Chapter 902

Dorian's private life was far from glamorous, and his profession was scandalous to most, but he had never crossed a single boundary or shown her anything less than absolute respect. He just chatted with her like a best friend, accompanied her on casual outings, and shared stories from his childhood with a pure, almost childlike innocence.

He had shared his past with Leonie with complete transparency, making her feel that, for the first time in her life, someone was treating her like a normal human being rather than a valuable commodity to be used.

"No, it's not about Connor. He has nothing to do with this. I'm going to go find Hawthorne."

Leonie seemed evasive, and Gwyneth didn't press the issue, watching quietly as the younger girl hurried upstairs to the office.

She burst into the room just as Hawthorne was setting his phone down.

Leonie couldn't hold back her anxiety. "Did you find him?"

Hawthorne tapped his fingers rhythmically against the desk, his gaze sharp. "What kind of people have you been hanging around lately? How did you get mixed up with someone like that?"

The surveillance footage had revealed that the vans belonged to Sully, the boss of Greenvale's largest underground entertainment club. In other words, these men were the absolute bottom-feeders of the city's criminal underbelly.

Hawthorne couldn't fathom how Leonie had gotten entangled with street trash.

Leonie was left speechless by his pointed question, entirely unsure of how to justify the situation.

Her face flushed deeply, but she was desperate enough to put everything on the line. "Hawthorne, Dorian isn't what you think. He's not like those people."

Honestly, she couldn't fully articulate what kind of person Dorian was, but she knew she couldn't hide the truth from Hawthorne.

Hawthorne's brow furrowed into a tight knot. He had never heard the name Dorian before, meaning the guy was a complete nobody. He remembered Leonie had been involved with the Green family's boy, Connor, so how had she suddenly gotten tangled up with this Dorian?

And a club escort from a shady underground lounge, no less? If his older brother and sister-in-law found out, they'd probably have a heart attack.

Hawthorne met Leonie's gaze with calm, chilling authority. "This is absurd."

Leonie knew Dorian's background and profession were scandalous, but to save a life, she couldn't care less about appearances.

"Hawthorne, I swear there's nothing romantic between Dorian and me. We're strictly friends. Today, I was just driving him to The Greenvale Playhouse because he needed to meet a mentor of his."

"But while we were stopped at a red light, two groups of men suddenly jumped out and dragged him from my car. You have to help me with this. Please."

Hawthorne looked at Leonie, entirely unsure of how to handle her. She was far too naive, constantly getting deceived and making friends with the absolute worst crowds.

The only genuinely good friend she had ever made was Gwyneth. Aside from his wife, Hawthorne felt like everyone else in Leonie's orbit was a walking disaster.

Even Connor was a loose cannon in his eyes. The boy had harbored an inappropriate crush on Gwyneth for years and had eventually tried to use Leonie just to stay close to his wife. It was utterly repulsive.

Hawthorne possessed the power to keep everything perfectly under control; if he didn't, he would have banished Connor back to Starfall City ages ago.

But this was his niece, and he felt deeply protective of her. He had watched Leonie grow up, and seeing her crying and begging made it impossible for him to turn her away.

He traced the edge of his desk with a long, elegant finger and asked, "What exactly do you want me to do?"

Seeing that he was willing to help, Leonie immediately stopped crying. She walked over and affectionately linked her arm through his.

"You don't need to do anything crazy-just please help me get him out. I don't know what kind of history he has with those men, but I truly believe Dorian is innocent in all of this."

It had taken Hawthorne less than five minutes to pull up a comprehensive background check on Dorian. He already knew the young man had been kept by a fifty-year-old woman for years.

Hawthorne was incredibly uneasy about Leonie associating with a leech like that, but she looked as though she were under a spell. He figured nothing he said would change her mind right now.

Still, Hawthorne needed to set the

record straight. He refused to let her remain in the dark. If she knew

exactly who Dorian was and still

insisted on saving him Hawthome would drop the argument.

He just needed to assign a security detail to keep a close eye on her. Leonie looked

up at him with desperate, hopeful eyes, waiting for his verdict.

Hawthorne sighed in resignation. "Dorian was a kept man for years. Are you aware of this? He was with

absolutely certain you aren't dating him, or that he isn't just playing you?"

a fifty-year-old woman th

The moment he finished speaking, Leonie's cheeks burned scarlet. Seeing her reaction, Hawthorne instantly understood: she already knew everything about Dorian's past.

Hawthorne's tone grew heavy with earnest caution. Men like that were parasites, clawing their way up by feeding off vulnerable women.

"I don't know how you justify his character in your mind. You've spent some time

with him, so you're looking at him through rose-colored glasses."

"If he were just a complete stranger, and you heard he spent years being bought

and paid for by an older woman, would you still think he's such a great guy?"