After Betrayal - I Married a Handsome Tycoon-Chapter 80: Skillful "Guidance

Moira Sloan regretted the words the moment they left her mouth.

But there were no do-overs in this world.

The next second, Connor Quinn stopped in his tracks. Just as Moira thought he would agree without hesitation, Connor said in a cold voice, "No, thank you."

Moira was speechless.

After Connor Quinn left, Moira Sloan looked up at the sky, suddenly plagued by self-doubt.

’Did I not only misunderstand him about Grandma’s situation, but also about the Zachary Curran thing?’

’Did Zachary really come to ask on his own?’

After a long moment, Moira let out a soft sigh. It was a classic case of even the best of them slipping up.

When she returned to the hospital room, Moira was carrying several bags—one for Jean Hale, and one for Jade Quinn.

Jade Quinn was naturally timid, and seeing Moira’s attentive display made her tense up completely.

A smile played on Moira’s lips. She tucked away her usual prideful demeanor, speaking in a soft, gentle voice. "I wasn’t sure what you like to eat, so I just bought a few random things."

Jade Quinn nodded like a chick pecking at grain, then immediately shook her head. "No, you don’t have to."

Moira said, "Your brother has been taking such good care of my grandmother these past two days. It’s the least I can do."

Jade knew Connor liked Moira. She clutched the blanket, mustering her courage to say, "My brother did it all willingly."

Moira’s eyes curved into crescents. "Your brother and I are neighbors. As the saying goes, a good neighbor is better than a brother far off."

Neighbors. The word implied a distance—they weren’t even friends.

Jade Quinn was innocent, but she wasn’t a fool.

Hearing Moira’s words, she understood the implication. Her doe-like eyes drooped, unable to hide the disappointment welling within them. "Oh."

Moira raised an eyebrow, suddenly finding this quite interesting.

’Connor Quinn is as cunning as an old fox, yet everyone around him is this kind of innocent little bunny.’

Connor wasn’t there when Moira returned to the room. She later heard from Jade that he’d been called away by a phone call, something about an issue at his shop.

With Connor gone, the task of looking after Jade naturally fell to Moira.

At first, Jade was a little shy, but as they spent more time together, she soon felt like she’d known Moira forever and regretted not meeting her sooner.

"Moira, your eyelashes are so curled! They’re beautiful."

Moira, who was sitting by the bed peeling an apple for her, lifted her gaze and winked. "You think so? I’ll teach you how sometime. It’s super easy—all you need is a tube of mascara."

Jade’s eyes filled with adoration. "Really? I can learn too?"

Moira cut the apple in her hand, giving half to Jade and the other half to Jean Hale. "Of course you can. I guarantee that after you learn, your eyelashes will be even more curled and beautiful than mine."

Jade blushed shyly at the compliment.

No young girl dislikes being beautiful, and Jade Quinn was no exception.

In the conversation that followed, Moira learned that Jade had a congenital heart condition. She had been treated like a fragile doll her whole life—afraid to run, afraid to jump, afraid to get too sad, and even afraid to get too happy.

After she finished speaking, Jade belatedly realized that being such a burden might hold her brother back. She lowered her head and mumbled, "I’m much better now. There’s a lot I can do. I can handle regular chores and things..."

As Jade mumbled softly, Moira reached out and ruffled her hair. "Jadey, you’re so sweet."

Jade looked up. "You don’t think I’m annoying?"

Moira replied, "How could a girl as sweet as you be annoying? I couldn’t be happier to have you around."

Jade looked at Moira, her eyes sparkling like little stars.

When Connor Quinn arrived that evening to deliver dinner, this was the scene that greeted him: Moira Sloan was leaning against the window, peeling and eating an orange, telling some story to Jade Quinn and Jean Hale. The old woman and the young girl were both laughing so hard they couldn’t close their mouths.

Their eyes met. Moira blinked. Connor gave her a detached nod, a silent, perfunctory greeting.

Moira sucked the juice from the orange slice between her fingertips. Seeing Connor’s attitude, she narrowed her eyes, feeling the urge to curse him out.

’So what if I misunderstood him?’

’But I already apologized. What more does he want?’

’I just said the wrong thing; it’s not like I committed a cardinal sin.’

’Besides, he’s had his fair share of setbacks with me recently, and every single one was worse than this.’

At that thought, Moira pressed her lips together, realizing she was starting to act a little spoiled, taking his affection for granted.

A few seconds later, Moira tsked and turned to look at the nightscape outside the window.

Outside, neon lights flickered. Some people were lost in a world of drunken luxury, while others begged just to survive.

She was lost in the view when a tall figure suddenly approached from behind, casting a shadow over her. "Are you heading back? I’ll give you a ride. It’s hard to get a cab this late."

Moira turned around, tilting her chin up to look at him haughtily. Her red lips curved as she said in a voice only they could hear, "Connor Quinn, you’re going to apologize to me."

Connor Quinn remained silent, his gaze lowered to meet hers.

Moira was used to being pampered by him. She leaned back, her slender waist arching, holding her ground in their standoff.

Connor’s Adam’s apple bobbed. His voice was low and husky. "Moira Sloan, who are you to me? Why should I indulge you?"