Chapter 17: Lotus tea

The television played softly in the background, relaying the news of the snowstorm in the city.

Otherwise, the living room reeked of tension even though not a single person raised their voice.

In the center of the long couch, Old Master Hawke was seated, one leg crossed over the other.

In front of him, Callahan and Sienna were seated on the individual throne chairs.

Sienna was feeling like a prisoner who was being presented in the court.

But Callahan was sitting there with a nonchalant face, with forehead propped on his finger. If anything... he looked a little bored as he glanced at his grandfather.

Sienna realized that she couldn’t rely on someone as temperamental as Callahan in a situation like this.

The Old Master quietly took a sip of his tea. But in the next moment, a frown etched between his brows, "What is this?"

Butler Thomas shivered, "Old Master, it’s... I prepared the tea that was available. I don’t know how to make lotus tea. Since the young master and young.... Miss Qing was not around, the chef had a day off. I was just about to leave before you came."

"Do you want me to leave so you can leave?" Old Master Hawke gave him a look.

"No... No! I wouldn’t dare!" Butler Thomas nearly bent over 90 degrees.

"Hmph!" Old Master Hawke slammed the cup on the table.

"I can make the lotus tea," Once Sienna spoke, three pairs of eyes immediately turned to her.

Thomas looked concerned. The look on the Old Master’s face was unreadable. And Callahan seemed to have a straight face, but there was a hint of a smile on the corner of his lips.

Just by one look at him, Sienna knew that he was taking pleasure from her misfortune.

"We will wait," Old Master Hawke said in a composed manner.

Sienna smiled.

It was only when Sienna made it to the kitchen did she let out a breath, "What kind of purgatory was? Do they have to make it feel like a funeral?"

"Young Madam..."

Sienna looked at Thomas and suddenly, she did not have a good feeling in her chest, "What is it...?"

He handed her an empty glass jar, "Young Madam, we don’t have dried lotus flowers. What do we do now?"

Sienna looked at the empty jar and then she peeked at the tension outside.

The tea is supposed to calm the old man’s nerves before he explodes on her. If she told him that there was no tea, wouldn’t he lose his mind right away?

"I have checked the other jars, there is no dried lotus left!"

Suddenly, Sienna’s eyes lit up, "Thomas, there is a huge garden around this villa, right? Oh, and a backyard too, am I right?"

Butler Thomas suddenly felt chilly under her gaze, "Young Madam, you cannot be thinking of..."

"Is it there?"

Thomas paused and nodded reluctantly, "The lotus pond is there in the backyard, there is a backdoor leading to it."

Sienna nodded, "Alright, stay here, Thomas and cover for me. I will be back in 5 minutes."

"But young madam, the place is covered in snow..."

Sienna tied her hair in a messy bun as she spoke, "A little snow won’t kill me. If I stay there a second longer, I would freeze to death."

Back in the living room, Old Master Hawke’s face grew solemn as the seconds passed by in silence.

Callahan sat there with his legs crossed, not sparing a single glance in the old man’s direction.

"Hmph! Don’t you have anything to say to me?" The old man grunted in dissatisfaction.

"Why are you here?"

"I was returning from my business trip and planned to stop by for this," The old man pulled out a file and flipped it open, revealing a list of women along with their pictures.

Callahan merely spared a single glance at the content before he looked away, which made the old man’s expressions worsen further.

"In the past year, I have introduced you to half the population of the finest women in the country and you rejected them bluntly, without bothering to save your grandfather’s face. And I have always known the person responsible for it is the one you hold dear in your heart," Old Master Hawke’s voice deepened, "Was it because of this girl from the Qing Family?"

Callahan’s fingers stopped tapping the arm of the chair for a moment before it continued again. He did not say a word, neither denying nor accepting.

Old Master Hawke looked at his elder grandson who sat there like an unmovable mountain, not revealing the slightest of his emotions.

"While I was stuck in the traffic because of the snow, I received a surprising call. From your younger brother," the old man said suddenly, as he put the list of women away.

Callahan raised a brow, "Oh?"

"Hah... Seth... that child has always been the rebellious one. He won’t join the company or obey my arrangements. And the more I impose rules, the more he would rebel so all these years, I let him be."

Old Master Hawke said thoughtfully, "But, I believe that the boy is done enduring the hardships outside. Sooner or later, he would return and at that time, I need you brothers to be united for good, to take our empire to new heights!"

Callahan remained silent for a long time before he opened his mouth, "You are beating around the bush."

Having been exposed by his grandson so blatantly, the old man shifted in his seat, "I know the history this woman shares with your younger brother. And I know that you are wise enough to not let a woman step between you brothers."

Callahan looked at the old man questioningly, "How do you suggest I do that?"

Old Master Hawke frowned, "That’s your business.’’

At this moment, Butler Thomas walked to the living room and poured Old Master Hawke a cup of fresh tea.

Instantly, the aroma of fresh lotus swirled in the living room.

"Where is the girl?" The old master asked as he glanced behind Butler Thomas.