Chapter 608 Like Two Peas in a Pod
Stephen wouldn't dare to anger Alyssa anymore. He figured she might put in a good word for him with Reese down the line.
So, he had to play it cool, like a kid who got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "Yeah, I was being a jerk before. With her power now, she doesn't need the Hawthorne family. It's all on me. I messed up. Can you help me out? Maybe talk to Reese and get her to come back?"
Alyssa waved him off. "Forget it. You don't get Reese. Push her, and it'll blow up in your face."
Sebastian jumped in, nodding like crazy, "Totally. Reese has a temper."
Stephen was feeling like he was sinking.
Alyssa kept going, "You didn't appreciate Reese when you had her. Now you see what you're missing."
Stephen was kicking himself. He thought Reese coming back would shake things up in the Hawthorne family. But even before that, the Hawthorne Group was already in deep trouble.
He left, looking defeated. "I'll head out. Sebastian, take care. I'll visit another time."
"Take care, Dad," Sebastian said.
Once Stephen was gone, Sebastian and Alyssa looked at each other and burst out laughing.
Meanwhile, Malcolm and Reese were leaving the hospital. Reese wanted to drive, but Malcolm stopped her. "Let me."
Reese hated the pity in Malcolm's eyes, even if it was from him.
She grabbed his hand and shook her head. "No, I got this."
But Malcolm knew her tough act was just that—an act. It hurt him to see her like this.
He held her hand, his eyes full of pain, his voice softer than usual. "Babe, if something's bugging you, tell me. We agreed from the start, right? Even if the world ends, you're not alone. I'm here."
Those words hit Reese hard, warming her cold heart.
Her earlier sadness started to lift.
Her icy look softened, and her eyes lost their edge. She sighed, "I'm just so tired. If I'd known it would be like this, I'd rather not have known I was a Hawthorne. At least I got used to the Brooks family."
The Hawthornes were like another knife in her back.
Malcolm knew Reese hated constant change. The Hawthornes kept coming back, messing with her head. If they hadn't, she wouldn't be so torn up.
He pulled her into a gentle hug, patting her back. "It's okay. Just tell me if something's wrong, alright? Happy or sad, we'll deal with it together."
Reese realized Malcolm was like her personal sunshine. No matter what went down, he was always there, ready to have her back.
After Malcolm's pep talk, Reese felt way better. She didn't want him stressing out all the time. Plus, she was tough. Everyone has their moments, and she was no different.
Things would chill out eventually.
In the end, Malcolm couldn't convince her otherwise, so he let her drive. Luckily, the ride home was smooth.
Once home, she hit up Calvin on a video call.
Calvin waved through the screen. "Reese, it's been ages! I miss you. When are you coming to visit?"
"Cut the mushy stuff. I need a favor. Check if the stock market's about to go nuts," Reese shot back.
She'd overheard Stephen talking about it and noticed some red flags in the stocks but hadn't dug deep. Now, with Stephen freaking out, something was definitely up.
Calvin didn't end the call. He grabbed his laptop and started typing away.
In a few minutes, he had the scoop. "Reese, you're spot on. The market's about to get wild, and the Hawthorne Group's gonna get hit first."
Reese nodded, "No wonder Stephen's losing it. He must've caught wind early."
Calvin asked, "What's going on, Reese?"
"Nothing much. Just keep an eye on the market. I'm thinking of buying some stocks soon," Reese replied.
Calvin was floored. "Are you serious? You're buying stocks now?"
"Don't you get it? If you play it right, the crazier the market, the more cash you can rake in."
Regular competition was boring.
She loved the thrill of risk because sometimes it paid off big time.
Calvin was in awe, "That's so you."
She gave a quick order, "In a few days, come with me to the stock market."
Calvin nodded, "You got it."
After hanging up, Reese opened her laptop and checked the stocks. The companies she had her eye on were tanking, and others weren't doing great, either.
With the Hawthorne Group's current mess, if the market started shaking, they might not survive it.
But she could use this chaos to make a killing.
Malcolm walked in with a plate of fruit and saw Reese glued to her screen. He set the plate down next to her. "Babe, take a break. This can wait till tomorrow, or I can handle it."
Reese tore her eyes from the screen. "Alright, a break won't hurt."
Malcolm picked up a fork, speared an apple slice, and brought it to her lips, speaking gently, "Come on, babe, open up."
Reese felt a bit awkward with his sweet gesture. She reached for the fork. "I can do it myself."
Malcolm shook his head softly. "Nope, I'll feed you. If you want to keep looking, go ahead. I'll stay right here."
Seeing Malcolm so keen on her, Reese half-joked, "Why don't you just stay by my side all the time, like two peas in a pod?"
Malcolm replied earnestly, "If I could, I'd be part of you, never leaving you alone in this life."
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