Now it seems the person on the other end of the call is quite interesting. Hayden Crawford faintly hooked his lips, then turned and left with Ronda. In the corridor, Corvus and Silas had been waiting for their young master, Hayden Crawford. Seeing Hayden come out, the two quickly followed respectfully. Corvus nudged Silas, who wore a blank expression, "I think I saw the young master smile." Silas was expressionless, "Oh." Corvus exclaimed excitedly, "The young master smiled! Since returning to the City of Aethelgard, I haven’t seen the young master smile!" Silas remained expressionless, "Oh." Corvus, "..." It was impossible to have a conversation; no one wanted to gossip with him. Corvus thought for a moment, was the young master smiling because of the recently found daughter of the Sterling family? "Young master, the Sterling and Sawyer families have an engagement. The Sterling family had a daughter who was lost in childhood and has just been found; this daughter is James’s fiancée," Corvus reported in a low voice. Hayden Crawford’s handsome face showed no emotional fluctuation. He glanced at Corvus indifferently, "Did I ask you about this?" ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ novel_fіre.net "No," Corvus shook his head, "But if the young master likes, I can have Silas sneak into the Sterling family at night, steal that daughter, wash her clean, and leave her on your bed so she can serve you tonight." Everyone in the Sterling family possesses extraordinary martial arts skills; even a servant could fight. But this wouldn’t be a problem for Silas, despite his expressionless face, his skills were exceptional. Corvus glanced at Silas, who nodded and said sparingly, "Okay." Hayden Crawford’s hawk-like narrow eyes swept over, and he spat out a word from his thin lips, "Get lost!" Silas’s figure disappeared instantly. Corvus froze on the spot, feeling bullied. He didn’t know martial arts; how could he "get lost"? Crawford family villa. Hayden Crawford returned to the Crawford family home. Standing tall and leggy in the living room, he unbuttoned his black suit with slender fingers and handed it to the maid, "Where’s the old lady?" "Young master, the old lady is in her room upstairs," the maid responded respectfully. "How is the old lady’s appetite today?" "Young master, the old lady only ate half a bowl of plain porridge; her appetite is still very poor." Hayden Crawford’s brows quickly furrowed into a frown. Everyone knew that with the old lady remaining , her life was nearing its end; it wouldn’t last much longer. Hayden Crawford took long strides upstairs to see the old lady, but upon approaching the study room’s door, perhaps because it wasn’t shut tightly, a voice quickly reached his ears—it was Zane Crawford’s voice. Zane Crawford had returned home today. "Dad, I’m asking you again, where on earth did you take her? Why can’t I find her no matter how hard I try? You and grandma already got what you wanted. Can’t you just give her back to me? I can save her. Do you have to go to such lengths to destroy her? Are you really this cruel, selfish, and cold-blooded?" "Enough!" Zelda Willow’s voice could be heard, "Zane, are you out of your mind? How can you speak to your dad like that? What’s so good about that woman? Did she drug you and make you lose your senses?" The study’s door quickly opened, and Zane Crawford emerged. Zane Crawford saw Hayden Crawford outside the door, and their gazes collided. Hayden Crawford looked at Zane, his deep-set eyes slightly rippling. He understood his brother well; as the youngest scholar of his time, Zane Crawford was arrogant, aloof, and disdainful, with extremely high standards—nothing could affect him, and he had never lost composure. But now, Zane’s cold eyes were reddened, filled with bloodshot veins. His hands hung tightly by his sides, clenched into fists, like an angry lion close to the brink of collapse. Hayden Crawford had never seen Zane Crawford before. Four eyes met, Hayden spoke quietly, "What’s the matter with you?" As he spoke, he glanced at the study, "Did you argue with Dad over a... girl? Have you found someone you like?" Zane coldly looked at Hayden Crawford, "Are you happy now?" Hayden pressed his lips together, saying nothing. Two equally handsome men, both favored by heaven, now locked in eye contact with a spark of confrontation and hidden light. Soon, Zane curled his lips slightly, "Hayden Crawford, you must be very happy, inheriting the business empire and having Anabelle Rathborne, Aethelgard’s first beauty, by your side. Good for you, you must stay happily so!" Saying this, Zane turned directly and went downstairs. Zane couldn’t bear to look at Hayden Crawford any longer because the new life Hayden had was exchanged for by Serena Sterling with her own life; she loved him more than her own life. He would never tell Hayden Crawford the name Serena Sterling, never let him know what he had truly lost; this was his punishment! Zelda Willow chased after him angrily, "Zane! Zane, stop right there!" The mother and son disappeared from sight one after the other, and Hayden Crawford moved slightly. At this moment, the study door opened, and Jude Crawford stepped out. Hayden Crawford looked at Jude Crawford, "Was your argument related to me?" Jude Crawford shook his head, "No, it has nothing to do with you. Today is Annette’s birthday; how are you getting along with her?" "Not bad," Hayden Crawford didn’t intend to say more. He simply said, "I’m going to see grandma." In the bedroom, the old lady sat on a rattan chair, holding Ronda in her arms. Over the past three months, the old lady had lost a lot of weight and was completely grey-haired. The old lady had turned grey overnight. Ronda snuggly nestled in the old lady’s arms, meowing twice. "Grandma," Hayden Crawford kneeled on one knee beside the old lady’s rattan chair, holding her aging hand. The old lady looked up at Hayden Crawford, "So you’ve come back, Hayden." "Grandma, I heard you’ve only been eating half a bowl of porridge lately. What’s wrong? If you have anything on your mind, you can tell me." The old lady gently shook her head, "Grandma’s fine, no need to worry. Grandma just... misses someone, misses them deeply." Ronda meowed twice as well. Hayden Crawford knew Grandma didn’t want to talk, "Grandma, in a couple of days I’ll bring you out to live with me. You’re not feeling well, so I’ll find someone who can cook delicious food for you." Having seen Grandma, Hayden Crawford left the Crawford family villa. He and Zane Crawford both owned numerous properties outside, each with their own villas. In the Rolls-Royce luxury car, Hayden Crawford leaned his straight back into the seat, raised his hand to rub his tired brow. At this moment, Corvus, who was in the driver’s seat, spoke, "Young master, Secretary Yarrow just called, reminding you that your twenty-first psychologist is now available. This Dr. Kane specializes in gender issues and is sure to cure your... frigidity."
Substitute Bride: Utterly Pampered by Her Billionaire Husband - Chapter 257
Updated: Oct 28, 2025 8:19 AM
