Chapter 159


    This wasn’t the first time Toby heard Sonia saying she didn’t love him. However, he had never taken


    it to heart—he had always assumed that she only said those words out of anger. He knew how


    much she cared for him in the past few years, after all. But Toby only came to a realization when he


    saw Sonia talking to Rose in a calm and civil manner—he realized that Sonia hadn’t said those


    words to infuriate him after all. She told Rose that she no longer loved him because that was the


    truth.


    At that moment, Toby felt a sharp and distinct ache in his heart, followed by a hollow sensation in


    his chest. He felt as if someone had taken something important away from him right then.


    Rose caught sight of his rather pale expression from the corner of her eye, and she shook her head


    as she let out a sigh. “I thought that I could do something to bring you two back together if you still


    had feelings for Toby, but... Ah, I guess this isn’t all bad.” The married couple’s rtionship used to


    be distant and cold in the past because Toby didn’t have feelings for Sonia back then. Now, Sonia’s


    the one who doesn’t have feelings for Toby. History would repeat itself if they got back together now,


    Rose thought.


    “I appreciate your thoughtfulness, Grandma. But I know that things between President Fuller and


    me will never work out,” Sonia uttered as she held onto the old woman’s hand. “I’m sorry for


    disappointing you, Grandma.”


    “What are you talking about, you silly girl? I’d rather see you happy than force you to be together


    with Toby. Look at your petite little face! You look so energetic nowadays. You used to look so worn


    out in the past—you didn’t even look like a young woman in your twenties back then. I think you’re


    doing a lot better now.” Rose cackled at the end of her sentence.


    Soniaughed along with Rose—the tension and worry in Sonia’s heart disappeared when she saw


    that Rose didn’t me her for anything. A whileter, she pulled out the ne that had been


    lying under her shirt—she recalled something that she had wanted to do. “I forgot to mention that I


    paid a visit to the old house recently, Grandma. I found a ne there. Look —is this the ne


    you were talking about?”


    A ne? Toby’s eyes narrowed when he overheard their conversation from the balcony. What


    ne?


    Rose lifted Sonia’s ne and took a look at it. “I’m not sure if this is the right one. Your dad was


    in a rush back then; he didn’t tell me what the ne looked like specifically. I’m not too sure


    either.”


    “This was the only ne I found in the house. There weren’t any other nes,” Sonia said as


    she lowered the pendant onto her chest.


    “I guess this is the right one, then,” Rose replied with a nod.


    Sonia bit on her lower lip before she spoke. “This ne looks really simr to the one that Julia


    wears around her neck. I went to the store and asked about it—they said that our nes were


    made as a pair for both mother and daughter. Julia’s ne is the mother’s one, while the one I’m


    holding onto is the daughter’s ne. I just don’t understand why Tina’s ne would show up


    in my house.”


    “Did you say that this ne belongs to the Gray Family?” Rose was stunned upon hearing


    Sonia’s words.


    Sonia nodded. “Yeah. Titus was the one who got someone to design the nes a little more than


    20 years ago. It was made as a gift for Julia and their newborn child, Tina.”


    “I remember now,” Rose said with a smile. “If the nes are really meant for the Grays, then the


    one with you isn’t for Tina. It was supposed to be for Rina.”


    “Rina?” Sonia tilted her head puzzledly. For some reason, she felt an inexplicable sensation


    bubbling in her chest once she heard that name. However, the feeling didn’tst for long—it


    disappeared almost immediately.


    “That’s right. The ne belonged to Rina, who’s the Grays’ eldest daughter. The whole Seafield


    was talking about it when Titus bought the nes—everyone was envious of Julia. However,


    Titus didn’t do anything simr when they had Tina, so this ne must belong to the eldest


    daughter.”


    Upon hearing Rose’s story, Sonia lowered her head to nce at the ne. “So the Gray Family


    has more than one daughter, huh. Why haven’t I ever heard them talking about their eldest


    daughter?”


    “Their eldest daughter died at a very young age,” Toby said as he pushed the door to let himself


    back into the room.


