From Ashes of Scandal to His Embrace (Laurinda) novel Chapter 465

The car had barely come to a stop outside the house when Josh, the butler, came hurrying out with a few staff members in tow. He looked absolutely thrilled as he gazed at Laurinda and Adolphus, who had just stepped out of the car.

"Welcome home, Laurinda. Welcome back, Mr. Lane."

Laurinda smiled at Josh’s enthusiasm. "Hey, Josh."

Adolphus gave Josh a polite nod. His voice was gentle. "Thanks, Josh. How are you settling into Cabinda?"

"I'm trying my best to get used to everything," Josh replied, still a little out of breath. "Come on in, Laurinda, Mr. Lane. We’ve set up a brazier in the courtyard. Since you’ve been in the hospital for so long, it’s best to step over the fire first, just to ward off any lingering bad luck. Then you can take a nice, hot bath and wash it all away. After that, everything should be smooth sailing."

Laurinda glanced at Adolphus, raising an eyebrow. "Josh has a point. Let’s get you cleaned up first. We can catch up in a bit."

She gently guided Adolphus through the gate. He stepped over the fire, then followed her down the long walkway into a courtyard just for him.

Adolphus took in the decorations, his brow wrinkling. He stopped, caught Laurinda’s hand, and lowered his voice. "Aren’t we staying in the same courtyard?"

Seeing how serious he looked, Laurinda couldn’t resist teasing him. She lifted her eyebrows and grinned. "What’s wrong? Didn’t you always say you hated sponging off other people? I thought you’d like a place of your own."

Adolphus clearly didn’t like that answer. He wanted to stay with her. He wrapped his arms around Laurinda, held her close, and rested his cheek against her neck. "No. I’m not agreeing to this," he said stubbornly. "I’m sticking with you, whether you like it or not."

Realizing he was genuinely upset, Laurinda couldn’t help but smile even more brightly. She hadn’t known he could be this adorable.

When they arrived, a security guard darted out of the gatehouse with a cardboard box in his arms.

"Laurinda, you’re finally back! This parcel for Mr. Lane arrived about a week ago. We tried calling you and Mr. Lane, but couldn’t get through on either phone."

Laurinda realized it was something for Adolphus. She took the box from the guard, thanked him quietly, and headed inside with Arrow. She didn’t bother to check what was inside, not really thinking much about it.

She unlocked the door, walked straight to the closet, and packed a suitcase full of Adolphus’s clothes. She grabbed his watches, some accessories, and picked up his laptop and tablet from the study. Once everything was ready, she and Arrow headed back out.

As their car rolled out of the driveway, Arrow spotted a familiar car. She turned to Laurinda. "Laurinda, I think that’s Seraphina’s car up ahead."