Pampered by my three brothers: the return of the neglected heiress novel Chapter 1376

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?"