CHAPTER 168: CHAPTER 168: TURNING THEIR OWN TRICK AGAINST THEM

The entire meal, Tanya Sinclair checked her phone multiple times, but Joy didn’t share anything with her.

The table next door didn’t have much sound from Joy either, she must be busy eating. That little food-lover can’t stop once she hits something delicious; she probably forgot to send her a photo.

Tanya Sinclair felt a bit disappointed.

But as long as her daughter was happy eating, that’s fine.

Besides, Caden sent her a Sudoku puzzle he solved midway through.

Tanya Sinclair smiled and sent Caden a string of likes in reply.

"Caden, who are you chatting with? So happy, let Aunt Cindy take a look, will you?" Cindy Lynn feigned curiosity, already reaching out towards Caden.

Caden gave her a puzzled look, retorting, "Aunt Cindy, can you show me your phone chat record then?"

Cindy Lynn’s smile froze for a moment.

Vincent Hawthorne lightly chided, "Caden, manners."

Caden remained silent, put away his phone and focused on eating. He used his fork to mash the meatballs in his bowl, inwardly grumbling: Obviously, the one wanting to see his phone was the impolite one!

Dad was too double-standard.

"No wonder mom doesn’t want you," Caden muttered under his breath.

Vincent Hawthorne didn’t hear clearly, "Caden, what are you muttering?"

"Nothing, I said the food here is getting harder to eat."

"Really?" Vincent Hawthorne didn’t taste anything wrong, but... he glanced at his daughter Joy next to him.

She usually loved eating, but today her interest was low, and she didn’t eat much.

Vincent Hawthorne frowned slightly, seems the food quality here really declined.

Worried Joy wasn’t eating well, Vincent Hawthorne called a waiter over and ordered a strawberry milkshake ice cream that he usually wouldn’t let Joy have, but she liked very much,

On the other side of the screen, Tanya Sinclair wiped her mouth and whispered to Daisy Bell, "I’m going to the restroom."

Daisy Bell was replying to a work message, nodded, and didn’t accompany her.

Vincent Hawthorne glimpsed through a tiny gap in the screen as the woman at the next table stood and left. The entire meal, their table was very quiet, barely making a sound...

"Brother!" Yvonne Hawthorne’s voice suddenly chimed in, delighted, "You guys are eating here too! If I knew earlier, I would’ve joined your table! Oh, but that wouldn’t work..."

Yvonne Hawthorne winked playfully, her ambiguous gaze floating between Vincent Hawthorne and Cindy Lynn.

"If I join your table, I would be a third wheel!"

She overheard Father Hawthorne and Vincent Hawthorne’s call, unexpectedly learning Cindy Lynn’s family background is highly privileged, and she’s smart and capable!

Initially, Yvonne Hawthorne looked down on Cindy Lynn, a mere secretary, but now, Cindy Lynn is the sister-in-law she approves of, a hundred times better than that poor countryside bumpkin Tanya Sinclair!

"Yvonne, stop teasing me and your brother." Cindy Lynn showed a bashful look.

Vincent Hawthorne didn’t really react, neither responding nor refuting.

His attitude, in Yvonne Hawthorne’s eyes, was undoubtedly an affirmation!

She enthusiastically hooked Cindy Lynn’s arm.

"Come with me to the restroom to touch up our makeup." Yvonne Hawthorne leaned close to Cindy Lynn’s ear, intimately calling her, "Future sister-in-law."

Cindy Lynn pinched her lips into a helpless smile, glanced at Vincent Hawthorne across the table, naturally standing up to accompany Yvonne Hawthorne.

A screen panel apart, Daisy Bell quickly relayed the news to Tanya Sinclair.

[Baby Tanya! First-level alert, that bitch Cindy Lynn and that fool Yvonne Hawthorne are heading to the restroom together!]

Tanya Sinclair saw Daisy Bell’s message just as she was about to leave the cubicle.

