From Ashes of Scandal to His Embrace (Laurinda) novel Chapter 195

Laurinda only just realized that Adolphus wasn’t home. The thought of how attentive he’d been left her smiling.

“Come with me to the study,” she said.

“Wait,” Sam spoke up, grinning. “Adolphus made it very clear you need to eat breakfast before you start working.”

Sam was in no hurry. He’d already waited all morning, so what was a few more minutes?

The butler came out of the kitchen carrying a steaming bowl of herbal soup Adolphus had prepared and set it gently on the dining table.

“Laurinda, your breakfast is ready.”

“Thanks,” Laurinda replied. She nodded at Sam and the guy with glasses, then headed off to eat, leaving them in the living room with their tea.

Once Laurinda was out of earshot, the man with glasses turned to Sam and whispered, “Sam, is this Adolphus’s place?”

He’d been dying to know ever since he stepped into the manor. The butler had always been nearby, so he never dared to ask until now.

Sam understood his curiosity. He’d wondered about it too, back when he first came. He just shook his head calmly.

“Nope. This is Laurinda's house. Adolphus is just staying here as a guest, same as us.”

The man’s mouth dropped open. He’d never seen a place this huge. Even the Bill family’s mansion couldn’t compare.

“Crazy, right? I was blown away my first time here, too. Sure, land in Apex isn’t as pricey as in Cabinda, but owning an estate this massive is something else. There’s a small golf course out back, and past that, a bunch of fruit and veggie gardens.”

Sam was getting more excited as he spoke. If it wouldn’t be weird, he’d honestly love to just move in with Adolphus.

Sam snapped out of it when he heard her, shaking his head, then nodding.

“We hit a technical roadblock. It’s tough, but honestly, what’s messing with my head isn’t work. It’s you building stables at your house.”

Laurinda smiled. “Yeah. I’ve got two horses staying at Laird’s equestrian center. One of them just turned six, so he’s fully grown now. I’m thinking of finding him a girlfriend. When the stables are finished, I’ll invite you guys over to hang out.”

Laurinda almost never invited outsiders to her home, but Adolphus’s friends were different. She was happy to let them into her private world. They were all young, and it felt nice to have people to enjoy it with.

“Come on, let’s head to the study. Let’s see what kind of technical trouble you’re in.”

Laurinda led them into her study, and the tech manager started explaining where their company was at and the challenges they were facing.