Captive Hearts: The Tycoon's Ugly Bride novel Chapter 70

Chapter 70 Super Oranges

"Hey, don't be so certain. Blanche is so beautiful. And since everyone is asleep at noon, you should be careful she doesn't attract any unwanted attention from lecherous men," Eric teased, catching up with Louis.

Louis' forward stride paused, and he looked back at Eric coldly.

Eric felt hopeful.

But Louis sneered disdainfully. "Who could fancy her with her country-bumpkin look? And did she find that hat in a trash can?"

She put anything on her head. This woman had no taste at all.

...

In the orchard, Blanche put oranges into her basket one after another. It was tiring, but she felt good and hummed a song.

Suddenly, a young man with a tall frame approached her and asked in a warm voice, "Why aren't you resting? Aren't you afraid of getting heatstroke if you pick oranges now?"

Blanche looked over at the young man, who was wearing a grey T-shirt, black shorts, and sneakers. His overall look was sunny.

His lips were curved into a slight smile.

"I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd come and pick some oranges. It's not too hot yet, so I'll only break a light sweat." Blanche was taken aback by the young man's sudden appearance, but she answered him politely nonetheless.

The young man weighed an orange in his hand and smiled at Blanche.

"You're right. I couldn't sleep either, so I came for a walk in this orchard. I don't have the habit of taking a nap. By the way, allow me to introduce myself.

Let me introduce myself. I'm Brendon Stackhouse. And you?" he said.

Blanche glanced at him, keeping her guard up, and continued to pick oranges instead of answering his question.

"You've picked a lot of oranges. Are you sure you'll be able to eat them all? These oranges can't be kept for long. They'll rot quickly," Brendon kindly advised her.

Blanche looked him up and down. This guy seemed to talk a lot, but when she saw his smiling face, she didn't think he was a bad person.

"I didn't pick these for myself. Many people will eat them, so I need to pick more."

"Then let me help you. I'm bored walking around this orchard anyway," Brendon proposed.

He kicked off the ground and leaped onto an orange tree, determined to keep his promise.

Blanche was speechless.

Brendon picked a few oranges but realized that the basket was quite far away from him. He also noticed that Blanche was still looking at him suspiciously. He cleared his throat and asked, "Could you move the basket a bit closer? I'm afraid I might drop the oranges on the ground."

Blanche came back to her senses and moved the basket as requested.

Brendon accurately tossed the oranges into the basket. "Don't overthink it. I'm just killing time by helping you pick oranges. I walked around and only saw you. I'm just bored."

Blanche nodded, temporarily believing him.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Are you from Mr. Herbart's company? You said that many people would eat the oranges. These oranges are going to be sent to the welfare institution, right?" Brendon asked.

Blanche was surprised. So, he knew all along. Did he also work for the Herbart Group?

"Do you also work for the Herbart Group?"

Brendon had an easygoing demeanor, and Blanche slowly let her guard down. She wasn't a cold person in everyday life, and one of her guiding principles was that it was better to make a friend than an enemy.

She also had confidence in her ability to judge people's character.

"I don't. I work at a research institute, and this is my hometown. I'm back for a vacation," Brendon explained as he agilely stepped from one tree trunk to another.