My One-month Marriage With Mr. Hawkins novel Chapter 22

After a moment of hesitation, Florence finally sat down beside Ernest, leaving a wary distance hovering between them.

Despite the distance, plenty of hostile looks and razor-sharp gazes were being shot at her immediately.

It was obvious that all the women called to work wanted to sit beside Ernest and please him. However, they could only entertain his friends since he was aloof and forbidding, not wanting any woman to be by his side.

An attractive woman blurted out in sarcasm, “Mr. Hammer, isn’t she your friend whom you have brought over? I don’t think it’s suitable for her to sit beside Mr. Hawkins.”

Upon hearing the woman’s words, Florence became more guarded and sat bolt upright. Despite their engagement to each other, Ernest must not have wanted people to acquaint with their relationship since they were out having fun.

“Mr. Hawkins, I will sit at another spot,” Florence murmured under her breath and started getting up from her seat. However, before she could manage to leave her spot, a big hand had grabbed onto her and pulled her back to her seat, but this time she was closely seated next to Ernest with no space in between them.

Florence could certainly sense the exquisite and sophisticated scent exuding from his body, and her heart started to flutter uncontrollably.

His tone was full of no-nonsense as he said, “Where do you think you are going as my fiancée?”

Her heart skipped a beat as she did not expect Ernest to reveal her status in this kind of situation.

It was evident that all those present here had quite remarkable and distinctive disposition, all of them cladded in exquisite aura. They should all be his mates, but Florence did not recall any of them attending their engagement ceremony. It must be because Ernest was apathetic about the engagement with her that none of his pals had attended.

But now…

All of Ernest’s companions gaped at the two on the sofa with astonishment as they had not seen him approaching any woman before this.

It seemed that Harold was right; she indeed was special to Ernest.

“Hi, I am Stephen Thomas. Sorry that I could not make it to your engagement ceremony with Ernest as I was out of the country when it took place. Let me toast to you to make it up for that today.”

Stephen paced towards her and handed her a drink mannerly.

Florence took an unsettling glimpse towards Ernest only to perceive that his thin lips were pursed together. She could not discern his mood as his striking face was expressionless and unimpassioned.

She was compelled to take hold of the cup and make a toast with Stephen while wearing a smile on her face.

Just when Florence had finished her glass of drink, another man came up to her to make a toast again.

“Hi, my name is Anthony Brooks. I will make sure to be the first one to reach when it’s the time for your wedding with Ernest. Here’s to you.”

The wedding was most likely impossible to be held, she thought to herself, but she was obliged to finish this drink for now.

Florence kept the decent smile on her face while continued to attempt to drink, but her glass was taken away from her suddenly.

Ernest casually swung the glass in his hand, danger began to trickle from his fixed gaze on the men, “Are you guys trying to down her one by one and make her drunk?”

Seeing that their plan was busted, all their eyes started to float around in a guilt-ridden manner. Anthony coughed and earnestly started his speech in all seriousness, “This is the first time that we are meeting Florence, and it is only appropriate that we propose a toast. We would only toast her one glass per person, so don’t worry about us chugging her.”

There were around five to six men here on this deck, and even if they were only going to make her drink a toast to each of them in turn, Florence would have been drunk if not wasted as her alcohol tolerance level was not terrific.

Ernest’s intent gaze dimmed as he raised his glass to clink with Anthony’s. “I will drink for her.” Soon after, he finished off the drink effortlessly.

Anthony stared at Ernest in a stun as he was dumbfounded. He thought Ernest was just treating his fiancée differently than the others, but it was a wonder that Ernest Hawkins, who was distant and usually treated everything else with indifference, would be so protective of her to the extent that he would not even let her drink.

Florence’s heart was breeding with ambivalence as the man beside her chugged more and more glasses of alcohol for her. She felt like she was indulging in his refuge, and it led her to develop an illusion of being pampered by him.

Harold brought out a spinning wheel instead of a drink when it was his turn to toast. He set it on the table, and said, “How boring it is to just drink? Since there are so many of us here, how about we play a game of truth or dare?”

“What a brilliant idea. Florence, you should join the game,” Anthony instantly picked up on Harold’s intention, and he grinned brightly while extending an invitation to her.

Normally Ernest would keep himself out of every game that they played, but with a game like truth or dare, he would have no choice but to be involved if Florence was in it.