After his confidante returned to the country, Wyatt Hawthorne didn't come home for three days.
Faye Vaughn didn't call him.
She just sent him a single text every night before bed: "Missing you a little. Good night."
It expressed her "longing" while giving him space.
On Monday, Faye Vaughn hurriedly got out of bed and went to school.
She was a junior at Alston University.
Third Young Master Finn Hawthorne went to the same school; he was in the neighboring finance department.
As luck would have it, just as she got out of her car, she saw Finn Hawthorne arriving at school in another luxury car.
"Morning,"
she greeted him softly.
Finn Hawthorne's car was parked right next to hers. With a long stride, he closed the distance between them.
"You still have the nerve to show up at school?"
Finn Hawthorne's lips curved into a sneer, making no attempt to hide his mockery and schadenfreude. "My older brother is about to get engaged to Vivian. Didn't you know?"
Faye Vaughn froze.
She really didn't know.
Wyatt Hawthorne was a staunch bachelor.
He had told her himself that he would never get married or have children.
'Figures. Men are all liars.'
"I'd advise you to make plans and find a new sugar daddy soon. That way, you can maintain your current lavish lifestyle."
Finn Hawthorne's gaze was pointed, glancing contemptuously at the designer bag in her hand.
"What are you talking about?"
The corners of Faye Vaughn's eyes began to redden. She bit her lip and said in a small but firm voice, "I was never with your brother for his money."
And on that, she wasn't lying.
Finn Hawthorne raised an eyebrow and scoffed. "Not after his money? Don't tell me you're delusional enough to think you can become Mrs. Hawthorne? With your background? Stop dreaming!"
Faye Vaughn said stubbornly, "I love him. I won't believe it unless he tells me to leave himself!"
Finn Hawthorne's face suddenly darkened, a powerful rage flaring in his eyes.
He reached out and grabbed her slender shoulders, saying viciously, "Am I that much worse than my brother? You're just after money, aren't you? I can give you a million a month, too!"
Faye Vaughn hissed in pain, but her soft voice was resolute. "I don't want your money. I only want to be with him."
'It can't be helped.'
'Wyatt Hawthorne's heart is as hard as iron; nothing can melt it.'
'The only thing that makes his favorability score go up is what happens in bed.'
'If I dared to get involved with another man now, the little bit of favorability I've managed to build up with Wyatt would definitely plummet to zero.'
'And it would never go back up.'
'Wyatt Hawthorne might not have many moral standards for himself, but he demands that his women be clean and loyal.'
"Then just you wait and see."
Finn Hawthorne laughed, his anger twisting into a smirk. "When you get kicked to the curb, you'll come crawling to me."
With her eyes red, Faye Vaughn glared at him huffily. "I would rather starve to death on the street than ever beg you for anything!"
She turned and, like a little white rabbit easy to prey upon, quickly ran towards the school gate.
...
Mondays were packed with classes.
Faye Vaughn was a little distracted, thinking about Wyatt Hawthorne's possible marriage.
"Are you... still busy?"
She sent Wyatt Hawthorne a text.
She expected it to vanish without a trace as usual, but to her surprise, he replied quickly: "I'll pick you up after class. It's on my way."
Faye Vaughn stared at the words in astonishment, reading them again.
He had never personally picked her up from school before.
'Don't tell me he's really getting married and is coming to give me a breakup fee?'
Faye Vaughn sighed gloomily. After her last class ended, she trudged to the parking lot by the school gate with a miserable expression on her little face.
A blue Bugatti Veyron was parked there, incredibly eye-catching.
The convertible top was down, revealing the handsome, sharp-featured man in the driver's seat. He wore a simple white shirt with the sleeves neatly rolled up, and on his wrist was a global limited-edition Patek Philippe.
Enduring the envious and jealous stares of the other female students, Faye Vaughn moved like a tortoise, slowly settling into the passenger seat.
"Did someone bully you at school?"
Wyatt Hawthorne glanced at her, his hands on the steering wheel.
"No."
Faye Vaughn shook her head.
