Betrayed by Fiance, Embraced by Hidden Tycoon-Chapter 169: An Unexpected Guest

"Congrats, Abigail. So, where and when are you going to open your office?"

"Thank you, Grandpa and Grandma," Abigail replied with a smile. "The company is still in the process of administration and recruiting." She felt embarrassed.

After seeing the building, she hadn’t imagined her company would grow so large. Before, she had envisioned her business as small-scale, operating out of a tiny office that would be sufficient for her and Milan to start.

"Lovely, Abigail. You need to invite us when your office opens. I will come with my wife and become your customer. I have plenty of buildings that need to be renovated," Nathaniel added, earning a nod from Martha and a happy smile from Abigail.

***

Before long,

The warm lunch was finally over, and they returned to the living room.

Abigail and Martha walked ahead and settled on the couch while Nathaniel followed behind with Sawyer.

Just before they almost reached the seating area, a slender, tall, late middle-aged man approached them in a hurry. It was Thomas, Nathaniel’s long-serving butler.

Thomas leaned closer to Nathaniel and whispered something in his ear. Seconds later, Nathaniel’s expression turned tense. Clearly, it shows how shocked he was.

Seeing his grandfather’s reaction, Sawyer stepped forward. "What’s wrong, Grandpa?"

Still unable to respond, Nathaniel instructed Thomas to go outside before turning to Sawyer.

"An unexpected guest has come to visit me. This man always lets me know in advance whenever he comes to visit. But, apparently not today." Nathaniel answered, his worried tone remaining even though he tried to sound calm.

Sawyer’s concern grew as he noticed how shocked his grandfather was. He suspected the visitor was someone he didn’t expect to see.

"Oh? And who would that man be?" Sawyer asked.

"You know him. The Old Philips—"

Suddenly, Sawyer’s expression shifted, albeit momentarily. He tried to calm himself, concealing his feelings; meeting James Philips again after avoiding him all this time wasn’t necessarily a bad turn of events.

However, Sawyer’s composure faded when he heard Nathaniel’s following words.

"Old Philips is coming with his, uhm, granddaughter, Serena..."

Nathaniel lowered his voice, trying to ensure the others, especially Abigail, wouldn’t overhear. It would be awkward if the two girls met now, and he hoped Sawyer had already informed Abigail about Serena.

"Why did they come? Why did she come with him? Did you let them know I was visiting?" Sawyer asked, irritation creeping into his tone.

This was one of the reasons he didn’t want to bring Abigail here too often before they registered their marriage. He was aware that Serena’s grandfather frequently visited his own.

Nathaniel sighed deeply before responding to Sawyer.

"I didn’t mention a word about you to him. Not at all. Look, maybe he just wanted to stop by to see me..." Nathaniel explained, worried that his grandson would throw a tantrum and insist on taking Abigail away.

Nathaniel was still stunned that his best friend, James Philips, had arrived unexpectedly. Typically, the man would contact him beforehand.

’Did something happen to him? Why did he come?’ Nathaniel wondered, glancing at Abigail, sitting on the couch in earnest conversation with his wife.

Before Nathaniel could return his gaze to Sawyer, he made eye contact with Martha and noticed her confusion.

"Niel, Sawyer, why are you both standing there with those looks? Is something bothering both of you?" she asked.

"Nothing, dear. We were just discussing Sawyer’s boring business," Nathaniel replied with a smile.

Sawyer smiled at his Grandma and Abigail before turning to his grandpa and asking, "Can’t you just tell them you’re not home? Or can you ask them to come back later?"

"It’s too late for that. The guard at the gate said I was at home. They’re probably at the door by now," Nathaniel answered with a hint of guilt as he lightly patted Sawyer’s shoulder.

’Damn it!’ Sawyer cursed silently in his mind. He felt a surge of anger but didn’t know who to blame.

Nathaniel continued, "Sawyer, you can take Abigail upstairs and ask her for some needed rest. You don’t need to meet them if you’re uncomfortable."

Sawyer nodded in response before walking over to Abigail. However, footsteps echoed from the entrance as he was about to ask her.

"My friend Niel, I’m so sorry for visiting without calling you first. I hope I don’t interrupt anything!" a booming male voice called from the main door, drawing the attention of everyone in the living room. "There’s something I want to—" His voice trailed off when he noticed Sawyer and the young woman sitting with Martha.

James Philips paused in front of Nathaniel; his gaze fixed on the young woman before he turned to Sawyer. His smile broadened as he said, "Oh, Sawyer, I can’t believe my luck today—finally meeting you here!" He happily extended his hand for a handshake.

Sawyer reluctantly accepted James Philips’s outstretched hand. "Grandpa Philips, it’s nice to meet you," he said, trying to sound casual.

"Hahaha, it’s been a long time since we met, Sawyer. And you look even more handsome," James Philips replied with a smile.

James then glanced at his granddaughter standing behind him. "Serena, what are you doing back there? Hurry up and greet Sawyer..." he urged, noticing the blush on her cheeks.

Sawyer glanced at Serena, the woman he had deliberately avoided meeting over the past few weeks. After everything that had happened, he had no reason to see her again.

Although Sawyer no longer had feelings for Serena, he was concerned that this encounter could confuse Abigail and even make her jealous. Now, he regretted not telling Abigail about his past relationship with Serena.

There was no escaping this situation. He could only hope that Abigail would not react as he feared.

"Sa-Sawyer..." Serena’s soft voice emerged from her lips, causing his hands to clench tightly.

Serena took a step closer, approaching Sawyer.

Without waiting for him to respond, Serena threw herself into his arms. He felt cold and rigid, like a wooden statue in a snowstorm. Still, she didn’t care. Instead, she pressed her sexy, curvy body against him, visibly trying to feel the warmth she had missed dearly.