"Handle the matters within the family… What matters was Elijah referring to?" Eleanor mused.Eleanor, who had been so focused on securing the marriage between the Finch and Xanth families, suddenly realized that she might have missed something important.Prompted by Elijah's words, she began to analyze the situation more closely.Eleanor knew Jonathan was deeply devoted to Rose. Regardless of the intensity of his feelings, his character would never allow him to act inappropriately in the greenhouse, particularly not in front of so many people. The way Jonathan had protectively shielded Rose only reinforced her belief that something was amiss.Eleanor's face darkened as she carefully pondered the unusual events that had unfolded. Abruptly, she spoke up. "Everyone, we have some family matters to attend to tonight. So, the birthday celebration will come to an early end. I apologize for any inconvenience, and the Finch family will send a generous apology gift."The implication was
After the guests left, the remaining Xanth, Young, and Finch family members gathered in the grand hall.What had been a vibrant celebration mere moments ago was now engulfed in a heavy silence. No one uttered a word, their expressions an array of indifference, contemplation, and pensiveness.The atmosphere was tense, and the large, untouched birthday cake in the center of the room only served as a stark, ironic reminder of the evening's abrupt end.Many in the room were still reeling from what Jonathan had said outside. "Married couple…"Jonathan and Rose were married? Those who had known about it earlier, like Clover and Elijah, remained indifferent, while others, like Miles and Ezra, stayed calm.However, Harriette felt uneasy, for she hadn't told Lizzie about Rose and Jonathan's marriage.Glancing discreetly at Lizzie, Harriette saw that her expression remained neutral. But the more composed Lizzie seemed the more unsettled Harriette became.Amid this anxiety, Anna led Jonath
No one in the room seemed to believe Lizzie's words. Even Cyrus, who stood by her side, felt a growing sense of unease gnawing at him.Despite this, he quickly regained his composure and spoke up for Lizzie before anyone else could respond. "Mom, Lizz was with me the entire time—""Hah…" A soft chuckle interrupted him before he could finish.Cyrus turned to Ezra, only to meet his cold, icy gaze. Anger flared within him. "Ezra—""Ezra, tell us. What happened?" Eleanor cut in, completely ignoring Cyrus' anger.After being interrupted again, Cyrus' face darkened, but no one cared about his frustration at this point.Although Jonathan had been with Rose in the greenhouse, everyone's initial assumption had involved Ezra."I was brought back to the Finch Manor for what I thought would be a grand reunion, only to discover it was a trap." Ezra's tone was thick with sarcasm."Who brought him back?" Eleanor thought as her gaze swiftly turned to Cyrus, but before she could speak, Cyrus in
Lizzie only spared Carl a fleeting glance before quickly averting her gaze. "I don't know him," she said. She then turned to Cyrus with an innocent expression and reached out to hold his arm. "Cyrus, I have no idea who he is."Even with Carl standing right in front of her, she still tried to deny it.Ezra chuckled lightly. This woman was always good at feigning innocence, but no matter how much she denied it now, the truth would eventually come out. He exchanged a knowing look with Finley.Before entering, Finley had managed to extract some information from Carl. "Mrs. Finch, although you claim not to recognize him, it appears he is quite familiar with you," Finley declared, emphasizing the words "quite familiar."Lizzie's heart skipped a beat, and a look of displeasure washed over her face. "Judging by his attire, he appears to be a bodyguard from the Azure Clan, which serves the Finch family. It's not surprising he recognizes me," she countered.Indeed, it wasn't surprising
In that fleeting moment of panic, many noticed Lizzie's reaction, including Cyrus."Lizz, you and him…" Cyrus tried to resist the influence of Clover's words but couldn't help wanting a clear answer."Cyrus—" Lizzie had already prepared her explanation, but Clover didn't give her the chance to voice it.With a faint, mocking smile, Clover said, "If I were her, even if there was something shady going on, I'd still say there wasn't."He was obviously implying that LIzzie's words couldn't be trusted.Cyrus' brow furrowed deeply, an unmistakable crease forming as he felt an unsettling agreement with Clover's suspicion. He looked down at Carl, who was kneeling on the floor.In his mind, Carl was just a bodyguard from the Azure Clan, yet the man seemed to be everywhere.Suddenly, a feeling of dread welled up in Cyrus' chest, and he didn't dare to ask further. Just as he wavered, Carl broke the silence. "I'm sorry, Mr. Finch."Cyrus stiffened. "What is Carl apologizing for? What could
"I'm booking you for the night. Name your price."This was Nightfall Lounge, and Rose Shaffer had been drugged.She felt her body heating up, so before she disgraced herself in public, she chose a man in front of her.Nightfall Lounge was a famous lounge in Aquastead that offered male escort services.The other men were doing their best to please the female patrons beside them, but this man sat alone in a booth in a corner.Wearing a black satin shirt, he looked handsome and distinguished. He carried himself in a way that stood in stark contrast to his surroundings.His gaze fell upon her. There was a displeased look in his eyes.Rose thought he was worried she could not pay him."Don't worry. I'm very rich." Rose tried to take out a card from her purse to prove she could afford it.But her legs suddenly gave way, and she fell onto the man.Jonathan Finch had a cold look in his eyes. He assumed she was just like the women who tried to offer themselves to him in the past.He
An hour later, Jonathan woke up.He looked under the covers. Other than his underwear, he was not wearing anything.Not only so, but that woman even stole his clothes!Jonathan's expression turned gloomy.As soon as Zac Gibson entered the room, he saw the sullen Jonathan lying on the messy bed. There was also a torn red dress on the floor. Zac immediately realized what was going on."You're … transitioning?"Everyone knew Jonathan never got involved with women. Still, countless women had tried to sleep with him.Jonathan was cold and heartless toward women. None of those women had ever succeeded before.But it seemed like it had been quite an intense night last night.Zac had been utterly drunk when he received Jonathan's call the night before.Once he sobered up this morning, he finally remembered Jonathan asking him for a doctor.A month ago, Jonathan had defeated the other members of the Finch family. Hence, he became the new person in charge of the Finches.Since then,
Those were photos from the bar last night.Rose wondered who had taken them.She felt like her head was buzzing."Dad, calm down. Don't let your anger affect your health. Rose probably wasn't thinking straight. "It's a good thing Nixon bought those photos. If not, when the photos get leaked to the public, it would affect the Celeste Jewels' share price."Kelly coaxed in a gentle tone, but she was gloating inside.Last night, she had asked Maya to take Rose to Nightfall Lounge. She also arranged a few strong men for Rose. She wanted to take photos of Rose making a fool out of herself in public.But by the time Maya went back, a man was already taking Rose away.Maya could only snap a few photos hastily.Still, those photos were enough for Nixon to call off his engagement to Rose.Kelly stared at Rose with the expression of an innocent child.She suddenly noticed the man's shirt Rose was wearing. "Rose, your shirt … looks so weird! Why does it look like a man's shirt?"Not o