Chapter 800: Coaxing

Rosalind Green had originally intended to head to Tristone to find Ethan Hawthorne, but Adrian Hawthorne told her to wait, saying he would go ask around first. Furthermore, Mrs. Green’s back injury had yet to heal. Unable to even stand, she needed to rest at home, and Rosalind had to stay behind to care for her.

“Don’t worry, I won’t let that woman off easily,” Adrian promised.

Whatever Bernice planned to do to his mother, he would return the favor in full.

“And Jacqueline Spann! She’s the worst!” Xiaonan Thorne said indignantly.

Adrian nodded. “She won’t escape either, of course.”

***

Ethan Hawthorne had planned to leave for Vessaria to find Goldie Thorne, but he unexpectedly received a call from the man requesting a meeting. Ethan breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Goldie was willing to meet, things were fine. To be honest, he wasn’t ready to face Rosalind and her son just yet; he hadn’t even managed to placate his brothers in the main family.

“Ethan, when are you meeting?” Bernice asked.

“Tomorrow.”

Ethan’s expression relaxed slightly. As long as they met face-to-face, he was confident he could persuade Goldie to cooperate. That bastard Quinn Chandler had already arrived in Tristone and was pressing him at every turn, dead set on snatching all his territory. Ethan had to join forces with Goldie to have the capital to stand against Quinn.

Bernice chuckled softly. “Congratulations, Ethan. As long as you and Goldie Thorne join hands, Quinn Chandler’s ambitions will never succeed.”

Ethan smiled faintly, his mood excellent. A trace of arrogance lingered between his brows; he had always believed Quinn was beneath him.

“Have you sorted out a school for Jacqueline?”

With his good mood came a moment of leisure. Seeing Jacqueline still lingering around the house, he asked offhandedly.

“I found a few, but I’m not entirely satisfied. I want to get her into the Experimental Primary School,” Bernice replied.

The Experimental Primary School was one of the premier schools in Tristone, boasting teaching quality that led the entire nation. Moreover, it had English teachers. If Jacqueline wanted to learn English, it was her only option.

“That’s a good school.”

Ethan gave a casual reply and didn’t ask further. He rarely ever looked Jacqueline in the eye on a normal day, let alone cared much about her. Jacqueline felt a pang of disappointment. She had thought he was offering to help, but her hopes had been dashed.

But this only strengthened her resolve to get into the Experimental Primary School. If she was going to attend school, it had to be the best. She had to master English. Grandpa Tate had told her that once she learned a foreign language, the world would be her oyster. She wanted to go out and see the vast world.

“Find some time to visit Mad Lord,” Ethan said mildly. “You need to figure out what’s going on. We were working together perfectly fine. Why would they suddenly cut off the supply?”

Bernice nodded meekly. “I called them yesterday, but Mad Lord hasn’t returned yet. I’ll keep in touch with them.”

“Mhm.”

Ethan donned his overcoat and hat. “Don’t wait up for me tonight.”

The smile on Bernice’s face stiffened. Lately, Ethan had frequently stayed out all night, returning with the scent of cheap floral water on him. He was definitely out seeing other women. A sharp pain pierced her heart, but given that she herself was an illegitimate mistress, what right did she have to complain?

As long as the plan in Vessaria succeeded, Ethan would surely never accept a ruined Rosalind. Only when she officially became Mrs. Hawthorne would she have the authority to discipline those vixens outside. But there hadn’t been any calls from Vessaria for days, and she had no idea if it had worked.

And the Seven Snow Ointment—she still had no leads on it. Ever since her hand had been burned and scarred, Ethan hadn’t shared her bed once. Bernice gritted her teeth, filled with hatred, anger, and a sense of grievance.

At dusk, Bernice finally received a phone call. “The deed is done. Are you coming over to pay the balance, or should we come get it?”

“I’ll come to you!”

Bernice hung up. Naturally, she wouldn’t trust a bunch of street thugs so easily, so she waited for Vernon Spann to call. Not long after she ended the first call, Vernon’s call came through.