“Mr. Burns, you should know that empathy can make someone understand your intentions over time.”
“Empathy? I don’t believe in those four words.” If true feelings could really be reciprocated, things wouldn’t have turned out this way.
From the beginning, Winifred Dawson had no heart. Without a heart, how could he warm it?
But he was genuinely curious about what Mrs. Protich did to earn such trust and affection from Winifred Dawson. She even sent long messages daily to keep her from worrying and bought her a substantial insurance policy to ensure her future well-being.
Leland Burns couldn’t fathom how Winifred Dawson could be so kind to a servant. In his mind, she was selfish and indifferent, someone who took pleasure in others’ suffering.
If only Winifred Dawson had shown him a bit of kindness back then-maybe not as much as she showed Mrs. Protich, but even a tenth of it-he wouldn’t hate her so much now.
“It’s clear that Winifred Dawson cares about you, so…” Leland Burns paused, his voice dragging slightly, “Mrs. Protich will stay here from now on. She cares about you so much; if she knows you’re in danger, she might just come running back.”
Mrs. Protich felt a deep sense of malice in his words and instinctively tried to leave, but Henry and Wesley blocked her path.
She wanted Leland Burns to find Winifred Dawson, not to be confined here herself. This was not her intention at all.
She had a daughter to care for; she couldn’t just disappear too.
“Mr. Burns, Miss Dawson might already be in trouble or missing. I can’t reach her; how would she know my situation?” She tried to reason with him.
“Maybe she has someone watching you?”
“But… but…” Nervousness made Mrs. Protich stutter, “But this has nothing to do with me. Mr. Burns, I have a daughter to take care of…”
“Blame Winifred Dawson for treating you too specially,” Leland Burns said slowly. “Your daughter is an adult now; she doesn’t need your care anymore. Rest assured, I won’t make things difficult for you here. Just do what you did with Winifred Dawson.”
In other words, treat him the same way she treated Winifred Dawson-a task Mrs. Protich found impossible.
She could suddenly be good to Winifred Dawson because she saw her as a young girl under twenty, similar to her own daughter. This maternal instinct made her want to protect and care for her. But Leland Burns… she had always been afraid of him. Despite his young age, his intimidating aura kept people at bay.
She could comfort and protect Winifred Dawson, but how could she possibly do the same for Leland Burns? Just imagining it gave Mrs. Protich goosebumps out of fear.
Leland Burns didn’t waste more words on Mrs. Protich and had Wesley forcibly take her to a room where she would stay for the night.
He warned Mrs. Protich not to test his patience; whatever he said, she should obey. If she behaved well, he wouldn’t harm her; if not, he would bring her daughter here too.
Before leaving, he emphasized one last thing: “Don’t blame me; blame Winifred Dawson.”
There was no way Mrs. Protich would blame Winifred Dawson for this. The real culprit was Leland Burns for dragging innocent people into this mess. Now that she was suffering, there was no way she’d let her daughter face the same fate.
With Leland Burns’ warning in mind, Mrs. Protich stayed quiet and didn’t think about escaping anymore. If he wanted her to stay here, then so be it; after all, she’d lived with Leland Burns before.
She tried to comfort herself by thinking it wasn’t that bad; being confined here wouldn’t kill her.
But in reality, she couldn’t sleep all night, tossing and turning while worrying about Winifred Dawson’s safety and wondering if her daughter would worry when she couldn’t find her. And… would Leland Burns really not harm her? If Winifred Dawson never showed up again, would he take out his anger on her?
Yet if Winifred Dawson did come back because of her and faced Leland Burns’ wrath, he wouldn’t let her go easily.
So… Mrs. Protich clasped her hands together near her chest and prayed: “Miss Dawson, please don’t come back. I hope you’re safe and sound out there.”
With Winifred Dawson gone, what would happen to the house in North Bankshire? And all the assets under her name? She couldn’t possibly withdraw all that money or use it without being tracked by Leland Burns.
Did she have enough money for daily expenses? Could she sustain herself?
Winifred Dawson had been pampered since childhood with the best of everything; who knew how much she’d suffer outside?
She might not have thought through her own future but still thought of Mrs. Protich by buying such a substantial insurance policy for her.
…
Outside, Leland Burns stood in the yard during summer at Autumn Joy Estate where a few fireflies danced like fallen stars from the sky.
Originally there were no fireflies here; Leland Burns had them introduced because he thought Winifred Dawson might like them. But their short lifespan made it unsuitable for them here; within a year, thousands dwindled down to just a few.
The yard also had a swing that reminded him of Winifred Dawson whenever he saw it.
A firefly flew towards him-this little creature should hide in darkness to survive but chose instead to glow brightly at night, making itself more noticeable. Raising his hand gently, he caught the firefly in his palm and stared at it intently.
“Any updates?”
Standing behind him were Wesley and Henry on either side. Wesley responded: “There’s still no news about Winifred Dawson.”