The person who had spoken was the manor's gardener."The medical building? That place's quite a distance away from here. What would Lizzie be doing over there?" Cyrus wondered.After exchanging strained smiles with the guests, he excused himself and hurried toward the medical building.The night had already fallen, and though the path was lit with bright lamps, it was eerily empty as all the guests were gathered inside the main hall.As Cyrus drew closer to the medical building, his heart pounded fiercely in his chest. An inexplicable sense of foreboding enveloped him.Approaching the building, he spotted a familiar figure standing at the entrance."Mr. Cyrus," Carl greeted. His towering figure was clad in a black suit, and his expression was unreadable behind dark sunglasses. Even when standing still, his powerful frame radiated an air of preparedness.Though there were many within the Azure Clan, Cyrus recognized Carl immediately. As the former head of the Finch family, he kne
Alan York was Regalia's most renowned calligrapher. His achievements in the field were unparalleled, and the few works he left behind before his passing were invaluable masterpieces.Nobody had expected Lizzie, the lady of the Finch family, to be Alan's student. After all, Alan never just took on any student. Only those with true talent could earn his mentorship.Upon hearing this revelation, the guests regarded Lizzie with newfound admiration. After all, she was still the lady of the Finch family, and despite the buzz around Rose, who was the daughter of the Lerain Group's Xanth family, Lizzie's importance couldn't be entirely overlooked. The Finch family still held significant weight, and everyone present knew when to show the appropriate deference.It was evident that Eleanor had intentionally brought up Lizzie's calligraphy skills, and the guests looked forward to witnessing them. "Who could have guessed that Mrs. Finch was Alan's student? Her calligraphy must be exquisite!
Lizzie shot a fleeting glance at Rose, her eyes glinting with the satisfaction of someone who believed they had won. It was brief, but Rose caught it, leaving her puzzled."What was that about?" she wondered.Before Rose could make sense of Lizzie's strange look, Lizzie straightened up, having just finished her calligraphy piece. The room buzzed with a chorus of praises, the admiration reaching a crescendo as though the work had been crafted by a grand calligraphy master."Thank you! My daughter-in-law is so fortunate to receive such generous praise." Eleanor beamed, basking in the glow of everyone's compliments.Although she appreciated fine calligraphy, she lacked the expertise to truly evaluate Lizzie's work. However, having seen the real Lindisfarne Gospels, Eleanor couldn't discern much difference between Lizzie's rendition and the original. With the chorus of admiration filling the room, Eleanor felt confident. But it wasn't the approval of the crowd that she sought. Wh
Jonathan's enigmatic smile left everyone uncertain of his intentions. Yet, upon reflection, it became evident that loyalty to the Finch family would naturally take precedence.The atmosphere grew tense as all held their breath, sensing the escalating conflict between the two powerful families of Finch and Xanth. No one had anticipated witnessing such a showdown at what was meant to be a simple birthday celebration.With Jonathan voicing the Finch family's stance, Eleanor's attempts to curry favor with the Xanth family were swiftly forgotten.However, that same smile sent a chill down Cyrus and Lizzie's spines, making their hearts skip a beat. Jonathan may have been a Finch, but he had never considered Lizzie one of his own, nor had he ever acknowledged her, so Cyrus couldn't understand why he would defend her now."Jonathan..." Cyrus began to speak.However, before he could say more, Elijah's deep voice boomed over his. "I see no harm in writing a few words. Bring the brush, ink
Jonathan was lost in thought as he gazed at Rose.Finley noticed his mesmerized expression and raised an eyebrow. However, some matters needed to be addressed, and he reluctantly had to snap Jonathan out of it."Should we take additional measures to ensure Mrs. Finch's safety tonight?" he asked, carefully choosing his words.While Carl had made his move, seemingly targeting Ezra, Lizzie's true target had always been Rose. "What is Lizzie planning to do to Mrs. Finch?" he wondered.Connecting the dots between Ezra and Lizzie, Finley began to suspect something sinister. His face darkened at the thought. If his guess were correct, Lizzie's intentions would be truly evil.He glanced at Jonathan, only to be startled by the icy expression on his face. Jonathan said nothing, but the cold and menacing aura he radiated spoke volumes.In Eleanor's study, Jonathan retrieved the box containing the Lindisfarne Gospels. When he returned to the hall, everyone's attention shifted toward him an
Eleanor's carefully maintained composure was slipping fast, but she still managed a strained smile as she apologized. "Mr. Xanth, I'm sorry. I don't understand how this happened. My age seems to have caught up with me, and my eyes aren't as sharp as they once were..."Ever the gentleman, Elijah responded with grace and tact. "There's no need to blame yourself, Mrs. Finch Senior. Considering the Finch family's reputation and your discerning nature, it appears you were misled. "Nevertheless, your thoughtfulness in choosing the Lindisfarne Gospels is greatly appreciated as I genuinely admire the work."His carefully chosen words, particularly the phrase "misled", masterfully preserved the dignity of both the Finch family and Eleanor.Eleanor felt a wave of relief and gratitude, yet the word "misled" echoed in her mind, even as she kept her composure.After offering more apologies and exchanging a few more pleasantries with Elijah, she excused herself, pleading fatigue, and retired
