Let’s go back to three days ago, on October 3rd, at the engagement banquet of the two families.
On this day, Finn woke up early, intending to grab a glass to drink some water. Perhaps he wasn’t fully awake, as his hand shook and the glass fell to the ground, shattering into pieces, shards of glass flying everywhere.
Breaking a glass early in the morning was not a good omen. Finn’s hands trembled as he frowned and looked at the broken glass on the ground, feeling a sudden emptiness in his heart, as if something was missing, leaving him at a loss for words to describe this feeling.
The household servants heard the commotion in the living room and quickly brought a broom and dustpan, muttering four words as they swept: “Peace and safety in pieces.”
“Mr. Snearl, breakfast is ready,” the servant announced.
Finn responded with a grunt. The food prepared by the house chef was decent in taste and variety, but it lacked something compared to what Aoife used to cook. It felt tasteless to Finn.
After eating a bowl of congee, Finn checked his phone and realized it was almost eight o’clock.
He had to pick up Lily at nine, and there were also some trivial matters to attend to at the designated hotel. He couldn’t delay for too long.
Sitting in the car, Finn rolled down the window. The late autumn breeze carried a chill as the sun slowly rose from the horizon. At moments like this, he couldn’t help but think of Aoife.
After a brief hesitation, he decided to call the caregiver who was looking after Aoife.
The call rang for about ten seconds before it was answered. “Mr. Snearl, why are you calling so early today?”
Due to the time difference between different countries, it was eight in the morning locally and still four in the morning overseas when it was all dark.
“Where’s Aoife?” Finn inquired.
“Miss Powell is still asleep. I’ve been with her the whole time.”
“Has she shown any unusual symptoms these past few days?”
“No, Miss Powell is in good health. Dr. Samuel even mentioned that her condition has improved.”
That’s good news… But wait, why did her condition improve as soon as he left? Finn furrowed his brows, feeling uncomfortable, but he didn’t dwell on it too much. As long as Aoife was okay, that’s all that mattered.
“Take a picture of her and send it to me, but be careful not to wake her up.”
“Alright.”
The call ended, and after about five minutes, Finn received a text message from Aoife. He had been waiting for it, and as soon as he heard the notification sound, he immediately clicked to view it. In the photo, Aoife seemed to be sound asleep, just like the day he left her.
Unable to resist, Finn gently touched Aoife’s face on the screen, as if he could feel her presence through the photo.
Finn’s engagement ceremony was lively, with Old Burns in attendance despite his recent health issues. Just two days ago, he was at the hospital receiving IV fluids, but today, he arrived early for the engagement ceremony.
He was all smiles, looking cheerful, sitting with a few other senior board members and chatting over tea.
Observing the lively scene in front of him, Finn casually glanced and caught sight of a familiar figure.
To his surprise, Hamish was also present.
Finn lit a cigarette, but Lily walked over and promptly flicked it away from his mouth.
“Quit smoking. We’re about to go toast,” Lily said.
“Alright, I got it.” Finn crushed the cigarette butt with his foot, his gaze still fixed outside, a coldness lingering in his eyes.
Following his line of sight, Lily also saw Hamish, a man born into the Burns family, exuding a certain charm that was hard to ignore. It wasn’t just his outstanding looks but also his sharp demeanor that stood out in the crowd.
Lily held his hand intimately and whispered in his ear, “Finn, as long as we successfully wed, the Dankworth family will support you. You will definitely be the heir of the Burns family.”
Finn’s gaze was inscrutable. “Let’s go toast.”
Old Burns couldn’t drink alcohol, so he raised a cup of tea to toast instead. As the toasting went around, Finn came face to face with Hamish. Despite the smile on his face, Finn’s eyes were cold as he said, “Mr. Li, it’s been a while. What brings you here to drink with us today?”
Hamish also smiled and replied, “Indeed, it has been a while. Although you are a bastard, I am still your elder brother. How could I miss your engagement banquet?”
Finn despised it when others brought up his status as a “bastard.” They clinked their glasses, and though the force seemed light, a crisp sound resonated as the alcohol splashed together.
The table fell silent as everyone watched the powerful interaction between the two men. Both Hamish and Finn were not to be trifled with, reigning in high positions, their inherent authority and dominance making it hard for many to intervene.
Fortunately, Finn decided not to confront Hamish today. As he was about to leave the table, Hamish uttered a parting remark.
“Are willing to let go of the woman you gave to me? Do you have the heart for it?” Hamish taunted.
Finn stopped in his tracks. “My personal affairs are none of your concern.”
Hamish chuckled. “I’m just reminding you not to become like me.”
“Ridiculous.” Finn dismissed Hamish’s words with a sneer. “Why would I become like you? What’s mine is mine, and I will hold onto it tightly.”
“Things held too tightly tend to break. Finn, beware of your actions. The tide may turn, and you may have to taste my retribution.”
Finn’s eyes turned cold at the mention of retribution.
Since he woke up that morning, there had been a sense of emptiness that lingered within him. Hamish’s words only deepened that feeling, leaving him restless and unable to settle his mind. Checking the time on his phone, he knew that Aoife should be receiving treatment at this moment.
He should have put his phone down after checking the time, but he couldn’t resist opening the photo album to look at Aoife’s face.
Ironically, he had never taken a serious photo of Aoife or a group picture with her.
“What are you looking at?” Lily asked.
Finn set down his phone. “Nothing.”
He looked at Lily beside him, who had just touched up her makeup and changed into a new dress. Wearing a white chiffon dress, her hair was tied up to reveal a slender neck, with exquisite makeup on her face.
Lily’s appearance exuded a striking beauty, a completely different type from Aoife. As Finn gazed at her, Aoife’s image flashed through his mind involuntarily.
Lily noticed his fixed stare and teased, “Am I pretty? You seem mesmerized. Am I prettier than that little maid in your household?”
“Of course.” She was indeed beautiful, but not as beautiful as Aoife.
Even if it was just a flattery, Lily was satisfied with his response. She knew Finn’s heart wasn’t with her, but so what?
This man was heartless, driven by profit alone, with no need for emotions in his life.
So even if he had feelings for that little maid Aoife, in the end, was he not going to marry her?
From this day forward, Finn belonged to her.
Finally, as the engagement proceedings concluded, representatives from the Burns family and Dankworth family took the stage. Old Burns formally announced the union of the two families, and they stood on the stage together. Lily addressed Old Burns as her grandfather.
When it was Finn’s turn to speak, his phone suddenly rang…