NovelApexChapter 894
Hayes and Margot exchanged glances, hope flickering in their eyes-just as it did in Marguerite's.
But Marguerite herself wasn't even sure what she was hoping for.
Would he say Violet's name? Surely, he would.
Yet, at that very moment, the man's gaze rested openly on her, as if trying to give her the answer without a
single word.
Maybe she was just imagining things. Flustered, she broke eye contact, just in tto see him hand the card
back and say the final naloud.
"Manley."
A nno one expected.
Marguerite burst into laughter. It wasn't either of the names she'd guessed, not even close, but for some
inexplicable reason it put her in a good mood.
Hayes and Margot both deflated. Margot, half-annoyed and half-anxious, shot the man an exasperated look.
"Dad, why'd you pick Manley? He's not even here! You're supposed to nsomeone who's actually in the
room!"
He stared back at his daughter, face unreadable, saying nothing.
Aberdeen glanced at the two cards, then gave a regretful sigh. "Well, that was a bust. Let's try again next time.
The rules only count for adults who are present!"
With that, Aberdeen returned to his seat. Hayes and Margot grumbled quietly, sulking as they deliberately
plopped down together.
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Uh-oh.
Did that mean she'd be sitting next to Silas now?
Out of the corner of her eye, Marguerite noticed he'd already leaned back, eyes half closed, showing no intention
whatsoever of moving.
There were plenty of empty seats farther back. Marguerite had no desire to stay squeezed in beside him, so she
decided to get up and move.
But with her seat by the window, she'd have to squeeze past him to get out. The space was cramped, and she
hesitated, trying to figure out how to slip by without disturbing him.
Right then, the bus jerked to an abrupt stop. Marguerite lost her balance and instinctively lurched forward.
But a strong hand caught her wrist, steadying her. With a gentle tug, she tumbled right into his chest.
In that split second, every nerve in her body seemed to spark, her heart skipping several beats.
"Sit properly."
His low, magnetic voice rumbled in her ear. Mortified, Marguerite slid away, stiffly putting sspace between
them.
"Buckle your seatbelt."
He spoke again, this tgruff and commanding.
Her cheeks burned even hotter. She hastily fastened her seatbelt, then turned to face the window, squeezing her
eyes shut in hopes of falling asleep.
But the memory of what just happened was seared into her bones, impossible to shake off.
An hour later, the bus arrived at the campsite.
Marguerite finally caught sight of Hayes' long-awaited dream: Nina's tent hotel. Its ivory dglowed, with a
transparent top perfect for stargazing at night.
The only catch? The hotel was perched halfway up the mountain. They'd have to hike up the trail to get there.
A few parents were already leading their excited kids up the slope. Hoping to ditch Silas, Marguerite hurried
ahead.
But Hayes stuck close to Margot, the two kids giggling as they hunted for fallen leaves and snapped photos
together.
No matter how fast Marguerite walked, she couldn't get very far ahead.
Silas followed silently just behind her, and every tshe looked over her shoulder, there he was.
Suddenly Hayes piped up, offering to take a photo of Marguerite. She tried to refuse, but he was already running
over with the camera.
Margot gave Silas a nudge, clearly wanting a picture of the two of them together.
Silas, who'd been keeping to himself the whole time, now dug in his heels. Instead of joining, he sat down on a
bench beneath a tree, legs crossed, stubbornly refusing to budgeno matter how much Margot tugged.
"Con, Dad, get up! It's picture time!"
Silas's voice was icy. "I'm not taking a photo with her."
His words were so blunt that even Margot was taken aback.
What was going on?
Hadn't Dad been trying to win Mom back just days ago? Why did things suddenly seem so tense between them?
Margot had already noticed on the bus. She'd assumed it was just because there were others around, so she'd
deliberately slowed down, hoping to give her parents stalone.
Hayes frowned at Margot. "What should we do?"
Margot shrugged, lowering her voice. "Guess we'll just take Mom's picture for
now. Dad's being really weird..."
Hayes snapped a few shots of Marguerite, but Silas's sarcastic comments drifted
over.
He poked fun at her, saying her smile looked more like she was about to cry, or joked that she moved like a
robot.
The two kids squirmed, completely
at a loss for how to smooth things over. Marguerite's face darkened;
she snatched her bag from the ground and stalked out of the frame, shooting Silas a frosty glare.
She couldn't understand it!
What had she done to offend Silas, exactly?
Was he really still upset that she hadn't shown up at his wedding?
He and Frederick were just the same-petty to a fault, and never one to hold their
tongue.
Childish!
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