Faux Vows, True Desires

Chapter 359

Lucinda's smile was as radiant as a bouquet of fresh flowers.

She never thought that Stefan's gesture of gifting flowers would surpass Owen's.

In fact, there was truth in what he said.

The sea of flowers that Owen had arranged, after a whole day under the scorching sun, could literally be used as firewood.

The flowers that Stefan had gifted her, however, were potted plants. All they needed was regular watering, fertilization, and the loosening of their soil. They would bloom year after year, making them a lasting gift.

When Tiffany, who had come to do Lucinda's makeup, saw the sea of flowers, she was in awe. When she found out that they were a gift from Stefan, she shot a sideways glance at Liam, who had accompanied her.

"Why is it that Stefan, out of all your siblings, is the only one who's exceptional? You, on the other hand, are like a log. Even if I kicked you twice, you'd only flip over once, incapable of even rolling."

Liam was at a loss. "What did I do wrong?"

Was he really that inferior to his older brother?

All ten siblings in their family were bright and accomplished.

Seeing that Liam was clueless about the obvious, Tiffany left him in a huff and went over to Lucinda.

Liam, sensing that Tiffany's mood had changed, was bewildered. He had never noticed before how quickly Tiffany's moods could change.

"Lucy, let me finish my job first, and then you can continue enjoying your flowers."

Tiffany's temper quickly cooled down. By the time she approached Lucinda and her husband, she was back to her usual self.

"Alright."

Worried about being late, Lucinda quickly followed Tiffany into the house.

After the two ladies had left, Liam walked over to his brothers.

"What was up with Tiffany just now? What did I do wrong again? She's always praising Stefan while putting me down. I wouldn't stand for it if it were anyone else. I'd have to fight them."

Campbell wanted to say something, but Eric pulled him back. Campbell looked at his brother and saw him making gestures, so he swallowed his words.

Stefan, tired of explaining things to his clueless little brother, said dismissively, "Think about it yourself."

Then he turned around and went back inside.

Liam was left speechless.

Hayes, who was a guest and unaware of the backstory, tried to help Liam understand. "Liam, I think Ms. Tiffany might be envious. Aren't you and Ms. Tiffany a couple? Could it be that you've never given her flowers?"

Without thinking, Liam replied, "With so many flowers at home, why should I give her more? She can pick any flower she likes."

Hayes was silent for a moment, and then he said, "Even a man like you can have a woman who likes you. That's something us single guys would be envious of."

Feeling a little proud, Liam said, "Tiffany and I have known each other since we were children."

"No wonder," Hayes answered. Without that childhood friendship, Liam would probably have been a bachelor forever.

Everyone else left, not wanting to deal with Liam, the lucky man.

Liam touched his nose and saw his grandparents approaching. He quickly greeted them.

He walked over and gently assisted his grandmother. The old lady gave him a sharp look and said, "Stop trying to win favor with me. Your relationship with Tiffany is none of my business. If anyone should intervene, it should be your parents. If a proposal is to be made, it should be your parents who make it."

With a dejected look, Liam said, "I've already asked my parents. They said that Tiffany told them she hasn't accepted my proposal yet. Even if my parents were to bring a generous dowry to propose, she and her family would not agree." NôvelDrama.Org copyrighted © content.

"Grandma, Tiffany respects you a lot. Can you help me propose to the Paisley family? I've proposed to Tiffany countless times, but she refuses to accept."

Before Liam's grandmother could answer, Patrick slapped Liam's shoulder. Despite his age, he was still quite strong.

Liam rubbed his shoulder where he had been hit, looking at his grandfather with an innocent expression.

"There must be a reason for him to hit me, right?"

"Using Hayes' words from earlier, the fact that a woman like Tiffany likes you is your good fortune. If you and Tiffany weren't childhood friends who grew up together, you'd be a bachelor. You don't pursue other women, and you don't care when other women pursue you."

"Tiffany is the only woman I love. Why should I care about other women?"

"You like Tiffany, but have you ever confessed your feelings to her? Have you ever pursued her? Have you ever given her a gift? Look at your brother Stefan's grand gesture. Can't you learn from him? How could I have a grandson with such low EQ? It's an insult to my genes. Your father was very proactive when he was courting your mother. You haven't inherited any of that!"

Liam was berated by his grandfather.

He muttered under his breath, "Who doesn't know I love Tiffany? She knows it too. Why do I need to say it out loud? We're practically married. It would be much simpler to just get married. She doesn't need any gifts. She has everything she needs. I really can't think of any gift to give her."

Looking at the flowers in the yard, he had a moment of realization. "Did Tiffany want me to give her a yard full of flowers? She could have just said so. I can have someone bring flowers from our garden right now. I'll make sure our small courtyard is filled to the brim."

"If your brother has already done that, what's the point of you doing it too? There's no surprise in it. Can't you think of something else? Everyone knows you love Tiffany, but would it kill you to tell her 'I love you'?"

Patrick was so frustrated with his grandson's low emotional intelligence.

Originally, the old couple didn't want to intervene in his relationship with Tiffany. After all, the two had grown up together and were childhood sweethearts. Both families knew this and were ready for their wedding at any time.

But Tiffany, being a girl, couldn't help but envy Lucinda and Stefan's loving relationship. Unfortunately, Liam was so clueless he couldn't see it.

Patrick felt that if he didn't directly enlighten his grandson, he might still be single even when his great-grandchild was born.

"Tiffany's not lacking for anything, but what you give her, it carries a different meaning. Even if you gave her a blade of grass, if it's from you, she'd cherish it. You really don't understand a woman's heart, you're as clueless as they come."

Liam blinked several times, taking a moment before responding, "I see, I get it now."

"Do you really get it?"

Liam quickly nodded, "Grandpa, I get it, thanks for the wake-up call. No wonder Tiffany kept turning down my proposals, my brother always said it was my fault, and he was right. I didn't truly understand what Tiffany wanted."

He had always been focused on making her commit to him.

He completely overlooked what she was thinking and what she wanted.