The Doormat Wife’s Ultimate Glow-Up novel Chapter 402

Hank froze, a chill running down his spine as cold sweat prickled across his back.

He recognized the voices right away. It was Jose and Danny, Bailey’s closest men from the Brookfield headquarters.

Why were they here at the old house?

He didn’t have time to figure it out. In one quick motion, he slipped the metal box into a faded book sleeve on the very top shelf, then grabbed two heavy volumes of historical records and lined them up to cover the spot perfectly. At a glance, nothing looked out of place.

With that done, he crossed over to the desk. His fingers brushed over the old fountain pen his mother Marie used to write with, and his eyes landed on the family photo that always sat there.

It was the last picture they’d taken together, back when Reese was five. After the photo was developed, Reese had insisted on putting it right on the desk, so their mother could see her whenever she worked.

The memory made Hank’s eyes sting, his breath coming softer, almost shaky.

The door creaked open. Jose and Danny stepped in, their polished shoes making heavy, dull sounds on the floorboards.

“Hank, what brings you back to Brookfield all of a sudden?”

Jose’s voice was cautious, his eyes darting around the room, taking everything in.

Hank looked up. His eyes were rimmed with red, his face clouded with quiet sadness. “There’s just been a lot going on. I’ve been missing my mom, so I wanted to come back and see the old place for a while.”

Danny drifted over to the bookshelf, running his hand along the spines with a casual air, but his eyes were sharp. “Trouble with your dad?” he asked.

They’d gotten a call from Bailey, telling them to check if Hank had snuck back to the family house. Both of them thought it was unlikely and hadn’t expected to actually find him here.

Still, they had to play their part. Danny pulled his hand away from the shelf and shrugged, “Since you’re here, maybe you can help us pick what to send to Mr. Meyer.”

Hank held out the fountain pen. “Take this to him. I remember he gave it to Mom for their tenth anniversary.”

Danny took the pen and met Hank’s gaze. “You’re not leaving?”

Hank looked back at the photo on the desk, his eyes darkening. “I just want to stay a little longer.”

At that, Danny and Jose exchanged another glance. They didn’t say anything, and they didn’t leave either.

The room fell completely silent, thick with unspoken tension.