Aunt Tawny didn’t have a kind face for Cindy Lynn. Cindy remained calm and unbothered, she brushed her hair back and smiled, "Aunt Tawny, you’d best be polite to me. Otherwise, you’ll be the one who can’t stay in this house." Aunt Tawny was so angry she laughed. In her whole life, she’d seen shameless people, but never someone so brazen! "Enough nonsense, get out of here! This house doesn’t welcome you!" Saying this, Aunt Tawny moved to push her out. An old servant dared to be so insolent to her! Cindy frowned and was about to strike back when she noticed out of the corner of her eye, Vincent Hawthorne, looking disheveled, walking in from the backyard, a partially burnt scarf in his hand. A gleam flashed in Cindy’s eyes. She naturally recognized the scarf; back in university, Tanya Sinclair had knitted it for Vincent Hawthorne, and when she complained of the cold, he immediately put it on her... "Ah... Aunt Tawny, don’t hit me!" Cindy retreated fearfully, aggrievedly explaining, "I was just worried about President Hawthorne’s stomach discomfort, so I brought him some pumpkin and yam porridge to warm it up. Don’t be mad, I’ll leave right away." Aunt Tawny didn’t know what act Cindy was putting on, her attitude suddenly changed. She opened her mouth to curse, "Take your damn porridge and get out, shameless hussy, coming here at night to bring porridge to a married man!" With that, she gave Cindy a push, though she didn’t use much force. But Cindy, so delicate, fell just like that, the thermos container in her hand fell to the ground, and the hot porridge spilled out, splashing onto her thigh. Cindy screamed from the burn. Aunt Tawny didn’t fall for her act, "Stop pretending! It’s because of you, the vixen, that Mrs. Hawthorne wants a divorce from Mr. Hawthorne! And you still have the face to enter this house!" Aunt Tawny rolled up her sleeves, ready to drag Cindy out! But before she could touch Cindy, a man’s cold, angry voice came from behind her. Aunt Tawny turned to see Vincent Hawthorne striding over. "Mr. Hawthorne, she... ouch!" Aunt Tawny didn’t finish her sentence before being pushed to the ground by Vincent, feeling a sharp pain in her back, unable to stand or speak. Vincent walked up, picked Cindy up, and the tattered scarf in his hand slipped to the floor. He cast a cold glance at the fallen Aunt Tawny. "I think you’ve been at The Hawthorne Family too long, acting like you own the place!" Aunt Tawny was Old Lady Hawthorne’s confidante, and Old Lady Hawthorne favored Tanya Sinclair, always targeting and bullying Cindy Lynn, all of which Vincent was aware of. Now even Aunt Tawny, an old servant, dared to be so brazen! It was clearly Tanya Sinclair who heartlessly wanted a divorce! Vincent, already simmering with anger, finally erupted tonight. "Clean up the mess! If you dare stop Cindy from coming in again, pack your things and go back to your hometown! Even if Old Lady Hawthorne pleads, I won’t spare you!" With that, Vincent carried Cindy upstairs. Cindy leaned against Vincent’s shoulder and flashed a triumphant, provocative smile at Aunt Tawny, still in pain on the ground. Old crone, daring to fight with her! Vincent carried Cindy into the master bathroom. Cindy was wearing a long chiffon dress, and now her thigh was soaked with the hot porridge, the thin fabric clung to her skin like a second layer, her white thigh clearly visible, with a glaring red burn. "Rinse it with cold water, I’ll get you some burn ointment." Vincent handed Cindy the handheld showerhead and was about to turn away. But his wrist was gently pulled by the woman. Vincent hesitated slightly, recalling how Tanya Sinclair used to hold him . "Vincent, my clothes are all wet, can I borrow something from Ms. Tanya?" Cindy’s voice brought Vincent back to reality. He turned back to see Cindy, already using the shower to rinse her thigh with cold water. Perhaps she had turned the water too high, as her chest was also wet, her underclothes clearly outlined. Vincent looked away and said softly, "Okay." He stepped out, closing the bathroom door behind him. Cindy shed her previous gentle and timid demeanor, leaned forward, and turned the water to hot, lifting the fabric on her thigh to let the hot water wash over the burn. It didn’t need to be too hot to make the not-so-serious burn look severe. Unsatisfied, she rubbed it hard with her hand! From the bag beside her, the phone sounded, indicating a new message. Cindy picked up the phone to check, it was a voice message from Joy. She brought it to her ear to listen. Joy: "Mom Cindy, have you arrived at the villa? Is Dad okay? Has that woman... come home?" An hour ago, Cindy received Joy’s message that she and her brother had suddenly been sent back to the estate, Dad said they would sleep there tonight. Then Joy overheard Yvonne Hawthorne and Mother Hawthorne talking, with her limited comprehension and expression as a child, Cindy patiently coaxed her to speak for a while to finally make sense of it. Vincent and Tanya Sinclair had a fierce argument, and Vincent had Yvonne buy a very expensive bag to gift Tanya, likely intended as a peace offering tonight. Cindy, of course, couldn’t let them reconcile! She deliberately came late at night with hot porridge, just to prevent Tanya and Vincent from being alone! After all, it had taken her so much effort to reach this point, being the mother of the two brats Tanya bore for five years! She was just one step away from becoming Mrs. Hawthorne. But that damn whore Tanya had the audacity to wake up! A malicious gleam shone in Cindy’s eyes. Back in college, she fell in love with Vincent Hawthorne at first sight, believing that the position of Mrs. Hawthorne could only be hers! And Tanya Sinclair? What was she? Her ill-fated mother not only lost to Cindy’s mom, Shelly Sullivan, but even lost her life! Cindy Lynn smirked; she didn’t mind seeing Tanya Sinclair walk down the same path as her mother, Charlotte