Pampered by my three brothers: the return of the neglected heiress novel Chapter 1419

Chapter 1419: Soulmates

Meanwhile, at a bar and restaurant in the city...

Grace chuckled, her chin resting on the palm of her hand. She was alone at the long table, all of her guests—who had been invited for her fake birthday—had already left. Yet, she had no plans to leave just yet.

"So silly," she whispered to herself, shaking her head as she lifted her margarita to her lips.

As she took a sip, her brows arched upon catching a familiar figure from the corner of her eye. The radar in her head went off, compelling her to shift her gaze toward the figure standing nearby.

Haines.

A small smile formed on her lips as she watched him approach. When he was just a few steps away, she looked up to meet his eyes.

"I told you," she said, a faint giggle in her voice, "you didn’t have to come today."

Haines didn’t answer. He merely sighed as he stared down at her. Her cheeks were rosier than usual, her eyes slightly squinted—clear signs that she had already had a few drinks. And from the looks of it, she had enjoyed tonight more than her last birthday celebration.

"You want a drink?" she asked, tilting her head. "Since you’re here, I wouldn’t mind having company."

"You’ve had enough," he pointed out. "Get up. I’ll take you home."

Grace pouted. "But I still want to drink."

"Then drink at home."

"But if I do that, you won’t be there anymore." She frowned deeper, pinching the hem of his suit while sporting a puppy eyes. "If I continue drinking at home, will you stay and keep me company?"

"No."

"Then I’ll drink here." Grace rolled her eyes and looked away, propping her cheek against her palm. "It’s much more fun drinking outside—good music, people having fun, and someone bringing me drinks nonstop."

Haines sighed heavily, watching as she reached for her margarita again. As she took another sip, he rested his hands on his hips and cocked his head back.

"Fine," he conceded—only to flinch slightly when she suddenly turned to face him.

Without hesitation, Grace stood up and squared her shoulders. "I don’t drink beer or anything like that. But I do have wine—Penny gifted me a bottle from an auction she went to last time."

"..." Haines blinked. Then blinked again.

Despite being a little tipsy, she didn’t seem so drunk that she couldn’t get home on her own.

"I’ll stay for a bit," he said. "But—"

"I won’t defile you," she interjected, tapping his chest playfully with her index finger. "Though, I might let you take a peek."

Haines deadpanned. "I like beer."

"Hihi." She giggled, watching him walk away before skipping after him.

Grace hadn’t expected Haines to show up tonight. The only thing she had anticipated from him was a simple goodnight text—which, for all she knew, he might have sent, and she had just missed it. But having him pick her up in person? That had made her night so much better.

---

Inside the Car...

Seated in the front passenger seat, Grace glanced at him, all smiles.

"Just let me drive in peace," Haines said before she could open her mouth, eyes fixed on the road. "You’ll have plenty of time to say whatever’s on your mind later."

"Ohh..." Grace narrowed her eyes, smirking. "Does that mean I have permission to flirt with you?"

"No, it means I want to drive without distractions." Haines shot her a side-eye and coldly added, "I already have a bad leg, which brings our chances of survival down to ninety percent."

Grace chuckled, shrugging. "Alright, then."

She fell silent, simply enjoying the view of him driving. Haines, on the other hand, remained tense despite the quiet.

He knew from experience that the silence wouldn’t last.

The moment he let his guard down, Grace would say something—something ridiculous enough to make him pull over.

Not tonight.

"Say..."