Chapter 25
The car was incredibly quiet, with only the low hum of the engine.
An indescribable atmosphere filled the car, like early spring mist—faint, soft, wrapped in a hint of sweetness that seemed to be there and yet not.
Just then, the phone suddenly rang.
The ringtone was particularly jarring in the quiet car. Reginald frowned, pulled out his phone from his pocket, and the name on the screen instantly made the warmth in his eyes disappear.
Dahlia.
He glanced at Lucinda and answered the call without saying a word.
"Reginald!" Dahlia's voice came through, with a crying tone: "Reginald, let me explain, what happened today was a misunderstanding. I was tricked too! That person told me the medicine was personally prepared by Dr. Sinclair and would work wonders for your father's condition. I didn't know anything and just sent it over... I really didn't mean it, Reginald, please believe me, okay?"
Reginald said nothing, his expression blank.
"I'll go apologize to your father in person tomorrow, I—" Dahlia's voice grew more urgent.
"No need," Reginald interrupted her, his voice ice-cold: "Don't come anymore."
"Reginald—"
"Also," his tone remained flat: "That way of addressing me isn't appropriate."
The other end went quiet for a moment, then Dahlia's voice came through even more frantically: "Reginald, I really know I was wrong, please forgive me just this once—"
Reginald didn't wait for her to finish. He hung up, put his phone on silent, and shoved it back in his pocket.
The car fell quiet again.
He turned his head to look at Lucinda and was silent for two seconds.
"I have nothing to do with her." His voice was much softer than when he'd answered the phone: "The engagement was arranged by our elders. I don't accept it."
Lucinda looked up at him.
His expression was serious, with even a hint of cautious probing in his eyes, as if waiting for a response.
She looked away and continued fiddling with the little fox doll's ears, her tone indifferent: "What does that have to do with me?"
Reginald watched her act so casual, the corner of his mouth curved up slightly. He said nothing more but shifted his body a little closer to her.
The car drove smoothly through the night and soon stopped by a quiet street.
This was still some distance from the Douglas Estate. Around them were neatly trimmed street trees and a few low-key private residences. The streetlights cast a dim yellow glow, and everything was quiet.
Lucinda hadn't asked the driver to go directly to the entrance. She didn't want her family to see this car or have to explain anything.
She reached to unbuckle her seatbelt, but just as her fingers touched the buckle, another hand pressed down first.
"Let me," Reginald's voice came from beside her. He leaned over, his slender fingers pressing on the seatbelt buckle, but he didn't rush to release it.
His arm crossed in front of her, the hem of his coat brushing her shoulder, carrying a faint scent of pine.
They were very close—close enough that she could see the lines of his profile clearly, could smell that crisp scent on him.
He didn't press down right away but turned his head to look at her.
At this angle, their noses were almost touching.
"We're here," he said, his voice low, as if reluctant for this moment to end.
Lucinda didn't dodge or blush. She just looked at him, the corner of her mouth curving slightly: "I know."
That smile was faint, with a hint of seeing right through his thoughts.
Reginald watched her casual expression, and his smile deepened.
He pressed down, and the seatbelt popped open.
After sitting back, his body still leaned slightly toward her, his gaze still on her face, as if reluctant to look away.
"I'll walk you over," he said.
"No need, it's just a few steps—"
"It's too late," he interrupted her, his tone gentle: "I'm not comfortable with that."
Lucinda glanced at him and didn't refuse again. She pushed open the car door and got out.
Reginald also got out and walked beside her.
He walked very slowly, deliberately taking smaller steps, as if matching her pace.
The night breeze blew from the corner of the street, carrying early autumn's chill. He moved half a step closer to her, just enough to block the wind for her.
"Are you cold?" He looked down at her.
"No."
"Your hands are red from the cold." He glanced at her hands holding the little fox doll. His fingers twitched, as if wanting to reach out and hold them, but in the end he didn't move, only pulling his coat a bit more toward her side.
Lucinda looked down at her hands—they were indeed a bit red from the wind.
She said nothing but smiled slightly.
The two walked quietly for a while.
The streetlights stretched their shadows long, overlapping together.
Reginald's gaze stayed on her the whole time—sometimes on her profile, sometimes on the little fox doll in her arms—a slight smile always playing at his lips.
At a corner, Lucinda stopped and turned to look at him: "This is far enough."
Reginald also stopped, his gaze looking past her shoulder to what lay ahead.
Ahead was an even quieter tree-lined path, with the outlines of a few houses barely visible at the end.
He withdrew his gaze and looked at her, a hint of reluctance in his eyes. "Your house is over there?"
"Yes."
He nodded without asking more questions, but he didn't look like he was about to leave either.
Lucinda glanced at him and turned to walk forward.
Her figure disappeared around the corner of the tree-lined path. The night wind blew down a few leaves that spun a few times behind her.
Reginald stood in place, looking in that direction, not moving for a long time.
He raised his hand and looked at his fingers.
Just now when he'd unbuckled her seatbelt, he'd almost touched her hand.
He smiled, put his hand in his pocket, stood there a while longer, then turned to walk back.
After a few steps, he looked back again. The tree-lined path was quiet and still—no one in sight.
He quickened his pace, returned to the car, and leaned back in his seat, the smile still on his lips.
The driver glanced at him in the rearview mirror, then silently looked away, thinking: What's gotten into the boss?
Reginald was silent for a few seconds, then took out his phone and dialed a number.
"Mr. Lancaster," his assistant's voice came through.
"Find that engagement contract with the Douglas family." Reginald's voice returned to its low register, but there was an unmistakable lightness in his tone.
The assistant paused: "Mr. Lancaster, you mean..."
"Break the engagement." Reginald looked at the dark night outside the car window, the corner of his mouth turned up: "I'm going to the Douglas Estate to break it off in person."
The other end went quiet for a moment, then came the sound of the assistant rapidly flipping through files: "Understood, Mr. Lancaster. I'll prepare it right away."
"Come now."
Reginald hung up and placed his phone on his knee.
He turned his head to look out the car window, thinking of how Lucinda had looked when she'd turned back to glance at him under the streetlight just now.
Cool and calm, with a slight curve at the corner of her mouth, holding that silly little fox doll in her arms.
He withdrew his gaze, a smile spreading from his eyes.