After saying those words, Quentin Thorne shook off Ian Grant.
He turned around and took off his coat, while Ian Grant cried out behind him: "Quentin Thorne, you have no conscience! You divorced for your elder daughter. Did you not consider your younger daughter? Mina is not yet married, and you’re divorcing ? How do you expect her in-laws to view her in the future? Are you still human?"
Though her cries were emotional and loud, they were not as vicious as earlier. It was Mina’s existence that allowed a bit of softness in her heart.
These accusations, upon hearing them, brought a flash of pain across Quentin Thorne’s face. If it weren’t for Mina, he would have divorced Ian Grant long ago, sparing him the best years of his life.
But he couldn’t let Ian Grant know that he too was reluctant to divorce before Mina got married, so he had to feign indifference and said, "If I were you, I’d try to get along with the elder daughter for the sake of the younger one, striving for a win-win situation, instead of creating baseless accusations against my elder daughter, provoking , and hastening my determination to divorce you!"
"But I hate her! Every ti I see her, I think of you and that woman in the countryside...!" Ian Grant was already in such pain that she collapsed on the floor.
Quentin Thorne continued to stand with his back to her, his hands that were preparing to loosen his tie now clenched into tight fists, and his voice carried a tone of agony from repressed regret—
"Don’t harbor hatred; the one to hate is her. If it weren’t for your parents threatening my parents into putting under house arrest for half a year, causing to miss the chance to reunite with Annie’s Mom, do you think the mistress of the Thorne Family would be you today? Since you are already a beneficiary of the status quo, you should be more magnanimous and discreet, cherishing your parents’ actions which threatened national officials for your marriage, errors that might still draw public criticism decades later!"
These words left Ian Grant pale and trembling.
She found it unbelievable: "Quentin Thorne...what do you an? Are you suggesting that you might reveal what happened back then?"
Quentin Thorne laughed: "If you continue to make trouble and stand against Annie, I wouldn’t hesitate to disclose so things. Once exposed, what kind of scorn and criticism do you think your nearly ninety-year-old father would face from the public? He has achieved so much and has retired with honors; do you want his reputation tarnished by you? Do you want him disgraced in his old age? Do you want the Grant Family’s na completely ruined?"
Back then, Quentin Thorne returned from Linton Village to confront his parents, who took him to the Grant Family for understanding. At that ti, Ian Grant’s mother called her husband, who was out of town, and Old Master Grant wanted to discuss the children’s matters with Mr. Thorne over the phone, but Mr. Thorne refused and instead wrote a letter to him.
The two began exchanging letters, in which Old Master Grant subtly threatened Mr. Thorne, implying the consequences the Thorne Family would face if Quentin Thorne did not marry Ian Grant, how bleak Quentin Thorne’s future would be, even suggesting Mr. Thorne keep Quentin Thorne at ho for several months while he would investigate and settle things in the countryside.
Later, as arranged by Old Master Grant, linda Linton was driven out of her ho, wandered for days, suffered hardships, and was introduced, half coerced and half sold, to Raines Village, where she married the destitute and irritable Felix Raines.
Then, a few years ago, when Mr. Thorne passed away, he handed those letters over to Quentin Thorne, thus giving Quentin Thorne the weapon to counter the Grant Family and Ian Grant.
Recalling those events felt like a knife slicing Quentin Thorne’s heart into pieces, tornting him day and night. Later, when he found Sienna Thornton, he felt that he should live the rest of his life for this elder daughter who had been lost and endured hardships for years.
Ian Grant got up from the floor in a daze and left the study. Quentin Thorne did not attend to her.
.
Ti has slipped by another half month. In recent tis, Sienna Thornton adjusted her work schedule, finally being able to finish work early in the evening, but at the earliest only by seven o’clock.
Seven o’clock is right after the evening peak. Once she passes the most congested section of Regent Street and exits the first ring, she can directly get on the overpass. By the ti she arrives ho in the New District, it’s about 7:40 p.m.
At this ti, Simon Forrester has usually already prepared dinner and is waiting for her. As soon as she gets ho, they eat dinner imdiately, and after so chat, it’s only 8:30 p.m.
Then she goes to take a bath, while Simon Forrester, who has already showered, cleans up the table and dishes; once she finishes, she throws the dirty clothes in the washing machine, and while waiting for the clothes to be washed, they can snuggle on the sofa and watch TV for an hour or two.
Finishing work two hours earlier really makes a big difference, prompting Sienna Thornton to try to control her overti in the future. Work is important, but so is rest; one must give the brain so ti to empty, to find more inspiration.
In the two years of their relationship, their days have always been harmonious and beautiful, except for the initial disturbances regarding Simon Forrester secretly buying a B&B, after which no conflicts arose again.
Although a few more thrilling and emotionally destructive incidents happened later, fortunately, they were both steadfast and trusting enough in each other, and thus finally reached a point where they could get married.
Speaking of the year-end wedding, although they have been living together for two years and life won’t change dramatically, they are both still excited. After all, she is about to beco "Mrs. Forrester," "Chairwoman of the Forrester Group," and he is about to beco "Sienna Thornton’s husband."
The new identities will also bring new life.
They will legitimately have their own ho, have children, and form a happy new family with their children.
-
On the last weekend before the Qingming Festival, Sienna Thornton, ready to go to the small apartnt to accompany linda Linton, suddenly received a call from Quentin Thorne.
Quentin Thorne said on the call that he wanted to visit linda Linton and asked if Sienna Thornton wanted to co along.
Sienna Thornton was applying a morning mask at the ti, had the phone on speaker, and Simon Forrester, lying on the bed watching his phone, heard what Quentin Thorne said and quickly shook his head at Sienna Thornton, signaling her to give the two elders so space.
Sienna Thornton thought that linda Linton probably wouldn’t want others to see her eting Quentin Thorne either, so she told Quentin Thorne that she had other things to do today and wouldn’t be going.
Quentin Thorne, of course, understood her intention and said he would talk to her after eting linda Linton.
.
Quentin Thorne left ho around eight in the morning.
It was late March, and spring was in the air in Brimfield. The sun was plentiful, and the weather was warm.
Quentin Thorne wore casual jeans and a white shirt. His thick black hair was no longer slicked back with hair oil, just naturally brushed to the side, resembling his younger self.
He took a taxi to the apartnt where linda Linton lived.
As the car passed through the old streets within the first ring of Brimfield, he saw people selling bundles of wildflowers by the roadside. He rembered how linda Linton loved Jade Lotus in the countryside back then, and every ti he went from the city, he would surely bring her a bouquet of Jade Lotus.
By so odd compulsion, he got out of the car, walked to the flower vendor, and asked, "Excuse , do you have Jade Lotus?"
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