Just as she was pondering how to bring up the topic of marriage, Wyatt Hawthorne suddenly slammed on the accelerator, speeding up abruptly!
"Put on your seatbelt!"
Wyatt Hawthorne barked, his handsome face grim and cold.
Faye Vaughn quickly buckled her seatbelt and twisted her head to glance behind the car.
An unremarkable black car was racing wildly, apparently in pursuit of Wyatt.
The Bugatti's convertible top began to slowly rise.
In that split second, the car behind them pulled up halfway alongside. The dark muzzle of a gun extended from its window, aimed straight at Wyatt Hawthorne.
"Watch out!"
Faye Vaughn cried out in alarm and threw herself at Wyatt Hawthorne.
With a faint PFFT, a sharp needle pierced Faye Vaughn's arm.
At the same time, the convertible top sealed shut. The engine roared as Wyatt Hawthorne floored it, the car practically taking flight.
Within minutes, they had left the other car far behind.
Faye Vaughn was tense with anxiety, forgetting the pain in her arm as she asked Wyatt Hawthorne with concern, "Mr. Hawthorne, are you all right?"
In bed, he had her call him "hubby."
Out of bed, she had to call him Mr. Hawthorne.
Even at a time like this, Faye Vaughn hadn't forgotten the rules.
Wyatt Hawthorne glanced at her. The young woman's pretty face was deathly pale, drained of all color. He couldn't tell if it was from fright or from whatever had been in that dart.
Wyatt Hawthorne kept one hand on the steering wheel while his other fumbled in the glove compartment for a pair of medical gloves. He put them on and pulled the needle from Faye Vaughn's arm.
"Ah..."
Faye Vaughn cried out softly in pain.
"It's a new type of lethal air gun."
For once, Wyatt Hawthorne actually explained things to her. "It's not designed to be fatal, but the needle is most likely poisoned. I'm taking you to Hawthorne Hospital now. Just hang in there."
"I'm fine, as long as you're okay..."
Cold sweat dripped down Faye Vaughn's forehead. Her lips were turning purple as she spoke in a trembling voice.
She looked at Wyatt Hawthorne, scanning him from head to toe. After confirming he was unharmed, she let out a visible sigh of relief.
"You love me enough to die for me?"
Wyatt Hawthorne asked, his tone unreadable.
Faye Vaughn bit her lip, a sob creeping into her voice. "I was scared you were getting married... scared you would leave me..."
Her words were half-truth, half-lie.
'She was afraid that if he got married, he would be harder to conquer.'
'Even more, she was afraid that if he died, there would be no one to conquer at all.'
'She'd had no choice but to take that risk just now.'
"Whether I get married or not won't affect our relationship."
This sentence was a form of reassurance, perhaps even a promise.
But Faye Vaughn didn't feel comforted at all. Instead, a chill spread through her heart.
'From the sound of it, is he really going to marry that Vivian Windsor?'
In less than ten minutes, Wyatt Hawthorne had raced the car to the hospital.
It was the affiliated hospital of the Hawthorne Group, so it was extremely efficient. Faye Vaughn was quickly put through a full-body examination.
"President Hawthorne, the needle contained an R-type toxin."
"If not neutralized in time, it causes neuroparalysis, eventually leading to total body paralysis."
"Fortunately, Miss Vaughn was brought in just in time. We've already administered an antidote. She's not in any serious danger, but she'll need to stay for observation."
The doctor was briefing Wyatt Hawthorne in the VIP suite.
Wyatt Hawthorne gave a faint nod.
Taking the hint, the doctor left.
On the hospital bed, Faye Vaughn felt weak and cold. She was wrapped in a blanket, trembling slightly, her lips so pale they were nearly transparent.
"Cold..."
The soft trail of her voice was like a pitiful little hook.
Wyatt Hawthorne glanced at her, took off his suit jacket, got onto the bed, and pulled her into his arms.
The man's body heat enveloped her. Faye Vaughn snuck a peek at the space above his head.
The favorability score was still at 30%.
'It didn't go up at all!'