The two of them met like this, and during the time they spent together, Lily’s affection for Finn grew stronger.
Although Finn’s background was not the most flattering, his wealth, looks, and influence made his shortcomings seem insignificant.
Finn was also one of the heirs of the Burns family, and Old Burns intended to push this marriage forward, clearly grooming Finn to inherit.
During the banquet that day, Old Burns and Finn brought up Aoife again.
Old Burns knew Finn’s boundaries and didn’t say much, just a gentle reminder.
“It’s time for you to sever ties with that woman. If you’re not on the same path, don’t waste too much time. From today onwards, you should focus more on Lily. I heard from the Dankworth family that she is very pleased with you.”
Finn understood the importance, and sometimes it’s better to let things go rather than confront them. He didn’t need Old Burns to remind him.
Aoife didn’t hold much weight in his life; she was expendable. He kept her around because she was good at taking care of people, better than the expensive maids he used to hire, and she cooked well.
In a casual tone, Finn responded, “She’s just a maid; I won’t have any feelings for her. Grandfather, you can rest assured.”
Old Burns looked at him deeply, “As long as you know. But if Lily finds her unsatisfactory, I advise you to handle it cleanly as soon as possible. The Dankworth family is not like the others; they don’t tolerate any nonsense.”
After much contemplation, Finn nodded stiffly after a moment and replied, “Understood.”
August passed, and the engagement date was set for September.
Lily grew fonder of Finn, after all, handsome and capable men are hard to come by, especially when they come from the same background.
In August, with three days off, Finn accompanied Lily every day. They watched movies, went shopping, did beauty treatments, nails, bought clothes… Women never get tired of shopping.
Comparing clothes on herself, Lily turned to Finn, who was on his phone, and called out, “Finn, which one of these outfits looks better?”
She held two dresses, one blue and one white, and Finn’s mind drifted as he gazed at the white dress.
He hadn’t seen Aoife or exchanged messages with her these past few days, but thoughts of her still popped up in his mind.
He remembered that Aoife liked white clothes. When her agent brought her to him, she was wearing a white dress.
However, he had treated her as Elisa’s substitute and only bought her red dresses.
“Looks good.”
“You didn’t even look closely before saying it looks good. Are you trying to trick me?” Lily grumbled.
Finn suddenly smiled, “No, I’m telling the truth. You look beautiful and have a great figure, so anything you wear looks good.”
Who doesn’t like a compliment? Lily was pleased, “But I only want one, help me pick one.”
Finn looked at the white dress instinctively and said, “White…”
“Then white…”
Before Lily could finish her sentence, Finn changed his mind, “Or maybe the blue one.”
“Are you sure?”
Finn nodded, and Lily called the staff to pack up the dress. Finn got up to pay with his card.
Leaving the store, Lily affectionately held Finn’s hand, “I noticed you were on your phone a lot. Were you dealing with work issues?”
“It was nothing important compared to you.”
As a woman, Lily thought she should be generous and accommodating to a successful partner, thinking if Finn was busy, they shouldn’t meet today. But Finn’s words surprised her.
“Are you tired of shopping with me?”
“Not at all.”
Finn booked a restaurant, and after dinner, he drove Lily home. As she got out of the car, Lily handed him something from a pile of shopping bags.
“This is for you, as a gift for accompanying me today.”
Finn didn’t refuse and opened the bag to find a tie and a belt inside.
“Why are you suddenly giving me these?”
“I’m giving you the tie to bind your heart and the belt to bind your lower body.”
Finn chuckled, putting the items back in the bag. “Are you worried about me?”
“Don’t forget I’m also in this circle. I know how men like to keep mistresses for fun. I can’t control what you did before, but now that we’re engaged, you should only have eyes and heart for me.”
In simpler terms, Lily wanted Finn to take care of himself.
Finn didn’t like being controlled. He had lived for thirty years and only had Aoife by his side, without any intimacy.
Unlike others who sought outside relationships, Finn had never dated because he knew his marriage would be arranged by Old Burns.
Maintaining purity was a virtue, but in this circle, it was considered peculiar. Many believed Finn was impotent or had the wrong sexual orientation, hence his monk-like demeanor.
Finn didn’t bother explaining to Lily about these assumptions because he wasn’t interested in her, even if she misunderstood.
“Don’t worry, our future is set. I will marry you, will not be unfaithful, and besides, who could be more beautiful than you?”
Whether it was sweet talk or sincere, Lily felt she could distinguish, but unfortunately, she encountered a master of disguise that day.
After dropping Lily off, Finn found himself back at the clothing store where Lily had tried on dresses earlier. He bought the white dress Lily hadn’t chosen and left it in the car.
He pondered why he made the purchase, but when Lily asked for his opinion, his mind immediately linked the white dress to Aoife. It was an inexplicable urge that led him to buy it.
Returning to North Bankshire, it was almost dawn, the surroundings quiet with dimly lit houses and bright streetlights guiding the way home.
In the mansion, no matter how late Finn returned, there was always a light waiting for him.
Carrying the shopping bag, Finn entered, changed his shoes, and walked to the living room, where he found Aoife curled up on the sofa.
Was she waiting for him?
Suddenly, a calm emotion was disrupted by something, making his heart uncomfortable. The unfamiliar feeling was unwelcome.
He recalled Old Burns’ words from a few days ago and Lily’s comments today.
Anything that affected his emotions should be ended, and the Burns family least needed emotions; this was a deep-rooted belief in Finn’s heart.