"The third floor!"The hallway to the third floor of the gallery was locked. Miles had asked the staff about it but was told that was where Cyrus stored his important items. As such, it was not open to the public year-round. They had also assured him nobody was on the third floor.Without a second thought, Jonathan dashed toward that floor.All the hallways on the third floor were equipped with high-tech digital locks. Since this gallery belonged to Cyrus, Jonathan glanced at Leonard, who was following behind, and tacitly communicated what he needed. Immediately, Leonard fished out his phone and dialed a number.Downstairs, everybody remained stunned in place. When a phone rang, the crowd simultaneously looked toward Cyrus, who wore a gloomy expression. When he looked at his phone, he furrowed his brows. The ringtone continued echoing throughout the gallery, creating an eerie atmosphere. After some time, he finally answered the call.On the other side of the call, a cold voice s
Save him? Who else was in the room besides Rose? Jonathan and Miles had no time to pay attention to anything else in the secret room. They helped Rose up and immediately checked on her.Seeing her clothes slightly disheveled and a bloodstain on her forehead, Jonathan's heart skipped a beat."What did he do to you?" Miles asked, gritting his teeth and holding his breath. He was afraid to hear the answer.What had Ezra done to her? Rose recalled the earlier moments. She had thought she was going to die, but Ezra suddenly released her, and… Rose dared not delay any longer. "Quick, save him. Ezra… Ezra… he…"The memory was too painful for her to recall. She quickly turned her head to look at the man lying in the corner.Jonathan and Miles looked over, following her gaze. Under the red light, the man lay with his eyes closed, and his face…Ezra… Something seemed to hit Jonathan inside. How could it be Ezra? He instinctively resisted the idea of Ezra being involved in this matter.
Noel stared at Ezra and couldn't help but sigh. "Back then, all indicators showed he was fine. There have been no abnormalities over the years. It shouldn't have relapsed that easily, unless…""Unless what?" Jonathan seemed to have his answer."Unless there was a trigger."Noel's answer matched what Jonathan had in mind. A trigger.His gaze fell on Ezra's uninjured hand, which was tightly gripping something. He and the doctors had tried to pry open Ezra's hand but failed. Could it be related to the trigger?"I understand. I'm leaving Ezra to you." Jonathan knew what Ezra's condition would be like after his relapse. They had walked out of it together once, and he was certain that they could do it again. Noel left the room after giving a few more instructions. After having confirmed Ezra's condition, Jonathan hurried to find Rose. He followed the information Leonard provided and arrived at Rose's ward just to see her push open the door to Ezra's room.Miles had gone to inquir
Ezra panted heavily and grasped Jonathan's hand in joy. This time, he was determined not to let go.As they walked through the night, he noticed Jonathan seemed getting tired. Jonathan's steps slowed significantly, so he could easily follow. They ran into the Young siblings not long after.From that day on, he always followed Jonathan around. Although Jonathan remained aloof, rarely spoke, and never smiled, he could sense Jonathan's protection and love for him.He heeded Jonathan's advice and avoided the Finches. But when Lizzie offered him the chance to visit Nancy, he went with her. He missed Nancy dearly.He could sense Jonathan's worry for Nancy from the fact that Jonathan often called out "Mom" in his sleep. It suggested that Jonathan was probably dreaming of her.Ezra told Jonathan that Nancy had often cried over his photo after leaving the Finch family, and Jonathan would always respond with a scornful smile, not believing his words.He wanted to tell Nancy that Jonathan m
Jonathan's tone was laced with sarcasm. Rose felt his anger and helplessness, but she was unsure how to comfort him. She reached out and grasped his hand, the warmth in her palms seemingly injecting comfort into his cold heart. Jonathan turned to look at Rose, almost instinctively gripping her hand tighter. He silently recited the oath he had long made. As for the past…He withdrew his gaze. The warmth of Rose's palm eased the bitterness in his voice when he spoke of the past."After Ezra injured himself with a blade, I found that the blade came from a helper in the Finch Manor. When I interrogated him, he clammed up. I'm still suspecting Lizzie…"Lizzie… Rose was reminded of the seemingly gentle and kind woman."Is she the woman Mr. Finch fell in love with when Nancy had Ezra?"When Jonathan spoke of the past, Rose noticed he would try to avoid addressing Cyrus. She knew the enmity between them and avoided referring to Cyrus by his name.To her surprise, Jonathan answered, "No
The smile on Jonathan's face visibly stiffened. As they descended the stairs, they ran into Miles leaning against the wall, seemingly waiting.With just a look into his eyes, Jonathan realized Miles had known that both of them were on the rooftop and had not interrupted them."Miles, I'm going to the Finch Manor with him." When Rose informed Miles about where they would be heading, Jonathan had expected Miles to object. However, Miles handed Rose a woman's coat instead. "It's chilly at night. Wear this.""Thanks, Miles."Even after they got into the car, Jonathan kept replaying the scene in his mind. He had a vague feeling that something had changed between Rose and Miles.He remembered that Miles had always harbored romantic feelings for Rose, but the look in Miles' eyes seemed genuinely like the love of an older brother instead.Cyrus' birthday was ongoing at the Finch Manor, but this day held no particular significance for Eleanor. The annual birthday banquet was just an o
On the desk was a thick photo album. Rose flipped to the first page and saw a young Jonathan. The young lad was handsome and tall with features identical to his current self, but his face lacked the coldness it now possessed.As Rose flipped through the album, she occasionally saw the man's lips curve into a slight smile. Besides Jonathan, the album also contained photos of a young Miles and another woman. Rose had seen her before. She was the woman in the photo Rose had seen in the building behind the Young Estate in Aquastead. Her name was Harriette!Rose examined Harriette in the photos. Harriette was full of youthful vitality and had a bright smile.She knew that all the granddaughters Oliver had adopted had eyes that resembled Celeste's. But compared to Anastasia, Harriette's eyes seemed to smile and were warmly contagious.Jonathan must have liked her before. Rose was certain that in the photo she had seen in Aquastead, Jonathan was the man with scribbles on his face. And H
Cyrus was too guilty to look Jonathan in the eyes. As he reflected on the situation, he realized his first concern had not been Ezra's injury. It was only after he returned to the Finch Manor that he thought of Ezra.Now faced with Jonathan's questioning, he felt even less confident, but Jonathan demanded an answer. "The third floor of the exhibition hall holds all your important belongings with locks to every passage. How did Ezra get up there?"As Jonathan spoke, he glanced at Lizzie, already suspicious."Jon… Jon, it was my fault. I overlooked it," Lizzie suddenly spoke with a look of self-blame in her eyes.Jonathan was surprised that Lizzie admitted it was her doing."I went to the third floor that day to check Cyrus' painting. After I finished, I left and didn't realize the door wasn't properly closed."Every word was filled with regret, but they were equally piercing to Jonathan. He let out a mocking laugh.Claire, who had been silent, quickly chimed in, "Mr. Jonathan,