The Perfect Wife's Perfect Revenge

On this point, Hawthorne and Gwyneth were perfectly in sync. He preferred peace and quiet over crowds and chaos, and so did she.

If it weren't for worrying about hurting her mom and great-grandfather's feelings, Gwyneth honestly felt that just signing the marriage certificate would have been enough a wedding ceremony didn't really matter to her.

Hawthorne took his wife home, leaving Leonie and the Everharts behind with reluctant looks.

Stepping back into their place, Gwyneth was immediately struck by how familiar it felt. The apartment in Starfall City was practically identical to this one.

"Great-grandpa really put his heart into this," she couldn't help but think.

"I need to head to the office. You should rest at home," Hawthorne said, instructing someone to bring in their luggage. The butler greeted Gwyneth with a respectful, "Ma'am."

The title made her squirm a bit.

"I could go to the office, too. It gets awfully boring here alone," she said. What was she supposed to do—just stare at the walls and wait for him to come back every day?

Hawthorne considered it for a moment and agreed. "You'll go back to your old department. Your desk is just as you left it. Nothing's changed."

That actually cheered Gwyneth up. When she returned to the gaming department, everyone was stunned to see her. A few of her closer friends leaned in, whispering conspiratorially.

"Gwyn, where have you been all this time? Did the heiress drag you off to play personal assistant again?"

Everyone knew Gwyneth had gotten into the Everhart Group thanks to family connections, which had always put Miss Yvette in a sour mood.

"No, just had some family stuff to deal with. Took a long leave," Gwyneth replied, glossing over the real reason. She had no intention of telling anyone at work about her marriage-it would only make things awkward. If she was following Hawthorne to Starfall City, she definitely needed something to keep herself busy.

Besides, she hated the idea of everyone knowing she was married to the boss. She didn't want to become some kind of rare specimen, under constant watch.

“Oh," someone remarked, a knowing edge to their tone. "It's been weird lately-the boss has been MIA, too. He's a workaholic, practically lives here, but he's been out of sight for days."

And now, just as Gwyneth returned, so did Mr. Everhart.

Rumor had it they'd arrived at the same time, and even rode in together in Mr. Everhart's car.

Gwyneth brushed off the curiosity with a couple of vague excuses. Having work to do made the days fly by.

After work just as she'd asked,

Hawthorne parked his car a block away from the office. Before getting in, Gwyneth glanced around nervously, making sure no one was watching.

Amused, Hawthorne teased her, "Is being seen with me really that embarrassing?"

What was it about him that wasn't good enough to go public? Did she plan to keep her status as Mrs. Everhart a secret forever?

"It's not that. If everyone knows I'm Mrs. Everhart, no one will ever let me work again," she replied, half-joking, half-serious.noveldrama

That was exactly why she didn't want to stay in Starfall City-there, no one knew her. In Greenvale, she could do whatever she wanted.

"Up to you," Hawthorne said with a shrug.

After dinner, he took her to a movie-a slightly artsy film that Gwyneth enjoyed immensely. Hawthorne bought her popcorn and soda, and she nestled close to him in the darkened theater, completely absorbed.

They looked every bit the couple in love, though Hawthorne was older than Gwyneth. Still, a handsome man could get away with anything, and they turned more than a few heads.

Afterwards, they strolled hand-in-hand through the shopping district. Gwyneth bought a box of chestnut cake, and later that night, she dropped it off for Leonie.

Leonie nearly squealed when she realized the two had just had an ordinary date like any other couple.

"Uncle, Auntie, you two are so romantic! Thank you!"