Chapter 357: Can’t Hide It

Arthur exited the car and entered the Hawthorne Manor yard, as his subordinate called him. At that moment, Frederick emerged from his car and approached from behind. At such close proximity, Arthur, off guard and without taking precautions, had not lowered the volume on his phone. Consequently, Frederick overheard the conversation clearly.

Frederick paused abruptly. "That woman?" he questioned. "What woman?"

Somehow, upon hearing this, Frederick immediately thought of Claire. Arthur felt a strong gaze behind him, turned, and saw Frederick.

“Well, I’m at the Hawthorne Manor; let’s discuss it when I get back,” Arthur said into his phone.

Arthur was momentarily stunned, as if surprised by Frederick's coincidental arrival. However, his face remained calm; he finished his call and hung up.

“Frederick, you’re here. Let’s go in together,” Arthur greeted him as usual.

“Okay,” Frederick replied, calmly observing Arthur's expression before nodding. However, as they walked side-by-side, he asked, “Arthur, is there going to be good news soon?”

“What good news are you talking about?” Arthur stopped.

“I just heard you talking about women, and I haven’t seen you with any since I was a child. The good news I’m referring to is, of course, news of an engagement or marriage. Our dad has always hoped you would marry soon and give him a grandson sooner,” Frederick said jokingly, though each word held a subtle undercurrent.

Arthur smiled. “You may not have seen it, but I’ve always had someone. As a man, everyone has physiological needs, and women are indispensable. As for having grandchildren, it’s up to you. After all, you and Ms. Prescott are already engaged, so you’ll definitely get married sooner than me.”

“Ms. Prescott” instantly reminded Frederick of the car accident and explosion. Nothing left, once again, stimulated him. However, Claire’s situation remained a secret, thanks to special instructions given to Diana; the Hawthorne family remained unaware. He couldn’t allow Arthur to uncover any clues.

“This matter…is really hard to say,” Frederick murmured, smiling and lowering his head. Looking up, his composure was restored. “Yes, let’s go. Our dad must be waiting anxiously.”

Arthur raised an eyebrow, nodded, and entered the manor first, followed by Frederick. Inside, the Hawthorne family's servants had prepared a meal, awaiting the start of dinner.

“It’s just that our family hasn’t sat down together for a long time. Diana happened to be back, and everyone’s here, so I called you all for a reunion dinner. Don’t stand; sit down and eat,” Nathan announced from upstairs.

“Yes, we haven’t had a reunion dinner in a long time. However, after listening to Dad’s words, I was suddenly touched,” Arthur said. “When Frederick and I walked in, we happened to talk about engagement and marriage. Frederick and Ms. Prescott have been engaged for a long time, so it’s time for them to get married. That way, they can give you a grandson as soon as possible after they marry. Then, it will be a true reunion.”

As soon as Arthur sat down, he steered the conversation back to Frederick and Claire. Frederick frowned, sensing a deliberate attempt by Arthur to mention Claire. Could it be…that he knew about her accident? Frederick’s gaze immediately shifted to Diana, who quickly shook her head.

“Frederick, Diana, what are you doing?” Arthur asked, observing their subtle exchange.

“No, Arthur, there’s nothing between us,” Diana quickly explained.

“It doesn’t matter whether it’s a little secret or not, and what’s important is the marriage. Do you think it is right, Frederick? Have you and Ms. Prescott discussed when to get married?” Arthur smiled, again pivoting the discussion to Frederick and Claire.

“Well, we haven’t thought about it yet. We did talk about getting married before, but we didn’t finalize it in the end,” Frederick replied casually, relieved that he'd had someone suppress the news. Those present didn't know Claire was in the accident; Arthur likely didn't know either.

“By the way, I heard something from a lawyer friend of mine a few days ago, but I didn’t know if it was true or not. It said that Elizabeth transferred 30% of the shares of the Prescott Group to Ms. Prescott,” Arthur stated, taking a bite of food, dropping another bombshell.

Frederick was shocked. He hadn’t expected Arthur to learn of the share transfer so quickly. Once Arthur said this, Nathan would definitely take it seriously. In that case…Claire’s death could not be concealed.