'Take me in?'
'As in, live together?'
COUGH— Joyce Monroe was caught off guard and choked on her coffee. She coughed several times, the bitter taste still coating her throat.
The key thing was, Silas Thorne was still looking at his documents, all business.
Quentin Walsh was calm, but Felix Dalton was dumbfounded again.
'Good heavens,'
'So direct?'
'But they're husband and wife, so living together is normal.'
"Mr. Thorne, I..."
Joyce Monroe was about to refuse when he continued, "My family knows I've come to Graymoor, and I'm sure your father will find out soon enough. When you were abroad, we always had an excuse. But now, we have no explanation for not living together."
"If you can handle both our families, I have no objection."
From Silas Thorne's expression, it was clear that living together was just a matter of convenience, not something he genuinely wanted.
Joyce Monroe couldn't think of a reason to refuse, so she nodded in agreement. Her phone vibrated; Lily Kennedy had arrived downstairs at the hotel.
"My friend is here to pick me up. I'm going to go change."
She grabbed her clothes and quickly went into the room to change into a long dress with Chinese embroidery, which was both elegant and retro. She had been drunk last night, so her complexion wasn't great. Thankfully, she had some makeup in her bag and intentionally applied a light layer.
When Joyce Monroe came out of the room, Silas Thorne gave her a faint glance.
His gaze lingered on her lips for a moment.
They were swollen, needing no lipstick to be a vibrant, lovely color.
"Mr. Thorne, could you help me with something?" Joyce Monroe looked at Silas Thorne, pointing to the back of her neck.
There was a knot button, a frog closure, that was difficult to fasten.
She had struggled with it for a while without success and had no choice but to ask for his help.
Silas Thorne set down his documents and walked around behind her. Joyce Monroe had already pulled her hair forward over her shoulders.
Perhaps because of what happened yesterday, his proximity made Joyce Monroe feel a little guilty and anxious. She pressed her lips together nervously. When his fingers accidentally brushed against the skin on the back of her neck...
The cool touch of his fingertips sent a shiver through her, making her whole body tense up.
"Are you done yet?" Joyce Monroe asked.
"It's a bit tricky."
As Silas Thorne spoke, his gaze swept over a hidden spot on the back of her neck. A hickey stood out against her fair skin, like a single red plum blossom in the snow—its redness was eye-catching.
It made his eyes darken, and even the temperature of his fingertips seemed to rise a few degrees.
But by the time he had fastened the button and Joyce Monroe turned to thank him, his expression was impassive, still the picture of a disciplined and self-restrained man.
"I have to go to work. Contact me before you get back from your business trip."
Silas Thorne nodded.
Before she left, he picked up a bouquet from the side and handed it to her. "I bought these for you last night."
It was a large bouquet of pink poppies.
Another one of her favorites.
"Thank you. How did you know I like poppies? Did my brother tell you?"
Silas Thorne just smiled. "As long as you like them. I'll get them for you often from now on."
Joyce Monroe froze for a moment.
'Is this...'
'All just part of the act for our families?'
Felix Dalton sidled up to Quentin Walsh and whispered, "I haven't seen Mr. Thorne smile so genuinely in a long time."
Quentin Walsh shot him a look. "What's wrong with you?"
"Isn't this how these things are supposed to go?"
"I'm begging you, go get your head checked."
***
Lily Kennedy was not only Joyce Monroe's best friend but also her business partner.
When they met, Lily Kennedy paid no mind to the flowers in Joyce's arms, instead staring at her mouth for a long time.
"Why are your lips so swollen?"
"I burned them on a hot drink." It was the only excuse Joyce Monroe could come up with.
"I thought someone kissed you until they were swollen."
"Who would dare kiss me?"
Lily Kennedy nodded. "True. With Mr. Thorne in the picture, what lunatic would be so bold?"
"Unless..."
"It was him who kissed you."
Joyce Monroe tensed up, but then she heard Lily Kennedy laugh and say, "But that's impossible."
"Why couldn't it be him?"
"He doesn't seem like the type. Besides, he's good friends with your brother. He wouldn't make a move on his best friend's sister. That would be like fouling your own nest, wouldn't it?"
"I wonder who'll be lucky enough to marry Mr. Thorne."
