Delayed Passion: Miss Lynch's Unrequited Love-Chapter 18: Atonement

The office, Dr. Xu and the person sat face-to-face.

Ian Preston sat on the sofa, right where Thea Lynch had been not long ago.

The tea leaves in the cup were still swirling, steam rising. Dr. Xu gave a light cough and spoke first:

"Mr. Preston, I’m still saying what I said back then. As a qualified doctor, I have my professional ethics and cannot casually disclose a patient’s personal information."

"If you’re here for the same reason as before, I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed."

Years ago, the person sitting across had come to inquire about Thea Lynch’s condition. He hadn’t disclosed anything back then, assuming the matter was dropped. Yet who would’ve thought the man would call almost annually ever since.

Dr. Xu weighed everything in his mind. Actually, from the first meeting with Ian Preston, he had guessed that this man was the root of Thea Lynch’s "troubles."

Across from him, Ian Preston rested his hands on his knees, leaned back, and slowly opened his narrow eyes, "Dr. Xu, you’re overthinking. I’m not interested in anything else; I just want to know how she felt today when she was here."

Then, the assistant beside him conveniently leaned down and placed a check in front of Dr. Xu.

Dr. Xu glanced at the number on it, completely unsurprised.

Because previously, whenever Ian Preston called, he would ask the same thing. Afterward, he’d immediately transfer a sum of money into his account.

"Mr. Preston is persistent." Retracting his gaze from the check, Dr. Xu adjusted his glasses helplessly and finally said: "You don’t need to worry too much about Miss Lynch; she seemed to be in quite a good mood today."

Ian Preston stayed a moment longer, and as he left, Dr. Xu called out to him, speaking tactfully: "With you here, I believe Miss Lynch won’t be visiting me again."

Not far away, Ian Preston turned slightly towards him and nodded, "Thank you."

With a smile, Dr. Xu watched him leave.

——

Thea Lynch returned to the country.

Without overcoming the jet lag, she began preparing her résumé.

Her senior, upon hearing she was job hunting, immediately recommended she head to Riverbend and join him. In their field, there were more opportunities in Riverbend compared to Coronet.

But considering her elders, Thea Lynch preferred to stay in Coronet for the time being.

Three companies extended olive branches to her; Thea Lynch scheduled interviews, and everything went smoothly.

Leaving the first company, a young girl squatting by the entrance stood up immediately as she appeared and quickly followed her.

Thea Lynch turned around to size her up, furrowing her brows: "Do we know each other?"

The latter shook her head, "We didn’t before, but we do now!"

"Do you need something from me?" The other looked young, so Thea mustered some patience.

"Sister, it’s like this, about your departure from Stratus, could you perhaps reconsider a bit?"

Raising an eyebrow in surprise, Thea queried, "Are you from Stratus?"

"Not yet. If I can keep you, then I can be."

"..." Thea paused, re-evaluating the person behind her, "What’s your name?"

"Sister, just call me Melody."

Melody? That surname wasn’t common in Coronet, but Silas Cheney’s paternal family had it.

"Are you Silas Cheney’s niece?" She remembered Silas had a little niece his family doted on, and he’d always have her help in picking out gifts for the girl.

"Did he send you?"

"Uh-huh." The young girl chuckled dryly, unable to admit it.

With a deep breath, Thea said, "My decision to resign was thought out carefully, and I won’t be returning. If Silas has trouble explaining things, I’ll contact him later."

Thinking her message was clear enough, she didn’t expect that for the next two days, Silas’s niece followed her around like a mobile surveillance unit. Each time she stepped out from an interview, there she was.

"Sister, must be tough for you, here’s some coffee! I got it for you, still iced!"

"..." Thea Lynch.

In the summer heat, she just waited there outside for her, which softened anyone’s heart upon seeing it.

But Thea knew this was Silas Cheney’s ploy. Moral coercion, truly an evergreen tactic.

"Silas is doing this on purpose, you don’t need to come anymore."

"Sister, just reconsider a bit. Though Stratus can’t match the companies you’ve interviewed with recently, I believe with you on board, we’ll soon surpass them! Do you know about the domestic chip market!"

"Do you understand it?"

Not expecting the question back, Melody paused, shook her head, "Not yet, nope."

Thea couldn’t help but laugh, bewildered by her and unsure what to do.

Indeed, sincerity was the ultimate weapon.

Seeing her continually laughing, Melody grew nervous, quickly said: "But I know Stratus is determined to become world-class in domestic chips! And it already made its mark domestically long ago, the future is promising!"

Clearly, Melody had no idea about the internal affairs, simply assuming Thea dismissed Stratus as a small workshop compared to switching to a big company.

Thea knew she couldn’t make things difficult for a kid, so she smiled and agreed: "I’ll reconsider once I return."

"Really?"

"Why would I lie to you? I’m only interviewing, haven’t accepted anything yet, there’s still opportunity for choice."

"Alright!"

——

Though Thea said that, in her heart, she still wasn’t inclined to return to Stratus, too many private hassles there.

But that night, she received a call from Ian Preston; he said he had withdrawn from Stratus.

Thea didn’t expect him to go that far.

Considering future prospects, Ian’s move would cost him a lot. Putting everything else aside, if Stratus and Valiant’s project completed successfully within two years, Stratus could truly be "promising."

"Go back. Since you’ve decided to stay in Coronet, don’t burn yourself out anymore. Don’t make unwise decisions because of me." The man’s voice was clear over the phone, each word distinct.

"Words from irrelevant people don’t matter."

Thea’s breath quickened, did Ian mean... he knew his mother had called her?

"You... knew."

He said, "Thea, no one can stand in your way."

"What if someone does?"

"With me here, there’s no if."

"Why?" she asked, stunned.

His deep voice slowly filled her ears, "Consider it my way of atoning for the past."

——

The next day, Silas Cheney, hearing about Thea’s return to the company, went directly to the research center to find her.

Seeing Thea genuinely working inside, his hanging heart gradually settled.

On the way back, Silas called Ian Preston to relay the event.

"Hmm." Ian wasn’t surprised by this outcome at all.

Despite the excitement, Silas still couldn’t understand something.

"Third Brother, I heard people say you had a fall-out with Aunt Rong yesterday?"

Aunt Rong was Ian’s mother.

"Did Aunt Rong privately approach Thea Lynch?"

Pausing, Silas suddenly thought of something, "Don’t tell me Aunt Rong is still hung up on that matter?"