Chapter 273: Chapter 271: Entangled Until Death
Hayes Hughes’s love for Mia Grant was complicated.
Perhaps it was his personality, but he disliked forcing things and wasn’t good at taking the initiative.
He would feel sad whenever someone else drew Mia Grant’s attention away from him.
No matter who it was.
He was far from as magnanimous as he imagined himself to be. He had to admit that people have a darker side.
Human nature is inherently flawed, and many things require self-control.
But beyond the sadness, he also felt happy for her.
In his eyes, this wasn’t a bad thing.
She deserved to have everyone treat her well.
She was meant to be loved so unreservedly.
Her sensitive nature, coupled with her early isolation and lack of love, meant she had stumbled her way forward on her own. This made her insecure, constantly worried about loss, and always second-guessing herself.
Now, being showered with such overwhelming affection, her steps would only grow firmer.
Seeing her happy, he was genuinely happy for her.
Mia Grant’s heart softened. Her index finger picked restlessly at the wallpaper.
’He’s always like this.’
’Even when they’re not together, he can guess her thoughts with perfect accuracy.’
’Even if she never asked.’
He didn’t want her to grow too anxious over trivial matters, so the moment he sensed something was up, he would immediately figure out which way the scales of her heart were tipping and support her decision.
"Okay, I understand."
Hearing her muffled voice, Hayes Hughes lowered his gaze, a hint of a smile spilling into his eyes.
He knew she felt awkward.
That was perfectly normal.
"Do you need me to come back? I have time now."
Hearing this, Mia Grant quickly refused, "No, no. I can handle it myself. If I can’t figure it out... I’ll call you then?"
"Okay." Hayes Hughes smiled. "I’m a light sleeper. Call me anytime, and I’ll pick up right away."
As long as he wasn’t working, he could basically always answer Mia Grant’s calls immediately, even in the dead of night when he was fast asleep.
His phone’s ringtone was the system default, but he had set a unique ringtone for Mia Grant’s number.
The purpose was so that his fingers could press "answer" before his brain was fully awake, ensuring she wouldn’t have to wait too long.
In his eyes, a call from Mia Grant was no different from the urgent work calls he used to get—they were all calls that couldn’t be ignored.
"Okay."
After hanging up, Mia Grant let out a long breath. After hesitating again and again, she finally dialed the unsaved number.
The call connected.
She didn’t rush to speak.
Yuri Sinclair’s voice was gentle. Aside from a tone that suggested a middle-aged man who had seen the vicissitudes of life, his manner of speaking was very similar to Hayes Hughes’s just now.
Perhaps it was just an illusion, but her tense mood quickly began to ease.
"I don’t know if this is a convenient time, but I’d like to meet with you now."
There was a coffee shop in the resort.
It was the location Yuri Sinclair had suggested.
Mia Grant followed the map to find it. There were no other customers inside.
There weren’t many young people at this resort, and given the unusual time, no one was there for coffee.
Business didn’t seem to be very good here.
It was quiet and peaceful, truly a suitable place for a conversation.
The barista asked her what she wanted to drink.
Mia Grant placed her order and sat down in a corner.
Yuri Sinclair arrived five minutes later.
"My apologies. I took a call on the way, which delayed me. Have you been waiting long?"
Yuri Sinclair had come alone.
Mia Grant snapped back to reality and shook her head. "I just got here myself. Please, don’t be so formal. What would you like to drink?"
"Anything is fine," Yuri Sinclair smiled. "Just order what you young people like."
It was obvious he rarely drank coffee. When she had run into him at the scenic lookout the other day, he had been drinking tea as well.
’He probably liked tea, just like Kian Keller.’
’He probably chose this place because he noticed I’m not a big fan of tea.’
’Otherwise, he would have chosen the scenic lookout, which was closer, instead of this deserted coffee shop.’
The barista set down the coffee and went back to the counter to slack off.
Mia Grant picked up her coffee, taking a small sip as she tried to figure out how to begin the conversation.
The heavy atmosphere made her feel awkward.
Fortunately, the awkwardness didn’t last long. Yuri Sinclair was the first to speak. "Is Ethan not here?"
"No. He went back home for the New Year."
"I see. I’ve noticed you’ve been on your own these past couple of days."
Mia Grant nodded. "When are you heading back? It’s already the Little New Year today."
"I can go back anytime," Yuri Sinclair explained. "Barring any surprises, I’ll probably be staying in Jynsia for the New Year this year."
Mia Grant looked up at him and remained silent for a long time.
Yuri Sinclair still wore the same gentle expression. "It’s alright. Say whatever is on your mind. There’s no one else here."
"The patriarch of the Hughes Family passed away. Did you know?"
"I did."
"And you also know who was behind it?"
"I do."
He remained perfectly calm, his expression unchanging.
After a pause, he explained, "Miles was indeed a bit impulsive. However, this is a private matter between them. I don’t interfere, and you shouldn’t overthink it."
’The old patriarch had initially intended to go after Miles Sinclair. It was only after he failed that he turned his attention to me.’
Mia Grant blinked. "But now... it seems the Sinclair Family has been affected. You must be more aware of the old patriarch’s status in Portia than I am. With things as they are... aren’t you worried?"
"There will be some impact, more or less."
"For a conglomerate, any hint of trouble can affect its public image, which in turn affects its stock price and market position. However, the Sinclair Family’s foundations have been quite solid over the years. We won’t be left in too desperate a state."
"At my age, I’ve been through everything. I can still face this calmly."
’Face this calmly.’
Mia Grant said, "Then what about Ms. York?"
"..."
Yuri Sinclair’s movements paused slightly as he looked at her.
His gaze didn’t change, still filled with a smile.
Perhaps it was a common trait among those in power. Even in a situation like this, they would never show a cautious expression, nor would they try to curry favor. His gentleness was tinged with a hint of cold indifference.
"Miles told me about you."
"But that was only his side of the story. I want to hear your version."
After a long silence, Yuri Sinclair lifted his coffee and took a few light sips.
When he set it down, he said softly, "It was love at first sight for me. To be precise, it was love at first sight with her paintings. After getting to know her, I gradually fell in love with her as well."
"We hit it off immediately and decided to get married. Everything was perfect at the beginning, actually."
"But gradually, my parents began to have many objections to her. Coupled with all the rules and restrictions, her love for me began to fade."
"During that period, I was busy with work and away for long stretches of time. I didn’t take good care of her."
"What happened after that is basically consistent with what Miles told you."
"Do you hate her?"
Yuri Sinclair smiled faintly. "How could I?"
"Then if you could do it all over again, would you have let her go?"
Yuri Sinclair contemplated this question for a long time.
"I should probably say ’yes’ to make a good impression on you."
"But when I ask myself, I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to."
"A person’s life is finite. Rather than live it in emptiness, it’s better to be entangled until death."
"..." Mia Grant’s eyes were wide with shock.
