Tanya Sinclair was currently in her rental apartment. When Vincent Hawthorne’s call came through, she was busy tidying up the bed. She glanced at the caller ID and hung up immediately. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on novelFɪre.net Vincent didn’t call a second time either. Tanya wasn’t surprised at all. Over the years, Vincent had always been . It was rare for him to graciously reach out to her. In his view, it was already a great favor. Tanya smirked sarcastically. That afternoon, before leaving the company, she had already submitted her resignation letter to the HR department, though the office was empty at that time. Tomorrow was the weekend, and Tanya didn’t want to disturb their holiday. She set a timed email, which would send on Monday morning, delivering her letter of resignation in electronic form to the HR director and Vincent’s senior assistant, Jonah Rivers. There wasn’t much to pack at home. Tanya simply made the bed, walked into the kitchen, and cooked herself a bowl of noodles. The fridge was empty except for a box of eggs and some fruit she had bought from the supermarket downstairs. Her departure was straightforward and rushed, leaving little time to prepare. Holding the bowl of noodles, Tanya sat on the balcony, facing the city’s neon lights, quietly eating one bite at a time. A second call from Vincent came only an hour later. Tanya didn’t answer or hang up, just let it ring, which wasn’t for long. It lasted about twenty seconds before the sound abruptly stopped. This was the limit of Vincent’s patience with her. But over the years, she had tirelessly waited hours for him countless times. She waited for him to return calls, to reply to messages, to find time to date her, and to finish his medicine so she could peel a mint for him... Tanya silently slurped her noodle soup, for some reason tasting a slight bitterness. After washing the dishes in the kitchen, her phone rang again. This time, it was Aunt Tawny. Tanya picked up the phone, pondered for a moment, but worried about the two kids, she finally answered. "Madam, don’t work overtime, please come back and take a look!" Aunt Tawny naturally didn’t know Tanya had moved out and thought she was still at the company. Aunt Tawny sounded anxious, "Young Miss ate something bad at school and has been vomiting. Dr. Sullivan came to give her an IV, but she’s still woozy and not lucid." Tanya’s heart skipped a beat. She immediately stood up, grabbed her keys, and rushed out, "I’m coming back now!" The villa’s living room. Vincent had just finished checking on Joy and came downstairs, only to find Aunt Tawny on the phone with Tanya in the kitchen. As soon as she called, Tanya answered quickly. Vincent’s eyes turned cold, a chill sliding across them mockingly. In front of him, Tanya was now addicted to playing cold and distant! Aunt Tawny hung up, hearing the footsteps coming downstairs, turned to see Vincent striding down, and couldn’t help but complain despite herself. "Sir, I hope you don’t mind me saying this. You and Madam work at the same company. Why can’t you pick her up after work?" Instead, you often share a ride with that vixen, Cindy Lynn! Of course, Aunt Tawny dared not speak this out loud. No matter her long-standing position in the Hawthorne Family, she was still just the housekeeper. Some things were inappropriate for her to say, especially considering Mr. Hawthorne’s clear favoritism towards Cindy Lynn. Speaking up might cause trouble for herself. Vincent sat on the sofa, his mind flashing with Tanya’s face, feeling inexplicably irritated. With a frigid gaze, he said indifferently, "How do you know I haven’t tried to pick her up?" Over the past few days, he had given Tanya many opportunities to reconcile, speaking kindly to coax her, yet what did that woman do? She just pushed his limits, giving him attitude, deliberately making things difficult for Cindy! Vincent felt a suffocated anger rising inside him. Aunt Tawny was still absorbed in Vincent’s earlier words. Did Mr. Hawthorne mean that he had offered to pick up Madam, but Madam ignored him? She couldn’t even picture such a scene. Everyone could see how Madam treated Mr. Hawthorne over the years. It was like pouring her heart out, being exceedingly thoughtful; any slightest frown from him could break her heart! "Aunt Tawny, pour me a glass of wine," Vincent pressed his temples, instructing with no expression. Aunt Tawny remembered how Vincent had a stomachache last night, feeling apprehensive. "Sir, considering your stomach trouble flared up just last night, perhaps it’s better not to drink." Vincent chuckled lightly, pondering something, "Isn’t Tanya coming back soon? With her here, could I possibly suffer to death?" Even though her words were harsh and her departure resolute, she still secretly prepared medicine for him and crept upstairs to check on him while he was asleep... No matter how much Tanya pretended, she couldn’t truly disregard him. Vincent lifted his eyelids, gazing at the wall opposite, where their wedding photo had been rehung after five years. In the picture, Tanya, in her white bridal gown, looked like a fairy, her smile radiant, eyes bright and focused on him, as if stars themselves had molded into love, gazing heavily upon him. That Tanya was deeply in love with him was a truth needing no further confirmation... Tanya hurriedly returned, entering the living room. The first thing she saw was Vincent’s indomitable figure on the sofa. He was in loungewear, his usual suit-and-tie elite demeanor softened to reveal the inherent nobility cultivated by a life of privilege. He sat there with his long legs crossed, the wine glass in front of him nearly empty. Just a glance, and Tanya retracted her gaze, heading straight upstairs. Of course, Vincent heard Tanya entering, but displeased, he chose not to acknowledge her, waiting for Tanya to approach him, admit her faults, and concede. Unexpectedly, Tanya treated him as invisible, heading directly upstairs. Vincent’s brow furrowed, unable to hold back his anger. "Tanya Sinclair!" his slightly irritated voice rang out behind her. Tanya ignored it; she returned out of concern for the child, not for whatever tantrum Vincent was throwing. However, as soon as she reached the staircase corner, a burst of oppressive forcefully grabbed her arm and pressed her against the wall before she could react. Vincent had accumulated anger and lost patience, showing no restraint. A dull thud sounded as Tanya’s frail back collided hard against the cold wall, the pain nearly drawing tears. "Tanya, how long are you going to continue this act?!" Vincent’s towering presence imprisoned her, his aura stifling. The man’s usually gentle eyes were now cloaked in shadows, his gentle facade torn to reveal a glimpse of hidden ferocity. Tanya knew she couldn’t match Vincent’s strength, nor did she want to fight him. The two children were just upstairs, and Aunt Tawny’s room was not far away. She merely stared at him coldly, her eyes sharp and clear, filled with an unspoken accusation and blame. Was she... blaming him? Vincent was unnerved by Tanya’s stare. His grip on her shoulder, painful as it was, finally loosened. Vincent’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly, and after a brief pause, he spoke softly. He questioned, "Why did you throw away the medicine I gave you?" In his tone, there was a trace of discontent and grievance. Was he feeling aggrieved? Tanya chuckled coolly, "Does it amuse you? Cindy Lynn’s castoffs for me?" Her words were charged with emotion. Vincent frowned slightly, taking a resigned deep breath. "Cindy explained that situation to me." At that time, the door to R&D Unit 1 was locked, Cindy wanted to help but couldn’t get in; Vincent knew that. The access to R&D Unit 1 was strict, and Tanya, once in work mode, was oblivious to everything else. Cindy had waited at the door for a long while without Tanya appearing. Having sprained her leg earlier that morning when Aunt Tawny pushed her, she used a bit of the medicinal oil. Cindy had even worried Tanya might mind and proactively reported it to Vincent, intending to buy a new bottle for Tanya. But Vincent didn’t think it was necessary! Such a trivial thing, he assumed that given it was Tanya, it wouldn’t be an issue for her. It was because she couldn’t wait for Cindy, and Cindy used a little first that she threw the entire bottle into the trash!