After His Sweetheart Moved In, He Came Home Every Night-Chapter 197: Ate Alice York

"Finn Hawthorne, your parents and your brother have seen us."

Alice York lowered the binoculars.

Finn Hawthorne leaned against the iron railing. "So what if they saw us? Did you see my sister?"

"I did, but..." Alice York shook her head. "I couldn’t see her face clearly. A bodyguard held a black umbrella over her when she got out of the car."

It blocked the view completely, so I could only make out a slender figure.

Finn Hawthorne immediately suggested, "Why don’t I take you down to meet her right now?"

Alice York handed the binoculars back to Finn Hawthorne. "Have you forgotten what you promised me on our way to the Hawthorne estate?"

Finn Hawthorne’s face fell. "I haven’t forgotten."

On the way over, he had promised her that he would take her home by nightfall, whether she had seen Evelyn Hawthorne or not.

Alice York pointed up at the sky. "It’s about to get dark. Now would be the perfect time to take me back."

Finn Hawthorne really wanted to ask Alice York to stay, but he couldn’t go back on his word—especially not with her. Otherwise, he’d lose all credibility in her eyes.

"Let’s get down from the tower. Stay behind me."

Finn Hawthorne turned and led the way.

Alice York had been a little worried that Finn Hawthorne would break his promise, but it seemed he was a man of his word after all.

After they came down from the tower, Finn Hawthorne ordered a bodyguard to get a car ready. The bodyguard asked hesitantly, "Third Young Master, are you sure you want to go out at this time?"

"I’m sure."

"But tonight..."

Finn Hawthorne frowned and clicked his tongue impatiently. "Is this your family’s estate or mine?"

The bodyguard immediately lowered his head. "I’ll arrange for the car at once."

Once the bodyguard had left, Finn Hawthorne’s expression immediately softened. He turned and explained to Alice York, "I’m not usually this harsh. I only get a little stern when they don’t seem to understand plain English."

Alice had to stifle a laugh.

She raised a hand to scratch the tip of her nose. "Your sister is coming home today. This is a big event for your family, so you don’t need to see me out. Go be with her."

Finn Hawthorne took her words to heart. "Okay, then. Are you staying at the Sawyer’s place tonight?"

"Not at the Sawyers’. I have another place to go."

Alice York said.

Finn Hawthorne didn’t need to guess; he knew she was going to be with Wyatt Sterling again. He desperately wanted to advise her against getting in any deeper—how could that kind of uncle-niece relationship possibly lead to a happy ending?—but he swallowed the words.

She knew the risks.

She wasn’t an idiot.

But if he deliberately brought it up, he’d just make her angry.

He was just afraid she was heading for a terrible fall, and when that happened, she’d cry a river.

"Third Young Master, the car is ready."

The bodyguard walked over.

Finn Hawthorne composed himself and was about to call out to Alice York, but she was already walking ahead of him.

She waved to him over her shoulder. "Finn Hawthorne, thanks for your hospitality today. I’ll treat you to dinner some other time."

Finn Hawthorne’s face lit up with joy. "You’d better not go back on that promise! I’ll be waiting."

"It’s just one meal. I won’t break my promise over it."

Her voice grew more distant as Alice York pulled open the car door and got inside. As the door closed, the vehicle started moving slowly toward the main gate.

However, just as the car was about to pass through the gate, it was abruptly stopped.

Finn Hawthorne’s face darkened when he saw the car being stopped. "Why did they stop it? Didn’t you clear it with them beforehand?"

The bodyguard was puzzled, too. "I did clear it. The car shouldn’t have been stopped."

Just then, the car carrying Alice York slowly turned around and began to head back.

"Crap!"

Realizing something was wrong, Finn Hawthorne broke into a sprint and ran in that direction.

The car came to a smooth stop in front of the main house.

Alice York had a bad feeling the moment the car was stopped, and it turned out she was right.

She was being forced to turn back.

’I should have known,’ she thought. ’The Hawthorne estate isn’t a place you can enter and leave so easily.’

"Miss York, please get out of the car."

The car door was pulled open, and the bodyguard prompted her.

’Come what may.’ Alice York closed her eyes for a moment, then calmly got out of the car.

Finn Hawthorne, who had hurried over, grabbed her by the shoulder. "What’s happening?"

The bodyguard immediately explained why. As soon as Finn Hawthorne heard that his brother wanted to keep Alice York here, he became tense.

He knew his brother didn’t like Alice York.

He had brought Alice to the Hawthorne estate, and now his brother knew. He was probably going to detain her for questioning. ’No, I can’t let her be questioned,’ he thought. ’It’ll scare her, and she’ll definitely stay even farther away from me in the future.’

"She’s my guest, so I’ll be the one to take her home." Finn Hawthorne made his position clear to the bodyguard. "Go tell my brother that I’m personally escorting Alice York back."

Alice York turned to look at Finn Hawthorne.

Finn Hawthorne, assuming she was terrified, tried to reassure her. "Don’t worry. As long as I’m here, I’ll definitely get you out of the Hawthorne estate."

The words had barely left his mouth when Felix Hawthorne appeared on the steps outside the main house.

He looked down on the two of them from the top of the steps, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Am I some sort of man-eating monster? Why are you in such a hurry to send our family’s honored guest away?"

Honored guest?

Alice York and Finn Hawthorne looked up at the steps in unison.

Felix Hawthorne was dressed in loose, casual loungewear—white pants and gray slippers. He even held a glass of juice in his hand. From head to toe, he projected an air of easy-going friendliness.

Alice wondered if it was her imagination, but compared to the last time they’d eaten together, she no longer felt that sense of cold distance from Felix Hawthorne.

In fact, the way Felix Hawthorne looked at her this time was much, much warmer than before.

"Brother, I brought Alice here, and I have to be the one to take her home," Finn Hawthorne said in a low, firm voice.

Felix Hawthorne raised the glass of juice in his hand slightly. "Of course. It’s your responsibility to see her home."

Finn’s hand was still on Alice’s shoulder. He slowly lowered it, taking her wrist instead. "Then I’ll..."

Felix Hawthorne said, "No need to rush."

"But it’s getting late," Finn said, growing anxious.

Felix Hawthorne lifted the hand that wore a watch. "It’s only five-thirty. It’s still early."

With that, Felix Hawthorne descended the steps one by one. His gaze fell upon Alice York, more appraising than scrutinizing. "Alice York... that’s your real name, correct?"

Alice York instinctively took a step back.

At the same time, Finn Hawthorne instinctively stepped in front of her.

Their steps were almost in perfect sync—one forward, one back—without exchanging so much as a glance.

"It is my real name," Alice York replied with a nod.

Felix Hawthorne gave a slight smile, but it vanished as soon as he looked at Finn Hawthorne. "You’re shielding her so thoroughly. Do you think I’m going to eat her?"

"You don’t eat people," Finn Hawthorne retorted, still standing in front of Alice York. "But Alice is afraid of you. Don’t tell me you can’t see that." 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Felix Hawthorne was silent for a moment. He could tell.

It was probably because of that dinner. His expression and the look in his eyes had been far from welcoming, which must have left a dark impression on her. That was why she was afraid to see him again.

He looked at Alice York, reached out to push Finn Hawthorne aside, and said to her, "This is your first time visiting the Hawthorne estate. What a coincidence... my sister, Evelyn Hawthorne, also comes home today."