Chapter 506: Chapter 482: Hope and Grace
Simon Forrester didn’t understand why the old man brought up this matter again. It had just been mentioned once, and not only did Quentin Thorne not buy it, but he also made sarcastic remarks.
Now that the old man mentioned it again, could it be that he was trying to remind Quentin Thorne that The Linton Family’s daughter had once been pregnant with his child years ago? Was he hoping that Quentin might help the Linton Family out of consideration for that past involvement with their daughter thirty years ago?
From Simon Forrester’s outsider perspective, while The Linton Family was indeed wrong to drive their daughter away back then, the larger fault clearly lay with Quentin Thorne. If Quentin hadn’t disappeared after Melinda Linton became pregnant with his child, she wouldn’t have been forced out by the pressured Linton Family while bearing such a burden.
Simon Forrester couldn’t stand it any longer and was about to ask the old man about his recent years, hoping to gradually shift the conversation towards the old man’s needs and the kind of assistance he could provide.
But before he could speak, the old man asked Quentin Thorne, "What about the second daughter? How old is she?"
The old man might have asked casually, but Quentin Thorne answered seriously: "The second daughter is seven months younger than the first. The first daughter was born in February on the lunar calendar, and the second in September."
The old man was startled upon hearing this.
At first, he thought that the two children couldn’t possibly have the same mother, as how could there be only a seven-month difference? But then he started to feel something was off.
At that same moment, the sound of glass shattering could be heard from behind.
Everyone turned to look. The elderly woman had dropped the three cups of hot water she was holding, scattering them all over the ground.
The elderly woman looked at Sienna Thornton in horror, and a few seconds later, rushed to her, examining her closely.
With a trembling voice, she asked, "Girl, is your mother called Melinda Linton?"
The old man also looked over, his face filled with disbelief.
Tears streaming down her face, Sienna Thornton nodded solemnly, her lips pursed.
She didn’t change to calling them "Grandpa and Grandma." She wanted to, but she was too unfamiliar with the elderly couple to say it aloud.
The elderly woman held Sienna Thornton and cried, "Where’s your mother? Is she still alive?"
Sienna Thornton sobbed uncontrollably, while Quentin Thorne turned his face away with a cold expression.
Simon Forrester, feeling compassion, softly said, "Mother-in-law is still alive and living with us in Brimfield; she’s doing well."
The elderly woman wept louder, nearly howling in her grief.
The old man ran outside to the gate, kneeling and bowing towards the heavens, muttering prayers.
At that moment, the atmosphere was peculiar, as if the boundless despair and oppression from before transformed into hope and relief.
After finishing his praying outside, the old man came back in, laughing and crying while looking at Sienna Thornton and Simon Forrester. Seeing that Simon bore no hostility and was willing to share information, the old man asked, "What’s Melinda’s daughter’s name?"
Simon Forrester: "Sienna, Sienna Thorne. — A girl born with hope and grace."
Quentin Thorne was visibly shaken, his lips quivering.
The old man laughed and cried, nodding, "What a wonderful name! What a wonderful name!"
He cautiously glanced at the stern-faced Quentin Thorne and then asked Simon Forrester, "When did Melinda’s daughter find Mr. Thornton? I remember three years ago when Mr. Thornton came by, he was still asking if Melinda had ever returned..."
Sienna Thornton turned to Quentin Thorne: "Did you seek out my mom several years ago?"
Quentin Thorne remained silent.
The elderly woman, wiping her tears, said, "Mr. Thornton comes by every few years, asking if Melinda has returned or stayed in touch..."
Sienna Thornton couldn’t hold back her tears any longer; they gushed out again.
It turned out that all those years, Quentin Thorne had never given up looking for them, and that was enough.
The elderly couple then asked about how Melinda had been over the years, and Sienna Thornton chose to omit the unhappy parts involving Felix Raines, merely summarizing that Melinda had married Felix, had another son and daughter, moved to Brimfield to heal her illness, then divorced Felix when he was unfaithful. Melinda now lives peacefully and happily in Brimfield.
Upon hearing this, the old man went outside again to bow and thank the heavens.
Once they were done expressing their concern over their daughter, their attention turned to their granddaughter. Upon learning that Sienna Thornton not only studied law abroad but is currently a small leader in an important national department, the elderly couple, feeling relieved, also casually mentioned something about their younger son.
Unlike the ever-cold Quentin Thorne, Sienna Thornton politely and patiently briefed the old man on the case, indicating that once her wedding was over, she would immediately coordinate with a criminal lawyer to address the matter of the Linton Family’s youngest son.
With the younger son’s issue seemingly resolved and their daughter confirmed to be alive, the elderly couple seemed rejuvenated. Just a moment ago, their faces were ashen, but now they appeared much more lively.
Sienna Thornton and her group conversed with the elderly couple until three in the afternoon. Concerned it would be too late to return to Brimfield, they decided to depart. Before leaving, Simon Forrester brought five gift boxes, several exquisite pastries, and various precious dried goods from the car into the old couple’s house, even teaching them how to cook these delicacies.
Sienna Thornton explained to the elders that because of Melinda Linton’s heart condition, they would have to wait until the Linton Family’s younger son was released before arranging a meeting in Brimfield between the two parties.
The old couple was very understanding and grateful, seeing them out to their car.
Before getting in the car, Quentin Thorne, who had kept a cold demeanor for hours, finally took an envelope out of his coat pocket and handed it to the old couple.
Streaming tears, the old man accepted it, but before he could express his gratitude, Quentin Thorne had already boarded the car without looking back.
The luxury car’s wheels kicked up dust on the road as it drove towards the village entrance. The old couple chased after the car to the village’s edge and only returned home, wiping their tears, once it disappeared from view.
.
On the way back to the city, Sienna Thornton, sitting in the passenger seat, didn’t utter a single word, crying all the way. By the time they got back to Brimfield, her eyes were swollen like peaches.
Worried that Melinda Linton might notice something amiss, they had dinner outside and lingered for a while, planning to return home only after Melinda had gone to bed.
Sienna Thornton told Quentin Thorne that she didn’t want to harbor hatred towards the two pitiable elderly people because Melinda wouldn’t want her to spend her limited time seeking revenge on the weak, especially since they are Melinda’s own parents.
Quentin Thorne didn’t weigh in with any opinion; he simply said that Sienna Thornton was now grown up with her own thoughts and decisions, and whatever her choice may be, he would support her.
The three lingered in the restaurant until eleven, figuring Melinda was already asleep. Sienna Thornton and Simon Forrester returned to The Springs Residences, while Quentin Thorne headed back to his own home.
Simon Forrester initially planned to return to his apartment, but seeing Sienna Thornton’s unstable emotions and disregarding wedding customs, he stayed at her place that night.
After a warm bath, Simon Forrester gently helped Sienna Thornton dry her hair as he always did, hugged her into the cozy bed, letting her rest in his arms and calm her emotions.
