CHAPTER 176: CHAPTER 176: YOU MAKE ME SICKER THAN ANYONE IN THE HAWTHORNE FAMILY

When Tanya Sinclair brought out the noodle dish, Declan Pierce was on the balcony taking a call. Her balcony wasn’t big, with clothes hanging, and Tanya noticed her underwear was hanging just two meters away from Declan, making her blush a bit.

She tiptoed over and, taking advantage of Declan not paying attention, quickly grabbed the underwear and hid it behind her back.

Declan had just hung up the phone and turned around, their eyes meeting, leaving Tanya feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Um... the noodles are ready, on the table. After you finish eating, take the medicine, and then you can leave."

After saying that, Tanya quickly turned around and went back to the bedroom, throwing the underwear onto the bed.

Declan had already thoughtfully gone to the kitchen to get two pairs of chopsticks.

The two sat face to face eating noodles, Declan casually rolled up his sleeves, eating comfortably, as if he were at home.

It was Tanya who was feeling awkward.

She never would have imagined that one day she would be eating noodles with Declan Pierce in her home. The scene looked bizarre no matter how you viewed it.

Declan’s phone rang several times in the middle; it seemed someone was urgently looking for him, but Declan merely glanced at it and hung up each time.

After finishing the noodles, Tanya was about to stand up to clean up when Declan looked at her: "Stay seated."

He took the bowls and chopsticks into the kitchen and washed them with practiced ease.

Tanya recalled that moment; back in the day, Declan was a poor student working to pay for his tuition.

His face was deceivingly striking, looking very affluent.

When he first started school, many speculated he was a young master from some conglomerate... Later, realizing he was dirt poor, those prying eyes turned to schadenfreude.

With such good looks, he was destined to be the focus of attention, no matter his personal wishes.

"Tanya Sinclair."

"Hmm?" Tanya snapped back to reality.

While drying his hands, Declan spoke calmly: "If a man asks you to cook and clean, stay away from him in the future."

"Okay." She agreed readily.

Actually, she now wanted to stay away from all men.

But she wouldn’t say this to Declan; their relationship wasn’t close enough for her to confide her thoughts.

After eating and cleaning up.

Tanya escorted Declan to the elevator.

"Goodbye, and thank you for saving me tonight. Be careful on your way," Tanya said, polite to a fault.

Declan quietly looked at her and softly said, "Goodnight, Tanya Sinclair."

She smiled, "Goodnight."

The elevator doors closed in front of her, blocking out the sight of Tanya’s face.

The tender yet impartial "goodnight" she uttered still seemed to linger in the air around him.

Declan self-deprecatingly pulled at the corner of his mouth.

Walking out of the building, his driver had been waiting for a long time, attentively opening the car door for Declan.

As soon as he got in the car, Declan received a call from his subordinate.

In a voice devoid of warmth, he asked, "Have you found the person?"

The one on the other end of the line, steeling his nerves, said, "Mr. Pierce, they rode their motorcycles straight into the urban village. The terrain inside is too complicated and crowded, we lost them..."

"Keep looking." Declan sat back in the car. His extraordinarily handsome face was hidden in the dark, with eyes as deep as icy pools, exuding a chilling ruthlessness. "Even if you have to turn the entire urban village upside down, find them for me!"

"Yes!"

...

The next day, as Tanya Sinclair had expected, the gossip about Yvonne Hawthorne and her mother meeting a man late at their restaurant blew up online.

The trending topics kept coming up one after another, and since Vanguard Entertainment broke the news, it was even more credible.

Other media might accept money for their services, but everyone knows that the owner of Vanguard Entertainment, Zion Monroe, is so rich that he’s got nothing but money.

Tanya went to work as usual.

Theodore Hawthorne’s calls came incessantly in the middle, but she didn’t block them, nor did she answer any.

Now, it wasn’t the best time yet.

Near noon, having finished her tasks, Tanya received a call from Daisy Bell.

Daisy excitedly said, "Baby Tanya, let me show you something nice!"

Tanya clicked on the video link Daisy sent her.

The time was probably this morning at the Aris International Airport. Vincent Hawthorne had just returned from Kreston City and was immediately swarmed by a group of reporters who had been waiting.

He had left very high-profile, publishing his itinerary, and now was facing the consequences.

"President Hawthorne, your sister Yvonne has always maintained an image of the pure and lovable rich girl online. In private, she’s so wantonly promiscuous; as her brother, do you have anything to say?"

"President Hawthorne, everyone knows you spoil your sister rotten. Did you already know about this incident?"

"Mr. Hawthorne, your mother was also there last night. Are all the women in The Hawthornes so liberated in private? Are your parents in an open marriage?"

A Vanguard Entertainment reporter stuck the microphone right into Vincent Hawthorne’s face.

"Mr. Hawthorne, can you confirm that your father is indeed Theodore Hawthorne?"

Vincent Hawthorne, who had been wearing sunglasses and remained silent, could endure no longer and angrily knocked out the microphone.

The reporter, truly one of Zion Monroe’s people, fell to the ground feigning injury, shouting, "Vincent Hawthorne hit someone! Oh dear, a wealthy man is physically assaulting a reporter!"

