From Ashes of Scandals to His Embrace novel Chapter 501

Laurinda caught the shift in Ophelia’s eyes. She tilted her head up, looking at Adolphus as he took her backpack with an easy grin. “So, who was that woman just now?”

“No idea. She just showed up and wanted my Instagram . Pretty random.”

Adolphus frowned, clearly still a little taken aback. He honestly had no clue who the woman was—it felt bizarre to him, too.

Laurinda slipped her arm through his, checked the boarding time on the screen, and saw they still had plenty of time. With a gentle tug, she steered him toward the bubble tea shop down the terminal.

Behind them, Ophelia stood frozen, her hands balled into fists at her sides. She hated that Laurinda could just take Adolphus with her, while she could only watch them walk away together.

Meanwhile, Egan was sizing up the situation with a cool, unreadable look. He watched Ophelia for a moment, eyes narrowing slightly. He made a mental note to dig into this mysterious woman’s background later.

Laurinda grabbed three coffees and a bubble tea, handing the drinks off to Adolphus, Egan, and Foley. Her arms were full, but she clung to her extra-large, extra-sweet bubble tea as she made her way to a cushy seat in the waiting lounge.

Adolphus followed, settling in next to her and giving her that familiar look—a little playful, a lot adoring.

“It’s so crowded here, and we’ve got time. Want to go someplace quieter, maybe the lounge?”

“Here’s good. I kind of like the noise,” Laurinda replied, glancing over at Ophelia through the corner of her eye. She noticed how Ophelia kept sneaking glances their way. Laurinda’s lips curled up, just a little.

All of a sudden, Laurinda leaned closer to Adolphus, her hand reaching up to hold his chin. He bent a little to meet her touch, not sure where this was going but willing to play along.

Before he could ask what she was up to, Laurinda gave him a quick, delicate kiss.

“People always say men with such a stern, perfect profile are usually cold-hearted. Does that include you, Adolphus?”

Laurinda shot him an exasperated look and playfully smacked his shoulder.

“What are you even thinking? I’m a high school student. Married? That’s crazy.”

“I’m serious,” Adolphus said, catching her hand and locking it in his. There was no hiding his smile now.

“I think it makes perfect sense. You’ll be in college this year. Okay, you can’t get a license now, but that doesn’t mean I can’t… do something about it.”

Hearing him talk about marriage licenses, Laurinda hurriedly pulled her hand away and clamped her palm over his mouth, stopping him before he could go any further. If he kept this up, he’d be picking out baby names next.

“Alright, that’s enough. We are definitely not getting married this early.”