After Betrayal - I Married a Handsome Tycoon-Chapter 84: Boiling a Frog in Warm Water

It was only after her shower that Moira Sloan remembered she hadn’t paid Connor Quinn for the ride.

With her wet hair wrapped in a towel, her slender fingertips tapped open her phone screen and sent Connor Quinn a ten-yuan red packet.

Connor Quinn accepted it almost instantly.

He took the money but didn’t say a single word to her.

Moira Sloan lowered her gaze, her brow furrowing as she stared at the message: "Connor Quinn has accepted your red packet."

’He’s being too cold. Unreasonably so.’

’He’s like a completely different person from the man who used to pester her.’

This sudden, drastic change in his behavior left her feeling a strange sense of disappointment.

But after the disappointment, she also felt a small sense of relief.

’Does this mean he won’t pester me anymore?’

「The next day.」

Moira Sloan was asleep when a call from Shauna Duane woke her up.

Shauna Duane was full of energy, fully revived, and asked in a loud voice what she wanted for breakfast.

Moira Sloan was a light sleeper to begin with, and the disturbance woke her completely. "You’re back?"

"I’m back at work today," Shauna said.

Moira Sloan rolled out of bed. "Pan-fried buns, the shrimp-filled kind. And a glass of milk with extra sugar."

"Aren’t you afraid of getting fat with all that extra sugar?"

Moira Sloan’s reply was maddening. "I don’t get fat."

Shauna Duane grumbled and then hung up.

After hanging up with Shauna Duane, Moira Sloan went to wash up and put on her makeup.

While curling her eyelashes, she paused. She thought of Jade Quinn in the hospital, then opened her makeup case, took out a brand-new eyelash curler and mascara, and put them in her bag.

A few minutes later, Moira Sloan went downstairs and hailed a cab to her shop.

On the way, it suddenly occurred to her that she should probably buy a car.

’Nothing too extravagant, just something to get around in. Otherwise, daily life is just too inconvenient.’

A moment later, the taxi arrived at the shop. Just as she scanned the code to pay and got out, she saw Shauna Duane fawning as she delivered breakfast to the tattoo shop next door.

The heartbroken look from a few days ago was gone, replaced by one of tender affection.

Moira Sloan raised an eyebrow. ’Huh?’

’Did Connor Quinn cast a spell on her?’

Moira Sloan narrowed her eyes, watching the two interacting inside through the glass door for a moment before stepping away on her high heels, the hem of her skirt swaying as she returned to her own small shop.

Shauna Duane returned twenty minutes later, her face a picture of shy, girlish delight.

Seeing her, Moira Sloan lifted her gaze. Before Moira could even ask, Shauna spoke up, "I’ve thought about it, and I’m going to keep on loving Connor Quinn."

Moira Sloan coughed softly, the milk she had just sipped going down the wrong way.

Shauna Duane didn’t notice anything was wrong and continued, "I asked that woman—the one who came back to the shop with Connor Quinn the other day. She said she’s just a client of his. And I suspect those marks on Connor’s neck, nine times out of ten, they weren’t hickeys at all. He probably faked them just to reject me."

Moira Sloan: "..."

To be honest, in her thirty years of life, Moira Sloan had seen people brainwash themselves for love before.

But she’d rarely seen anyone take self-brainwashing to Shauna Duane’s level.

She was a true champion in the world of self-delusion.

Seeing Moira Sloan staring at her without blinking, Shauna Duane grew flustered and declared righteously, "Only weaklings give up and cry their eyes out when someone rejects them!!"

Moira Sloan gave a half-smile. "And a strong person like you...?"

Shauna Duane stated with iron-clad certainty, "The more setbacks I face, the more determined I become!!"

Moira Sloan said nothing, simply giving her a thumbs-up in admiration.

Moira Sloan had completely given up on trying to save Shauna Duane from her love-addled brain.

She chose to respect other people’s destinies and let go of her savior complex.

With Shauna Duane at the shop, Moira Sloan finished her breakfast, gave her a few instructions, and left for the hospital.

She had actually considered hiring a caregiver for Jean Hale, but she knew Jean would definitely refuse.

In the old woman’s eyes, you could miss work, but you absolutely could not hire a caregiver. She didn’t understand how much money was lost from missing work, but she knew that caregivers had a clearly marked price.

When Moira Sloan arrived at the hospital by taxi, Connor Quinn was there too.

A doctor was examining Jade Quinn, explaining the precautions for the surgery and the approximate cost.

"As for the money, you should prepare a bit extra. It’s better to be safe than sorry."

"Oh, and the patient must get plenty of rest. Even after the surgery, you need to ensure she maintains good sleeping habits."

"I heard you sold your house and are planning to have Jade Quinn live with you at the tattoo shop? That won’t work. The shop is too crowded and noisy. Besides, your shop is often open late into the night; she definitely won’t be able to rest well there."

Connor Quinn’s brow furrowed slightly. "I’m already looking for a place."

The doctor nodded. "Yes, as soon as possible."

Connor Quinn grunted in acknowledgment, "Mhm."

A little while later, the doctor left, and Connor Quinn walked him out.

Jade Quinn kept her head down, staring at the blanket, her eyes red-rimmed.

Moira Sloan took it all in and was suddenly reminded of how helpless she herself had felt around the age of six or seven. She walked a few steps closer to the hospital bed and gently ruffled the girl’s hair.

Jade Quinn looked up, her eyes and the tip of her nose red, looking as if she were about to burst into tears at any second. "Moira Sloan."

Moira Sloan reached out and hugged her. "Everything will be okay."

Jade Quinn said through a sob, "I feel like I’m dragging my brother down."

Moira Sloan’s lips curved slightly, and she was just about to offer some comfort when Jean Hale spoke up from the other hospital bed. "Moira, why don’t you let Quinn and his sister rent your place? It’s hard to find an apartment right now, and besides, the two of them don’t have much money."

’The old lady sure has a way with suggestions.’

In this situation, Moira Sloan couldn’t bring herself to refuse. She ruffled Jade Quinn’s hair again and said with a faint, beautiful smile, "I don’t mind."

She didn’t mind, but she was afraid that...

The next second, Connor Quinn’s deep, magnetic, yet strained voice sounded from the doorway. "Is seven hundred a month okay?"