Our Love Story: Hard to Guard Against the Sudden Love Strike-Chapter 266 - 263: Leaving Disappointed

The High Court isn’t easy to enter, Simon Forrester had to put in a lot of effort to get a meeting with Quentin Thorne.

Quentin Thorne had just finished a meeting, walked over from a distance, and seeing Simon Forrester standing by the corridor window deep in thought, a flicker of subtle surprise sparkled in his eyes. He signaled his secretary to leave and smiled as he approached Simon Forrester, "Rex, how come you’ve found time to come by today?"

Simon Forrester snapped out of his reverie and looked at Quentin Thorne with a very complex expression in his eyes, "Uncle Thorne, there’s something I want to ask you."

"Alright, come on inside quickly." Quentin Thorne opened the office door.

Simon Forrester followed him inside and sat down on the sofa.

Quentin Thorne boiled water, preparing to wash the tea set and brew tea.

As the water boiled, he adjusted his frameless glasses on the bridge of his nose and asked, "Did something happen?"

Simon Forrester didn’t beat around the bush, looked into his eyes, and straightforwardly asked, "Uncle Thorne, between 1988 and 1990, did you go to Wrayhaven?"

Quentin Thorne’s expression paused; his initially smiling face suddenly showed a trace of fine conflict.

Simon Forrester watched him closely, not missing any subtle expression on his face.

The atmosphere suddenly plunged into silence.

Perhaps it was difficult to lie in front of a junior like Simon Forrester, or maybe Quentin Thorne had never intended to lie about this matter. He nodded calmly, "Those three years, I served as a rural volunteer teacher in Wrayhaven."

"Then do you know an aunt named Melinda Linton?"

Simon Forrester asked, anticipating Quentin Thorne’s response, which was another nod: "Yes, I know her."

Simon Forrester looked at him with a complicated expression and then took out Sienna Thornton’s five-inch identification photo, sliding it across the table to Quentin Thorne.

Quentin Thorne picked it up to inspect, his hand trembling slightly.

In the photo, Sienna Thornton wore a white shirt, her long hair smoothly tucked behind her ear, with no makeup, her lips crimson and cheeks slightly flushed, smiling at the camera with crescent-shaped eyes.

Those eyes mirrored Quentin Thorne’s when he smiled.

"This photo was taken six years ago when she obtained her lawyer’s license. That year was crucial for her life; she graduated from Braden University, passed the national judicial examination, and successfully applied for her PhD at Harvard Law School, receiving a half scholarship from Harvard," Simon Forrester spoke, his voice tightening, "Your daughter is outstanding, but sadly, you missed her growing up."

Simon Forrester called Sienna Thornton Quentin Thorne’s daughter, and Quentin Thorne didn’t deny it, even seriously studied the photo of Sienna Thornton, remaining silent for a long time, occasionally using his thumb to rub the cheeks of the girl on the photograph.

After a long time, he asked hoarsely, "Has Annie been... doing well these years?"

Simon Forrester curled his lips mockingly, "Do you want to hear the truth or a lie?"

Quentin Thorne said nothing.

Simon Forrester looked at him, gritted his teeth, and helplessly shook his head, "If you want to know what’s happened to her all these years, you should ask her yourself. I’m not sure whether she wants you to know."

"I will." Quentin Thorne replied, and then he asked, "Is her mother alright?"

"She’s quite good now. Last year, Sienna moved her to settle in Brimfield."

If she’s doing well now, it means she wasn’t before. Quentin Thorne understood that back then when Melinda Linton remarried while pregnant in that impoverished and isolated village, it’s imaginable what kind of things and men she would encounter.

At this moment, his heart was deeply mourning, his eyes behind the lenses were already turning red.

Both he and Simon Forrester sat silently, each with many questions for the other, but unsure where to begin.

Simon Forrester couldn’t bear it any longer and spoke directly, "When do you plan to reunite with Sienna? She has been searching for you, for a long time. Azure Harbor already promised to recommend her for a PhD in Britione, but she stayed in Brimfield looking for you; otherwise, she’s already acquired resident status through the Azure Harbor Talent Program."

Seeing Quentin Thorne unresponsive, Simon Forrester’s heart trembled, and disbelief flashed in his eyes, but upon thinking slightly, he guessed Quentin Thorne’s intentions.

He probed, "You don’t want to reunite with Sienna?"

Quentin Thorne still didn’t answer.

Simon Forrester was shocked, a fiery anger surged from his feet to his head, disregarding Quentin Thorne as an elder or possibly future father-in-law, saying sternly, "If you don’t plan to reunite with Sienna, then I hope you never appear before her, let her believe you’re no longer in this world!"

Quentin Thorne remained unresponsive, just looking down at the photo in his hands.

Simon Forrester felt as if punching a pillow, both furious and helpless, "Since you’re like this, then let it be! I won’t come looking for you about this matter anymore. Also, Sienna and I should be married this year; you decide on that."

After saying this, he stood up to leave.

"Rex." Quentin Thorne suddenly called out.

Simon Forrester halted his steps, his heart tightening with anticipation. He thought Quentin Thorne called him to inform him of his plans to reunite with Sienna Thornton as father and daughter.

But Quentin Thorne said—

"Can you not tell Annie that I’m her father?"

Simon Forrester: "..."

His heart ached to tears.

Recalling the few times Sienna Thornton expressed vulnerability and helplessness due to the uncertainty of her father’s identity, his heart wrenched, eyes reddening as if shedding blood. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

He wanted to leave this wretched place, never wishing to see this opportunistic old man again.

But when he thought of Sienna Thornton crying and yearning for her father, he couldn’t move his legs.

He stood there, continually taking deep breaths, trying to calm the overwhelming anguish within. Though knowing he couldn’t sway Quentin Thorne, he still wanted to fight for Sienna Thornton once more.

He swallowed his emotions, turning his back against Quentin Thorne, his throat choked with emotion, "Uncle Thorne, while you provided Mina Thorne with a life of luxury, did you know what Sienna was experiencing? After entering high school, she never asked her family for a penny again. During her thirteen years away from home for education, do you know what kind of life she led? Her hardship was due to your absence as her biological father! Are you not at all guilty? Have you not thought of making amends?"

The more he spoke, the more agitated he became, and the photo of Mina Thorne he wasn’t planning to show came out "bang" onto Quentin Thorne’s desk in his emotional zeal.

"Before coming, I thought you didn’t know about this, so I prepared Mina Thorne’s photo, wanting you to see how alike your two daughters look! I didn’t think these photos would be needed, but now it seems otherwise! Just take a serious look, at your young daughter who grew up carefree under your protection, and then look at your older daughter who lived a life of fear and misfortune from childhood, pitiful and tragic!"

Leaving behind these words, Simon Forrester walked away without looking back. Yet Quentin Thorne remained silent until Simon Forrester departed, never expressing his intentions about Sienna Thornton.