“Uncle James.”
Henry’s voice was calm, but there was something in his eyes, something laced with caution, as he watched the two men walking toward him.
The man standing in front of him did look like the James he remembered—thick eyebrows, sharp features, a sculpted nose and thin lips.
But now, whether it was because of age or the toll of illness, he looked gaunt, almost oddly so.
The sharp angles of his once-handsome face had lost their balance, his overall appearance more fragile than Henry would’ve expected.
“You’ve got to be Henry,” James said as he stopped in front of him, tilting his head slightly, his voice tinged with nostalgia.
“Feels like yesterday—I left for overseas, and you were just a little kid.”
He held up his hand, making a gesture to show how small Henry once was.
“Time flies, huh?
More than ten years gone in a blink, and now here you are, all grown up.
You’ve changed a lot.”
“Well, who hasn’t?” Henry’s lips curled slightly, his tone dipped in undertones.
“When you left, the Lawson Corp was hanging on by a thread.
Now, fourteen years later, we all thought you were…
long gone.
Hard to believe you and the company both made a comeback.”
“Henry!
That’s no way to talk to your uncle!” Helen cut in sharply, clearly disapproving.
“It’s fine,” James replied with a light chuckle, brushing off the tension.
“That time, yeah, leaving might’ve been reckless.
I thought it’d just be a quick trip abroad to chase investment…
but then the accident happened.
Honestly, there were moments I thought I wouldn’t make it.”
He shook his head, laughing softly.
“Guess fate cut me some slack.
Somehow, I kept surviving the worst.
And now that I’m back—maybe not too late after all, right?”
The words hung in the air as the two men stared at each other, saying nothing more.
But the air was heavy, the silence thick.
James was the one who finally broke it.
“Let’s not just talk about me,” he said, sighing a little.
“I only found out about your dad recently.
I’m sorry.”
Then his gaze shifted, sliding past Henry to the girl standing behind him.
“I heard…
you took in the daughter of that driver involved in the accident?”
His eyes locked onto Lydia.
“Is this her?”
James studied Lydia closely.
His eyes gleamed just slightly, something flickering behind them.
He scanned her from head to toe, subtle but purposeful, before forcing down the storm in his chest.
So this was her.
After all those years of searching…
here she was, right in front of him.
All that effort hadn’t been for nothing.
James’s stare made Lydia feel a little uncomfortable.
It was like his eyes were full of chill, like she was being watched by a snake, and it made her skin crawl.
But he was Henry’s uncle, a senior in every way.
She had no choice but to suppress the unease in her chest and politely bowed to greet him.
Henry seemed to pick up on how uneasy the woman behind him felt.
Without saying a word, he stepped between the two, his tall, broad figure cutting off James’ line of sight.
That little move made Lydia secretly breathe a sigh of relief.
She looked at his back, a bit dazed.
So…
he still cares about me, right?
James noticed, but only gave a nonchalant smile and shifted his gaze.
“Alright, since everyone’s here, let’s eat.”
Helen could also tell something was off between the two men.
She felt both anxious and frustrated.
On paper, they should’ve been closest, but now… New chapters come out on g.com first.
Of course, she couldn’t just come out and say it, so she quickly changed the subject.
Clara had been watching the whole thing closely, and quickly jumped in to echo Helen’s words.
Just as Lydia was about to follow Henry to the dining area, Clara suddenly turned to her.
“Miss Abbott, aren’t you one of the maids?
Since you’re already here, why don’t you go help out in the kitchen?”
Lydia froze for a second, instinctively looking over at Henry.
“What are you standing there for?” he said coldly, not even sparing her a glance.
“Didn’t you hear what Miss Spencer said?”
Her heart sank, the ache spreading slowly, but she forced a smile and nodded.
—Got it, I’ll go right now.
Watching Lydia leave, Clara let out a satisfied breath, clearly in a great mood.
Hmph, Lydia—who cares what your real background is?
As long as I’m still here, don’t think you’ll have it easy.
Being a maid is honestly the best-case scenario for you.
But if you’ve got other ideas…
The malice in Clara’s eyes flashed briefly before vanishing.
“Alright, no need to let someone like her spoil the mood,” said Helen with clear disdain.
She had no fondness for Lydia and was more than happy to have her out of the way.
Everyone headed toward the dining room and sat down.
Soon enough, the servants brought out an array of beautifully plated dishes.
“Henry,” Helen began just as they settled in, “since your uncle’s home and Clara’s back too, why don’t we go ahead and bring up your and Clara’s engagement?”
She smiled, beaming with enthusiasm.
“You two practically grew up together.
It’s just that Clara went abroad for school all those years.
Now she’s back and all grown up—it’s a perfect time.
Let’s not drag this out anymore.”
Just then, Lydia walked in with a bowl of soup in hand, and froze on the spot when she heard Helen’s words.