Chapter 1376: Butler Jen certainly knew how to make people happy.

When Haines woke up, he almost flinched with realization. Turning his head in a panic, he caught sight of Grace sleeping quietly in the driver’s seat. His eyes widened as the lingering panic slowly faded from his chest. His shoulders relaxed—until he checked the time.

It was already three in the morning.

"..." Haines stared at his wristwatch in disbelief. I fell asleep.

For a moment, his mind went blank as he searched for an explanation. He hadn’t been that tired, and he wasn’t the type to doze off easily, even when exhausted. That was why he’d been so shocked when he woke up after Penny had spiked his drink the night before.

Yet here he was, waking up with no recollection of falling asleep. The last thing he remembered was reclining the seat for comfort while Grace drove at a snail’s pace. He had closed his eyes, but he hadn’t intended to take a nap.

His mouth parted slightly as his gaze shifted back to the driver’s seat.

’Did she stay here because...?’His thoughts trailed off, and he exhaled heavily. ’I do lower my guard around her a bit.’

Not that Haines was always on edge, but he had to admit—his walls weren’t quite as high when it came to her.

For a while, he sat there quietly, eyes fixed on Grace’s sleeping form. Leaning back, he tilted his head and let out another sigh.

A few minutes later, Grace moved, letting out a faint hum as she opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Haines, still reclining, his head turned slightly away. Even so, she caught his eyes already open.

"You’re awake?" she asked, her voice coarse with sleep.

Haines shifted, snapping his gaze to her. "You should have woken me up."

"Haha. You think I didn’t?" She laughed weakly, blinking a few times to force herself fully awake. "You looked exhausted, so I stopped trying."

"You didn’t have to stay here, though."

"Huh?" Grace sat up and arched a brow at him. "And leave you here all alone? Are you kidding me?"

"..."

Her lips curled into a small smile. "You should come to my place and sleep some more."

"It’s alright. I’m going home." Haines shook his head. "Sorry for making you sleep in such an uncomfortable place."

"Don’t be." Her smile broadened. "This isn’t the worst place I’ve fallen asleep. If anything, it’s one of the best."

She grabbed her things from the backseat and faced him again. "Are you sure you don’t want to stay over?"

Haines didn’t answer, but he nodded.

"Alright then." She sighed, stretching. "Take care on your way."

With that, Grace stepped out of the car. At the same time, Haines did the same, needing to get behind the wheel.

"Oh, right." Grace rocked her head side to side before glancing back at him. She started walking backward toward the building entrance. "Haines, you don’t have to come to my 34th birthday."

Haines, who had just reached the driver’s seat door, paused. He looked at her, watching as she stopped in her tracks, her smile still in place.

"Don’t bother," she said lightly. "I’m giving you a pass in advance."

"Are you sure?"

"Mhm." She nodded. "One hundred percent."

A deep crease formed between his brows. "Why?" he asked. "There are only... 29 days left. Are you sure about this?"

"Love isn’t selfish, Haines." She winked playfully. "Even if we only had ten days left, I wouldn’t want to be selfish and tire you out. An exhausting relationship isn’t what I want."

"..." Haines opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Grace chuckled. "Good night, Haines... or rather, good morning." With that, she winked again before turning her back to him. As she walked away, she swung her bag to and fro, her blazer draped over it.

Haines remained in place, eyes following her figure. Just as she was about to enter the building, she glanced back and waved.

For a split second, he almost waved back—before catching himself and gripping the car door instead. He nodded at her. But even after she disappeared inside, he lingered there.

"Now I feel bad for her," he muttered, shaking his head before finally slipping into the driver’s seat. But before starting the engine, he glanced at the building one last time.

"Good night, Grace."

---

When Haines arrived at Bennet Mansion, the house was silent. Most of the lights were off—not surprising, given that it was past three in the morning. But as he stepped inside, he stopped in his tracks, spotting Butler Jen emerging from the other hallway.

"Sir Haines?" Butler Jen, clearly just waking up, furrowed his brows. "You just arrived?"

Haines nodded. "I took a nap in the car. I felt sleepy on my way home, so I stopped by first."

"Oh... I see," Butler Jen nodded in understanding. "Shall I make you some coffee then?"

"No, it’s alright. I’ll rest some more."

"Alright."

Haines hesitated before asking, "What about you? Isn’t it a bit early, Butler Jen? You haven’t been sleeping much these past few days."

Butler Jen’s smile widened. "Miss Penny was concerned about my sleep schedule when she visited last time. She gave me some pills to help. I didn’t take them until last night, and surprisingly, I fell asleep early. I didn’t even see the Master come home."

"Ahh..." Haines nodded. "I might have to ask her for one of those."

"You should, Sir Haines. They work wonders—I feel quite energized."

"Haha. You truly adore her."

"And so do you."

As they exchanged lighthearted remarks, the main door behind Haines suddenly creaked open. Both men instinctively paused, turning toward the sound.

Slater peeked his head in before stepping in, blinking in surprise as he glanced between the men standing inside.

"You two..." Slater slowly covered his mouth, eyes blinking rapidly. He looked genuinely moved. "You were waiting for me?"

"Good morning, Third Young Master," Butler Jen greeted, stepping beside Haines. "Sir Haines and I were a bit worried about you."

Haines furrowed his brows, casting Butler Jen a look of disbelief. ’We were what?’

But Butler Jen simply smiled at him before returning his attention to Slater.

Slater’s eyes shimmered. "You guys... I’m so touched. You really didn’t have to, now I feel bad for working hard just so Penny and Nina could divorce their husbands without a problem because they had a third brother who would afford their lifestyle."

"Hah..." Haines sighed, shaking his head as he watched the sheer happiness in Slater’s eyes.

Butler Jen certainly knew how to make people happy.

So, Haines didn’t bother correcting him—even though it meant sitting through a bowl of soup with Slater, all because he was supposed to have been worried.