Chapter 13 Cold to Every Other Woman Lyra looked up in confusion . " Is something the matter , Mr. Hawthorne ? " +2 Bonus Maxen remained calm and composed as he asked , " Did you see the news today ? " Lyra frowned . " What news? " Maxen studied her for a moment , his gaze unreadable . " Nothing . " Once again , he turned and walked away . As Lyra watched him leave , she suddenly remembered Micah . She quickly caught up . " Mr. Hawthorne . " Maxen stopped and turned to her , his tone colder than before . " What is it now ? " Lyra felt a dull ache in her chest . It seemed like he was allowed to come to her with problems , but she wasn't allowed to go to him . That was just how it was , apparently . She pressed her lips together before speaking , " Thank you for offering to help me find a lawyer . As for what you said before , once I get a few days free , I'll have the di- " 1/4 21:05 Chapter 13 Cold to Every Other Woman She hadn't even gotten to the part about handing him the divorce agreement , when a bright voice called out . " Max ! " +2 Bonus Veronica came hurrying toward him . The moment she saw Lyra , the smile on her face dimmed . She stepped forward and linked arms with Maxen . " Max , you came all the way to the hospital and didn't even stop by to see me ? " It couldn't have been more obvious that she was staking her claim . And of course , Lyra saw it for exactly what it was . Her gaze turned colder . How ridiculous would it be if Veronica actually knew the man she's clinging to is someone else's husband ? Before Maxen could say anything , Veronica turned to Lyra with forced warmth . " Dr. Sheppard , didn't you say you barely knew Max ? You two seem pretty close to me . I was just thinking of introducing you ! " To anyone listening , it sounded like Veronica was doing Lyra a favor , trying to make a connection . Maxen wasn't just anyone - he was the oldest heir of the Hawthorne family in New York , and he'd been sitting at the head of Hawthorne Group for years . In the business world , he had never lacked money or connections . Now that she had introduced Lyra to Maxen , the nearby nurses couldn't hide their jealousy . Maxen's eyes stayed fixed on Lyra's face , as if the only thing he had heard from Veronica was " she said she barely knows him . " His expression darkened . Lyra almost laughed . She met Veronica's gaze without hesitation and said , " I just happened to run into Mr. Hawthorne and chatted about a few things . We're not exactly close . " At that , the temperature in Maxen's eyes dropped in an instant . Veronica didn't notice the shift in his expression . She simply smiled , " You needed Max's help , Dr. Sheppard ? If you don't mind , you can come to me too . He's busy , and he's always a bit cold toward other women . I wouldn't want you to feel uncomfortable . " Lyra had no argument for that last part . She knew better than anyone how cold Maxen could be . She shook her head , replying , " No need , thanks . " With that , she Chapter 13 Cold to Every Other Woman +2 Bonus stopped looking at either of them and stepped into her office . Maxen glanced toward her door , his eyes still and unreadable . Veronica , on the other hand , clenched her teeth quietly . Something in her gut told her that whatever was going on between Maxen and Lyra wasn't as simple as it looked . She just hadn't found proof yet . Over the years , Veronica had done her fair share of digging into Maxen's life back home . When she found out there weren't any women around him , she had felt safe enough to have the child . After returning to the country , she had shown up in front of Maxen looking down - and - out , playing the part of a single mother . When he agreed to take them in , she took it as a sign that he still felt guilty toward her . Veronica believed that as long as he blamed Edith for tearing them apart and for how far she had fallen , she still had a chance to win him back . " Max , do you think something is wrong with Dr. Sheppard ? " Veronica asked with a sweet smile . " Should I help her out? " 4/4 Write your comment Tr Gifts