Chapter 559 Eternal Love
Fiona had never met her grandfather, a once dashing but now fallen scion of a decrepit family. It was his good looks that won him a place in Janna's heart when she first laid eyes on him, and she allowed him to marry into the Rhoads family as a son-in-law who didn't bring wealth to the table.
Initially, his behavior was commendable. However, upon Janna assuming control of the family business, he underwent a transformation. Taking advantage of Janna's fondness, he immersed himself in a life of extravagance and hedonism without limits. Despite Janna's repeated efforts to guide him onto the right path, she was met with disappointment each time. Eventually, overwhelmed by her business responsibilities, she decided to relinquish oversight of his actions.
It wasn't until her estranged grandfather's untimely death in a drunk driving accident that the true repercussions of his behavior became apparent to the family.
At that time, Janna was still a stunning beauty, a wealthy widow with a line of suitors stretching all the way to Paris, many of whom were young and attractive. But Janna, having suffered enough from love, decided not to waste any more time on romantic pursuits.
When Janna first spoke to Fiona about this man, she said simply, "Handsome, but utterly foolish! He always thought he was a business genius who just had bad luck. He managed to take a lot of money from me for his investments, which invariably failed. Never did he think himself foolish or useless; instead, he believed I was too domineering, stopping his financial luck and progress!"
"Just like Ken, right? It's always someone else's fault," Fiona sharply commented.
"Indeed, they're cut from the same cloth." Janna agreed with a nod.
Fiona would occasionally offer these words of comfort to Janna, easing some of the guilt she felt regarding the situations with Chris and Ken.
Suddenly, Kenny returned from school. This time, Thalassa had messaged Kenny first, asking to pick him up from the airport. Kenny, having missed her dearly, gladly accepted Thalassa's offer.
Upon landing, Kenny moved quickly out of the airport terminal. He spotted Thalassa waving at him, and without a second thought for his luggage, he ran toward her. They embraced tightly amidst the hustle and bustle of the busy airport.
"Okay, okay, there are so many people watching," Thalassa said, a blush creeping over her face. "Let's go home, and I'll give you all the hugs you want there!"
"Uh-huh!" Kenny nodded in agreement.
On their way home, Thalassa told Kenny about Stuart's incident and the time Crystal spread a rumor about Fiona; how Fiona had taken her to confront the situation. Kenny listened with complete comfort, even considering asking Thalassa to record some little stories for him. In case he found himself without her presence in the future, he could listen to her voice as a source of comfort.
Thalassa had barely stepped through the door when Kenny pinned her against it and kissed her breathless.
After the kiss, with reddened eyes and panting breaths, Kenny's gaze on Thalassa was a mixture of hazy desire and solemn devotion.
Thalassa touched his cheek and asked softly, "Miss me?"
Kenny nodded without hesitation, agitated at the thought of having to return in a few months.
"You have to go back again?" Thalassa asked softly.
Kenny nodded again, his eyes brimming with dismay.
Laughing, Thalassa leaned in and kissed his lips gently. "How about I go with you next time, would that be okay?"
Kenny's eyes sparkled. "Really?"
"Of course!" Thalassa beamed. "I've heard you talk about me at school. It's about time the professors got to meet me, don't you think?"
Whatever gloom that had been on Kenny's mind was swept away instantly. His smile was irresistibly sweet as he nodded eagerly.
"I've got something for you," Thalassa whispered into Kenny's ear.
"What is it?" Kenny looked expectant.
"Let me down first..."
Carefully, Kenny let go, placing Thalassa on her feet and Thalassa guided him to sit on the couch. Then, from out of nowhere, she produced a blindfold and placed it over Kenny's eyes, instructing, "Stay right here, don't move. I'll be back in a sec!"
"Okay." Kenny waited obediently and could hear Thalassa rushing upstairs. Moments later, Thalassa was back in front of him.
"I'm here," Thalassa said softly.
Kenny felt as if a feather was gently stroking his chest. "Mm-hmm," he replied, his heart racing for no apparent reason.
Soon, Thalassa's soft hand grasped his, and a cool sensation slipped onto his ring finger – a ring.
Kenny grew impatient and immediately pulled off the blindfold. Thalassa looked up, their eyes meeting.
"A ring..."
Thalassa pointed to the simple yet surprisingly well-polished band on his ring finger, the craftsmanship reflecting the maker's dedication.
"Where did you get this?" Kenny asked.
"I made it... You don't like it? I knew it wasn't good enough... Maybe we should buy one instead."
As Thalassa reached to remove the ring, Kenny quickly curled his fingers into a fist and pulled away, assuring her, "Who said I didn't like it? I love it, more than anything in the world!"
"Really?" Thalassa's eyes lit up. "It may look plain, but I spent a long time on it. Look, I even cut myself here; it just healed..." Thalassa showed Kenny the small wound on the side of her right index finger.
Observing her behavior that day, it was difficult to reconcile with the woman who had once dismissed even the slightest injuries as insignificant enough to disclose to others. She had drawn attention to something so minor and risked being perceived as delicate — at best, an inconvenience.
When Kenny took her hand, a furrow of concern etched on his forehead as he examined it closely, then gently blew over the small cut. "Does it hurt?"
Thalassa, with a pout, responded, "I didn't even notice it at first, but when I got home and was washing my hands, it really stung." However, her voice softened with affection as she continued, "But as long as you like the ring, that's all that matters. I even engraved our initials inside!"
As she spoke, Thalassa reached to remove Kenny's ring, but he resisted.
"Don't take it off. Taking it off right after putting it on is bad luck," Kenny said, the consummate student suddenly superstitious.
"I'll show you a picture then!" said Thalassa, accommodating as always. She retrieved her phone and scrolled through until she found the photo to show Kenny.
Encircled by a heart, the initials H and S were intuitive, but directly opposite was a script that Kenny didn't recognize.
Thalassa's cheeks flushed with a mix of pride and shyness. "My grandmother is Native American; it's our tribal language. It means an eternal and undying love."
Originally, Thalassa intended to wrap this script around the exterior of the ring, etched lightly for subtlety. But her skills didn't quite rise to the challenge. After two failed attempts with other rings, she opted for the simpler route of inscribing it on the inside, close against Kenny's skin.
Kenny felt a rush of emotion, his eyes welling up. "Thalassa, I love it. Thank you for giving me this eternal token of love," he said earnestly and with reverence before gently lifting her chin and placing a tender kiss on her lips.
After they broke the kiss, Kenny gazed into Thalassa's eyes, saying, "Now that we've exchanged rings, I'm truly yours. Maybe... we could try something... more?"
Thalassa blinked, her face instantly flushing red. "Kenny, have you been holding back all this time just because I hadn't given you a ring?" she asked, both surprised and flustered.
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