Out of Ashes Into His Heart

"Are you tired?" Tom looked at me with a slight curl at the corners of his lips. There was no trace left of the cold and intimidating look he had just had on his face.

I nodded. I had never liked occasions like this in the first place. And now that I knew that everyone was just pretending not to understand while actually being fully aware of the situation, it naturally seemed rather dull to me.

After we walked out of the private room and saw that there was no one around, I tugged on Tom's sleeve. "Since even they know about my identity, does your family know about it too?"

With the power and influence of the White family, they were far more powerful than those rich second-generation playboys. It was impossible for them to be less informed than those guys. As soon as this thought came to me, I couldn't help but feel my palms getting sweaty.

Thinking about how vigorously I had been acting in front of others in the morning, I realized that in the eyes of others, I was probably just like a clown.

Tom slowly curved his lips and said, "Probably."

I couldn't help but feel a tightening in my chest. "What should we do?"

"It seems that my grandma is quite open-minded. She probably doesn't care about your identity."

As soon as these words came out, I was stunned for a moment, and it rendered me speechless.

"Then... what should we do?"

Before we came here, we had clearly agreed that I would just accompany him to Drixmont and that we would use my identity as a 'divorced woman' to put an end to Rose's nagging about getting married.

However, it had never occurred to me that Rose didn't even care about this. Could it be that we still had to keep up with the act?

"What's there to worry about?" Tom smiled. "Since my grandma can accept you, then I'll have to trouble you to continue acting along with me."

"But... what if she takes it seriously?"

Tom's once-beaming smile dimmed slightly. Our eyes locked, and I looked into his deep, dark eyes, trying to decipher the emotions swirling behind them.

I couldn't help but feel my heart beating faster. However, by the time I wanted to take a closer look, he had already resumed his usual laid-back and carefree appearance.

"We'll talk about it when the time comes. Why rush now?"

"But-"

Tom raised his hand and ruffled my hair, interrupting me. "Stop with the 'buts.' Let's go. Time to go home."

Soon, the car drove back to White Manor.

When it was time for dinner, I realized that Rose wasn't there. Only Charlie White and his wife, Elena Dolton, were at the dining table.

"Rose had too much at lunch and won't be joining us for dinner. She has already gone upstairs to rest," Elena explained to me in a friendly manner as she used her spoon to scoop up more food for me. "Come on, Gracie. Eat a little more. You're so thin."

"Thank you, Elena."

Just when I was enjoying my meal, I noticed that Tom was looking at a bowl of clam chowder in front of him with his brows tightly furrowed. The look of disgust on his face was almost palpable.

"Tom, this was specially prepared for you by Rose. Hurry up and have a taste..." Tom raised an eyebrow. "From Grandma? Are you sure, Aunt Elena?"

Elena's expression froze for a moment, but then she quickly smiled and said, "Of course, it's true! You're the apple of Rose's eye."

Tom's expression remained neutral as he lifted his hand toward the bowl of clam chowder. He was ready to push it away.

Elena turned to me with a pleading look in her eyes. "Gracie, please make Tom drink the broth. Only you can convince him now."

I couldn't help but laugh at this unexpected turn of events. I had no idea that Tom was such a picky eater.

"Elena is just trying to be nice. Just drink it, okay?"

Tom raised an eyebrow and pressed his lips together in contemplation. "Are you sure you want me to drink this?"

I was a bit confused by his reluctance, but I urged him on with a nod, "Yes, go ahead."

Tom looked at me for a moment before letting out a resigned sigh and saying, "Well, don't say I didn't warn you."

He picked up the bowl and tilted his head back, finishing all of the chowder in one gulp.

After having a satisfying meal, Elena took me for a stroll around the yard. Seeing that it was getting late, she finally led me back to my room to rest.

As the door opened, I saw Tom standing next to the bed without his shirt on. He was holding a black T-shirt in his hand. He turned his head to look at me as I entered the room.

His broad shoulders and narrow waist were perfectly showcased by his muscular, tan body that was facing me. The lines of his muscles were well-defined. He had already removed his black belt, placing it off to the side.

"Oh, I'm sorry... I must've walked into the wrong room..." I quickly turned around, ready to leave.noveldrama

But then I heard Tom let out a soft chuckle. "This is your room."

My heart skipped a beat as I swallowed hard. "So... we're sharing a room?"

Tom raised an eyebrow with a half-smile on his face. "What else were you expecting?"

I fell silent.