Chapter 275 The Blossoms She Never Saw

    Chapter 275 The Blossoms She Never Saw

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    Martha smiled but didn’t respond. Her eyes, however, kept drifting-subtly, repeatedly-toward the surroundings.

    Once they got in the car, she nced in the rearview mirror and immediately caught sight of a ck sedan trailing behind them. Her expression darkened.

    Ever since she lost contact with Madam Aubrey, unfamiliar people had started showing up around the neighborhood.

    She’d tried going to the Hawthorne estate to find her, but was turned away each time with the excuse that Madam Aubrey was ill.

    Martha had no idea what had happened. She didn’t know what to do next, and her anxiety only grew deeper by the day.

    “Mom? Mom?” Kelvin called her several times.

    Martha finally snapped out of it. “Huh? What is it?”

    Kelvin frowned in concern. “Are you okay? I’ve been calling you for a while and you didn’t hear me.”

    Martha quickly forced a smile and made up an excuse. “I just took on a new design job. The client’s demanding a lot, so I was thinking it through just now. Didn’t hear you, sorry.”

    Kelvin didn’t question it. Instead, he tried to cheer her up. “If they’re too demanding, just drop them. It’s not like we need the money that badly.”

    “Okay.” Martha kept up the smile, not wanting him to grow suspicious.

    Meanwhile, Lucas received thetest update from his men. “Mr. Lucas, Martha came to the estate again yesterday asking to see Madam Aubrey, but the old madam sent her away. After that, she picked Kelvin up from school.”

    “She’s starting to suspect something.”

    Lucas was unmoved. “Let her. Just make sure they don’t leave Stonebridge.”

    “Understood.”

    Lucas stood on the steps, gazing at the cherry blossom tree in the courtyard. Petals fluttered down silently. nketing the ground in soft pink and white. In a daze, he realized this tree had already bloomed and withered three times since she first stepped into the garden.

    The first time Sloane came to this ce, she hadplimented the blossoms.

    For three years, he’d made sure they were carefully tended, just so she could see them in full bloom when

    she returned.

    Deep in the mountains, where signal was spotty, Sloane’s phone finally received a single text message:

    “Sloane, if you don’te back soon, Lucas is going to get engaged to someone else.”

    III

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    12:10 Wed, 10 Sept

    Chapter 275 The Blossoms She Never Saw

    Night fell over Stonebridge, glittering with lights.

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    The partnership between Hawthorne Corp and the Li family had concluded sessfully, and the celebration banquet was being held at the city’s most luxurious hotel. Guests from every corner of high society filled the venue, the atmosphere buzzing with toasts andughter.

    “Jill, slow down!” Cameron chased after her, worried she’d trip over her dress as she rushed ahead.

    “No way, I need to get in there and keep an eye on Lucas for Sloane.” Jill hiked up her gown,pletely abandoning decorum. “You didn’t see that Ginnie woman-she’s practically trying to devour him.”

    Lucas stood tall in a ck suit, features sharp and cold. Even in the crowd, he stood out effortlessly. But his gaze drifted past the people around him, as though none of it interested him in the slightest.

    “Lucas, you’re here.” A clear, polished voice rang out behind him.

    He turned to see a woman in a striking red evening gown walking toward him with poised steps. Her makeup was wless, and her strong features carried a quiet boldness.

    It was Ginnie, eldest daughter of the Lyte family.

    “Ms. Ginnie.” Lucas gave her a polite nod, his voice formal and distant.

    Ginnie smiled and raised her champagne ss. “I heard Hawthorne Corp just secured the South City project. Congrattions.”

    Lucas replied coolly, “Thank you.”

    As the two stood together, more and more eyes began turning their way.

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