Sinclair! "Joy, darling, Mommy Cindy is already here. But I’m hurt now, it really hurts, so it’s inconvenient to talk to you. Can we speak tomorrow?" Cindy replied to Joy and then switched her phone to Do Not Disturb. As Tanya Sinclair’s biological daughter, Joy was undoubtedly the best weapon in Cindy’s hands! Just by slightly using Joy’s dependence on her, she could gain a lot of information and make Tanya Sinclair’s life a living hell! ’Knock, knock—’ A knock came from outside. Following it was Vincent Hawthorne’s voice. "Cindy, I left the clothes at the door, and the ointment is inside. Change and come out when you’re ready, and put the medicine on yourself. I’ll go take a shower in the guest room." Finishing his words, Vincent pushed the door open just wide enough to place the bag containing the clothes and ointment inside, planning to withdraw his hand and leave. However, a thud of something heavy falling to the floor came from within. Vincent furrowed his brow tightly, worried something might have happened to Cindy, and quickly pushed the door open to enter. He saw Cindy sprawled beside the bathtub, her body drenched, the thin dress clinging to her skin, outlining her tantalizing curves, her white, rounded chest barely visible. Vincent awkwardly averted his gaze. Cindy shyly covered her chest, curling up, and the next second, she let out a painful cry. It was then that Vincent saw the severe burn on her thigh, much worse than he’d initially thought! "Vincent, you should go. I can handle it myself." Vincent frowned slightly. This time, he didn’t turn to leave. Instead, he pulled down the nearby towel, wrapping it around Cindy’s exposed upper body, and directly carried her to sit on the sink. He held her injured leg, slowly unwrapping the dress, revealing the scorched skin that starkly contrasted with her smooth, delicate thigh. Vincent furrowed his brows slightly, a trace of pity in his eyes. "Aunt Tawny really overdid it!" He glanced at Cindy, "I’ll help you apply the ointment first, to avoid scarring. It’s never good for a girl to have scars." As he spoke, Vincent’s throat moved, suddenly recalling the permanent scar on Tanya’s thigh. It was a deep, bone-revealing wound, now a... He forcibly closed his eyes, willing himself not to think about it, focusing solely on applying the ointment to Cindy. The man’s slightly calloused fingertips, coated with the cool ointment, gently massaged it onto her thigh. Cindy’s gaze never left Vincent’s handsome face for even a second. "Why did you suddenly come over tonight?" Vincent asked softly. "Joy said she and Caden went to stay at The Hawthorne Estate. She couldn’t leave Dad home alone, so she persuaded me to come check on Dad..." Cindy chuckled, "Who could refuse such an adorable little angel like Joy?" Thinking of his daughter, Vincent’s expression warmed slightly. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡⚫𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢⚫𝘯𝘦𝘵 "You shouldn’t spoil her too much." "I’d spoil Joy for a lifetime if I could." Vincent paused his application of the ointment, both now adults with the incident in the hospital when Cindy kissed him...how could he not understand Cindy’s intentions? Vincent silently put the cap back on the ointment, stood up, stepped back slightly, leaned against the sink, and looked at Cindy with a quiet melancholy spreading in his eyes. "Cindy, that time in the hospital... it was because I drank the medicated soup the old lady gave me," he said, "I’m sorry. But nothing happened between us, from now on..." Cindy covered his mouth. Tears glistened in her eyes, "Even if something did happen between us, I wouldn’t make you take responsibility. Just like in college, when I gave you my blood and nearly died, that was voluntary! I don’t want to make things hard for you." She threw herself into his arms, holding him tightly. "Vincent, please don’t push me away, okay?" Cindy pleaded softly through tears, "I’ve been with you for five years, let me be selfish just for five minutes, okay? After those five minutes, I’ll give you back to Ms. Tanya..." Vincent tried to push Cindy’s hand away but ultimately let it fall. Though nameless and statusless, she sacrificed so much for him. Vincent silently wrapped his large hands around her frail, trembling back. Cindy, feeling his response and his softening, held on tighter. When five minutes were up, Cindy restrained herself, letting go. Her eyes were red, but she forced a strong, carefree smile at Vincent, "Vincent, you go out first. I’ll change my clothes and leave. I’ll bring the clothes back clean for Ms. Tanya another day." Saying this, she was about to step down from the sink, but this time, Vincent held her wrist. "Tanya’s not here, so stay here tonight. I’ll take the guest room," Vincent said softly, "Tomorrow morning, take my car back to the company." The contract between Westgard Pharmaceuticals and Cindy should be delivered to the company by tomorrow morning. "Okay, I’ll do what you say." Cindy responded obediently and docilely. Vincent, in a daze, saw Tanya Sinclair’s shadow on her, as Tanya was also this gentle and compliant to him in the past. He patted Cindy’s head and turned to leave. Hearing the bedroom door outside click shut, Cindy leisurely got off the sink. The burn on her leg wasn’t severe to begin with; she moved freely, kicking away the clothes Vincent had fetched for her. Cindy walked into the wardrobe, opened Tanya’s closet, and among the conservatively styled nightdresses, she pulled out a long slip dress to change into. Then, Cindy lay down on the bed where Tanya and Vincent had shared for two years, took out her phone, and deliberately pulled the strap down her shoulder, photographing herself. She had Tanya Sinclair’s WeChat, sending a separate notification for Tanya to check her post. Captioned: [What a comfortable bed, the nightgown fits perfectly, and all around is his scent. Tonight, surely a sweet dream.]