Chapter 248: Let Go

Chapter 248: Chapter 248: Let Go

Help arrived quickly for Sue Linton.

"Sue Linton, how did you get yourself into such a mess?"

"Miss Lana..." Sue Linton’s voice choked, her eyes turning red.

"Don’t be afraid. It’s okay now. Tell me what happened."

Lana Chandler took off her coat and wrapped it around Sue’s thin frame, patting her back gently to comfort her.

After confirming Sue Linton’s identity and that she was all right, Leon Quillan bowed and took his leave.

As soon as he was gone, Lana Chandler immediately lowered her voice and pressed for details.

"What exactly happened?"

Through her sobs, Sue Linton recounted the night’s events. "I came to meet Boss Jennings about an endorsement deal tonight. I’d just gotten to the parking garage when two men rushed me. They said I owed them money and tried to drag me away. Luckily, Mr. Hawthorne was there to save me, so I wasn’t taken."

"You were incredibly lucky to run into Mr. Hawthorne. You have to be more careful when you go out from now on."

"I will."

"Get in the car. I’ll take you home. I’ll get to the bottom of this."

Sue Linton pushed herself up from the ground and got into the car. Lana Chandler spoke again.

"That man just now, was he one of Mr. Hawthorne’s men?"

"Yes."

"What a shame." Lana Chandler sighed inwardly, disappointed. She had been wondering if she could poach him to be Sue Linton’s full-time bodyguard.

The man had been broad and powerfully built, tall and sturdy, with a fierce, unapproachable look. And yet, he had an inexplicably reassuring presence. If she could hire him as a bodyguard, she’d never have to worry about similar incidents when Sue was out and about.

Sue Linton turned to her, a confused look on her face.

"What’s a shame?"

"A shame we can’t afford him," Lana Chandler said bluntly. "Otherwise, I would have hired him to be your bodyguard."

"Miss Lana, don’t tease me. I just signed with the company. I don’t have any fame or status, and you know my family’s situation. Where would I get the money to hire a bodyguard?"

"But President Rivers personally went to your school to scout you. In his mind, you’re different from the others." Lana Chandler’s tone held a hint of frustration. "Why can’t you be a little more proactive and get closer to him? Be a bit more sensible and attentive?"

"President Rivers has a girlfriend. He’s not interested in me in the slightest."

"You have to be proactive to win someone’s affection. President Rivers is never short of women flocking to him. If someone else can be his girlfriend, there’s no reason you can’t be. Why can’t you get your head around that? Why are you so inflexible?"

President Rivers had asked her out to dinner alone before, but she had always made excuses to decline. After that, she was given the cold shoulder.

For the past year, she had only been given minor roles with no real presence at the company.

Lana Chandler had told her more than once to seek out President Rivers and be more forward, but she had always resisted.

Sue Linton pressed her lips together, still not taking the pragmatic lecture to heart. Instead, she changed the subject, speaking softly.

"Miss Lana, Mr. Hawthorne saved me. I want to prepare a gift and visit him to express my thanks."

Lana Chandler narrowed her eyes, studying her closely. A look of understanding flashed in their depths.

"Don’t tell me you’ve developed feelings for Mr. Hawthorne?"

Sue Linton’s cheeks flushed hot, and she hastily denied it.

"Of course not. Please don’t jump to conclusions."

Lana Chandler’s expression grew serious as she warned her.

"Mr. Hawthorne is not someone you can aspire to be with. Besides, he’s already married. Don’t think that just because he helped you out once, he sees you as someone special."

"I understand." Sue Linton’s long eyelashes lowered, her fingers unconsciously twisting the fabric over her knees. Her voice was soft and low. "I just want to repay him for saving my life."

...

Meanwhile, after attending a banquet for the Sterling Family elders with Vesper Grayson and making a brief appearance, Jared Hawthorne drove her home.

The car moved through a city full of neon lights, the streetscapes on both sides blurring as they sped past.

"Did you have a good time today?"

Jared Hawthorne took her small, soft hand, his voice low and tender.

Vesper Grayson turned her head, a hint of confusion in her eyes.

"Hmm?"

"Reuniting with your family. You once said you always hoped to have an older brother to protect you. Would you say your wish has come true now?"

"You still remember that?"

"I remember every word you’ve ever said to me."

The corners of Vesper Grayson’s lips curled up unconsciously. A sweet feeling spread through her heart, as if she were soaking in a jar of honey.

It was back when a younger Jared Hawthorne was recovering from an injury on Mount Corvath. On a warm, sunny afternoon, he was sitting in a rocking chair in the courtyard, sunbathing, a bottle of sweet strawberry drink clutched in his hand. She would follow her grandfather as he dried herbs, occasionally running over to rest her head on his lap and have a sip of the sweet drink.

Her grandfather had joked from the side that once Jared Hawthorne recovered, he should become her older brother.

Back then, she had looked up at the young man with wide, sparkling eyes.

"Prue has always wanted a big brother. Can you be only Prue’s big brother?"

"Okay."

