CHAPTER 18: CHAPTER 18: DID YOUR HOUSE... GET ROBBED?

Claire North frowned: "Where did you get this gossip?"

"What gossip? It’s everywhere online now, even the official account of The Hawthorne Group has posted the news." Rachel Shelby extended her phone.

Claire North took a look, not just the official account, but the entire Hawthorne family had reposted it.

"How is that possible?"

Previously, the Hawthorne Family’s stance was clearly not to hold a wedding publicly; marriage was just to find someone to raise their child.

"The Hawthorne Family is clearly backing this new Young Madam; I wonder who is lucky enough to become the hundred-billion-dollar bride?" Rachel Shelby showed envy.

The more Rachel Shelby talked, the worse Claire North’s expression became.

"Is the Hawthorne Family... um... really that powerful?"

"Of course. The Hawthorne Family is the number one authority in Southgate, and Elias Hawthorne is the current head. While our Shelby Family is pretty good, it still falls short compared to the Hawthorne Family." Rachel Shelby’s dream was Jasper Hawthorne from the Hawthorne Family.

"So what if they’re wealthy? He’s ultimately a cripple; marrying into the family is like becoming a living widow." Claire North said this, but she regretted it even more internally.

"You can’t speak like that; marrying into the Hawthorne Family, even if you were really a widow, you’d be a widow no one in Southgate could ignore. Claire, you lived in the countryside before, never seeing real power. Despite our Shelby Family being top-notch in Southgate, my brother has to be respectful even to a Hawthorne family steward."

Rachel Shelby continued: "Recently, our family has been doing business with the Hawthorne Family. You’ll be marrying my brother soon, so you’ll get a chance to meet them. You should really curry favor."

Claire North felt a mix of emotions; would she have to rely on Raina North in the future?

Inexplicably, a sense of panic arose within Claire North.

Claire North returned home in a daze, seeing the North Family hustling about cleaning.

"Mrs. Archer, what are you all doing?"

"Miss, Mr. North said the elder miss is returning, and told me to clean her room well."

Claire North: "..."

On the way back, Elias Hawthorne kept his face dark, as if Raina owed him billions.

Upon reaching the Hawthorne Family residence, Old Mrs. Hawthorne was already waiting at the door. Seeing them, a radiant smile spread across her face.

"Raina and Baby are back! You guys, hurry and help Young Madam bring the things to the room."

Upon entering the house, Aunt Rivers had already prepared dinner.

Not long after dinner, the little one who had played all day was dozing off in Raina’s arms.

"Baby’s sleepy, come on now, everyone scatter." Old Mrs. Hawthorne said smilingly, turning to her eldest grandson, who was standing like a pillar, "Why are you standing there dumbstruck, aren’t you going to help Raina? Don’t you know how to care for your own wife?"

Elias Hawthorne: "..."

Though he felt somewhat helpless at being criticized, Elias Hawthorne still reached out to hold the little one.

The little one wasn’t completely asleep; seeing his hand reaching over, he immediately burrowed deeper into Raina’s arms: "I want Mommy to hold me."

Elias Hawthorne’s hand reached into emptiness, and his handsome face instantly turned dark.

"Oh my, look how close Baby is with his mom; indeed, in this world, there’s no love like a mother’s love." Old Mrs. Hawthorne teased.

The little guy burrowed even deeper into Raina’s embrace.

When Raina looked down, she happened to see his rose-tinted little earlobe under the dim light.

Aww, her little one was really adorable.

The small episode quickly passed; Old Mrs. Hawthorne hurriedly urged them to go rest.

Watching the silhouettes of the two adults and one child walking away, Old Mrs. Hawthorne’s eyes moistened a bit.

"Look at how well-suited Raina and that rascal Elias are."

"Of course, our young master is lucky to have a wife. Although it was challenging before, with the new Young Madam married in, things will get better."

Old Mrs. Hawthorne wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes, asking Aunt Rivers beside her: "Did you prepare everything I asked for?"

Aunt Rivers’ plump face broke into a wrinkled smile: "Don’t worry, can you doubt my capabilities, Old Madam?"

Old Mrs. Hawthorne thought for a moment and decided to go see for herself, not because she doubted Aunt Rivers, but because she was concerned about her blockheaded grandson.

After settling the little one, Raina returned to her original guest room, stopped mid-yawn seeing...

Her former sleeping room, bed and bedding all gone.

"Young Madam, the Old Madam instructed for your luggage to be moved to the young master’s room."

Moved to the young master’s room...

That means she’ll have to share a bed with The Hell King Hawthorne?!

Raina rejected it both in mind and body.

Swallowing the half-yawn, Raina said: "There should be other guest rooms, I’ll go take a look."

Saying this, she fled faster than a rabbit.

However, after checking seven or eight guest rooms, there wasn’t even a bed or a blanket.

"Did someone... rob your house?" Raina side-eyed Elias Hawthorne, who was silent.

Elias Hawthorne didn’t answer.

Raina scratched her head, pondering whether to continue looking.

"Stop looking, Grandma’s act leaves no gaps."

Raina: "...What do you mean?"

Elias gave her a half-smiling glance, which made Raina feel looked down upon.

"This one has a bed!" Raina showed surprise, smugly throwing a glance at the expressionless Hell King, "Who just said there wouldn’t be one?"

Elias looked at Raina as if she were dense: "This is my room."

Raina suddenly wanted to dig a hole in embarrassment.

Elias sneered, stepped past her into the room.

Yet after two steps, he stopped in his tracks, his usually expressionless face now tightly furrowed.

Raina planned to back out, seeing him halt, she grew curious, and went in for a look.

Twitch at the corners of the mouth.

Looking at the overwhelmingly festive red before her, she finally understood the reason for Elias Hawthorne’s silence.

"Someone, remove these immediately." Elias called the servants with a face dark as coal.

The servant looked helplessly: "Young Master, these were arranged by the Old Madam, who instructed the newlywed room must look newly wed."

Seeing Hell King’s defeat, Raina stifled laughter, covering her mouth.

"Don’t remove it, look at the red happy bedding with intertwined mandarin ducks, it’s so festive." Raina circled around a bit; not just the quilt, but the carpet too had been changed to red peony’s, with ’happy’ stickers over every visible area, especially the oversized woven fabric of ’happy’ at the bed center, which stood out strikingly.

And there was more than that, red dates, peanuts, longans, and lotus seeds scattered on the bed, mini prosperity buckets placed prominently at both ends of the bedside table.

No trace of the original cold, hard masculine style?

"Is this hilarious?"

Raina shook her head, but her upturned mouth exposed her true thoughts.

Grabbing a handful of peanuts, peeling one and tossing it into her mouth, she said to Elias Hawthorne with schadenfreude: "Take care, I’ll go rough it out with the little one for the night."

"Want to leave? Did I agree?"

Elias Hawthorne’s gloomy voice came from behind.

Raina suddenly saw shadows loom ahead, and the next second, her wrist was seized.

A forceful pull.

World spun.

Thud.