This feeling was very foreign to him; his sister had always been somewhat indifferent to him. Perhaps she was unable to do anything about it. Besides knowing that they were siblings with a blood relation, Luther Holmes didn't know much about her situation, and he knew that her life hadn't been particularly good these past years either. He didn't want to disturb her, so he just accepted their separate destinies.
She was looking through his textbooks.
For several years, he had no interest in studying. After all, no one cared whether his grades were good or bad, nor did anyone care how he was getting along.
The textbooks had been distributed, but he had scarcely flipped through a few pages.
Tiana Williams glanced through them indifferently and realized that the content was fairly simple, although it would take some effort for her high school peers to solve the questions with their way of thinking.
"Does Vincent Holmes really not care about you?"
A faint voice came through, sounding very calm.
Luther Holmes's lips twitched slightly, but he didn't answer. Instead, he just lowered his eyes indifferently and slowly closed them.
Tiana Williams looked down at him, a sense of superiority in her gaze. She already had her answer. She collected the books and papers, then suddenly turned and left the hospital room.
Only after the sound of footsteps faded away did Luther Holmes open his eyes again. The hospital room had returned to its original silence...
Even though it felt somewhat unfamiliar, Tiana Williams couldn't really neglect Luther Holmes. Perhaps it was due to that faint emotion linked by their bloodline.
...
In the end, Tiana Williams did make a trip back to the Tower Clan's home.
Since leaving the Tower Clan, Tiana Williams rarely visited the family courtyard. Everything about the Tower Clan made her feel both unfamiliar and nostalgic, just like the small building in front of her—
Thinking back, it seemed like a very long time had passed!
She couldn't seem to remember when was the last time she returned here.
This place held many of her childhood memories. Even though times had changed and she couldn't quite remember certain things, this place was ultimately a distant dream to her...
The guard at the gate was still Uncle Fu from before, but he seemed somewhat older after so many years.
When Uncle Fu saw Tiana Williams, he was startled at first, but he quickly let her pass.
The front yard, once filled with her mother's favorite white jasmine, had been completely replaced with Jasmine Hayes's preferred champagne roses. The swing set her grandpa had built with his own hands was gone, replaced by a gazebo...
Almost nothing remained of the original scene. It seemed as everything related to her mother and grandfather was being erased, the landscape drastically altered, as if it all made sense, much like that woman who couldn't wait to take her mother's place.
And the young, frail her could only watch these changes indifferently, powerless, while ridiculing the fickleness of the world in her heart. The so-called deep affection was nothing in the face of changing circumstances.
Yesterday, Berlina Holmes mentioned that there was a private wine party at home today, and indeed, the sounds of clamor could be heard coming from the backyard, with servants bustling about.
Tiana Williams walked past the front yard and directly into the villa.
The first person to notice her was Mother Kingston, who had worked for the Tower Clan for over ten years.
"Miss... Miss... is it really you..."
Upon seeing Tiana Williams's appearance, Mother Kingston's expression tightened, and her eyes held a complex look. After glancing at her, she continued, "Miss, you're here for the wine party hosted by the second young lady, right? Please, put on some shoe covers. I'll get them for you..."
As she spoke, she took a pair of shoe covers from a nearby shoe cabinet and handed them to Tiana Williams.
Tiana Williams gave her a sidelong glance, quiet, but her eyes carried an intense authority that instantly froze Mother Kingston in place.
Not only did Tiana not change her course, but she also walked straight in, her target clear—the second floor—
The rooms she and Young Master Luther Holmes used to stay in were both on the second floor, two large rooms next to each other, with windows that overlooked the great lake. Their grandfather even had rooms designed specifically to suit their styles.
Guided by her memory, Tiana quickly arrived at the door of her former room and reached out to open it.
But...
What greeted her eyes was a swath of champagne pink, giving off an immediate high-end princess room vibe.
This certainly wasn't her room, since she knew very well that this color was a favorite of Jasmine Hayes and Berlina Holmes, mother and daughter.
The room had been completely transformed, with no trace of her belongings!
A dark undertow surfaced in the depths of Tiana's starry eyes, her expression freezing for a few seconds before she suddenly turned and strode towards the room next door.
Upon opening the door, she saw—
Indeed, the interior had also undergone a drastic change, styled in a Captain America theme that clearly wasn't to Luther's liking, but rather... Hugh Holmes'!
The rooms belonging to her and Luther had both been taken over by the siblings, Berlina and Hugh Holmes!
And indeed, the Holmes siblings used to live in the small house next to the villa or on the first floor...
"Where is Young Master Luther Holmes's room? Who permitted you to touch my room?"
Tiana suddenly turned her head, her gaze dark and sinister as she looked at Mother Kingston, who had followed her. The chilling and oppressive look in her eyes made Mother Kingston tremble slightly, too scared to respond, and her gaze drifted towards the loft space...
Following her line of sight, Tiana's eyes turned even more somber as she stepped determinedly towards it.
Thud—
The heavy door swung open to reveal a small bedroom that could barely accommodate a small bed and a desk, its cramped space oppressively suffocating, without even a single window.
Having lived there for so many years, Tiana was well aware of its intended use!
It was meant for storing goods and couldn't possibly be suitable for someone to live in for extended periods, especially a growing child like Luther. How could Vincent Holmes bear to move Luther into such a repressive, cramped space?
In an instant, Tiana's expression turned excessively grim, and Mother Kingston, following behind, also wore a look of surprise and unease!
Unexpectedly, the young lady who had barely returned in the past several years had come back so directly today without any prior notice, and even rushed upstairs... it did seem a bit presumptuous, but...
Madam had yet to return, leaving her unsure of how to handle the situation. The younger Miss would also be busy preparing for the private party later and certainly wouldn't have time to deal with this, so...
Tiana took in the situation at a glance, her aura of cold detachment undoubtedly intimidating.
"Young Master Luther Holmes is about to prepare for his college entrance exams and needed a relatively quiet and simple environment, so that's why he was moved here, we..."
Before she could finish speaking, Tiana swept a glance at her, her eyes oppressive and her smiling-not-smiling tone asking, "Whose idea was this?"
The icy tone sounded like needles piercing the skin, sending an involuntary shiver down her spine. Mother Kingston stared blankly at Tiana, not daring to utter a word.
PS: Second update, the book has already reached the 60th rank on the new book list. Let's keep up the effort and push the ranking higher! Votes, check-ins, comments—keep them coming, kisses—