Chapter 5

Hendrix hung up the phone. He took a deep breath and began quietly cleaning up the mess on the floor.

"Mr. Scott's visa expired. He's too old to be traveling back and forth, so he asked me to help sort it out."

Sabrina looked at him suspiciously. "But isn't his daughter in the country? Why doesn't he have her handle it?"

Hendrix snapped, "Why don't you call him and ask?"

"I'm not that free."

"Then stop asking so many questions."

Hendrix spent the entire night cleaning up his bedroom.

The clothes and shoes Rowan had left in a mess weren't worth packing, so he piled them in the corner of the closet.

He did manage to salvage a few rolls of negatives. But having been soaked in water, they were ruined beyond repair.

Rowan sent him a message. "Today is just a warning."

It stayed on the screen for two minutes before it was deleted.

That way, Hendrix would see it, but there would be no proof left behind.

But after what happened last time, Hendrix was prepared. As soon as he saw the message, he took a screenshot.

He smirked as he sent the screenshot to Rowan.

This time, Rowan didn't respond for a long while.

Hendrix couldn't help but laugh. Did Rowan really think his tricks could work over and over again, with no caution on his part?

That was an insult to his intelligence.

About ten minutes later, Rowan finally replied, "What's your point?"

"No point. Just a warning. If you keep acting like this, I'll send the screenshot to Sabrina."

After sending the message, Hendrix turned off his phone.

Rowan could delete the message if he wanted to. Hendrix didn't care what Sabrina would think if she saw it.

Since the day he had decided to leave, he had stopped expecting anything from her.

At breakfast the next morning, Carley noticed his pale complexion and asked with concern, "Hendrix, did you not sleep last night? You look awful."

Hendrix muttered, "Yeah, but it's fine. A couple of days of rest, and I'll be good."

Carley nodded. "Right, you need to rest. You've got a lot to do for Bri's wedding. She's practically grown up in our house, and I treat her like my own daughter. It's such a big deal that she's finally found someone she loves. We've got to make sure her wedding goes off perfectly."

Hendrix looked up. "They've set a date?"

"Yeah, it's next weekend. Bri didn't tell you? She used to run to you with every little thing, but now she didn't even tell you her wedding date?"

Next weekend?

Hendrix checked the calendar. It was the day he planned to leave.

At that moment, Sabrina and Rowan came out of the bedroom.

Rowan greeted Hendrix with a big grin as if nothing had happened. "Hendrix, I've talked to Bri. We've decided you're going to be the photographer for our wedding. You've got to make sure we look amazing."

Hendrix flatly refused. "I've got plans that day. I won't be able to make it."

Rowan pouted. "Are you still mad about what happened yesterday? I'm sorry, really. If you're still angry, I-I'll apologize on my knees."

He bent slightly, as if he were about to kneel.

Sabrina quickly pulled him back. "He's not worth you kneeling to."

Carley stepped in to smooth things over. "No need for that, Rowan. Hendrix is just upset about the negatives. I'm sure he's angry, but you don't need to get on your knees."

Rowan whimpered, "I just feel like I can't do anything right. I'm really sorry, Hendrix."

Sabrina reassured him, "It's fine. Just be more careful next time. Let's eat. Didn't you say you were hungry earlier?"

Rowan winked at her playfully. "Well, that's because of you. If you hadn't made such a fuss this morning... I wouldn't be so tired and hungry."

"Alright, it's all my fault. Now sit down and eat."

She spread jam on her toast and continued, "Hendrix, my wedding is next weekend. No matter what happens, I want you to push everything aside and be our wedding photographer. It's a way to honor the bond we've shared for over 20 years."

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

A maid went to answer it, only to see a person she didn't recognize standing outside. "May I ask who you are here for?"

The person at the door was a modest-looking middle-aged woman. Smiling, she said, "Hi, may I speak with Mr. Hendrix Gorman? I'm from a charity organization.

"He contacted me about a batch of clothes he wishes to donate to the impoverished communities in the mountains. We had arranged to pick them up today."

Hendrix stood up immediately. "I'm Hendrix. The clothes are all packed. I'll go get them."

He went upstairs and brought down several large bags full of clothes before handing them to the woman.

The woman thanked him warmly. "Thank you so much for your generosity, Mr. Gorman. The weather's getting colder, and many people in the mountains don't have enough clothes for the winter. These will really help."

"No problem. Please make sure the clothes get to them soon."

"Don't worry. We will—"

"Wait." Sabrina walked over with a puzzled look. As she glanced down at the large bags of clothes on the floor, she frowned. "You donated all your clothes?"