Chapter 728: Chapter 728: The Meaning of the Moon
The time it was agreed to meet with Cyrus Hawthorne via text had been delayed by a full half hour!
Ann Vaughn dared not think of what consequences there might be, but those thoughts kept springing from her mind nonetheless.
If he changes his mind and doesn’t let her take Kenny away, what would she do?
The more Ann Vaughn thought about it, the faster her pace became, until she arrived in front of the designated private room and pushed the door open—
The dazzling light spilling through the crack in the door made Ann Vaughn shut her eyes for a moment. After adjusting, she looked inside.
To her surprise, every booth and the seats in front of the bar were filled with people.
It was a far cry from what she expected, which was only Cyrus Hawthorne and Kenny.
Had she walked into the wrong room?
Just as Ann Vaughn was about to step out to confirm, a hesitant male voice suddenly called out to her, "...Sister-in-law?"
Ann Vaughn paused, turned, and saw Julian Ford standing there with a glass in hand, looking at her in surprise, "Sister-in-law, what are you doing here?"
"I’m here to find Cyrus," Ann Vaughn looked around the private room, hoping to find that familiar figure.
Julian Ford’s expression changed instantly, and he couldn’t help but avert his gaze as he looked at Ann Vaughn.
Ann Vaughn immediately noticed his odd behavior, and a not-so-optimistic feeling surged in her heart. Could it be...
She pushed aside Julian Ford, who was blocking her path, walked down the low steps ahead, and after looking around, her gaze suddenly froze in one direction.
Was it the glaring light from the chandelier above, or did something just get into her eyes?
The pain made Ann Vaughn’s vision blur, her feet as if nailed to the ground, couldn’t move at all.
Not far away, the figure she had been dreaming of day and night was sitting on a burgundy sofa, looking lazy, his narrow eyes half-closed, seeming slightly intoxicated. Yet, there was no trace of emotion on that cool and indifferent face.
He had one arm around the shoulder of a delicate girl, his head slightly turned, his wine-moistened thin lips nearly touching the girl—
The scene sharply narrowed Ann Vaughn’s watery eyes, and she stepped forward without thinking the next second.
"You asked me to come here just to show me this?"
An uncontainable fury rose from the depths of her heart, causing two clusters of bright flames to burst out in Ann Vaughn’s eyes, blazing fiercely.
The man slightly raised his head, a fuzzy figure reflected in his somewhat inebriated narrow eyes. His thin lips curled into a smile, mocking, "Who do you think you are to question me?"
His demeanor was cold and indifferent, his eyes on Ann Vaughn as if she were an insignificant stranger.
Standing behind, Julian Ford was almost having eye muscle spasms trying to signal Cyrus Hawthorne. Upon hearing these words, he nearly died on the spot.
Are you kidding?!
Cyrus Hawthorne’s words were akin to a bucket of ice water being dumped in the harsh winter, chilling Ann Vaughn from head to toe, instantly extinguishing the bright flames in her eyes.
A thousand pins seemed to prick her heart and lungs, making it painful and hard to breathe.
Leave here.
Don’t stay and continue to humiliate yourself—
Ann Vaughn hurriedly lowered her gaze, fighting the sharp sting threatening to break from her eyes, barely maintaining her last bit of dignity before turning to leave.
"Sister-in-law, don’t misunderstand, these people weren’t invited by my brother, actually it’s..." Julian Ford panicked, hurriedly grabbing Ann Vaughn, trying to explain.
Ann Vaughn forced a smile at him, "Please tell him to return Kenny’s phone, that’s all."
Upon saying this, Ann Vaughn didn’t linger. She quickly walked away.
Julian Ford couldn’t stop her and could only turn back toward the sofa, about to ask, but saw Cyrus Hawthorne half-close his narrow eyes, patting the girl’s head beside him as he’d done with Julian before.
"Julian Ford, where did you get the guts to lean on me?" Cyrus Hawthorne’s voice was low and hoarse, immediately making the girl who was trying to snuggle into his arms shiver and stop moving.
Julian Ford: ?
The girl timidly said, "Mr. Hawthorne, I’m not Julian Ford, my name is Mimi. If Mr. Hawthorne likes, I can be called Julian Ford too..."
Julian Ford: ???
As soon as she spoke, the girl was mercilessly pushed aside, sitting dumbfounded on the cold floor.
Cyrus Hawthorne’s temples throbbed painfully, his chaotic mind gradually clearing, casting a narrow-eyed glance at the perplexed Julian Ford and the irrelevant others around the room, his brows furrowed sharply.
"Who gave you permission to act on your own?" he said in a deep voice.
Julian Ford shivered, pinched his throat, and said softly, "Mr. Hawthorne, you’ve mistaken me for someone else. I’m Mimi."
Cyrus Hawthorne’s thin lips curved into a ruthless smile, "Really, I don’t mind helping you become a real woman."
"No no no! Brother, I was wrong! I shouldn’t have been clever!" Julian Ford felt a chill down his lower body, quickly pleading, "I was just trying to help you out, ever since sister-in-law left, you’ve been like a work machine, working like crazy every day. I was worried you’d wear yourself out, so I thought I’d invite some people to liven things up and help you relax..."
Saying this, Julian Ford suddenly slapped his thigh.
Good job!
He said Evan Sawyer loved these kinds of venues the most, why didn’t he come today!
Turns out he’d guessed it right from the start, pushing him out to take the hit!
Cyrus Hawthorne’s gaze grew colder, like a blade slicing across Julian Ford’s face.
Julian Ford’s expression suddenly changed, "Oh no, bro, sister-in-law just came by, and you made her leave in such a bad mood, won’t something happen..."
Before he could finish, the man who had been calmly seated suddenly darkened, a few unclear images flashing in his aching mind.
Ann Vaughn’s eyes seemed to hold two balls of fire, her rosy lips moving, not knowing what she was saying.
Then her face suddenly turned pale, and the crystalline tears in her eyes almost fell but were held back as she turned to leave.
Damn—
In the next moment, Cyrus Hawthorne abruptly stood up, bypassing Julian Ford, striding toward the exit.
However, outside the private room, there was no sign of Ann Vaughn anymore.
Cyrus Hawthorne’s brow furrowed tightly, his expression shifting as he gazed at the end of the hallway, where the elevator was located. An instant later, a questioning voice suddenly came from around the corner.
"You noted me as ’Moon’? What does ’Moon’ mean?"
Moon?
Cyrus Hawthorne lifted his narrow eyes slightly, a mocking smile tugging at his thin lips as if recalling something, and took a step forward.
"It means the moon in the sea is the moon in the sky, the person before me is the person in my heart!" the girl’s voice was vexed yet shy as she stamped her foot, "Dummy, my confession is so obvious, how can you still not get it!"