From Ashes of Scandals to His Embrace novel Chapter 417

Adolphus stepped out in his riding clothes, but Laurinda was nowhere to be seen. He called her, only to hear that her phone was turned off.

His heart skipped a beat, worry twisting in his chest. Without thinking, he quickly dialed Arrow.

Arrow answered right away, but it was Laurinda’s voice he heard.

“What’s up?”

Arrow had already told Laurinda that Adolphus was calling, so she figured he must be looking for her and took the phone.

The sound of her voice calmed Adolphus instantly. He tried to hide how rattled he felt, his tone gentle as he asked, “Why’s your phone off?”

“There were too many annoying calls. I just wanted some peace, so I switched it off.”

Adolphus caught her meaning and cleared his throat. “I’m ready now. Want to come over?”

Laurinda had never seen him in riding gear before, and just imagining it made her grin. She didn’t hesitate. “Sure, I’ll be there in a minute.”

She hung up, handed the phone back to Arrow, grabbed her milk tea, and the two of them headed for the riding arena.

The place was packed. As soon as Laurinda walked in, she spotted Adolphus right away, standing out in the crowd.

She was about to walk over when the loudspeakers crackled to life, announcing a surprise equestrian contest with a big prize for first place.

Laurinda glanced at the rules on the big screen, then turned to look for Adolphus.

He was already watching her. From the moment she walked in, his eyes never left her, not even for a second.

Laurinda nudged Arrow to go grab a seat, then made her way toward Adolphus.

The moment he saw her coming, Adolphus rode Kent forward to meet her, stopping right in front of her and hopping down from his horse in one smooth move.

“What kind of vibe?” Adolphus bent a little so they were eye to eye, wanting to catch every detail of her reaction. She’d been laying on the flattery more and more lately.

She giggled. “You look like a real Prince Charming.”

He laughed. “That’s a pretty lazy compliment.”

He squeezed her hand, then pointed at the big screen. “So, do you want the prize?”

Laurinda shook her head. “Not really, but I do want to see you in action. You should sign up for the competition.”

She meant it. Adolphus had that perfect, elegant look for horseback riding, and she honestly couldn’t wait to see him show off.

Seeing how much it meant to her, Adolphus didn’t even think twice. “Wait right here. I’ll go sign up.”