Love at First Sight? Mr. Harrison Has Been Scheming All Along-Chapter 6: A Break-up

On the way to the parking lot, Rory walked next to the man in silence.

As a high-end private hospital, Elysian Hospital’s members were either wealthy or influential. The parking lot was filled with incredibly expensive luxury cars.

Even so, Sean’s Bentley was a still a sight.

A chauffeur was seated in the front.

Rory subconsciously reached out to open the door.

Before her hand touched the car’s handle, the man’s strong, well-defined hand reached over and easily gripped her wrist.

"I’m not used to having a lady wait on me."

As he spoke, he reached out his other hand, opened the car door, and gestured for her to get in.

"My apologies."

Rory quickly ducked into the car.

Over the years being with Miles, she had grown accustomed to doing everything herself.

After getting in, the first thing she did was take a small velvet pouch from her bag and hand it to Sean, who sat beside her.

"What’s this?"

Sean took the small pouch, reached inside, and pulled out a small white cloth.

Unfolding the cloth, he saw his cufflink lying inside, perfectly intact.

Rory explained, "A friend told me the gemstone on this cufflink is expensive. I was afraid it would get scratched in my bag, so I wrapped it carefully."

Sean put the cufflink away. "I don’t have your silk scarf with me. I’ll give it to you next time."

"You don’t have to. The scarf isn’t valuable. You can just throw it away, Mr. Harrison."

It wasn’t just that Rory didn’t want the scarf back.

She planned to borrow some money from Sherry after Charlotte was discharged from the hospital and pay back Evelyn.

Then she would cut all ties with the Harrington family.

Her mother had only been a maid for the Harringtons. They had been kind enough to give her a home and sponsor her education, so it was only right that she repay them.

But...

She couldn’t marry Miles. She couldn’t throw away the rest of her life into that family.

Sean looked at the woman beside him. "You don’t have to call me Mr. Harrison. Just use my name. Sean Harrison, or Sean, is fine."

"But you’re Miles’ uncle. I..."

"What? Are you planning to call me ’Uncle’ like he does?"

Rory’s cheeks were on fire. Her heart wouldn’t stop pounding. She bit her lip and looked down, hoping he couldn’t tell how flustered she was.

Sean felt the carefully wrapped cufflink in his palm, and a faint smile was playing on his lips. "We still have ways to go before we reach the old family home. Take your time and think about it."

"I... I’ll call you Sean Harrison, then."

Rory quickly made her choice.

-

Back at Elysian Hospital...

Evelyn waited until she was sure Rory had left before dialing Miles’s number.

"Mom..."

"I just asked Rory to stay with me at the old family home for a while. You need to get rid of that woman in your house, now! As soon as your Grandma Rhodes is out of the hospital, I’m arranging your engagement to Rory!"

Evelyn laid out her plan.

’She couldn’t believe her son didn’t know how to cherish a good woman like Rory Linden!’

"Mom, I will marry Rory, and we will get married, but not now." Miles knew that if he didn’t explain things clearly today, his mother wouldn’t let it go. "In all the years we’ve been together, she gets angry and throws tantrums at the drop of a hat. She always gave me attitude. She’s just a maid’s daughter. She was never good enough for me to begin with. She’s eaten the best food and lived in luxury by my side, and she’s still not satisfied. If I don’t teach her a lesson now, I’ll have to put up with her sour face for the rest of my life!"

Evelyn was livid. "Think about why she is angry? You brought another woman into your home, and you have the nerve to blame her for being upset?!"

"The others were just flings. I really like Lucy, and she comes from a decent family. If you want a daughter-in-law, isn’t Lucy a better fit than Rory?"

Lately, Miles had been spending time with Lucy Shaw and was growing increasingly fond of her.

He liked that she was willing to wear sexy lingerie to please him.

He liked how she could be coquettish and play the damsel in distress.

He liked that she was always free for him, eagerly waiting for him to come home from work.

These were all things Rory couldn’t do.

Even though Rory had the face of a rare beauty, he felt no desire for her when he looked at her.

They had been dating for four years, but forget sleeping together—they had never even kissed.

"Lucy Shaw... isn’t she the daughter of that real estate guy, Old Shaw? Their family’s fortunes are long past their prime." Evelyn’s temper flared. "With your uncle supporting the Harrington family, do you really need to marry for connections? I just want you to find a good girl to be your wife so you can focus on your career and not have to worry about things at home!"

Miles knew his mother adored Rory and wouldn’t listen to reason, so he tried to placate her. "Mom, I’ll break up with Lucy next month, and then I’ll go make it up to Rory."

"Next month? Don’t bother! I’ll find Rory a new boyfriend myself."

Evelyn felt like her son was going to anger her to death.

And with that, she abruptly hung up the phone.

Meanwhile, Miles was sitting in a car with Lucy Shaw.

Lucy had heard every word of the conversation between mother and son.

By the time the call ended, tears were already welling in her eyes. "Are you really going to break up with me next month?"

"I was just humoring my mom," Miles said, wrapping his arm around her waist. "I don’t even like Rory. My mother’s the one who likes her and insists I marry her. But how could I possibly marry a maid’s daughter?"

Lucy rested her face against his chest, and her expression finally softened into a demure, girlish shyness.

What Miles liked most about Lucy was how easy she was to show the best part of herself.

She was unlike Rory Linden, who was too smart.

Just a few sentences into a conversation, and she’d find the contradictions in his words.

What Miles didn’t know, however, was that reporters had been tailing him and Lucy from the moment they stepped out together.

Barely two hours after they finished lunch, a related story appeared in an obscure corner of an online news site. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

It was the kind of minor story that usually went unnoticed.

Nevertheless, Sean’s assistant saw the news immediately and reported it to him.

"It’s been confirmed. The Shaw family hired the reporters themselves."

The assistant relayed everything he knew.

"If I recall, several of the Shaw family’s investment projects have run into trouble, correct?" Sean asked.

"Yes. Based on our current intel, the Shaw family’s half-year financial statement is going to show major problems. They’re likely trying to tie themselves to the Harrington family now to reassure their shareholders," the assistant replied.

"Excellent. Pretend we didn’t see it." Sean paused, then added, "Arrange for me and Miles to have a meal. And while you’re at it, find out Mr. Shaw’s schedule and make sure our reservation is at the same restaurant."

The assistant was puzzled. "Sir, are you...?"

"Miles seems to be very fond of this Miss Shaw. As his uncle, it’s only natural for me to help him out." Sean glanced at the carefully wrapped cufflink on the desk. "Get it done as soon as possible."

-

By dinnertime, Evelyn was back home and having dinner with Rory Linden.

After the maid served the food, Evelyn said with a smile, "Rory, these are all your favorite dishes."

Rory looked at the spread of dishes.

They were all Miles’ favorites.

Living under someone else’s roof, she had never dared to express her own preferences.

Over the years, she had always pretended that whatever Miles liked to eat was her favorite, too.

Over time, everyone came to believe their tastes were identical.

Still, Rory didn’t want to refuse Evelyn’s kind gesture. "Thank you, Auntie Irving."

Evelyn placed a large shrimp in Rory’s bowl. "Rory, you know, you and Miles aren’t getting any younger. Isn’t it time to start thinking about an engagement?"

The hand Rory was holding her chopsticks froze.

She bit her lip gently and looked up at Evelyn. After a long moment of hesitation, she said, "Auntie Irving, Young Master Harrison and I have already broken up."