"If this really is her doing, there would be hell to pay!" Eleanor thought as she snapped, "What are you waiting for? Get her out of here!"Under her fierce gaze, Cyrus escorted Lizzie out of the room. Once outside the door, Lizzie crumpled to the floor, biting her lip and holding back her sobs. Seeing her like this only deepened Cyrus' heartache. "Everything's fine now, Lizz. Mom was just furious. She didn't mean those harsh words," he said softly as he crouched beside her before pulling her into his arms.A sense of frustration and guilt washed over him. Even during his time as the Finch family head, he had never mustered the courage to confront Eleanor.His futile attempts to console Lizzie only made her feel more bitter, but there was nothing she could do. Despite her disillusionment with Cyrus, she had no choice but to rely on him and amplify her vulnerability to garner his sympathy."Lizz, it's your birthday today, so cheer up. I've got a huge cake ready for you, and I've g
The bodyguard had told Rose that Jonathan was waiting for her in the greenhouse.She scanned the grand hall, unable to find Jonathan among the crowd. After a moment's hesitation, she decided to follow the bodyguard.Despite this being her third visit to the Finch Manor, she had never visited the greenhouse in the backyard."Ms. Shaffer, Mr. Jonathan is inside. You can go right in," the sunglasses-clad bodyguard informed her with a respectful nod.Rose found it odd that he addressed her as "Ms. Shaffer" rather than "Mrs. Finch." Both Finley and Leonard had always referred to her as "Mrs. Finch", leading her to wonder if this bodyguard was not among Jonathan's inner circle. But then again, not everyone around Jonathan was necessarily privy to her relationship with him."Why am I even fixating on the title 'Mrs. Finch'?" she thought, feeling her cheeks warm. It made her seem as though she was eager to be acknowledged as Jonathan's wife."Alright," Rose replied softly, casting one
Really? How could that possibly be true?Lizzie and Jonathan had a seemingly calm relationship on the surface, but underneath, there was a deep-seated conflict. One was a stepmother, and the other was the son left behind by the first wife.This time, Jonathan's disguise was solely to deceive Lizzie.Lizzie had repeatedly plotted against Rose, so how could she genuinely be concerned about Jonathan?Amidst Leonard's thoughts, there was a commotion coming from the direction of the operating room."Jonathan…" Eleanor called out. She quickly hurried over with the help of her walking cane.The others quickly followed and finally saw Jonathan being wheeled out from the operating room.He kept his eyes tightly shut, with the wounds from the car accident still visible on his face. His hands, feet, and chest were covered, but they could clearly see the lack of life on his face.After the car accident, there didn't seem to be any improvement at all."Jonathan, Jonathan, it's Grandma. You
The atmosphere at the dining table was extremely strange.Elijah and Clover, smiling warmly, served Rose some food. "Rose, have some of this. You love it..."The food was placed on the plate in front of Rose. Then, Jonathan promptly said, "Wifey, I made this."Jonathan looked at Rose, his face clearly saying, "Wifey, praise me.""Ugh! This tastes awful!"Clover clearly had a disdain for Jonathan, and it was written all over his face without any attempt to hide it. He picked at her food, took a bite, and felt like spitting it out. But he had come with the intention of having lunch with Rose and ended up going there without having eaten lunch.He didn't get to eat lunch, and his frustration left him feeling full.Although he was still a bit miffed, as soon as the food entered his mouth, he realized he was actually a little hungry.]He hadn't expected Jonathan's cooking skills to be, well… quite good?He had to "reluctantly" swallow it down when his original intention was to spit
Jonathan's voice clearly expressed dissatisfaction.Rose felt a bit uneasy. She focused on keeping her composure, appearing as though she hadn't heard anything.Nearby, Jonathan, sitting on the couch, furrowed his brows.Something felt off, very off.He had been watching Rose for a long time, and usually, she should have felt his gaze by now and looked back at him. Then there would be a moment of eye contact, which would set the stage for him to make his next move.But…Was she not aware of being watched?Jonathan tried winking and making himself noticeable, but she still didn't respond.Something felt off, really off!So, he had no choice but to try a different approach. "Wifey…."He called out to Rose, but she still didn't respond.Jonathan furrowed his brow even more. Was it because he wasn't loud enough?"Wifey…" he called out again.There was still no response. Was his charm not strong enough?"Wifey…" he called out again.Every time Rose heard him call out "wifey,"
