bag.

Unsure if there was anyone inside, she rang the doorbell first.

As she was about to unlock the door with the key, the door immediately opened.

"Miss Quinn? What brings you here?"

The man wasn’t Landon Sutton, but he wasn’t a stranger either—it was Ronan Rhodes.

Shannon paused, glanced inside the room, then asked Ronan, "Is Mr. Sutton not here?"

"Oh, Master Nate’s out on some business, and he probably won’t be back often. Not sure where he found a cat, but he left and asked me to move here and take care of it."

Upon hearing that, Shannon felt a bit dazed, "Is he not going to live here anymore?"

"Not certain, he might come by occasionally. Did you need to reach him for something?"

"Oh... Nothing really, just noticed I hadn’t seen him for a few days, assumed no one was home, planned to check on the cat. By the way..." Shannon said, handing over the key to Ronan, "He gave me this key before. Now that you’re staying here, I don’t need to help look after the place, so the key isn’t needed."

Ronan hesitated, glanced at the key twice, then reached out to take it. He was also unsure of the extent of Shannon’s relationship with Landon Sutton.

Considering Landon not only tasked him with tending to a cat but also ensured Shannon’s safety, Ronan added, "Miss Quinn, although Master Nate isn’t here, if you need anything in the future, you can reach out to me. Master Nate’s friends are my friends as well, no need for formality."

"Alright, I won’t intrude any longer, I’ll head back."

Shannon wondered if she was overthinking, the timing of these two men seemed coordinated—they showed up around the same time and disappeared at similar times...

Landon Sutton was so close to Simon Rhodes, did he have interactions with Vincent Rhodes as well?