Chapter 224
Morwenna’s cheeks flushed a bright red, totally caught off guard by Stuart’s sudden embrace. But instead of pulling away, she found herself burying her face deeper into his chest, haunted by the memory of the scene she’d witnessed at the pub last time they were here. “Let’s head inside,” Stuart suggested, his voice calm and collected.
Fletcher rolled his eyes. Was there ever a time they weren’t flaunting their affection?
The trio stepped into the pub’s largest private room.
As soon as the door swung open, “Surprise!” echoed from four guys jumping up in unison,
Center stage, there was a giant cardboard box adored with a fancy bow.
The moment Stuart made his appearance, the crowd erupted in excitement, and out of the box sprang a woman clutching a bouquet of flowers.
Fletcher was speechless. The room fell into an eerie silence.
Morwenna, still nestled in Stuart’s arms, sneaked a peek at the girl emerging from the gift box, recognizing her from their last visit to the pub. Back then, the girl’s makeup was overdone, her appearance somewhat worn. Today, however, she looked significantly more attractive.
In the awkward silence, Stuart inquired indifferently. “Whose idea was this?”
A guy, who looked almost too pretty to be true, nervously spoke up. “Stuart, this is the girl you saved at the pub that night. Weren’t you interested in her?”
The girl from the box fixed her
er gaze on Stuart, seemingly oblivious to Morwenna’s presence, and cooed, “Mr. Hetfield”
Stuart’s reply was short and not so sweet, “Don’t know her. She’s not my type.”
His words were harsh, as usual, showing his disdain without a filter. He gently pushed Morwenna’s head down, as if to shield her from the unpleasant sight.
Originally, Stuart had taken Morwenna to the pub to show her the ropes, intending to dissuade her from working there. That night had been an eye–opener for Morwenna, not because Stuart wanted to play the hero but to spare her any potential trauma.
Unbeknownst to Stuart, his offhand remark about the girl had set the rumor mill spinning. Suddenly, this pub girl was in high demand, with many believing Mr. Hetfield had taken a special interest in her. Even Stuart’s circle had heard about his ‘rescue operation,” elevating the girl’s status overight.
So, for this gathering, they thought to surprise Stuart by bringing the girl over, especially since Stuart, nearing thirty, still hadn’t shown much interest in women. Despite Adelaide’s long–standing presence by his side, Stuart had remained unmoved.
But now, seeing Stuart enter the room, arm in arm with a woman, was a game–changer.
The crowd, missing Fletcher’s desperate attempts to signal them, burst into laughter.
“So, Stuart’s finally showing interest in women, huh? Maybe tonight he’ll pick one. Imagine the uproar among the high society ladies once they know our Stuart’s on the market,” one teased.
“Hey, cut it out,” another chided, “Don’t scare the girl. Stuart, why don’t you introduce her to us? Let’s see the beauty who’s managed to catch your eye.*
Morwenna, overhearing their banter, finally looked up at Stuart, puzzled.
What were they implying? That the girl from the box was meant to be a gift for Stuart?