Chapter 1272: Should I strip?

Silence filled the car as neither Grace nor Haines spoke. Grace found comfort in her seat, hugging herself as she gazed out the window. After a moment, a small smile tugged at her lips as she recalled the fun she had at the nightclub.

"Is your nephew going to be in trouble?" she asked, turning her attention to the man in the driver’s seat.

Haines didn’t answer immediately. "His father is going to hear about this for sure."

"So he is, huh?" she chuckled. "Is there anything I can say to lighten his sentence?"

This time, Haines remained silent.

"Please do not ignore me," she remarked, tilting her head. "Do I make you uncomfortable?"

"No, you don’t," he replied, eyes fixed on the road. "I just don’t appreciate this prank they’re pulling."

"A prank...?" Grace pressed her lips together and rocked her head slightly. "So, you still think it’s a prank, huh?"

"Grace, I know Penny put you up to this," he said in the same solemn tone. "And Hugo is going along with it because those two have always been partners in crime. Please don’t entertain them. It’s not funny. Frankly, it’s insulting."

"They didn’t put me up to this."

Haines glanced at her briefly before refocusing on the road but didn’t respond.

"I’m a lawyer," she said with a quiet chuckle. "I may always find loopholes in the system and work around them, but I don’t play with people’s hearts intentionally."

"Is that so?"

"Even if it were Uncle Charles, I wouldn’t play along," she added. "Not that he would ask me to."

Haines’s mouth parted slightly, but he decided to say nothing more on the matter. Instead, he asked, "Is your home close by?"

"No." She shook her head. "I told you, I live far from the club. Actually, take that turn up ahead. It’s a shortcut."

"Okay."

Haines followed her instructions, realizing that this route would take at least an hour. A long drive — especially if he was stuck with this young lady.

Another stretch of silence followed, but this time, Grace was staring at him. She leaned her side against the seat, fully facing him. Haines could feel her gaze, but he chose to ignore it.

"Hugo told me you had a heart of ice," she shared. "I guess he’s wrong. You don’t have a heart of ice — you’ve just mastered the art of nonchalance."

Haines still didn’t respond.

"What a headache..." she mumbled. "My confidence is taking a huge blow."

"Grace, please stop," he said coldly, still not looking at her. "If Penny didn’t put you up to this, then that’s enough playing."

"I’m not playing."

Haines slowed down as he approached a stoplight. When the car came to a halt, he turned to face her squarely.

"Then, no," he answered without hesitation. "The answer is no."

"Why not?"

"Just because." He leaned back, unaffected by her persistence. "I don’t know why you’re suddenly doing this, but you’re young—successful, smart... beautiful. Don’t waste your time on an old man like me. Like they say, there are plenty of fish in the sea."

"There are plenty of fish in the sea," she agreed. "But like I said earlier, blame the men in my generation."

Haines slid his eyes to her, only to see a subtle smile playing on her lips.

"I am young, successful, smart, and beautiful," she echoed, smirking. "Yet, in the same breath, you reject me? Should I cry now?"

"If it’ll make you stop, then go ahead." He nodded, growing colder by the second. "I won’t tell anyone what you look like when you cry."

Grace burst into laughter, but it soon turned into soft sniffles. Surprised, Haines shot her a glance, only to realize she wasn’t actually crying. She was only making the sound. When their eyes met, she grinned.

"I got your attention," she quipped, her smile widening. "Now I don’t feel so discouraged after all."

Haines’s lips pressed into a thin line, unimpressed. However, he chose not to argue. Instead, he huffed and turned back to the road, watching for the light to turn green.

Grace, on the other hand, leaned back into her seat, her gaze still fixed on him. "Do you know what your nephew told me before you arrived?" she asked, waiting a beat before continuing. "He said not to hurt you. Should I take that as Hugo, giving me his blessing?"

"Don’t listen to that boy. He doesn’t know what he’s doing most of the time."

"He really does worry about you, though." Grace smacked her lips. "The look on his face when I told him I might be his future aunt was priceless."

She paused, humming softly as she turned her gaze back to the window. She hugged herself, stretching slightly to find a more comfortable position.

"Do you not like younger women?" she asked after a long pause. "Or are you afraid of what people will say if you date someone younger?"

"You’re a child," he said flatly, making her glance back at him.

"Should I strip, then?" she arched a brow. "See for yourself if this is a child’s body?"

"There’s no need for that." Unfazed, Haines maintained his focus on the road. "If I’m driving you home, use this time to rest."

"But this is my chance. And I always take every opportunity that comes my way. You know that, don’t you?"

"..."

"Otherwise, I wouldn’t have seized the opportunity Uncle Charles gave me and my mother."

"Uncle Charles," Haines pointed out. "The man you just called ’Uncle’ is only two years older than me. And the person you call ’Mother’... is around my age."

"So, it’s the age gap?" Grace hummed, rocking her head to the side. She threw her hands up in defeat. "What else can I say?"

Haines took her words as a sign of surrender and nodded in satisfaction. But his relief was short-lived.

"All I have to do is rush my age," she mused. "Don’t worry, I’ll catch up real quick."

She then checked her thin wristwatch and grinned. "Today’s my birthday. I just turned 31. Before the month ends, we’ll only be a few years apart. And maybe I can start calling my mom—’sister!’ I’m sure she wouldn’t mind."

Haines furrowed his brows and deliberately slowed down, glancing at her mischievous grin. However, all he saw were her squinting eyes and broadening smile.

He had no idea what was going on in her mind, but he had a "bad" feeling about it.

"Also, I’m thirty-one years old when we have our first date," she added enthusiastically while he looked at her emotionlessly. "Let’s take a drive-thru and eat some fast food. I’m a bit hungry."

’If no one put her up to this, then it’s a real headache.’ he thought. ’But if someone did, hoping I’d reconsider dating women my age... then it’s working.’