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,
The alarm blared and instantly woke up the entire Finch Manor.Yosef's family, who had been keeping an eye on the situation outside, saw Jonathan leaving the study and thought the matter was over, but they perked up upon hearing the alarm."What happened? What's going on?" Yosef pretended to have been woken up by the sound and stepped out of his room to check. Bella followed closely behind.Anna and helpers in the manor also began waking up one after another. The medical team arrived just after the alarm rang for a moment. The previously silent manor was bustling with activity. Everyone was focused on Cyrus' study.In the room, Rose had put down the photo album. Jonathan returned to the room just as the alarm sounded."What happened?" Rose was unaware of the situation outside but guessed that the commotion was related to Jonathan.The icy coldness in Jonathan's heart melted a little upon seeing Rose. He strode up to her the moment he entered the room."Jonathan…" Rose was star
"Jon, no enmity lasts between father and son. You've misunderstood him!" Lizzie didn't answer directly.Her ambiguous reply was meant to make everyone believe that Jonathan was the main cause of Cyrus' current condition.Jonathan was all too clear with the trick. He didn't even bother to glance at Lizzie, and nor did he want to waste time dealing with her. He reached forward and took Rose's hand. "Let's go." His voice was warm, unlike the cold indifference he had shown Lizzie. It surprised everyone present. Jonathan was known for his cold demeanor in the Finch family and rarely showed any warmth or even a smile. There was a hint of gentleness in his voice just now, but the Jonathan they knew had nothing associated with the word "gentleness".The people present couldn't help but look at Jonathan and Rose beside him again. They had just been astonished at Rose's act of protecting Jonathan, but upon closer examination, they noticed the unusual way Jonathan looked at her.Rose wa
Lizzie cried in self-reproach. "It's my fault for not telling Claire to close the door, otherwise Ezra wouldn't have stumbled in. Those photos were your only memories of Nancy but now…"Destroyed! She was pleased that the photos were destroyed! Without those photos, Cyrus could only remember Nancy in his memories, but how long could he remember? Memories would eventually fade until he could no longer recall Nancy's face."It's not your fault." Cyrus snapped back to reality. Lizzie's understanding and generosity made him feel guilty.For years, Lizzie had been by his side and was attentive to his needs. He shouldn't be thinking of someone from the past anymore. Cyrus looked at Lizzie and asked a question he had never asked before. "Do you regret marrying me?"Regret? How could she possibly regret it? Everything she had done back then, open and in secret, was to seize the opportunity to marry him.Lizzie shook her head. "I only regret not having done my best when you had me take c