She hadn’t had time to push the door when Yvonne Hawthorne’s exaggerated voice came from outside.

"Ms. Cindy, that necklace is from my brother, right?"

Cindy Lynn smiled with slight bashfulness, "Mm, he gave it to me at lunch today, and even personally helped me put it on."

"This is one of our family’s heirlooms! Each gem on this necklace is a genuine South African diamond, worth over thirty million. My mom usually locks it in the safe; I’ve been begging her for ages, and she wouldn’t give it to me! It turned out to be saved for a daughter-in-law!" Yvonne Hawthorne giggled.

Everything Tanya Sinclair heard in the cubicle made her want to laugh too.

The divorce compensation Vincent Hawthorne offered her was twenty million, and it was freaking in installments...

"So this necklace is truly valuable." Cindy Lynn’s tone overflowed with joy.

"Such precious jewelry certainly matches top-tier wealthy beauties like Ms. Cindy!" Yvonne Hawthorne curiously asked, "Ms. Cindy, I heard the Lynn Family houses a tremendous collection, thousands upon thousands of items! Each one a priceless treasure!"

In the cubicle, Tanya Sinclair squeezed her eyes shut, desperately suppressing a surge of hatred in her heart.

"Tanya, you see these treasures in the basement are collected by The Sinclair Family ancestors from all around. They represent the rich and profound history of our country; you can donate them or lend them to museums for exhibition, but never sell them! Remember that?"

"I remember, Grandpa!"

Cindy Lynn feigned modesty, "Next time you come over, pick a few you like, I’ll give them to you."

"You’re the best, sister-in-law~"

"Yvonne, your brother isn’t divorced yet..."

"It’s just a matter of days, my dad has already spoken." Yvonne Hawthorne suddenly sneered, "No, should say, it’s tomorrow night! My brother endured so much over the years with that poor countryside bumpkin Tanya Sinclair, finally, he’s getting relieved!"

Tomorrow night indeed...

Tanya Sinclair thought, Theodore Hawthorne is quite hasty.

Speak of the devil; Tanya Sinclair’s phone screen lit up, a call came in from Father Hawthorne, Theodore Hawthorne!

Her phone was on silent mode, she didn’t answer.

After Cindy Lynn and Yvonne Hawthorne left, she emerged and found a quiet corner to call Theodore Hawthorne back.

"Uncle Hawthorne."

Now there’s no need to keep acting, she naturally couldn’t bring herself to say the revolting word ’Dad’.

Theodore Hawthorne also accepted the title ’Uncle’ with tacit consent.

"Tanya, I know things are irreparable between you and Vincent. But you’ve been married into The Hawthorne Family for years, and I have always treated you as my own daughter. I really can’t bear to see you go." Theodore Hawthorne spoke with deep emotion, even a hint of sadness in his voice.

Tanya Sinclair smirked silently.

It seems Vincent Hawthorne’s selfishness and hypocrisy were inherited from Father Hawthorne!

Indeed, at The Hawthorne Family, aside from Old Lady Hawthorne, one could say Father Hawthorne treated her the best, at least on the surface!

It always seemed like those giving her a hard time were Mother Hawthorne, Yvonne, and the old butler at home.

But now Tanya Sinclair was fully awake.

The one who held absolute power in The Hawthorne Family had always been Theodore Hawthorne!

If he had truly been as kind as he appeared to be to her as a daughter-in-law, Mother Hawthorne and Yvonne would never have dared to humiliate her like that!

These father and son, really are hypocrites cut from the same cloth!

"Uncle, I’m also very thankful for your care over these years." Tanya Sinclair followed along with his words.

Theodore Hawthorne was waiting for this sentence from her.

"Tanya, since you and Vincent have decided to divorce, I respect the decision of you young people. But I’ve always considered you my daughter, I really can’t bear to part with you. Let’s have a simple dinner tomorrow night. Just as a way of thanking you for your contributions to The Hawthorne Family over the years!"

