Chapter 536: Chapter 536: She Lacks Magnanimity
The tea room, filled with the soothing aroma of pure tea, smelled delightful and refreshing.
The pale moonlight quietly poured in from the skylight, falling perfectly upon Cyrus Hawthorne’s shoulders as he sat at the tea table, enhancing his icy and ascetic demeanor and his grave disposition.
He took a sip of tea, then began to speak in a calm tone, "You asked me to come to the tea room, surely it wasn’t just to have me taste the new tea, right?"
"You brat, making you sit with me over some tea, and you feel wronged?" Old Master Hawthorne snorted, putting down the teacup in his hand. "Tell me the truth, what did your mother do this time that made you defy all opposition and insist on confining her in the tower?"
No one knew Cyrus Hawthorne’s nature better than Old Master Hawthorne; he was not an unfilial person.
On the contrary, though Laura Quinn nearly took his life when he was young, he was never resentful or dissatisfied with her despite the lack of closeness.
Old Master Hawthorne had witnessed Laura Quinn’s conduct over the years firsthand; saying she was completely innocent might be an overstatement.
Therefore, he did not agree with Henry Hawthorne and remained silent.
A hint of anguish flickered through Cyrus Hawthorne’s narrow eyes, his Adam’s apple rolled as he suppressed the anger and rage, simmering in his heart with difficulty.
The broken child grass had been in Ann Vaughn’s body since Laura Quinn administered it four years ago. If not for the ongoing medication to protect her pregnancy, given the severe poisoning at the time combined with uterine fibroids, it’s likely there would have been two lives lost.
Kenny was ultimately born successfully, yet due to his mother’s weak condition and the mild influence of the broken child grass, he was born prematurely and weak, having to rely on medicine.
And that child who never saw the world was even more innocent!
As Cyrus narrated every detail of Laura’s actions in a steady voice, Old Master Hawthorne’s expression grew increasingly grave.
"Bang!"
Old Master Hawthorne slammed his palm heavily on the tea table, causing the teacup to rattle, "She’s simply unreasonable!"
"She dared to administer something as insidious as broken child grass to Annie, was she trying to destroy her?!"
The more Old Master Hawthorne thought, the more disappointed he felt, his face visibly paling, vexed to an extreme.
Cyrus subdued the lingering coldness in his eyes, refilled Old Master Hawthorne’s cup with tea, and calmly pushed it in front of him, "Your heart isn’t well. Annie advised you to cultivate your health and get less angry."
Upon those words, Old Master Hawthorne’s guilt deepened, leaving him somewhat at a loss.
Though Ann Vaughn wasn’t his biological granddaughter, she surpassed one a hundredfold.
He had also promised Cyrus Vaughn to lend her some care, yet not only failed to protect her, but let her suffer without reason.
How could he face Old Man Vaughn in the afterlife?
"What was your initial plan?" After extended silence, Old Master Hawthorne inquired.
"Handle it legally," Cyrus replied calmly, "But she left herself a decent way out."
If Laura Quinn had offered him another secret back then, he might have sent her to prison himself without a change of expression.
But since it involved Ann Vaughn, what harm was there in giving her a way out?
Old Master Hawthorne sighed heavily, "It’s just Annie who’s been wronged. Since marrying into our family, who knows how much hardship she has silently endured... I almost regret letting her marry you back then."
At the words, Cyrus’s face darkened, his thin lips pressed tighter, "Even if you regret it now, Annie can only be my wife."
"Ha," Old Master Hawthorne chuckled softly, "If not for me stopping Lawyer Golding from processing your divorce papers, Annie wouldn’t be your wife now. Be grateful for your grandfather’s foresight, understood, you brat?"
A hint of astonishment passed through Cyrus’s eyes, quickly realizing, "It was also you who had Lawyer Golding tell me about it at that time?"
"Did you think Lawyer Golding, after resigning for so long, would suddenly reminisce?" Old Master Hawthorne raised his tea cup, sipping leisurely.
Wisdom comes with age, after all.
The older the ginger, the spicier it is.
Before Cyrus realized he had fallen for Ann Vaughn, Old Master Hawthorne had already discerned his foolish grandson’s feelings.
Not exposing him; children forge their own happiness, too much parental meddling is unwise.
Just not expecting Ann Vaughn to hover so close to death because of it...
At the exact moment.
In a quiet room at the end, doctors and caretakers were attending to Henry Hawthorne, administering injections and medication.
Henry’s good spirits evaporated as soon as he re-entered the room, with neither strength to hold a pill.
Feigning strength earlier not to worry Old Master Hawthorne and Cyrus, Henry knew his body wouldn’t last much longer, prompting his return to his homeland.
Even in death, one must find peace in returning home.
"Third Master," Miyi Yates entered briskly with documents, apologizing, "I got delayed by some matters in the living room earlier, sorry for being a bit late."
"What happened in the living room?" Henry asked, his eyes closed, his voice hoarse.
"The young ladies of the family had a bit of a conflict with Miss Vaughn. They seemed too humiliated to lift their heads, so I tried to mediate, but Miss Vaughn wouldn’t listen," Miyi replied.
Henry furrowed his brows, a hint of disapproval flashing across his withered face, "As the Young Madam Hawthorne, how can she lead people without tolerance and decency?"
Miyi smiled silently, waiting for Henry to finish his medication before setting the document before him.
"Actually, I originally favored you pairing up with Cyrus. With your talent and capabilities, your assistance to him would be like growing wings," Henry sighed, regret filling his voice as he picked up the document.
Hearing his praise, Miyi’s expression grew even humbler, "You flatter me, there is much I still need to learn."
Henry shook his head, "You’ve worked hard enough, but Cyrus fell for Ann too early. Before you even appeared, he was planning on how to whisk Ann Vaughn away from her family, securing a betrothal through his grandfather."
The young’s foresight showed strongly even during his childhood.
Choosing his wife was no different from his swift and precise business successes.
Yet, he spoiled Ann Vaughn excessively, not only imprisoning his mother because of her but also publicly embarrassing Harold Hawthorne.
After all, they are family. Cyrus’s actions inevitably gave people excuses to criticize him for being blinded by lust.
Can a woman’s favor mean more than filial duty and family harmony?
"The Family Head and Miss Vaughn’s sentiments make me envy. I too hope one day someone looks at me like he does at Miss Vaughn," Miyi beamed, her manner generous, without a trace of resentment.