The look in Miles' eyes was chilling.Miles always looked at her warmly, so how could this be any different?Before long, the coldness in his eyes vanished, and when she looked into them again, there was warmth once more.But just now… was it her imagination? No, it wasn't!The coldness she felt had sent a distinct shiver through her heart; it was no illusion.Kelly furrowed her brows. She was determined to figure it out.As she was trying to piece things together, she heard Miles slowly say, "I only have one sister left. What should I do?"His tone was filled with anguish.Kelly snapped back to reality, determined to be supportive at a time when Miles was in pain. She reassured him, saying, "Miles, I will be by your side for the rest of my life!"There was only one sister left… Of course, it was her!"Is ten percent of the shares enough?" Miles immediately asked.If calming Miles earlier was her task, then after hearing his question now, she became fully alert.It wasn't e
There was a long silence in the conference room.Miles had a somber expression, clearly showing a strong sense of displeasure.Anastasia sat in the furthest corner. Since Harriette's return, she was no longer the favored daughter of the family. It was as if she had become a completely different person.But no one paid attention to her. Today, she was just there to make up the numbers.Kelly frowned, but inside, she was overjoyed.Among everyone in the conference room, she was the most excited to see Chloe arrive. She had put in effort to ensure Chloe could make it today.She finally brought up the thing that mattered most to her through Chloe.However, she couldn't show her happiness outwardly.On the surface, she was filled with righteous indignation as she said, "Aunt Chloe, Rose hasn't been dead long, and you're already bringing this up? Isn't this behavior a bit too unseemly?"Rose inherited Young Group. Young Group belongs to Rose. How could you… How could you…" she accus
Rose often wore that necklace.Kelly had complimented the necklace, saying it looked beautiful and that she wanted to buy one as well. Rose told her that she had designed and made it herself, and there were only two in the whole world: one that she kept and the other that was given to a friend.She knew that the friend was Yvonne.She pretended to be jealous at that moment, but Rose didn't give in or make one for her too.Kelly recalled that Rose was also wearing it that day.All the information pointed to one conclusion—that body was undoubtedly Rose!"Miles, Rose… Poor Rose…" Kelly was crying so hard she nearly fainted.The level of sadness and grief she displayed was comparable to that of Miles.In her heart, she secretly felt glee at Miles' reaction.After he saw "Rose", it seemed as if the necklace confirmed her identity, and from that moment on, he seemed to have lost his soul.Even her "self-blame" act received little response from him, as if he was deeply immersed in
"Hehe! No need to thank me. Wasn't that what I was supposed to do?" Ezra remarked. He was feeling a bit shy because of Rose's gratitude.Rose could tell there was a plan to deal with Kelly.Rose didn't ask too many questions about the plan. They only asked her to stay here temporarily, and she figured out that she shouldn't make any public appearances for the time being.To ensure Kelly revealed her true intentions, she needed to be tricked into thinking she was truly in a dire situation.If it were just Harriette, she wouldn't be that angry, but since it was Kelly, that was a different story.She still hadn't confronted her about Oliver's death, so this time, she would settle the score altogether.Rose quietly awaited the day of the big reveal.On the night that the news of Rose's death spread, Jonathan rushed back to Regalia. It was said that Jonathan caused a major commotion at the police station, refusing to accept the explanation that she had been "blown to pieces with no r
Miles looked at Rose while listening to Harriette's lie that "Rose was dead".There was only one feeling in his heart—a lingering fear.If Jonathan hadn't discovered early on that Harriette was an impostor, Miles would probably still be deceived, mistaking her for the real Harriette.He didn't care about his own feelings being deceived. What really mattered to him was that the fake Harriette would use him to harm Rose!"What do you plan to do about Harriette?"When Ezra walked in, he was seemingly aware that Miles was already inside.While Rose was still asleep, he asked that question.Ezra didn't realize that "Harriette" wasn't the real Harriette he knew. He only knew that Miles had deep feelings for Harriette and was worried that Miles couldn't bear to do anything to her.If Miles truly couldn't bear it, then a lot of things would have to be done by Ezra and Jonathan.Unexpectedly, Miles said without hesitation, "Wherever she came from, that's where she's going back to."He
It wasn't a trap set by Jonathan, but rather by Ezra.After Ezra had thrown Carl into the psychiatric facility, he never showed up again. Now that he was here, he didn't dare to think about what Ezra might do to him.Ezra spoke up. "Carl, you're weird."Back at the hospital warehouse, you showed so much courage and had already decided you were willing to risk your life for the woman you love. You weren't afraid of dying then, so what's causing your fear now?"It seems like your determination to face death isn't very resolute!"Ezra's tone sounded sarcastic as he said that.Carl immediately responded, "It's not that I'm not resolute…"As he uttered the words, Carl realized he might have fallen into a trap. Feeling a bit guilty, he quickly changed his statement. "What beloved woman? Willingness to risk my life for her? You really like to make up stories, Mr. Turner."Make up stories, he said? Ezra's eyes gleamed with a sharp intensity.Carl didn't admit to taking the fall for Li