Chapter 535: Chapter 535: Protection
These words made Henry Hawthorne reconsider his original belief that it was Ann Vaughn who orchestrated Laura Quinn’s stay in the tower.
Could there be hidden truths behind all this?
But the dining table was clearly not the place to delve deeper into this matter, so Henry repressed his sense of doubt and said nothing more.
After lunch.
Kenny was taken by Old Master Hawthorne to play in the vineyard at the back, while Cyrus Hawthorne had work to attend to and headed upstairs right after lunch.
Ann Vaughn stayed in the living room watching TV, enjoying a moment of peace, which was soon interrupted.
"Hey, I heard that the ’Tianxiang Dew’ skincare product was personally developed by you, is that true?" A somewhat coquettish female voice suddenly sounded.
Ann Vaughn shifted her gaze from the television to the few young girls in front of her, tilting her head slightly, "Yes, it was me. Is there something you need?"
She recalled these were... the daughters of Cyrus Hawthorne’s two aunts.
The girl asking the question, upon hearing her confirmation, spoke directly, "Then you must still have lots of stock of ’Tianxiang Dew’? Can you give us a few bottles? We’ve wanted them for a long time but haven’t been able to buy any."
Having experienced the extraordinary benefits ’Tianxiang Dew’ had on the skin, even offering a high price might not make someone willing to sell.
And because of its scarcity, only a select few have access to it, making it the new trend within the circle.
Showing off luxury cars, bags, and jewelry can’t compare to flaunting a bottle of ’Tianxiang Dew’, which tempts envy.
Some even say offering flowers and gems may not earn a beauty’s smile, but pursuing your goddess with ’Tianxiang Dew’ guarantees success!
Unfortunately, Vaughn Clinic limits purchases to ten bottles a week, and those lucky enough to grab one must have been a koi fish in their past lives.
Ann Vaughn hadn’t expected they’d approach her for ’Tianxiang Dew’, and upon recalling the clinic’s stock, she realized there were only two bottles left.
Before it was officially launched, Vaughn Clinic had controlled the quantity for sale, but the number of customers seeking to buy it didn’t decrease; instead, stock ran out quickly.
And those last two bottles were, in essence, the final two before ’Tianxiang Dew’ hit the market.
"Only the last two are left, if you want them, you can come by Vaughn Clinic tomorrow to get them." Seeing their genuine interest, Ann Vaughn didn’t keep it from them, spreading her hands as she spoke.
"Two bottles?!" The girl’s eyes flashed with surprise, "That’s... way too few..."
It wouldn’t even be enough to split among them.
The girls exchanged glances before continuing, "We can pay for them, as long as you can give us more bottles. The price doesn’t matter."
"Yeah, there’s a limit of ten bottles per week, we can buy two weeks, or even three weeks’ worth!"
"We’re family, don’t be so stingy."
Hearing this, Ann Vaughn’s lips twitched slightly, "I’m not lying to you, the existing stock of ’Tianxiang Dew’ is indeed scarce, this is the last batch for this week, and purchasing restrictions are set to stop next week."
They clearly didn’t believe her, convinced she was trying to avoid giving it away for free by claiming there was no stock left.
And because she was the clinic owner and creator of ’Tianxiang Dew’, wouldn’t she be able to have however many bottles she wanted?
Dissatisfied, these pampered young ladies typically wouldn’t keep their thoughts to themselves.
"Just doesn’t want to give it to us, pretending we can’t afford it, right?"
"Exactly, two bottles, throwing scraps to beggars? Which of us doesn’t use skincare products worth tens of thousands of dollars, does she really think we desire those questionable items?"
"My mom was right, such people are indeed two-faced, the best at pretending."
Ann Vaughn: ?
Living long really allows one to meet all sorts of people.
She was about to speak when she saw Cyrus Hawthorne stride into the living room, walking towards her with a steady step.
The chattering girls immediately fell silent, their gazes both respectful and wary as they softly greeted Cyrus.
Cyrus Hawthorne nodded slightly with an indifferent expression, walked to Ann Vaughn, and raised his hand to rub the top of her head, "I have matters to discuss with Grandpa, if you’re tired, head back to your room and rest."
"Okay." Ann Vaughn discreetly hid the pile of snacks on the sofa, obediently responding.
"Don’t go having Kenny ask Grandpa for ice cream to feed you." Watching her small actions, Cyrus Hawthorne slightly furrowed his brow but ultimately didn’t confiscate her stash.
Ann Vaughn: !!!
What is this man, some kind of thought activity detector?!
Did he install surveillance in her mind?!
This was obviously impossible, it was just Cyrus knowing her better than she knew herself.
"Also," at last, Cyrus’s voice was low as he advised her, "You are the Young Madam Hawthorne, if anyone bullies you, respond a hundredfold, regardless of who they are."
The final words were nothing short of a warning.
Warning everyone present that Ann Vaughn was his, and if they wanted to bully her, they’d better weigh whether they had what it takes.
The girls trembled, their faces pale and ugly, too scared to even lift their heads.
The Family Head himself had admitted this woman was Young Madam Hawthorne.
And that’s quite contrary to what their parents told them: this woman had no family, no power, was easy to bully.
Igniting a feud is one thing, casually summoning the big boss to beat a bunch of minor characters, what’s that? QAQ!
Ann Vaughn’s eyes flickered, her bright smile rendering her face even more tender and charming, "I won’t be easily bullied, don’t worry about me."
And somehow she felt he specifically came over to bail her out?
Even if she could manage on her own, this sense of being protected was something solitary endurance couldn’t bring.
"Good girl." Cyrus’s narrowed eyes darkened slightly, restraining his urge to pull the delicate bundle into his arms, he pinched her cherubic cheek, then finally stepped away.
His lingering warmth seemed to still reside on her cheek, prompting Ann Vaughn to rub it, muttering softly.
"You can rub my face but I’m not allowed to rub your abs, why’s that?"
Not only was it not allowed, he was fierce about it!
She refused to believe she couldn’t find the chance to give his abs a good squeeze!
With that thought, Ann Vaughn raised her eyes to sweep over the girls standing stiff and stonelike nearby, saying flatly, "I take back what I said earlier, the last two bottles of ’Tianxiang Dew’ won’t be given away. You all should wait for the market launch."
The girls: ???
Changing her mind so quickly, even a Sichuan opera face-change isn’t this fast!!
No disappointment is worse than losing something you thought you could have easily obtained.
They wished to say they’d settle for even just two bottles, but recalling Cyrus Hawthorne’s inadvertently fierce gaze just now, their legs went soft.
Miyi Yates passed through the living room, just in time to see those girls trembling before Ann Vaughn, furrowing her brows before heading upstairs.