From Ashes of Scandals to His Embrace novel Chapter 421

“No,” Laurinda said, a little smile tugging at her lips. There was no way she was going to admit she had a thing for his looks.

Adolphus kept his eyes on her, catching the mischievous sparkle in hers. He let out a low laugh, leaned down, and kissed her—soft and deep, a gentle punishment for her pretending. He wrapped her up in his arms, holding her close.

Adolphus didn’t need to drive Laurinda to Cabinda. He was quick about it—packed his bags, finished dinner, and Laurinda drove him to the airport.

There were no dramatic goodbyes. Laurinda just kept telling him to be careful and come back soon.

After the plane took off, Laurinda stood outside the terminal and watched the sky until Arrow brought over the scarf she’d left in the car, wrapping it around her neck. “Laurinda, it’s late. Adolphus’s flight is gone. Let’s head home.”

Laurinda nodded. She tore her eyes from the sky and walked with Arrow toward the parking lot. They drove back to the estate.

Time slipped by and soon a month had passed. One afternoon, Laurinda stepped out of her study and saw Josh, the house manager, sorting through a stack of flower catalogs. She walked over to him.

“Laurinda, come see. The nursery sent over these catalogs. Didn’t you want to plant some flowers around the estate? See if anything catches your eye.”

She took the catalog and flipped through the pages, eyes settling on a few different lilies. “Let’s put some lilies in that empty space out back. The rest, I’ll leave up to you.”

Laurinda kept skimming the catalog. There were other flowers she liked, but they just didn’t feel right for the estate.

Josh seemed to get it. Aside from the lilies, nothing else stood out to her. He made a mental note to reach out to a few more nurseries.

“Alright, lilies in the backyard. For the front flowerbeds, how about jasmine? I know you love the smell.”

Laurinda put her phone away, stood up, and carried her tea back to the study. She sat down at her desk, scanning the news story that was already making waves online.

Arrow knocked three times on the study door. Hearing Laurinda’s answer, she stepped inside.

“Laurinda, Adolphus sent these chocolates for you.”

Laurinda looked up, saw the gift box in Arrow’s hands, and took it. She opened the box, unwrapped a piece, and popped it into her mouth. The sweetness melted away some of the stress she’d been carrying.

“Laurinda, if there’s nothing else, I’ll just…”

Arrow was about to leave, but her eyes landed on the computer screen. She paused, staring at the photo on the monitor.