Chapter 10
“Thank you, Mrs. Hawthorne.” Genevieve smiled politely at Declan’s mother, then turned to him and extended her hand with practiced grace. “You can just call me Gen.”
She knew exactly what this dinner was about. The Hawthornes and the Langfords were a perfect match on paper–two powerful families negotiating a lucrative partnership. And what better seal the deal than through a marriage alliance?
way to
Genevieve was well aware Declan had two women orbiting around him. But frankly, she wasn’t
concerned.
One had famously abandoned him when he was at rock bottom. Sure, he might still be a little hung up on the rejection, but come on–who could truly love someone who left them in their darkest
hour?
And the other? Just some nobody from a small town, dragged into his world only because the Hawthornes happened to fund her schooling. Without their money, she never would’ve crossed paths with someone like Declan. Even if she’d earned a sliver of his affection while nursing him through recovery, it wasn’t enough to matter.
For all she’d done, Marissa probably still ranked below Celeste in Declan’s heart.
Declan, however, had no trouble reading the room. The moment he saw Genevieve’s outstretched hand, his expression darkened. He didn’t even move.
The tension grew thicker by the second, until Mrs. Hawthorne quickly stepped in to smooth things
over.
“Declan’s always been like this,” she said with a breezy laugh, nudging Genevieve back into her seat. “Don’t mind him. He warms up once he’s comfortable.”
Genevieve’s smile faltered for a beat, but she didn’t say anything. Men like Declan were always a little cold–especially the ones who’d been through hell and clawed their way back.
Mrs. Hawthorne had hoped to ease them into conversation, let them build some rapport, but Declan made it impossible. Genevieve tried to steer the conversation more than once, but he wouldn’t take the bait. His mother would chime in with a gentle prompt, and he’d just deflect like it meant
nothing. Dismissive. Distant. Detached.
It was like Genevieve didn’t even exist in his line of sight.
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At first, she kept her composure. But after enough polite silence and sidelong glances that went nowhere, even she couldn’t pretend anymore.
She stood abruptly, composure cracking just enough to show the sting. “Mrs. Hawthorne, I think it’s clear your son has no interest in continuing this conversation. Maybe we should leave it at
that.”
The dinner ended on a sour note. Mrs. Hawthorne walked her out with a forced smile, then turned
on her son the second the front door shut behind them.
“What the hell was that?” she snapped. “I invite you to dinner, and you turn it into a disaster.”
Declan never even looked up. He kept eating like nothing had happened. Only after a beat did he respond, voice lazy, unconcerned.
“You didn’t say there’d be a setup involved.”
“It wasn’t a setup,” she huffed. “The families are working on a deal, and I thought at the very least you could act like a damn adult and be civil.”
He set his utensils down with a soft clink and leaned back. “Don’t bother. I’m not interested.”
Mrs. Hawthorne’s exasperation flickered into something more serious. “Declan, I’m not trying to push you, but you can’t stay single forever.”
He said nothing.
She sighed. “Look, I know you haven’t fully gotten over that woman, but you shouldn’t forget who she really is. When you had your accident, Celeste was the first one to cut ties. The very first.”
His jaw clenched. He could’ve defended her. Could’ve explained. But what came out instead was a quiet question.
“What about Marissa?” he asked. “Didn’t you used to say she’d make the perfect daughter–in–law?”
The moment the name left his lips, his mother froze.
“Marissa?” she echoed, caught off guard. “I thought she left the country.”
Chapter 10
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