Joyce Monroe let out a low chuckle. "You think he's a catch?"
"He's rich, he's handsome, and he didn't even get mad when you tackled him last night. When he carried you out, he was so gentle and even thoughtfully covered your legs with his jacket. He's emotionally stable, considerate, and gentle. How is that not a catch? He's absolutely divine!"
"You like him?"
"I just admire him. I know my limits."
Driving the car, Lily Kennedy continued her analysis, "Mr. Thorne probably isn't into girls like us anyway. He likely prefers the mature, intellectual type."
Joyce Monroe was beautiful, with a delicate, slender waist and gentle features.
Her willow-leaf eyes were especially classic and elegant, but having just graduated, she still had an air of youthfulness.
Naturally, she couldn't compare to someone like Silas Thorne, who had been a shark in the business world for years.
"But you really were bold last night. I was scared to death."
"Mr. Thorne didn't give you any trouble afterward, did he?"
...
Lily Kennedy was talkative and chattered the whole way.
Joyce Monroe listened silently, vaguely recalling the close female confidante he had by his side all those years ago. She had exuded an intellectual beauty and looked like a perfect match for him.
If not for the arranged betrothal, her name and Silas Thorne's would probably never have been linked.
And the reason he agreed to take his older brother's place in the marriage was probably...
because she had eyes that looked just like his unforgettable first love's.
As they neared the studio, Lily Kennedy seemed to remember something. "Oh, right! Did you explain the thing with the male models to Mr. Thorne last night? Whatever you do, don't tell your brother."
"..."
Joyce Monroe had completely forgotten about the male models.
"Lily Kennedy, what was with you last night? You actually hired male models for me?"
Lily Kennedy gave an apologetic laugh. "It was my first time ordering male models too. I just wanted us to broaden our horizons and experience something new, you know? I didn't expect Mr. Thorne to leave and then come back. What a waste. I paid for it and didn't even get to enjoy the show. We'll go again next time, secretly."
"But don't worry. Mr. Thorne's people gave a warning last night, and I sent everyone in the private room a small cash gift to keep things quiet. No one should sell us out."
"Also, your ex-boyfriend, who's been radio silent for two years, suddenly came back from the dead yesterday and contacted me. He said you'd been kidnapped. His tone..."
"...it sounded like he still has feelings for you. But if that's the case, why was he photographed with your sister?"
Joyce Monroe didn't say anything, just felt a headache coming on.
As they spoke, the car arrived at the studio.
This was the studio Joyce Monroe had founded with Lily Kennedy after returning to the country. It was named Four Seasons Spring Studio and specialized in custom Embroidery products.
She stared at the pink poppies, now in a vase, unable to recall anything about what happened after being taken to the hotel last night.
They had received a few orders recently, mostly from people who came to show support out of respect for her parents and brother.
She was in the middle of sketching a design, but as soon as she picked up her pen, her mind was filled with thoughts of Silas Thorne.
'He...'
'...is he really going to move in with me?'
When they got married, the agreement they signed stipulated that although the marriage would be kept secret, they had to put on an act in front of their elders.
Just then, an employee knocked and came in. They said someone wanted to order a custom embroidery piece and had specifically requested her as the designer. The person was already waiting in the reception room. The employee also handed her a package, saying it had been sent to her yesterday.
"Okay, please entertain them for a moment. I'll be right there."
Joyce Monroe casually opened the package. Inside was a small Embroidery screen, the kind you could place on a desk, along with a card with the printed words "Grand Opening" and "Happy Birthday."
She frowned.
'Who sent this?'
Since her studio opened, quite a few people had tried to curry favor with her father and brother through her, so she received many gifts. This screen wasn't expensive, but she liked it a lot, so she placed it on her desk.
With the studio newly established, Joyce Monroe was delighted to have a new client and took the matter very seriously.
She hurried to the reception room, knocked, and went inside. "I'm so sorry to have kept you wai—"
She didn't finish her sentence, frozen for several seconds upon seeing the client.
"Joyce, long time no see." The man's tone was intimate, and his eyes were filled with awe when he saw her.
Joyce Monroe took a deep breath.
'He's the reason Ina Sutton has been targeting me all these years.'