Chapter 7: Perfect match

As Annie reached the door, she coincidentally ran into Denis. They nodded at each other in greeting and walked inside together. Denis casually spoke first.

"Annie, you've been quite busy lately, haven't you? I heard from your mom that you're working a lot and don't have time to bring lunch to her every day like before."

In the past, Annie used to cook or buy meals for Isolde for every meal. However, these past few days, due to moving to Finn's house, Sofia also requested that Annie spend more time with him, so she had to lie to Isolde, telling her that she had a busy job and had become a maid for a wealthy family, which required her to move in with them.

Isolde's hospital bills were substantial every time, so Annie didn't inquire much about Annie's situation. She only reminded Annie to take care of herself and not to overwork.

"Yeah, I've been taking on more jobs lately to cover my mom's medical bills. Even though I could borrow from my friends, you know how it is, I still have to pay them back somehow."

Denis nodded in understanding and didn't press for more details. Annie focused entirely on her work at the restaurant, and after her shift, she straightened up with a sigh.

"Let me give you a ride home," Denis offered.

Denis had an old car he had bought from a friend a few years ago and occasionally used it for work. Annie was worried about revealing that she was living at Finn's house, so she quickly declined, fibbing that she had to go to another job nearby.

Denis didn't insist and left somewhat regretfully. When Annie returned home, it was nearly dark. She helped Keelin prepare dinner and asked about Finn.

"Did Finn have any special interests in the past?"

Keelin stirred the seaweed soup on the stove and replied, "Yes, he loved playing the guitar. When he was young, he even wanted to become a guitar artist. His mother supported him in pursuing his passion back then, but his father insisted that he manage the family company and become a successful CEO."

"So, in the end, Finn couldn't pursue his dream," Annie remarked.

Keelin sighed while Annie remained silent, lost in her thoughts and memories. She suddenly recalled the dusty guitar in the corner of Finn's room from last night, realizing it must have had quite a unique story.

In the evening, the three of them sat down to dinner, not uttering a word to each other. Finn's natural inclination for silence felt normal, and Keelin had long grown accustomed to the quiet. Annie, however, was slightly uneasy but tried to appear composed.

After they finished eating, Finn coldly retreated to his room, closing the door behind him. Annie, too, quietly headed to her room. Just as she had finished her shower, her new phone, a gift from Sofia, rang melodiously.

Annie swiftly answered, and a gentle voice came through the phone.

"My dear sister, how are things? Finn didn't kick you out of the house, did he?"

Annie shook her head, then remembered Sofia couldn't see her right now. She spoke softly with her voice lower and began updating Sofia on recent events.

"Such a stupid girl. How long have you been there? You still can't get close to Finn? I gave you money to provoke Finn and get yourself kicked out of the room, right?"

Annie pursed her lips, promising to make more effort to keep Finn from growing even more annoyed. Sofia's attitude softened at this point.

"Alright, just remember not to reveal your true identity and cause trouble for me."

Sofia seemed about to say something more, but the man beside her couldn't wait any longer, caressing her neck and leaning in to kiss Sofia passionately, producing an audible smooching sound.

"Mark, don't do that; I'm on the phone."

Ending their passionate kiss, Sofia pushed Mark aside in anger, her lips pouting. Annie, standing nearby, was taken aback by this sudden turn of events and stared ahead in astonishment.

"So, Sofia, regardless of Finn being your fiancé, how can you be with another man?" Annie asked, her tone serious.

Contrary to Annie's gravity, Sofia responded with a faint laugh. "Well, what's the harm? Even if I married Finn for real, we'd only be husband and wife in name. I can love as many men as I want; Finn has no right to interfere."

"Don't be so naive, Annie. Everyone in this high society is like that," Sofia added coldly.

With those words, Sofia abruptly turned and kissed Mark's lips beside her, passionately and satisfyingly, their bodies quickly entwining. Clothes began to fall to the ground, and Annie's expression became increasingly dazed, her eyes closing to savor the comfort as Mark gently kissed her collarbone and slowly descended.

Meanwhile, Annie remained seated, her face flushed from the intense kissing sounds she had heard earlier. She couldn't believe how casual her younger sister had become after all these years.

Annie remained stunned for a while before regaining her composure and looking out the window. She noticed that it had long since grown dark outside and sighed softly.

Her dry throat made her uncomfortable, so she decided to go downstairs to find some water to drink. As she opened the door to leave the room, she heard faint footsteps on the staircase, and a few more steps revealed Finn's tall figure slowly descending.

Finn was the kind of person who disliked relying on others, so he always tried to do everything himself. Even though the lights were on inside the house, he still had to be careful with each step as he couldn't see much, making his progress seem somewhat laborious.

Annie silently followed behind, not saying a word. But when she noticed Finn stumbling and about to fall, she quickly grabbed his shirt and pulled him upright.

"Be careful!" Annie softly exclaimed, successfully steadying Finn from behind. The feeling of stumbling and almost falling suddenly disappeared, and in Finn's ear, he heard a gentle, soothing voice as light as a spring breeze. His nose also detected a faint scent of lavender, which was incredibly pleasant.

The distance between the two seemed much closer, as Finn could faintly hear the rapid beating of Annie's heart as she held him up.

At this moment, Annie became aware that they were too close right now and realized the closeness wasn't right. After helping Finn stand upright, she stepped back, her voice soft as she explained.