Called Off the Wedding, Left Him Bankrupt novel Chapter 125

On the drive back to the Tremaines, Cynthia kept assuring herself—and anyone who'd listen—that she'd meant every word she'd said, but the man beside her remained stubbornly silent.

He was like some reincarnation of old Arthur, brooding and unresponsive, and Cynthia found herself completely at a loss.

At last, they reached the Tremaines.

The chauffeur pulled up in front of the old estate, stepped out, and opened her door with a courteous nod.

"Miss Tremaine, we've arrived."

Cynthia let out a quiet sigh, casting a rather plaintive look at Dominic, who still lounged in his seat, composed and unreadable.

Impossible.

That man was absolutely impossible.

When he offered no sign of acknowledgment, Cynthia finally gave up and stepped out of the car.

"Thank you for bringing me home, Mr. Holloway."

Dominic gave a slight nod, accepting her thanks with unruffled calm.

Cynthia's hope deflated further.

She was just about to straighten up and leave when suddenly, a hand caught her wrist from behind.

Startled, Cynthia glanced back and her confusion melted into a glimmer of hope.

"Mr. Holloway, are you—?"

"Miss Tremaine, you come to me asking for a partnership, yet you haven't even bothered to find out what I need. How am I supposed to believe you'd bring me any real benefit?"

Cynthia froze, caught off guard, then quickly tried to recover.

"We're both businesspeople, aren't we? At the end of the day, isn't profit what matters most?"

Dominic narrowed his eyes, ignoring her words. He let go of her wrist, his face composed.

He looked straight ahead, voice cool and distant. "Come back when you actually understand what I want."

Cynthia's heart leapt in her chest. "Then why don't you just tell me what you want, Mr. Holloway?"

Dominic ignored her, speaking only to the driver in a clipped tone.

"Let's go."

With a delighted cry, Camilla ushered her inside. "It's been years, Miss Cynthia. I almost didn't recognize you."

Cynthia followed Camilla through the entryway, heading toward the main house.

Camilla was as chatty as ever, filling the walk from the front gate with an endless stream of stories.

By the time they reached the main hall, Cynthia realized she hadn't seen a single other member of the staff.

Juliet was probably still out at some function and hadn't come home yet.

Inside, Camilla guided Cynthia to the living room and settled her on the couch. Noticing that the rest of the house was empty, Cynthia's confusion deepened.

"Camilla, where's Joseph? And the others?"

Joseph had been the butler when Cynthia was young.

Camilla sighed, the lines on her face deepening. "Joseph resigned a while back—he's working as a butler for another family now. Miss Juliet's always at the office these days and hardly comes home. They never hired anyone new, so all us old-timers slowly left, one by one. Now, it's just me."

Cynthia sat in silence for a long moment.

Her memories of the Old Tremaine Estate were frozen in time—back when her grandfather was alive, on evenings just like this, the staff would gather in little groups after work, chatting about this and that, weaving a tapestry of warmth and life into the old house.