Chapter 457: Chapter 457: She Is the Sheridan Family’s Daughter
"Are you very busy?" Ann Vaughn also stood up, hearing his question and thinking he was going to leave immediately, she looked around the living room somewhat reluctantly.
Just as she was about to answer, Cyrus Hawthorne’s sharp eyes suddenly narrowed, quickly scanning the direction outside the door before retracting his gaze after a moment.
He intended to say something, but upon seeing the disappointment and reluctance in Ann Vaughn’s eyes, the word lingering on Cyrus Hawthorne’s lips transformed into a gentle tone, barely noticeable: "Not busy."
Upon hearing this, Ann Vaughn’s eyes regained their sparkle, blinking as she looked at him, "Then let’s leave a little later?"
"Hmm."
"That’s great!" Ann Vaughn was so happy she almost jumped for joy, hugging the letter in her arms as she headed towards the backyard, completely forgetting to ask for the photo album still in Cyrus Hawthorne’s hand.
Halfway there, a thought suddenly flashed in Ann Vaughn’s mind, and she ran back, stood on tiptoe, and planted a heavy kiss on Cyrus Hawthorne’s thin lips!
"Thank you, Quinn, I really like this birthday gift, the best!"
As she said this, her eyes brimmed with a soft, warm smile, as if she had fallen into a dazzling array of sunshine, bright and radiant, unable to be corrupted by the chilling wind in the room.
She collided head-on with the hardest part of Cyrus Hawthorne’s heart, softening a corner.
After speaking, Ann Vaughn wanted to leave, but suddenly Cyrus Hawthorne grabbed her slender wrist, the icy cold temperature sent a shiver through her skin.
So cold...
Could a normal person’s body temperature be so low?
Ann Vaughn paused for a moment, just about to ask when she realized there was something hard in her palm.
Looking down, there was a midnight blue circular velvet box.
"Open it and take a look." His deep voice resembled the sound of metal and stone, carrying a seriousness that made Ann Vaughn’s little face also become solemn.
She opened the velvet box and saw an ancient ring lying quietly inside, its texture felt like soft jade, cool and gentle to the touch, with intricate and exquisite unknown engravings on the surface, evoking a solemn sense that swept over her.
What a beautiful ring!
Ann Vaughn delightedly picked it up and tried it on each finger, finding that it fit perfectly on her ring finger, causing her eyes to crinkle with joy, "Does it look good?"
Cyrus Hawthorne’s gaze fell on her delicate fingers, even more accentuated by the soft jade, his thin lips slightly curved, "Not bad."
"It’s just a bit too big." After fiddling with it for a while, Ann Vaughn noticed the ring’s size was a bit large, not suited for everyday wear.
Hearing this, Cyrus Hawthorne caught Ann Vaughn’s small hand and gently twisted the ring, which appeared oversized on her hand, transforming it into a delicate bracelet.
Ann Vaughn was a bit surprised, shaking the bracelet on her wrist, "Is there a mechanism inside the ring?"
"Hmm." Cyrus replied in a deep voice, "Take good care of it, to prevent losing it."
"I won’t, I’m not—" Before finishing her sentence, Ann Vaughn’s face suddenly changed, the joy in her eyes turning to fear, "Oh no!"
Seeing her face change, Cyrus Hawthorne’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "What happened?"
Ann Vaughn didn’t have time to answer, she quickly emptied her small shoulder bag, searching through everything, but couldn’t find that object!
"My Dragon Marrow Jade Longevity Token is missing!"
With the sudden turn of events, and knowing from her grandfather’s letter that the Dragon Marrow Jade Longevity Token was possibly the key to finding her biological parents, Ann Vaughn’s mind went blank for a moment.
She hadn’t even noticed it was gone!
Yet she couldn’t remember when the token was lost, and her desire to stay in the old house quickly faded, wanting only to return and search for it.
But...
Ann Vaughn’s eyebrows furrowed tightly, memories she had forgotten began to surface.
Old Master Saxon once said a man had come to him with Dragon Marrow Jade, wanting him to carve a Longevity Token, with the jade split into two, one piece for the elder son, the other for the younger daughter.
Unfortunately, before the second token was completed, that man forced his wife and daughter to their deaths, taking one token with him, while leaving the other with Old Master Saxon.
But thinking back on her grandfather’s letter and Old Master Saxon’s words, it seemed from the start he had lied to her about the Longevity Token’s truth to conceal it.
Perhaps... the two Dragon Marrow Jades were not for the elder son and younger daughter, but for the twin children, a son and a daughter!
Moreover, on Silas Master Moore’s engagement day, Old Master Saxon had told Ann Vaughn that the man’s wife in his story had twins, and that woman was—
Wife of Marinia’s wealthiest Sheridan family, Stanley Sheridan!
Ann Vaughn’s entire body shuddered suddenly, her heart clenched by a nameless force, the absurdity of it all leaving her breathless.
No wonder Grandpa Saxon told her such an ethereal tale of past events.
No wonder Grandpa Saxon, Sister Quinn, and Levitt all said she resembled an old acquaintance, yet told her to stay away from the Sheridan Family.
Because she is... the daughter of the Sheridan Family!
In an instant, Ann Vaughn felt waves of coldness wash over her, her body instinctively tensing, looking at Cyrus Hawthorne with fragile eyes, "Quinn, I seem to... have discovered who my biological parents are."
Her voice carried a hint of hoarseness, an indescribable bewilderment, "Actually, when I first saw Wilder Sheridan’s face, I already felt something, but I didn’t dare think much without evidence. Until returning to the Sheridan Family, listening to Stanley Sheridan’s words, I completely dismissed the idea."
Cyrus Hawthorne stood silently by her side, occasionally rubbing her neck in subtle comfort.
"I even thought, if I really was the daughter of the Sheridan Family, how could they mistake me for Cynthia Sheridan? It seems they never sincerely wanted to acknowledge their daughter; it could have been anyone."
"Grandpa Saxon said that Shuhua Vaughn was forced to death by Stanley Sheridan, and the daughter the Sheridan Family claimed was missing was actually forced to death with Shuhua Vaughn."
The gentle pressure on the back of her neck unknowingly calmed Ann Vaughn, her dazed eyes regained focus, "So I thought, with such a father, it doesn’t matter if I acknowledge him or not."
A father who can’t even recognize his own daughter, does he deserve to be a father?
The important thing is, Ann Vaughn will never forget the condescending way Stanley Sheridan told her she would never step foot into the Sheridan Family.
"Forget it." Ann Vaughn gently smiled, the sadness in her eyes hidden away, replaced by a smile, "Since we weren’t meant to be, there’s no need to force anything."