Sweet Flash Marriage with the Restrained Tycoon (Isabelle and Damien) novel Chapter 916

Chapter 916 Fishing and Jealousy

Dolores trailed the housekeeper upstairs and noticed Harvey over by the patio area. He was reclined in his fishing chair, with Jane sitting beside him snapping pictures.

Jane had been recording a short video, took a few shots of Harvey, and then leaned in for a selfie with him. They weren’t especially close, but something about the scene made Dolores uneasy.

“When did Jane arrive?” Dolores asked quietly.

The housekeeper smiled. “Oh, she just got here a little while ago—you showed up right after.”

Dolores let out a soft breath. “I see.”

She pulled her laptop from her carry-on and made her way back downstairs. As she stepped into the yard, Jane was already heading toward her car.

“Dora! Hey, you’re here!” Jane glanced at the laptop in Dolores’ hands. “Working today?”

“Yeah, something like that,” Dolores replied, a little awkwardly.

“Alright, I’d better run. Catch you later!” Jane gave a cheerful wave, slid into her sedan, and drove off.

Dolores watched the car disappear down the street before turning toward Harvey, who was seated under the shade of an oak tree with his fishing line in the water. She pulled up a patio chair beside him and stole a look his way.

Harvey had his eyes shut, relaxed, and didn’t even twitch when a fish tugged on the line.

Dolores set her laptop down, quickly grabbed the rod, and began reeling in a decent-sized bass—looked to be almost two pounds.

“Harvey—quick, the bucket!”

She’d never been fishing before, so landing a catch made her light up with excitement.

Harvey cracked one eye open and glanced over. “Got one already?” he murmured.

“Can’t you tell?” She tugged gently on the rod.

A faint smile touched his lips. “Yeah, pretty obvious. Just happened a bit sooner than I figured it would.”

He pushed up from his chair, moved behind her, and gently took the rod, guiding her steady turns. He leaned in close—so close she could feel the warmth of his chest against her back.

“You can’t hurry it. Just reel it in right at the end. Give it time.”

He stayed beside her until they safely brought the fish in. He unhooked it with practiced ease, dropped it into a waiting bucket, then re-baited the hook and cast the line back out before settling into his chair again.

Dolores fidgeted, searching for something to say, but Harvey had already closed his eyes, drifting back into a light doze.

Dolores sighed, ran a hand through her hair, grabbed her laptop, and headed back toward the house. She made her way up to the study, walking softly down the hallway before peeking through the partly open door.

Harvey was seated at the large writing desk, a calligraphy brush in hand. Claudia stood next to him, leaning over slightly to adjust his grip.

Harvey did know some basics of calligraphy, but Claudia probably hadn’t come over just to give him a lesson today, had she?

Dolores watched from outside.

Claudia brought a piece of heavy cream-colored paper, then switched on a small laser level to check the alignment before adjusting the paper size. Harvey was studying the brushes laid out on the desk, a slight frown on his face—he looked a little discouraged.

“Here,” Claudia said gently, moving beside him. “Hold the brush. I’ll guide your hand so you can feel how the strokes flow. Once you get the movement, you’ll know how to form them.”

Harvey picked up the brush again.

Claudia placed her hand over his and guided it slowly, tracing the elegant lines of the word “promise” in dark ink on the textured paper.

“How did you get so good at this back in the day?” Harvey studied the gleaming gold ink against the off-white paper and scratched the back of his head.

Claudia smiled softly and mixed a bit more of the metallic ink for him. “When I was staying up at the lake house, I’d get up at five every morning, do my stretches, and then practice until the sun went down.”

She paused, pressing her lips together as a wave of nostalgia washed over her. “My grandfather never cared for Thanksgiving, so it was usually just the two of us. Every year on Thanksgiving, he’d take me out somewhere new—and each time, I had to learn something different.”