My CEO Husband Says I'm Irreplaceable

Chapter 145: Chapter 145: Wait Until When?

"I ran into Vesper at the hospital. Haven’t you realized your mistake? Apologize to Vesper to her face." Casey Nash shot her a look, her eyes filled with a warning.

Sheryl Garland’s face went pale. She bit her lip for a moment before finally speaking. "Vesper Grayson, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been so jealous that I schemed against you."

"As they say, you reap what you sow. I hope you learn your lesson, Miss Garland, and stop doing things that hurt others for no good reason," Vesper Grayson said calmly.

’This bitch. How dare she lecture me? The nerve!’

’If she hadn’t used her seductive wiles to latch onto Jared, I wouldn’t even give her the time of day.’

But when she remembered the warning Grandfather Hawthorne had given her over the phone two days ago, she could only swallow her anger, press her lips together, and remain silent.

Casey Nash had been worried Sheryl would say something nasty and offend Vesper, so she breathed a sigh of relief when she remained silent.

’It seems she took what I said to heart.’

"Vesper, Sheryl knows she was wrong. This is a small token from me," Casey Nash said, pressing a bank card into her hand. "The PIN is Elias’s birthday."

Vesper, of course, wouldn’t accept it. They pushed it back and forth several times in a stalemate, with Vesper refusing and Casey Nash insisting.

"Nash, if you insist, I won’t be so polite."

Casey Nash paused, then smiled. "It’s fine if you won’t take it. This is a VIP card for my restaurant. You and Elias can use this card for a thirty-percent discount whenever you eat there."

"Okay."

She accepted that card.

She didn’t stay at the hospital long. After leaving, she went to Whispering Breeze Lodge.

Shiloh Sloan was in the courtyard, tending to some newly purchased flowers.

Hearing the door open, she glanced up, a flicker of surprise on her face as she saw Vesper enter.

"President Grayson, to what do I owe the pleasure? How does a busy woman like you, with a million things to do, have time to visit little old me?"

Vesper Grayson smiled. "Am I not welcome?"

"Of course you are! Come on in, take a seat. I recently learned how to make tiramisu, and you’re just in time to be my taste tester."

"Why the sudden interest in making desserts?"

"I was bored. Just something to pass the time."

Shiloh Sloan cut a slice of tiramisu, placed it in front of her, and handed her a silver spoon.

Vesper took a bite. It was rich and smooth, with a faint aroma of coffee and a touch of liqueur. It was sweet without being cloying, soft, and airy.

"This is delicious! It tastes so professional. If you ever want a career change, you could open a dessert shop."

"You know, I’ve actually had that thought," Shiloh said, resting her chin on her hand, a look of longing in her eyes. "My dream is to find a coastal city someday, open a bed and breakfast, and make delicious food and desserts on the side—far away from all the conflict and complicated people."

Vesper raised an eyebrow playfully. "So how did your talk with Nolan Forrester go?"

Shiloh frowned. "Do you have to bring up such a buzzkill when we’re having a nice moment?"

"So it didn’t go well? You parted on bad terms?"

"He told me he has no feelings whatsoever for Summer. He said he wasn’t the one who took her to study abroad back then; she just shamelessly followed him. The engagement was a decision made by our parents. He never agreed to it."

"So it was just Summer’s wishful thinking, and she deliberately spread those rumors to make you misunderstand him?"

"Whatever Summer’s motives were, he’s the one who chose to leave without a word back then. No amount of explaining now will change that."

"Maybe he had his reasons—something he couldn’t talk about?"

"No matter how big his ’reason’ was, he could have at least said one word to me, right? Anyway, the misunderstanding has been cleared up. Whatever he does from now on has nothing to do with me."

"Don’t kid yourself. If you could really let it go, you wouldn’t have been so insistent on clearing up that misunderstanding."

Shiloh’s brow furrowed in displeasure. "Vesper, whose side are you on? Why are you defending him?"

"I’m not defending him. I just want you to be honest with yourself so you don’t have regrets later." She put down her spoon and looked at her seriously. "When that whole thing happened, we tried every possible way but couldn’t find any evidence to prove your innocence. So at the class reunion the other day, where did you get that proof?"

"I never gave up, of course. I kept sending people to look, and I just happened to run into Noel Lloyd. He handed over the secretly recorded video to cancel his gambling debts."

"Noel Lloyd could have easily used that evidence to blackmail Summer for far more money. Why would he just hand it over to settle a debt of a few hundred thousand?"

Shiloh froze, her thoughts racing. "Maybe he had a moment of stupidity, or he’s just not very ambitious..."

Vesper didn’t say anything, just watched her quietly.

"Are you saying... Nolan Forrester was the one helping behind the scenes to get that evidence?"

"At the reunion, when you presented the evidence, Nolan Forrester didn’t seem surprised at all. I suspected then that it wasn’t a coincidence you got your hands on it."

Shiloh was confused. "But why would he do that?"

"That’s an answer you’ll have to find for yourself," Vesper said, leaning back into the sofa and speaking deliberately. "By the way, you’re going to be a godmother."

At her words, Shiloh’s eyes darted to Vesper’s stomach. "You’re pregnant?"

"Five weeks. I just found out today."

I hadn’t had any symptoms, so pregnancy never crossed my mind. I only realized something was up when I felt unwell and checked my own pulse, detecting the signs.

"Wow, President Hawthorne is efficient! How long has it been, and he’s already knocked you up?" Shiloh gently placed her hand on Vesper’s stomach. "Hey there, godson. I can’t ride your dad’s coattails, so I’m counting on riding yours from now on."

Vesper swatted her hand away, laughing. "It’s not even a fetus yet. It can’t understand a word you’re saying."

"Who says? What if it can? Does President Hawthorne know you’re pregnant?"

"You’re the first person I’ve told."

Shiloh threw her arms around her. "Oh, Vesper, I’m so touched! Why don’t you just dump President Hawthorne, and we can raise the kid together?"

"I’m fine with that, but only if Jared Hawthorne and Nolan Forrester agree."

"What’s that Forrester got to do with it!" Shiloh huffed. "It’s not like I plan on getting back together with him."

Vesper raised an eyebrow. "Then why are you still hung up on that five million?"

"..." ’Way to bring up a sore subject.’

"What? You want to have it both ways? Play for both teams?"

Shiloh replied, "Now there’s an idea."

...

「In the dining room.」

Jared Hawthorne ladled a bowl of soup and placed it in front of Vesper Grayson.

"Have some soup first. I asked Joan to make it especially for you."

"It smells delicious."

Joan smiled. "It’s a free-range chicken, raised in the mountains. They’re much more nutritious than the ones from a factory farm. My son happens to run the farm on the mountain, and I went to pick this one up myself this afternoon."

"That’s so thoughtful of you, Joan."

"It was Mr. Hawthorne’s idea."

’She wouldn’t dare take credit from him.’

Vesper’s lips curved into a smile. She tore off a drumstick and placed it in his bowl.

"So thoughtful, President Hawthorne. And it’s delicious."

Jared Hawthorne’s narrow, dark eyes crinkled with amusement as he watched her. "I seem to recall a certain someone promising me a surprise. Just how long am I supposed to wait?"

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