Chapter 50: Goodbye, Uncle (2)
The wind picked up, rustling the curtains.
Willis walked to the window and closed it.
Both of them lay on the bed.
Another thunderous roar, louder than the previous ones, shook the room.
Helena shivered instinctively.
Willis pulled her into his arms, covering her ears. He kissed her forehead and whispered, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here. Sleep now.”
Helena murmured in agreement, snuggling into his embrace like a kitten finding a comfortable spot, quickly drifting into a deep sleep.
One week later.
After having breakfast with Willis, Helena got into the driver’s car to visit her grandmother at the hospital.
As soon as she got out of the car, she received a call from an unfamiliar number, a young man who claimed to be Ryan’s assistant. He politely said, “Helena, our chairman would like to meet with you.”
Thinking about what Ryan had said to Willis on Jenny’s birthday, Helena felt a heavy weight in her heart, as if she were about to undergo a painful trial.
But Ryan was an elder, and she had no reason to refuse to meet him.
They agreed to meet at a coffee shop near the hospital at 10 am.
Helena arrived ten minutes early.
Exactly ten minutes later, Ryan arrived punctually.
He had a stern appearance, a solemn expression, and an imposing presence. Even without saying a word, he made people feel an inexplicable pressure.
Helena felt a slight nervousness as she stood up and greeted him with a polite “Dad.”
Ryan nodded, signaling her to sit.
Once seated, he ordered a black coffee, glanced at his watch, and said, “I’m busy, and I don’t have much time to beat around the bush, so I’ll get straight to the point.”
Helena’s heart pounded, but she maintained a polite smile. “Please go ahead.”
Ryan lifted his coffee cup, took a sip, and continued, “As you know, I have two sons, Bruce and Willis. Although Willis is the younger one, he is more talented, and I value him more. Three years ago, he joined the company and quickly distinguished himself. Unfortunately, he had an accident later. If not for the accident, considering your background, you would never have crossed the class barrier to marry him. You two are from completely different worlds.”
His words were cutting, as if he was pointing at her and accusing her of being a lower-class person who had climbed too high.
The smile on Helena’s face froze, and she gripped the cup handle tightly with her fingers.
Ryan looked at her meaningfully. “The Santana and the Varley have been doing business for many years, and Willis and Susan have known each other since childhood. We always considered Susan as a potential daughter-in-law. When Susan went abroad, you, looking like her, were chosen as Willis’s wife. Willis needed someone to accompany him, and that person could be you or anyone resembling Susan.”
Helena always thought she had a strong mental fortitude.
But at this moment, she truly felt a bit overwhelmed.
She tightly pressed her lips, said nothing, and held the cup firmly in her hands, lowering her head.Material © NôvelDrama.Org.
Tears welled up in her eyes, seemingly ready to overflow in the next second.
Ryan’s ruthless voice echoed in her ears again, “You’ve devoted three years of your youth, helped Willis a lot, but he has also helped you a lot. Let’s talk about money. The money you received from Willis is something many people can’t earn in their entire lives. Being wise, Helena, you should know when to stop. You’re an intelligent girl; you should know what to do.”
After a while, Helena made a low sound of acknowledgment.
Seeing her agreeing, Ryan showed a slight smile. “Our meeting today, don’t tell Willis about it. You’re a reasonable child, and you probably wouldn’t want to see any distance between me and him because of such trivial matters.”
Trivial matters?
Helena laughed at herself.
For her, it was a significant matter, but for him, it was a trivial matter.
She forcibly held back her tears, lifted her head, and looked at him. She said lightly, “I understand.”
Ryan’s smile deepened. “You’re a good child. Uncle actually likes you. The only problem is your family. Uncle is a businessman, and the company is the result of generations of effort from our Santana family. Don’t blame Uncle for being realistic. That’s how society works.”
The term “Uncle” made Helena laugh.
He probably had never considered her as family.
“I understand, Uncle, goodbye.” With that, Helena grabbed her bag, stood up, and left.
Because she had prepared herself mentally, Helena didn’t feel too sad.
When she left the Western restaurant, her face was remarkably calm, as if nothing had happened. Her back was straight and upright.
She didn’t cry; not a single tear was shed.
However, when she returned to the hospital, she sat in the small garden for the entire morning.
There was a wisteria in the garden.
She sat on a bench under the wisteria, quietly admiring the flowers.
The wisteria was in full bloom, hanging in large clusters on the branches. Tiny flowers gathered closely together.
She used to think that these were lively and vibrant flowers, but today she discovered that they were quite sorrowful. The densely packed flowers seemed to be filled with unplaceable sadness.
A sadness on the verge of overflowing.
She focused so much on the flowers that she didn’t notice someone watching her from a distance.
It was a tall man with well-defined muscles, dressed in high-quality casual black attire, and wearing a mask on his face.
He had very beautiful eyes, deep and black, with long, dark eyelashes. While his eyes were cold when looking at others, they were warm and full of affection when he looked at Helena. His gaze was clear, moist, and naturally carried a sense of deep emotion.
Helena sat for a long time, and he silently watched for a long time.
Only when Helena left safely did he completely disappear into the crowd.