Chapter 107 Do You Want to Take that Chance with Me
Jude was lucky. He had a son who could shoulder everything.
His brothers couldn't contain their envy.
They could only dream of their own sons taking over Abbott's Corporation, and they'd wake up laughing.
So when Jude offered his advice, his brothers saw it as him gloating, making snide remarks, and mocking them.
As Celia walked over, she overheard the doctor's words and said, "Is this one going to be mentally handicapped? Our son seems to have gone a bit too far this time."
Jude said, "We need to keep this under wraps quickly. If word gets out, it will damage our son’s reputation, and what girl would want to marry into our family? They might think our son has a violent streak."
"I’ve already spoken to the Parks Family," Celia said proudly. "Soon, we will have a wedding to organize. Niamh has no objections. Oh, I should call Niamh, our son is injured after all, and it would be good for her to show some care, foster the relationship."
"Don’t bother calling," Jude cautioned. "What if you scare her off? You know what our son is like. Do you really think this is something to be proud of? I feel like Finnegan lacks normal emotions – apart from that incident with Grace, I haven’t seen him get close to any girls, and he’s so detached from us too. That’s a problem."
Celia thought it over and agreed. Such news was not honorable and could easily tarnish her son's image, so she decided against notifying the Parks Family.
"Finnegan has always been that way. It’s nothing new to you," Celia said. "I didn’t even see where he was hurt earlier. I don’t know how serious it is."
Jude replied uncertainly, "He was discharged straight away, so it can’t be that bad, right?"
...
Orchid Garden.
When Finnegan got home, he lay on his bed to rest.
The pain in his back meant he could only lie face down, and with an injured right arm, he could only lie on his side.
Seeing his condition, Atticus quietly sent a message to Ophelia.
Atticus: [Mr. Abbott is injured and just returned to Orchid Garden.]
Finnegan was initially in too much pain to sleep. After swallowing a painkiller, perhaps due to sheer exhaustion, he eventually drifted into a deep slumber.
In a daze, Finnegan sensed someone entering the room, and the scent of mint brought a rush of clarity to his mind.
His eyes snapped open to find Ophelia sitting by his bed, her eyes rimmed with red. At first, he thought he was dreaming. The curtains rustled in the breeze, the room's lights were off, and only the glow from outside illuminated the space, outlining its features in a muted light.
The silence of the room enveloped them, and Ophelia, bathed in the moonlight pouring through the window, seemed ethereal, almost too beautiful to be real.
Moved, Finnegan propped himself up and kissed Ophelia — a kiss that was lingering, tender, tinged with a slight urgency.
Ophelia didn’t push him away. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his waist and closed her eyes, responding to him.
Her response sent a jolt through Finnegan's heart. He released her, looking at her intensely, "This isn't a dream?"
Ophelia nodded faintly, "This is not a dream."
Finnegan touched his forehead, slightly annoyed with himself, "I'm sorry..."
He feared he had frightened her. But before he could finish, Ophelia placed her hand over his, "Mr. Atticus told me you were hurt. I was really worried, so I came."
The shift in Ophelia's attitude seemed surreal to Finnegan, "You were worried about me?"
"Mr. Abbott, Seraphina told me everything," Ophelia took a deep breath, meeting his fiery gaze, "I want to know, why did you seek me out?"
Women often desire verbal confirmation, even if they know the answer. She thought that a man like Finnegan would never sweet-talk, yet he said quite frankly, "I want you."
He had never desired a woman this much in his life — it was possessive, the primal want of a man for a woman.
Ophelia's heartbeat skipped, "Are you talking about a physical relationship?"
Finnegan's hand gently caressed her cheek, his voice deep, "Desiring a woman means wanting to possess every part of her, her body, her soul. Ophelia, do you want to take that chance with me?"
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