    Sonia widened her eyes in shock. “She died?”


    Rose nodded. “Yeah.”


    “Well, what’s this ne doing in my house then?” Sonia couldn’t understand the situation.


    Toby shot her a nce. “Do you want to know the answer?” he asked.


    “Doyou know the answer?” Sonia met his gaze.


    He didn’t give her a direct answer to that question. “I did some research on Rina when I first heard


    that Tina had an elder sister. Rina’s death is rted to your father.”


    “My father?” Sonia leaped to her feet as she was too surprised.


    Rose shook her head slowly. “All of this is due to the grudges held across the generations,” she


    muttered.


    Sonia’s lips trembled when she next spoke. “The incident that happened between the Grays and the


    Reeds all those years ago... Does that have something to do with Rina’s death?”


    “Hm?” Toby looked at her.


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    Sonia merely ignored him as she grabbed Rose’s arm and continued to speak. “Apart from paying


    you a visit, I’m also here to ask if something had happened between the Grays and the Reeds in the


    past. That’s the only exnation for how the ne showed up at the Reeds’ ce.” Sonia made


    her guess ording to the information she had so far.


    “Judging by what you said earlier, it seems like you might know something about this, Grandma.


    Please tell me about it. What happened between the two families? How is Rina’s death rted to


    my father? My father talked about a secret underlying the nes; was this what he was referring


    to?” Sonia eyed Rose with a pleading look in her eyes.


    Rose reached a hand out to stroke Sonia’s head. “Fine, I’ll tell you about it. I know that you’d find


    other ways to get to the bottom of the story, even if I refuse to tell you right now. I’d rather be the


    one to tell you about it. But I have to say, I hadn’t expected the ne that your father was talking


    about to belong to the Grays.”


    “Thank you, Grandma.” Tears of joy welled up in Sonia’s eyes. She had been worried that the old


    lady would refuse to tell her about it.


    Toby felt his insides twisting when he saw Sonia’s tears, and he immediately reached into his coat


    pocket to pull out a handkerchief for her. “Here, wipe your tears off.”


    Sonia looked dumbfounded for a moment before she shook her head. “It’s fine. I have my own.” She


    proceeded to pull out a packet of tissue from her bag without looking at his handkerchief at all.


    Toby shifted his gaze downward as his expression darkened. He tightened his fingers around his


    handkerchief before he kept it away.


    Serves him right, Rose thought when she saw the look on his face.


    “Okay, Grandma. You can start telling me now.” Sonia tugged her lips into a smile once she dried


    her tears.


    After Rose cleared her throat, she began with her story. “More than 20 years ago, Paradigm Co.


    invented a brand-new machine that had the ability to increase the quality of production. Your father


    was ted when he found out about it as he knew that Paradigm Co. finally had a chance tounch


    this product. But one day before that happened...”


    “What happened one day before that?” Sonia sped her palms together as she looked at the old


    woman anxiously.


    Rose patted Sonia’s hands sympathetically. “Titus somehow found out about the existence of this


    machine, and he ordered someone to steal the data away. Needless to say, Paradigm Co. failed to


    launch the product, and the main researchermitted suicide as he was too disappointed.”


    “What?” Sonia’s pupils shrank. “Did something like that happen?”


    Even Toby furrowed his brows—he clearly hadn’t heard this part of the story. Toby knew that Titus


    used hical tactics in his business, but Toby had never thought much about it. The enterprising


    field was a harsh ce, after all—it was normal for people to employ some immoral tactics. The


    government wouldn’t interfere as long as these entrepreneurs didn’t go out of line with their actions.


    However, no one had expected Titus tomit such an evil deed. He stole anotherpany’s


    confidential information, and he even indirectly murdered someone!


    “Your father became a public target after this incident. After the loss of the machine’s data and the


    suicide of his main researcher, your father didn’t just need tofort the people in Paradigm Co.;


    he also had to handle the hugepensation amounts. Your father lost his temper when he


    couldn’t fork out the money forpensation, so he decided to kidnap Titus s eldest daughter,”


    Rose uttered before heaving a sigh.