Chapter 92: Chapter 92: He Knew He Was Being Used, But Was Still Very Cooperative

Cecilia Croft felt a steady warmth radiating from Sebastian Hawthorne’s palm on her waist.

Her entire body seemed to heat up, her cheeks and the tips of her ears burning.

Her fingers trembled as she held her breath, hurrying to finish tying the man’s tie.

Sebastian Hawthorne was still on the phone, glancing down at her from time to time.

Once Cecilia had finished, she quickly let go and took a step back, putting some distance between them.

His hand, which had been on her waist, fell naturally to his side.

At the same time, he ended the call. He put his phone away and glanced at the tie Cecilia had just tied for him, his brow immediately furrowing.

His tie was a crooked mess.

His eyes turned sharp. "Do it again."

Cecilia gave an awkward smile and quickly said, "Mr. Hawthorne, my skills are... well..."

Sebastian Hawthorne didn’t wait for her to finish, interrupting her nonchalantly. "We’ll go to the Croft family’s home when you’ve tied it properly."

His words hit her right where it hurt.

Cecilia swallowed all the excuses she had been about to make.

She pursed her lips and forced a pained smile. "I’ll do it right now."

Sebastian Hawthorne raised an eyebrow and took a step toward her.

Cecilia took a deep breath and focused on tying his tie with intense concentration.

This time, the man was more cooperative. He bent down and leaned in, so she wouldn’t have to stand on her tiptoes.

But...

The closer he leaned, the more the faint scent of his body wash seemed to rush into her nostrils.

She felt as if the very air around her had been invaded by Sebastian Hawthorne’s scent.

Her heart began to beat faster without her realizing it.

The more she tried to get the tie right, the further she was from achieving the desired result.

After two more failed attempts, both of which Sebastian Hawthorne made her redo, Cecilia gave up. With a crestfallen expression, she looked at him pleadingly.

"Mr. Hawthorne, this is really the best I can do."

Sebastian Hawthorne didn’t respond immediately. He looked down at the tie, as if mulling it over.

Cecilia took a quiet breath, deciding to dangle a carrot in front of him.

"I promise I’ll practice when I get home. I’ll make sure it’s perfect for you next time, Mr. Hawthorne."

At her words, Sebastian Hawthorne stopped examining the tie and glanced up at her.

Cecilia quickly curved her lips into a smile, trying to make her gaze look as sincere as possible.

"Fine, this will have to do."

As Sebastian Hawthorne’s deep voice sounded, Cecilia let out a huge sigh of relief.

’So making empty promises does work.’

「The Croft Residence.」

Sebastian Hawthorne and Cecilia Croft had yet to arrive, so Ruby Croft drifted among the guests, greeting them. She maintained a calm and composed expression, betraying nothing.

The guests, not seeing the stars of the show, gathered in small groups to gossip.

"Lately, the rumor is that the Croft and Hawthorne families are working together again. But looking at this party, it doesn’t seem like the Hawthornes even sent anyone."

"When the Croft’s second daughter left Karthus, the whole affair of her breaking off the engagement with the Hawthorne family was a huge scandal. The Hawthornes have never been humiliated like that. They haven’t worked with the Croft family in years. If you ask me, this is just a smokescreen put up by Ruby Croft."

"Everyone in Karthus knows what kind of situation the Croft family is in right now."

"I agree. I don’t think the Hawthorne Group would ever choose to work with the Croft Group again, unless..."

The speaker trailed off, leaving the others in suspense and drawing their gazes.

"Unless what?"

someone asked, their voice hushed. They were curious, but also a little worried that the Croft family might have actually found a way out of their predicament.

Having milked the suspense, the man just chuckled and said jokingly,

"Unless the Croft family offers up a wife to Mr. Hawthorne as compensation."

A chorus of scoffs went through the group.

"Given the Croft family’s current state, I doubt Mr. Hawthorne would take Ruby Croft even if she offered herself up to him."

Cecilia Croft and Sebastian Hawthorne were standing at the entrance to the Croft residence’s front courtyard, hidden by a traditionally styled screen.

The gossiping group had no idea that Cecilia and Sebastian were standing right behind it.

Cecilia’s heart grew heavy as she listened to their speculation and mockery.

She glanced at the man beside her. His face was a mask of indifference. Without a word, he strode out from behind the screen.

Cecilia hurried to follow him.

As the pair appeared, the small group that had just been mocking the Croft family fell silent. One person recovered first and hurried over, his demeanor respectful and eager to please.

"Mr. Hawthorne, you’ve arrived!"

With one person breaking the ice, the others quickly followed, all converging on Sebastian Hawthorne.

Ruby Croft, standing a short distance away, saw the commotion. A barely perceptible smile touched her lips as she raised her champagne flute in Cecilia and Sebastian’s direction.

Just then, a waiter approached with a tray of drinks.

Sebastian Hawthorne naturally took a glass of champagne from the tray and handed it to Cecilia.

Cecilia reached out and took it.

"Thank you."

Sebastian glanced down at her, then took another glass for himself. He raised it toward Ruby, then downed it in one go.

The tension Ruby had held all evening finally melted away. She took a delicate sip from her glass and turned to speak with other guests.

She made no move to formally greet Sebastian, showing no intention of fawning over or flattering him.

Ruby knew perfectly well that as long as her little sister was there, a certain someone would play his part automatically.

Even without special treatment from the hosts, Sebastian Hawthorne was still the center of attention.

Cecilia, following Ruby’s instructions, stayed by Sebastian’s side the entire time.

Ruby didn’t even need to make introductions for her; people approached to greet Cecilia as if they were old acquaintances.

They acted as if no time had passed at all, as if she had never been away from Karthus for the last ten years.

’My sister was absolutely right.’

’Just by standing next to a man like Sebastian Hawthorne, you could bask in his reflected glory.’

’Who among the guests tonight wasn’t here for Sebastian Hawthorne?’

Soon, Sebastian was surrounded by people, most of them influential figures in Karthus.

In their minds, they were all speculating about the relationship between Cecilia and Sebastian, but no one dared to ask directly. Instead, they chatted about development and national trends.

Cecilia listened quietly.

Sebastian hadn’t intended to say much, but when he glanced down, he saw the young woman beside him looking so focused and serious, as if she were a student taking notes.

An eyebrow quirked, and he found himself saying a bit more.

During a pause, Cecilia looked up at him, her eyes filled with a thirst for knowledge.

She was desperate to understand the current development trends in Karthus and glean key information from their conversation.

Sebastian looked at her eager expression and chuckled. "Want to hear more?"

Cecilia nodded.

It wasn’t just her; the others nodded along with her.

The scene was slightly comical, but it also made sense.

Sebastian raised a hand and gently flicked her forehead. "It’s just drunken small talk. Don’t take it so seriously. If you really want to learn more, you’ll have to put in a little more effort."

That simple flick of his finger suddenly cast their relationship in an ambiguous, intimate light.

Cecilia stared at him, stunned, as her heart clenched for no apparent reason.

’What is with him?’

’He knows my sister and I are using him, yet he’s going along with it so willingly.’