The warm sunlight fell on the young man’s slender shoulders, outlining his sharp, handsome profile. His long lashes cast a faint shadow. He was filled with a clean, dazzling, youthful spirit—vibrant and eye-catching.

It was just a childish thing she had said offhandedly when they were young, something she herself had long since forgotten. She never thought he would remember it so clearly to this day.

At this thought, Vesper Grayson couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh.

Jared Hawthorne raised an eyebrow. "What’s so funny? You’re smiling so sweetly."

"I’m laughing about the past, when you promised to be my big brother. Turns out, the ’brother’ of today is a little different from the one I imagined back then. I was just too naive."

"There’s no essential difference." Jared Hawthorne lifted her hand and pressed a soft kiss to her fingertips, his tone firm. "Either way, you can only belong to me."

A blush crept up Vesper Grayson’s cheeks as she softly brought up something that was on her mind.

"Oh, right. My brother suggested tonight that I should formally return to the family, but I don’t want to change my name from Vesper Grayson."

"Then don’t change it."

"But from what he was saying, he hopes I’ll officially rejoin the Whitman Family..."

"A person can have two identities. In Northolme, you can still be Vesper Grayson. Just use the Whitman name when you’re in Veridia. The two don’t conflict."

"Is that really okay?"

"Of course."

Vesper Grayson’s worries vanished in an instant. Formally rejoining her family and keeping her own name weren’t mutually exclusive. It was the best of both worlds.

But before leaving for Veridia, there was one more thing weighing on her mind that she needed to settle. She had to have a serious talk with Milton Grayson.

The next day, Vesper Grayson went to the Grayson Family home alone.

Having been notified of her visit, Milton Grayson had set his work aside early in the morning and was waiting in his study. Joyce Rivers wasn’t home; she had probably taken Jonathan Grayson to school.

"You’re here. Sit." Milton Grayson gestured for her to take a seat, his tone gentle. "You’re pregnant, yet you won’t stay put, always running around. From now on, if you need something, just call me. I’ll come to you so you don’t have to go through the trouble."

"I’m not even three months along. I’m not that fragile. Plenty of pregnant women still commute to work at seven or eight months."

"That’s because they have no choice, forced by their circumstances, or because their partners are unreliable and can’t provide. You don’t need to endure that kind of hardship."

"Dad, if word of that got out, a lot of people would take issue with it."

Milton Grayson chuckled softly and got straight to the point.

"So, what was it you came all this way to see me about today?"

The smile on Vesper Grayson’s face faded, her expression turning serious.

"Dad, all these years... have you ever really been able to let go of my biological mother?"

"More than twenty years have passed. Even the deepest obsession fades with time. Now that I know she’s still alive and living a peaceful and happy life, that’s enough." Milton Grayson saw things clearly. He knew there was no longer any possibility of him and Renee Rhodes getting back together. To keep dwelling on it would just be tormenting himself.

Their youthful romance had been as illusory as a flower in a mirror, a moon reflected in water. Still, he never regretted their meeting. At least he had those beautiful memories.

He was a grown man with his own family. Living well in the present was what mattered most.

"Then what about Miss Joyce?"

She knew that theirs had been a business marriage, with no emotional foundation at first. But after living together for over twenty years, even without love, there should have been some affection built up over time.

Milton Grayson was silent for a moment before confessing in a low voice.

"She has a narrow-minded and petty nature, but she’s been completely and utterly devoted to me. After all these years, in the end, I’m the one who has wronged her."

You can’t force feelings. His heart had been occupied by Renee Rhodes, leaving no room for anyone else. His persistent search for his old love over the years had become a habit ingrained in his very bones.

"So, you do have feelings for Miss Joyce?"

"I suppose I do, or I wouldn’t have had Gwen and Jonathan with her." Milton Grayson saw through her intentions and sighed softly. "You don’t need to worry. The moment I saw that she was doing well, I had already let go of the past."

’It’s just that I can’t help but feel a lingering regret when I think of her. If there is a next life, I hope I’m the one to meet her first. In this life, we were lucky enough to meet, but not fated to be together until the end.’

"Miss Joyce has been targeting me all these years because, in the end, she misunderstands and thinks you have no room for her in your heart. Have you thought about finding a chance to tell her how you really feel?"

"We’ve been in a cold war lately, sleeping in separate rooms. She won’t listen to anything I say right now. She’s stubborn, and once she’s made up her mind about something, it’s hard to change it. If I suddenly bring it up, she’ll just think it’s a half-hearted excuse."

Vesper Grayson said her goodbyes to Milton Grayson. As she was going downstairs, she happened to run into Joyce Rivers, who was returning after dropping off the kids.

Joyce Rivers’s attitude was as cold as ever. She gave only a perfunctory nod.

Just as they were about to pass each other, Vesper Grayson spoke.

"Miss Joyce, can I have a moment? I’d like to talk."

Joyce Rivers stopped in her tracks and glanced sideways at her, her eyes full of suspicion and wariness.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"I’ve found my biological mother."

Joyce Rivers’s breath caught in her throat. Her mind went blank, and her voice was tense.

"What did you say?"