Chapter 68: Being Too Lenient
As the words left my mouth, I realized there was an unmistakable tone of displeasure in my voice.
Duke noticed it too. His smile faltered for a moment, before he quickly tried to smooth things over. “I understand. A hangover is never pleasant. Mrs. Lynton, you also helped Mr. Lynton with his drinking yesterday, so you probably haven’t fully recovered yet.”
His words seemed more directed at Fletcher
than at me.
With the cooperation between us, I couldn’t afford to act openly disrespectful. So, I nodded along with Duke’s explanation, offering, “Indeed, I’ll take my leave now.”
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“Since it’s a hangover, shouldn’t you eat something first?” Fletcher’s cold voice cut through the air.
I lifted my gaze slightly. Fletcher was sitting there, still with his usual impassive expression. His face was pale, the sharpness of his profile accentuated by an air of indifference that made him seem almost unapproachable.
Recalling the conversation I had overheard earlier, my heart sank deeper.
Yes, this was Fletcher. Always so composed, always so in control. Even when sitting at the poker table, he was the one setting the rules. His decision to invite me to breakfast -was that supposed to be a kindness?
I couldn’t help but curl my lips into a tight, distant smile, replying, “Thank you, Mr.
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Lynton, but I’m fine.”
With that, I turned toward the door, only to hear him speak again, his voice tinged with displeasure. “Charlene, have I been too lenient with you these past few days?”
My hand froze in mid–air, just inches from the door handle.
When I met Fletcher’s gaze, I saw him staring at me with a stony expression. His face was still as cold as ever, but there was something more in his eyes–a deepening anger that I couldn’t ignore.
Our eyes locked, and my chest tightened with an unexpected pang of pain. I couldn’t stop myself from retorting, “Mr. Lynton, you’re really quite the joker.”
Lenient?
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He really had the nerve to say something like that.
“Mrs. Lynton, Mr. Lynton is just-”
“Duke,” I interrupted firmly, my voice cold, “I’m not Mrs. Lynton. Your so–called ‘Mrs. Lynton‘ is in Myslana right now.”
I spoke the last part slowly, deliberately, my eyes fixed on Fletcher as I did.
With each word, I could see his anger intensifying, his eyes darkening more with every syllable I uttered.
But I couldn’t take it anymore.
So what if he was the golden goose? After everything that’s happened, I could no longer foolishly believe that things would end
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peacefully between us.
We stood there in silence, locked in a tense standoff, neither of us saying a word.
It wasn’t until the doorbell rang that the silence was broken.
Then came Silvia’s enthusiastic voice from outside. “Mr. Lynton, are you up?”
In an instant, my heart raced into a frenzy.
Sometimes, it really felt like the things you feared most were exactly what came to
pass.
Silvia had always been somewhat indifferent towards me, and if she saw me in Fletcher’s room so early in the morning, there’d be no way for me to explain myself–I’d never be able to clear my name.
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“Mr. Lynton, are you awake?” she called again, her voice soft and sweet.
I took a deep breath, steadied myself, and glanced at Fletcher, only to find him sitting at the table, completely unfazed, as if nothing was amiss.
It was then that I realized I had lost my composure. After collecting myself, I decided to do something bold–without hesitation, I opened the door in front of Fletcher.
“Mr…” Silvia’s voice caught in her throat when she saw me. The smile on her face faded, replaced by a subtle shift in her expression. “Ms. Grande, you’re here too?”
She looked me up and down, and her eyes eventually landed on my feet, where I still wore the hotel slippers I hadn’t had the
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chance to change out of.
With a playful but pointed remark, she said, “Ms. Grande, you sure are an early riser.”
My temples throbbed, and my heart sank to the pit of my stomach.
I knew it–my carefully maintained harmony with Silvia had shattered like a broken mirror, fragments scattered everywhere.
And the one responsible for it, still with that indifferent and regal look, was sipping his hangover soup, acting as though nothing had happened.
I had no choice but to find a way out of this situation. I took a deep breath and offered an explanation to smooth things over, “What can I do? When working with Mr. Lynton, if he asks something of me, whether it’s braving
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the cold morning or fetching dew from the trees, I wouldn’t dare refuse.”
it was just sarcasm, but who couldn’t speak like that?
No sooner had I finished speaking than Silvia’s attention shifted to Fletcher’s face. “Mr. Lynton, what task have you given Ms. Grande that she looks so put–upon?”
Fletcher barely raised an eyebrow, his voice calm and unbothered. “Just some trivial
matters.”
Silvia, taking his words at face value, briefly glanced at me before letting the topic go. She smoothly changed the subject, her tone shifting to something more casual. “Our hotel’s hot springs are famous around here. Since you’re already here, Mr. Lynton, you should take the opportunity to enjoy them.”
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Lucky B&B boasted a renowned hot spring pool, famous for the mineral–rich waters that drew visitors all year round. Silvia’s invitation to Fletcher was only natural.
But hot springs meant swimwear, and with just the two of them–a man and a woman alone…
I couldn’t help but think: as far as pursuing someone goes, Ms. Connery certainly knew how to make things happen.
I stole a glance at Fletcher, and the next moment, I heard him reply, “I’ll follow your lead, Ms. Connery.”
So, he agreed.
“Ms. Grande, you have no plans either, I assume?” Silvia suddenly looked up at me,
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her smile as sweet as ever. “Then let’s go together”
If I were to take this seriously, it would truly be a waste of the two years spent with Kaitlyn.
So, I made up an excuse, saying, “Sorry, Ms. Connery, I hadn’t planned on going to the hot springs, and I don’t have a swimsuit. I’m afraid I won’t be able to join you and Mr. Lynton.”
I thought I was being tactful, not expecting to earn Silvia’s approval, but at least hoping to avoid making any further missteps. However, as soon as I finished speaking, I heard her say, “It’s alright, Ms. Grande. We sell swimsuits here; it’s not an issue.”
I was slightly surprised.
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Silvia didn’t mind me joining?
Something told me this wasn’t going to end well.
But since she had already said it, I couldn’t find any reasonable excuse to refuse, so I simply said, “Then I’ll go along with your plan, Ms. Connery.”
An hour later, the four of us arrived at the Lucky B&B’s hot spring pool.
At the VIP changing room, Silvia led me into the women’s area.
The stalls were neatly arranged, spotless, and offered perfect privacy.
Silvia looked at me and pointed to a stall in the corner. “Your swimsuit is inside. You can hang your coat here.”
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She gave such detailed instructions that it
made me uneasy.
I thanked her, hung up my wool coat, and stepped into the stall.
It took me five minutes to change into the swimsuit.
Fortunately, the design was fairly modest. which eased some of my discomfort.
However, just as I was about to leave the stall in my swimsuit, I found the door suddenly jammed.
I tried several times, but to no avail.
What made it even worse was that, since we couldn’t bring our phone into the hot spring, I had locked it in the locker while changing
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clothes.
That meant I didn’t even have the chance to ask someone for help.
I wasn’t naive enough to think this was a coincidence.
If I wasn’t mistaken, this was likely part of Silvia’s plan.
Well, I didn’t want to get involved in whatever business she had with Fletcher. If I could avoid it in this “accidental” way, I welcomed
- it.
What I didn’t expect, though, was that not only was I locked in, but the temperature in the room was also rapidly dropping…
