CHAPTER 101: CHAPTER 101: HE FOUND IT ABSURD

Hugo Quinn pulled her hand over, "You didn’t go to see Samantha Sullivan, but to see Old Master Quinn, didn’t you? Did he say something to you?"

Back at Quinton Manor, when Old Master Quinn suggested that Eleanor Hollis and Nathaniel Quinn should get back together, he found it ridiculous.

"No..."

"You say no, but have you taken a good look at yourself in the mirror to see how haggard you are?"

Hugo, feeling pained, hugged her, his eyebrows furrowed with concern.

The woman at this moment was too fragile and helpless, making him want to protect her in the palm of his hand.

"Did my father ask you to reconcile with Nathaniel?"

His tone was harsh, even making Eleanor feel that he was standing up for her.

Her eyes welled up, and she couldn’t hold back, "Hmm, I don’t want to reconcile with him, I hate him."

"It’s okay, I’ll figure something out."

Hugo patted her back, trying to calm the panic in her heart.

He could sense her unease, and rightly so, as it was hard for her to escape one trap only to fall into another.

"But..."

Eleanor thought of Old Master Quinn’s attitude today and felt that he was determined for her to reconcile with Nathaniel; he held high status and power, and she was no match for him.

But Hugo just held her gently, not saying anything else.

Eleanor didn’t know why she trusted this person so much; he hadn’t said how he would solve this, yet she inexplicably believed he could do it.

Hugo’s embrace was so comforting; she blinked her tired eyes and soon fell asleep.

Hugo held her for a while, feeling her warm breath, and with a little amusement, scooped her up horizontally and strode into her room.

Marcus was already napping, so now it was just the three of them at home.

Hugo placed her on the bed, took off his jacket, and pulled her back into his arms.

He rested his chin on Eleanor’s head, a sharp look in his eyes.

He had previously told Old Master Quinn that this matter depended on Eleanor Hollis’s stance since she was directly involved.

But Old Master Quinn was used to being domineering and wouldn’t tolerate opposition.

If Eleanor truly disagreed, Old Master Quinn would likely target her.

He had heard of Old Master Quinn’s methods—he would surely start with Eleanor’s friends, forcing her to submit.

Eleanor only had two friends; one was the woman he had met, Samantha Sullivan.

The other was Gloria Galloway, who was outside but was probably returning to Serenford soon.

He had investigated everything about Eleanor thoroughly.

Eleanor awoke to find herself nestled in Hugo’s arms, her face flushing with embarrassment as she wondered how she had fallen asleep.

Hugo’s large hand rested possessively at her waist.

His expression was stern, but compared to his usual distance, there was a gentler side to him when asleep.

She checked her phone and realized she had slept for two hours—it was now noon, and she wondered if Marcus was hungry.

Moving quietly, she got out of bed, but as soon as she sat on the edge, a hand appeared at her waist.

"You look tired; do you want to sleep a bit more?"

"I’ll go make lunch; otherwise, Marcus will get hungry."

Hugo’s expression softened as he pulled her into his arms, rolling over to pin her beneath him, "You care only for Marcus and not me?"

Eleanor was taken aback, then smiled and asked, "What do you want to eat?"

"You."

Hugo answered seriously, his face plain, but the hand at her waist was itching to move.

Eleanor stiffened, afraid he would notice the stretch marks on her stomach; did he really not mind?

Seeing through her thoughts, Hugo lowered his head slowly, "I told you, I don’t care. Everyone has a past. You’ve had a marriage, and so have I; we have no right to judge each other."

Eleanor’s neck flushed as she wanted to tell him that nothing had happened between her and Nathaniel in the past five years.

But she swallowed that thought, knowing she had indeed been pregnant with Nathaniel’s child, even if the baby hadn’t survived.

Realizing he had taken his teasing to the limit, Hugo knew that if he pushed further, Eleanor would get angry due to her thin skin.

"Alright, I’ll get up too. There are still a pile of contracts at the office waiting for my approval."

Hugo got up quickly, leaving a kiss at the corner of her lips before heading to the living room to open his computer.

This was his first nap, and he felt quite good after it, thinking more clearly than usual.

Marcus rubbed his eyes as he got up and, seeing Hugo fiddling with the computer, said, "Dad, I’m hungry."

"Marcus, I’ll cook right away. Why don’t you work on your puzzle for a bit?"

Eleanor’s voice came from behind him, and Marcus instantly agreed, nodding with a bright smile.

After eating, the three of them sat in the living room, each busy with their own tasks.

In the evening, Eleanor received a call from Gloria Galloway, who excitedly shouted on the phone.

"Darling, I’m back. Come pick me up quickly and bring along that Samantha Sullivan too!"

A hint of joy flashed in Eleanor’s eyes. She only had two friends: Samantha Sullivan and Gloria Galloway.

Samantha had a fiery personality, while Gloria was an eternal bundle of energy.

Compared to the two, Eleanor felt much gloomier, which probably had to do with her experiences.

"Okay, I’ll let Samantha know, and we’ll have dinner together."

After hanging up, she smiled and looked at Hugo, "My friend is back in Serenford, and I’m going out for dinner tonight."

As soon as Eleanor left, with no one to cook at home, Hugo quickly arranged for takeout from a nearby hotel.

An hour later, Samantha’s car appeared outside, and she gave a loud whistle.

"It seems love has treated you well; your face looks much rosier. I mean, you two have been living together—how come you haven’t established your relationship yet? Doesn’t President Quinn feel wronged, being with you without a title?"

Eleanor rolled her eyes at her, opened the car door, and got in, "Old Master Quinn just threatened me this morning. If I really got with him, I’d be in trouble later."

Samantha raised an eyebrow and pressed the car’s gas pedal.

"So, what are you two going to do? Hide like this forever? Eleanor, don’t tell me you don’t like him. I’ve known you for so many years and have never seen you look like a teenage girl in love!"

In front of her close friend, Eleanor didn’t want to hide.

She was truly moved by Hugo, but for now, it was just that—a feeling that hadn’t reached the point where she was willing to give up everything to be with him.

Samantha snorted and stopped talking; after all, emotions are the most tormenting, with this woman having to bear it.

Soon, the car stopped at the airport, and the two immediately spotted the pretty girl waiting by the roadside.