Classic Novel
Chapter 20
Chapter 20
Gwendolyn managed a tight smile, deliberately avoiding Howard’s gaze. “Just lucky, I guess.”
Howard watched her with a twinkle in his eye. She was his lucky star, his very charm of good
fortune.
A tender emotion seemed to stir within him, and he knew she was stubborn. He had to find the
right moment…
“Come on, tonight I’m bunking with Gwendolyn!” Jeannie grabbed her arm and hurried upstairs, “Everyone else has a sister, and all I’ve got is a grumpy brother!”
Howard reached out to stop them but caught nothing but a whiff of a faint medicinal scent.
Roselind and Jameson chuckled at the scene.
“And to think someone woke up wanting a divorce,” Roselind teased, “Anyway, now that your leg is on the mend, your father and I should move back out. Give you two some privacy.”
Howard tried to explain helplessly, “Mother, it’s not what you think.” He felt the need to clarify. There had to be trust between him and Gwendolyn.
Roselind was about to rib him further when Marina appeared and came to Howard’s rescue.
“Mr. Thomas has arrived. He’s been waiting in the study for quite a while.”
“I’ll be right there.”
Howard maneuvered his wheelchair out of the living room, using the indoor elevator to head upstairs. Roselind sighed wistfully. “We’ve got a fine wife for Howard.”
Marina chimed in, “They’re a match made in heaven! Gwendolyn is way prettier than that woman…”
“Don’t you dare mention that bitch again!” Merely hearing the name gave Roselind a headache. Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.
“Yes, my lady.”
Marina bit back the rest of her sentence. She thought their Mrs. Chadwick was far more beautiful!
In the study.
Nathan flipped through stacks of documents, bored. Hearing the door open, he looked up. “I was about to fall asleep here. Did you hand that project over to Bainbridge?”
Howard gently closed the door, his long fingers casting a pale light in the glow of the lamp.
“If I didn’t let him gloat, how would he fall into ruin?”
Pride came before a fall.
Nathan crossed his legs with a sly grin, “I bet Bainbridge will be crying soon. That project is a
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minefield you were dying to dump. Now Summit Corp will rake in a nice penalty.”
He gave a thumbs–up, “Howard, you’re ruthless! I like that!”
Howard looked down, his profile flickering in the light, “I haven’t forgotten the accident.” If it wasn’t for Gwendolyn, he would have lost the use of his legs forever with despondency and madness.
Nathan leaned in with a sleazy whisper, “So, how do you plan to repay her favor? For now, satisfying her sexual desires is out of the question.”
Howard shot him a chilly glance, “Is that all you ever think about?”
“The rumor mill’s been saying the accident left you sterile. Is it true? Do you have feelings for your wife?”
Howard grew colder with Nathan’s nonsense.
At the sight of Howard’s sour expression, Nathan thought he’d hit a nerve and quickly changed the subject. “With Gwendolyn sticking close, could Bainbridge dig up her background?”
“No chance.”
Howard spoke calmly. “They’re too arrogant to see it. Waldo is their mole, who would guess Enoch took Bainbridge as an apprentice?”
Somehow, his words even carried a hint of bragging.
“But her connection to the Peterson family…” Nathan started, then remembered how tricky Howard’s leg situation was. All those specialists couldn’t help. Who would believe it?
“She’s a medic, so what if she saves a few people? I’ll protect her identity, and you better keep it secret too.”
Nathan nodded, understanding the need for discretion.
He’d been skeptical when he first saw the investigation report, double–checking it repeatedly,
afraid of a mistake.
“Not even to Roselind and Jameson? How long do you plan to keep it from them?”
Howard smoothed his sleeve and said, “Until I can stand on my own two feet.”