On the other end of the phone, Daisy Bell was nearly dead with laughter.

"Everyone at Vanguard Entertainment, from top to bottom, is truly talented! Serves him right! That scumbag Vincent Hawthorne, I refuse to believe he accidentally went to Kreston City yesterday!"

Of course, it wasn’t an accident.

Vincent Hawthorne has always been like this; when The Hawthornes make things difficult for her, he doesn’t intervene, nor does he stop them. As if by doing so, he remains forever innocent.

If she hadn’t taken advantage of the situation last night, right now, the woman being pushed to the forefront and cursed by everyone would have been her, Tanya Sinclair.

"Tanya, The Hawthorne Family is now trying desperately to get in touch with you, and they’ve even sent people to find me," Daisy Bell asked, "What’s your next plan?"

Tanya Sinclair replied calmly, "Let’s wait a bit longer; it’s not the right time yet."

The Hawthorne Family is in chaos, while Tanya Sinclair continues with her work as usual. Belinda even came by to see her, not mentioning The Hawthorne Family directly; upon seeing Tanya Sinclair in good condition, she left reassured.

Tanya Sinclair worked overtime, leaving the office close to ten o’clock.

She was considering whether to buy a late-night snack from the nearby shop or go home and prepare something healthier.

Just then, a tall man’s figure emerged from the shadows behind the flower bed, walking directly toward her.

"Tanya Sinclair..."

Tanya Sinclair narrowed her eyes slightly, watching Vincent Hawthorne approach.

In public, he was always meticulous from head to toe.

But today, Vincent looked unusually disheveled, wearing a hat, his shirt wrinkled and half-tucked in his waistband.

The security guard at the company entrance noticed the situation and cautiously stepped closer, hand already on his electric baton.

Seeing no unusual reaction from Tanya Sinclair, the guard didn’t approach further, instead observing from behind.

"Need something?" Tanya Sinclair’s tone and gaze were equally cold.

Vincent Hawthorne’s Adam’s apple moved slightly, not quite daring to meet her eyes.

"I... I wanted to come see you. Are you okay?" he explained, dry-mouthed, "I arranged for Jonah Rivers to pick you up at the hotel last night, but when he got there, the place was swarming with police..."

’Smack—’ Tanya Sinclair, expressionless, lifted her hand and slapped Vincent Hawthorne forcefully across the face.

Vincent Hawthorne didn’t dodge, his hat was knocked off, and he took the slap.

Tanya Sinclair’s hand trembled uncontrollably—with rage, with hatred, and with an indefinable sense of disappointment.

"So, you knew what The Hawthornes planned to do to me last night, and you, Vincent Hawthorne... consented!"

"Vincent Hawthorne, how can you be so shameless? I... I used to be your wife! When we took our vows, you said you’d love and protect me forever! Even if you don’t love me, I’m still Caden and Joy’s biological mother!"

Tanya Sinclair couldn’t continue, her body shaking uncontrollably.

"I spent fifteen years of my life on you, loving you to the point of giving you my life, and you..." Tanya Sinclair let out a derisive laugh, eyes full of numb desolation, "Want to send me to hell, Vincent Hawthorne!"

"Tanya, it’s not like that!" Vincent Hawthorne urgently tried to explain, "I only realized their plan after the plane landed, so I..."

"Vincent Hawthorne." Tanya Sinclair interrupted him, her clear eyes coldly piercing into his, "There are five flights a day from Kreston City to Aris. If you really wanted to save me, you would’ve flown back yourself."

"..."

Vincent Hawthorne was speechless.

He hadn’t rushed back to save her, only sending Jonah Rivers to pick her up.

Tanya Sinclair exposed his self-deceiving hypocrisy.

"Vincent Hawthorne, if something had really happened to me last night, you’d only shed a few fake tears, feigning innocence, and shift the blame to other members of The Hawthorne Family."

Tanya Sinclair’s eyes were filled with disgust, "Vincent Hawthorne, you disgust me more than anyone else in The Hawthornes!"

After saying this, Tanya Sinclair turned and walked away.

Vincent Hawthorne hurried to catch up, reaching out to hold her, his voice soft, "Tanya, Yvonne said you still have..."

So this was his true purpose for coming tonight!

Tanya Sinclair angrily shook him off, and her bag swung towards Vincent Hawthorne.

"I have everything, but you have no right to talk to me!"

Tanya Sinclair was so infuriated by Vincent Hawthorne’s shamelessness that she didn’t notice a man in a baseball cap and mask approaching from the corner, holding a bottle of unidentified liquid.

The man silently unscrewed the cap, and the scent of high-concentration sulfuric acid wafted out; he aimed the entire bottle at Tanya Sinclair!

"Bitch, how dare you fire me! I’ll make you pay!"

"Tanya, watch out!"

Vincent Hawthorne rushed over to protect Tanya Sinclair, but at the critical moment, another figure came out to shield him.

"Vincent!"

This voice was...

Vincent Hawthorne turned sharply, catching the falling Cindy Lynn, her back clothing eaten away by the concentrated sulfuric acid.

"Vincent, are you okay?" Cindy Lynn lay in his arms, tearfully concerned about him.