Recognizing those two people as his grandchildren whom he hadn’t seen in thirty years, the old man covered his face and cried silently, while the old woman rushed over, clinging to her grandson’s sleeve, wanting to say sothing but too overwheld to utter a word.
The two elderly folks were completely enamored with their grandson, having already forgotten about their daughter who was returning ho for the first ti in over thirty years.
A hint of loneliness flashed in linda Linton’s eyes as she stood inside the door, not knowing what to do.
Sienna Thornton quietly walked in and took her hand: "Let’s go sit inside."
Henry Linton and his wife also ca in, and Henry patted linda’s shoulder: "Co, big sister, co in and have so hot tea. Lunch is ready and it’s all your favorites."
Upon hearing this, linda smiled through her tears: "After all these years, you still rember what your big sister likes to eat?"
Henry recited like a treasure trove: "Big sister, you like fried tofu, blanched cabbage, blanched mushrooms, and blanched corn! Little brother rembers them all! When I was in prison, I wondered if I would ever have the chance to have a al with you in my lifeti..."
His voice beca increasingly choked, and in the end, he covered his face and burst into tears.
"Big sister, I really didn’t rape that girl back then! I was wronged! Big sister, you must believe !" The man, who looked even older than linda, cried like a child who had done sothing wrong.
Not just linda, even Sienna was in tears.
In her understanding, this uncle was an honest and kind person. linda had always told her that her brother had a good temperant, never scolding or hitting anyone, two years younger than her, always helping her with chores since childhood.
But such an honest person had spent more than twenty years in prison due to a wrongful conviction, wasting the most precious years of his life.
Thoughts surged in Sienna’s mind as she helped linda to sit on the sofa.
The uncle busied himself making tea and offering them candies, while the aunt was busy in the kitchen.
Before long, Quentin Thorne also ca in, with a somber face, deep in thought.
linda’s brother shuddered upon seeing him, his head lowered, hands trembling, unable even to speak properly.
Sienna speculated that he must have suffered abuse while in prison, leading him to have instinctive fear responses toward potentially threatening people.
A pitiful man.
Sienna sat beside Quentin, whispering a few words into his ear, prompting him to put away his stern expression and beco amiable as usual.
linda’s brother cautiously glanced at him and, seeing him smile, gradually eased his tension.
The three sat in the living room, drinking tea and eating preserved fruit. The old folks were outside the door, pouring their hearts out to their grandson.
The door was open. Occasionally, Sienna turned to look back and found both cousins showing uniform impatience, seemingly compelled to stand there and listen to the elderly’s sobbing.
She whispered to Quentin, "How did you find them?"
"After their mother remarried in the city, her personal information entered the database due to marriage registration, making it easy to find them."
Sienna nodded.
linda initially lost her chance to have her personal information recorded because she married into a poor and remote village; otherwise, Quentin would not have struggled to find her. If linda had followed her sisters-in-law to the city back then, Quentin would likely have found her quickly.
But what would it have been like after finding her? Would fate have altered? Sienna couldn’t know nor guess.
linda and her brother engaged in casual chat while Sienna and Quentin exchanged occasional words, spending most of the ti silently listening to linda and her brother conversing.
After a while, linda’s sister-in-law set the table and, with a flushed face, called out, "Everyone, co in for lunch!"
The old couple hurriedly took their grandsons by the hand and headed straight for the dining room, not even glancing at their daughter and her family as they passed the living room.
Sienna frowned slightly, exchanging a glance with Quentin, who also wore a cold and stern expression.
"Annie, Quentin, let’s go have lunch," linda smiled and beckoned, pulling her brother’s hand, "Hurry and bring your brother-in-law along."
Henry lowered his head, cautiously approached Quentin, and in a soft voice said, "Brother-in-law, let’s go eat."
Quentin, who had been stern, suddenly smiled again, patting his back: "You used to love trailing behind your sister and , didn’t you? Now, why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost seeing ?"
Those words made the previously terrified and tense man break into a smile.
On the round marble table, indeed there were several dishes that linda usually favored. Sienna knew then that the sibling bond between linda and Henry was genuine.
The hotpot bubbled with warm steam and fragrant bone broth. As the male host, Henry enthusiastically opened a bottle of red wine, pouring half a glass first for Quentin, politely asking, "Brother-in-law, you’re not driving today, right?"
Quentin smiled, "Annie drives, just don’t pour her any wine."
Henry switched to orange juice, pouring it into Sienna’s goblet: "Here, let your uncle pour so juice for you. No wine, let’s have more juice instead."
Sienna glanced at the "juice" filled with coloring and flavoring, smiled, and said, "Thanks, uncle."
Henry then poured red wine for his parents and wife, but had no intention of pouring any for his two nephews.
Seeing this, the old lady quickly picked up the orange juice to fill her grandsons’ glasses.
Sienna could tell Henry was reluctant to associate with his two nephews, likely resentful of their indifference toward their hotown for thirty years.
Intending to get closer to her cousins, Sienna proactively picked up her juice, stood up, and toasted, "Nice to et you both, I toast to my cousins first."
One of the previously indifferent cousins was now seemingly flattered, even got up to return the gesture with Sienna.
Perhaps this toast breached the barrier of unfamiliarity; he surprisingly smiled and said, "Director-General Thorne! I know you!"
Sienna raised her eyebrows, feigning ignorance.
"I also graduated from Z City No. 1 High School and, like you, from the Braden University Law School." His intention to establish a connection was evident.
Sienna followed his lead, respectfully saying, "So my cousin is also my senior, nice to et you."
Quentin drank red wine in silence, his lips curling into a sarcastic smile.
The al was mostly filled with Sienna’s voice chatting with others.
The other said, "Three years ago, when you first succeeded in the negotiations in Valois, articles about your inspiring journey spread widely in the Z City and Braden University’s groups; I never thought you would be my cousin!"
Sienna humbly replied, "It was all just good luck."
"With your practice area, you must earn well as a consultant in a corporation, why not join a law firm, why go through all the trouble becoming a civil servant? I hear the salary is very low."
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