All he wanted was a happy family and a bright future together.


    Gwh pulled her hand away and turned her face, refusing to look at him.


    "Hawthorne, I don''t want to see you. Just go. Our marriage is over. There''s no need to hold the ceremony at the end of the year; I''ll tell my mother myself. I''ll take the children back to the Langford estate to raise them. You don''t deserve to be their father. They''ll grow up to be as despicable and morally corrupt as you, and I won''t let my children have a father like that."


    Gwh''s heart ached as she spoke.


    Hawthorne didn''t press the issue. If she needed space, he would give it to her. He had already asked Leonie toe and keep herpany. As long as Gwh and the babies were okay, he could rest easy. There were still matters at thepany that needed his attention. Once he finished his work and held the wedding ceremony with Gwh at the end of the year, he could finally return with her to Starfall City and leave the affairs of Greenvale behind for good.


    Just then, Hawthorne''s phone rang. Gwh recognized the familiar ringtone, and a knot of anxiety tightened in her chest, her mind instinctively jumping to Patti Yale.


    Hawthorne answered the call on speakerphone right in front of her.


    "Mr. Everhart, the traffic police found your car after a collision on Ocean Drive. Surveince footage shows a woman was driving, but she disappeared from the scene, abandoning the car on the side of the road."


    Gwh''s ears perked up. A woman driving his car—it could only be Patti Yale.


    Hawthorne recalled the call from his housekeeper earlier. Patti must have taken the car while drunk.


    "Understood. Have them tow the car for now. I''ll be there to handle it shortly."


    Hawthorne hung up and looked back at Gwh, who was clearly ignoring him now. Still, he tried to speak to her.


    "I''m going to go see what happened. You get some rest. Leonie will be


    here soon to stay with you, and you two can talk. Gwyn, don''t be


    stubborn. that will always love you and ouro children. As for Patti Yale, will put an end to things with her You won''t have to worry about her bothering us again."


    You have to belie


    After he finished, the woman in the bed remainedpletely still. With a sigh of resignation, he had no choice but to leave.


    When Leonie arrived, she found Gwh alone. She had brought some broth that she''d specially asked Mrs. Everhart to make. Leonie hadn''t mentioned Gwh was i in the hospital of course, she simply said she wanted to visit and thought bringing some of her mother-inw''s cooking would be a nice way to cheer Gwh up.


    Mrs. Everhart had wanted toe along, but Leonie dissuaded her, saying they hadn''t seen each other in a while and wanted to have a private chat. Amused, Mrs. Everhart just poked her on the forehead and happily prepared the soup for her to take.


    "Aunt Gwh, where''s Uncle Hawthorne? Did he leave again?" Leonie asked, a hint of disapproval in her voice, though she was careful not to criticize him too much in front of Gwh. She worried that he might actually be involved with Patti Yale— why else would her aunt have ended up in the hospital?


    Gwh sat up and looked at Leonie, her voice t. “Yes, he had something important to take care of."


    She didn''t mention their argument or what Hawthorne had told her. Deep down, she still wanted to believe him. She reyed Leonie''s words in her head: if Patti Yale''s reputation in their social circle was that terrible it, was unlikely Hawthorne would seriously get involved with her. The photos Patti had sent were all of her out on "dates" with Hawthorne. If a woman truly wanted to provoke another, wouldn''t she send


    something far more scandalous than pictures of them sharing a meal?


    Gwh had never received any indecent photos from Patti, which seemedpletely out of character for someone like her. Therefore, Gwh concluded, the images Patti showed her were likely a facade, and Hawthorne''s exnation might just be the truth.


    Looking at Leonie, Gwh couldn''t help but ask, "Do you know someone named James?"


    Leonie''s eyes widened in surprise. “You know about him? He''s my uncle''s biggest business rival; he''s always trying to sabotage him. And he has some serious backing. His father has powerful connections in Echo City, so very few people in Greenvale dare to cross them."