Tanya Sinclair curled her lips, without a trace of smile in her eyes: "Okay, I also want to ’properly’ say goodbye to Uncle."

"The restaurant is already booked. I’ll arrange for a driver to pick you up after work at Westgard Pharmaceuticals."

"Okay." Tanya Sinclair responded dutifully, her gaze as cold as ice.

After hanging up, she was about to head back to the front hall.

When suddenly, she saw Daisy Bell wearing a hat, with her face covered, rushing toward her, grabbing her and running toward the back door.

"Quick, quick! I just specially ordered a ’Homewrecker Tofu’ for Cindy Lynn’s table! I gave the waiter a thousand tip to announce it with a speaker when serving!"

Tanya Sinclair: "..."

Daisy Bell had already arranged for the driver to bring the car to the back door.

Once in the car, she gave the address of Tanya Sinclair’s neighborhood.

"Baby, I’ll stay over with you tonight!"

Tanya Sinclair was, of course, happy about it.

She had something she needed to trouble Daisy Bell with.

"Daisy, since you’re in the entertainment industry, you should know quite a bit about reporters and paparazzi, right?"

"Yes, but why are you asking about this all of a sudden?"

Tanya Sinclair said seriously: "First tell me, which reporter company is currently the boldest in publishing stuff in the industry?"

Seeing her so serious, Daisy Bell matched her tone.

"If you’re talking about the boldest, it has to be ’Vanguard Entertainment’, opened by that spoiled Zion Monroe of The Monroe Family."

Although it’s more of a plaything company, and not very large in scale, since Zion Monroe lacks neither money nor the backing of The Monroe Family name, he can pretty much run rampant. There’s basically no juicy gossip in the entertainment industry or regarding the elite families in Aris that he wouldn’t dare to broadcast.

Daisy Bell rubbed her chin, "But Zion Monroe has a temper and isn’t willing to broadcast just any scoop. He likes to follow his mood. If you want to approach his company, be prepared for rejection. I know a bunch of familiar paparazzi and reporters, if you need, I can help you get in touch."

Tanya Sinclair pondered for a moment: "Let me try contacting Zion Monroe first."

Ordinary reporters might not dare to publish dirt on The Hawthorne Family, and Mother Hawthorne, Wendy Chester’s family is from the media industry, so colleagues more or less will give face.

But since Tanya Sinclair planned to make a move, she intended to make it a big one!

"Alright." Daisy Bell flipped through her phone contacts and found Zion Monroe’s number, "If you call, he’ll probably see it as an unknown number and not pick up. Let me try for you."

As Daisy Bell was speaking, she dialed, "After all, I am an award-winning actress, he should give me some face..."

’Beep beep beep—’

Before she finished speaking, a busy tone of being instantly hung up came from the other side.

Daisy Bell: "...Damn!"

Tanya Sinclair had quickly glimpsed Zion Monroe’s number, and although she knew it was unlikely, she decided to try again, just in case the call went through.

Tanya Sinclair dialed and barely a ring had passed before it was immediately picked up.

Then, Zion Monroe’s slightly oily, super bubbly voice came through.

"Hello, is this Tanya Sinclair? How can I help you? Holy crap!"

On the other end, in the pool room in the basement of the villa.

Declan Pierce was poised with a cue ready to take a shot when he heard Tanya Sinclair’s name, momentarily distracted, and then he heard Zion Monroe’s oily voice croaking.

Declan Pierce casually adjusted the angle of the cue, flicked it, sending the cue ball flying off the table straight toward Zion Monroe’s forehead!

Zion Monroe dodged with a swift move, narrowly escaping, and then composed himself.

He properly placed the phone in front of Declan Pierce and turned on the speakerphone.

It was Tanya Sinclair’s gentle yet slightly puzzled voice that came through.

"Mr. Monroe, do you know me?"