Chapter 59 First Encounter
Only then did Lauren realize how foolish she had been; her presumptions had nearly cost her dearly, almost making her miss out on being with her beloved Quentin.
Their conversation was interrupted by the knocking of a servant at the door.
"Alright, Lauren, let's go have dinner, you must be hungry by now," Hannah said with a kind smile.
"Okay." Lauren had wanted to share her decision to return to the villa right then and there, but she didn't want to spoil Hannah's appetite, preferring to tell her after dinner.
Downstairs, Quentin was already waiting. Lauren's gaze constantly followed Quentin, reminiscing about that evening; if she hadn't misunderstood him, none of the subsequent events would have occurred.
After everything that happened, Lauren realized that beneath Quentin's seemingly indifferent exterior, he might hold a place for her in his heart; otherwise, the proud Quentin would never have made those conciliatory remarks.
Lauren couldn't forget what Quentin had said to her in the hospital. She realized he was worth her love—bold, brave, passionate, and unapologetic. Perhaps, that was the true charm of Quentin.
Quentin felt Lauren's intense eyes on him. When he looked back at her, she shyly averted her gaze.
The trio took their seats at the table, and Hannah, observing the affectionate couple, felt her appetite surge.
"Quentin, serve Lauren some soup, something nourishing, and make sure she eats well," Hannah instructed, as always, commanding Quentin to take care of Lauren.
Lauren was not bashful; she sat there comfortably, waiting for Quentin to ‘wait on’ her.
Quentin stood up, ladled a bowl of soup for Lauren, and then served one to Hannah as well. Hannah winked at Lauren with a smile.
It was then Quentin spoke up, "Dowager, I think Lauren should go back to the villa to rest."
Hannah's joy turned to disappointment immediately, "What? Lauren is leaving? Why, dear, have I not taken good care of you?"
"No, no, no, Dowager, it's not like that. You've taken such good care of me, I've even gained a few pounds. You look after me every day, and I feel like I've brought so much trouble to your doorstep. Plus, the villa has been empty for too long, and I want the baby to start getting familiar with our home," Lauren hurriedly explained.
Quentin was quietly eating his meal, letting these two women boss him around; he wasn't someone to be taken lightly.
"But I can look after you at the home. I'll worry if you go back," Hannah said with reluctance, genuinely happy for Lauren's company. She dreaded loneliness, a common fear in her advancing years. Ever since Quentin got married, his visits to the home could be counted on two hands. Yet, she couldn't always be at the villa, and staying at home daily was dreadfully dull.
Lauren felt a deep gratitude toward Hannah, "Dowager, rest assured, I'll definitely come to visit often. I'm not a child; I can take very good care of myself and the baby."
Even though Hannah was reluctant to let go, she understood it was a decision made by Quentin and Lauren together. She wasn't oblivious to social cues; she knew it was right for Lauren to return. Lauren and Quentin needed more time together, more interaction, for their relationship to warm up.
If Lauren kept staying at the home, barely seeing Quentin, the budding affection between them could quickly fade. So, Hannah, despite her internal objections, found she had no firm ground to stand on in stopping them.
"Alright, Lauren, but you have to promise me, take good care of yourself, and tell the Dowager if you ever feel wronged."
Lauren nodded, feeling fortunate to have someone like Hannah, who cared for her so much. Hannah was indeed a blessing in her life.
After the meal, Lauren went back to her room to pack, while Hannah saw this as an opportunity to have a serious talk with Quentin.
"Quentin, have you finally seen sense? From now on, you better treat Lauren well. She's had a tough time, and you can't break her heart anymore, understand?" Hannah said firmly.
Quentin nodded, "Don't worry, Dowager, I'll take good care of her."
Quentin felt odd about his feelings; could he actually be developing affection for Lauren? He quickly dismissed the thought. In his mind, he assured himself that everything he was doing was simply to make amends for that night's events, driven by remorse and guilt; he was merely trying to compensate Lauren.
Hannah, of course, was oblivious to Quentin's inner thoughts. She trusted him implicitly, confident that if he promised to do something, it would be done. With that assurance, her worries diminished significantly.
Lauren had finished packing up her things, and Quentin offered to load them into his car. Despite their departure imminent, Hannah found it hard to let go of Lauren, clutching her hand unwillingly to release it.
"Lauren, I truly don't want to see you go, but I also know that clinging on isn't for the best," Hannah confessed. "I'm eager to see you and Quentin build a life together, so go on, dear."
Lauren was overcome with emotion upon hearing Hannah's words. She knew all too well the loneliness and solitude Hannah felt and nearly decided to stay.
"Dowager…" Lauren's voice broke, choked up with emotion.
Hannah dabbed at her eyes and smiled warmly, "Oh, sweetheart, are you having second thoughts? Don't worry about me; it's just a momentary sadness. I'll be fine. You both better set off now, and you'll have plenty to do when you get home. Quentin, once you're back, have the servant help Lauren unpack. No need for her to exhaust herself with such strenuous work," Hannah advised lovingly.
"Understood, Dowager. We're off then," Quentin acknowledged.
He helped Lauren into the car, and with a heavy heart and repeated glances back at Hannah, Lauren finally settled into the passenger seat.
Lauren felt a pang of guilt, knowing she could have stayed to take care of Hannah in Quentin's stead, but she had her own responsibilities to attend to.
"Hannah, I'm sorry. Once the baby is born, I promise to spend more time with you. Please don't think of me as selfish," Lauren pledged silently in her heart.
Quentin noticed the sorrow etched on Lauren's face and could guess what she was thinking. They say a woman's mind is a mystery, but Lauren was an open book to him, transparent as ever even after all these years.
Quentin's mind drifted back to the first time he met Lauren, the moment that paved the way for him to become the ideal man in her eyes.
Three years prior, Quentin had been on his way to the office after a business trip when he found himself stuck in traffic due to an accident, involving Lauren.
He wasn't one for rubbernecking, especially since he had an important meeting and the line of cars behind him was growing impatient.
With no other option, Quentin got out of his car to assess the situation, and it didn't take him long to realize Lauren had been a victim of a staged accident.
He wasn't the type to go out of his way to help others, yet by exposing someone's scheme in public to save time, he inadvertently helped Lauren escape a scam.
Quentin had no idea that this act had captured Lauren's attention. As a local celebrity in City A, Lauren naturally recognized him, and from that moment, she harbored a secret crush on him.
