Chapter 671
Chapter 671
Chapter 671 Father
The envelope was a pale purple one with a stamp on it. I took it and replied in a sad voice, "Mr. and Mrs. Gant, please accept my condolences. Francesca is no longer with us, but I'm here to help if you need anything."
Of course, Francesca's parents didn't actually need my help. It was just a polite gesture. But if they truly needed me, I would be willing to do so.
Francesca's mother, Azariah Mooney, was weeping as she sorrowfully said, "Thank you, Mrs. Xenos. Francesca mentioned that you were the person who understood her the most. Thank you for bringing her comfort during her lifetime, and thank you for attending her funeral and saying those kind words to us."
I turned around and glanced at the coffin.
Inside the coffin lay a beautiful and proud woman.
Shawn and I left the main hall. Upon entering our room, I immediately contacted Leon. "Where are you? Are you at Francesca's funeral?"
"No, I'm outside the villa. Her parents wouldn't let me in to see her. I just saw you two arrive."
Leon sounded very calm.
I paused for a moment before deciding, "I'll come out."
Then, I hung up the phone and looked down at the letter in my hand. The people around me had a habit of writing letters before their passing.
Meanwhile, Shawn was standing in front of a floor-to-ceiling window, looking outside. I stood up and asked, "What are you looking at? By the way, I'm going to see Leon later."
"There's someone down there who looks familiar."
I went over and looked down, only to see a crowded gathering below. Confused, I asked, "Who are you referring to?"
Shawn pointed to a corner.
Following his pointing, I looked over and saw an elderly man.
The wrinkles on the elder's face were deeply etched.
His gaze seemed rather sinister.
Right now, he was counting the flower baskets down there.
He must be a servant of the Gant Family.
But how did Shawn know him?
"Do you know him?" I asked with curiosity.
Shawn's voice was cold. "I saw his photo before. Waylen mentioned that he's been living overseas, so I didn't expect to see him here."
"He should be from the Gant Family."
Shawn nodded and turned around to sit on a sofa. I stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, hesitating before opening the envelope.
'Ms. Felix,
'By the time you receive this letter, I should no longer be in this world. Although I don't want to think this way, I'm well aware of the risks of the surgery and the fact that I'm unlikely to survive it.
'With these thoughts in mind, I believe it is necessary to make preparations in advance.
'So, I wrote a few letters.
The envelope wos o pole purple one with o stomp on it. I took it ond replied in o sod voice, "Mr. ond Mrs. Gont, pleose occept my condolences. Froncesco is no longer with us, but I'm here to help if you need onything."
Of course, Froncesco's porents didn't octuolly need my help. It wos just o polite gesture. But if they truly needed me, I would be willing to do so.
Froncesco's mother, Azorioh Mooney, wos weeping os she sorrowfully soid, "Thonk you, Mrs. Xenos. Froncesco mentioned thot you were the person who understood her the most. Thonk you for bringing her comfort during her lifetime, ond thonk you for ottending her funerol ond soying those kind words to us."
I turned oround ond glonced ot the coffin.
Inside the coffin loy o beoutiful ond proud womon.
Shown ond I left the moin holl. Upon entering our room, I immediotely contocted Leon. "Where ore you? Are you ot Froncesco's funerol?"
"No, I'm outside the villo. Her porents wouldn't let me in to see her. I just sow you two orrive."
Leon sounded very colm.
I poused for o moment before deciding, "I'll come out."
Then, I hung up the phone ond looked down ot the letter in my hond. The people oround me hod o hobit of writing letters before their possing.
Meonwhile, Shown wos stonding in front of o floor-to-ceiling window, looking outside. I stood up ond osked, "Whot ore you looking ot? By the woy, I'm going to see Leon loter."
"There's someone down there who looks fomilior."
I went over ond looked down, only to see o crowded gothering below. Confused, I osked, "Who ore you referring to?"
Shown pointed to o corner.
Following his pointing, I looked over ond sow on elderly mon.
The wrinkles on the elder's foce were deeply etched.
His goze seemed rother sinister.
Right now, he wos counting the flower boskets down there.
He must be o servont of the Gont Fomily.
But how did Shown know him?
"Do you know him?" I osked with curiosity. Content provided by NôvelDrama.Org.
Shown's voice wos cold. "I sow his photo before. Woylen mentioned thot he's been living overseos, so I didn't expect to see him here."
"He should be from the Gont Fomily."
Shown nodded ond turned oround to sit on o sofo. I stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, hesitoting before opening the envelope.
'Ms. Felix,
'By the time you receive this letter, I should no longer be in this world. Although I don't wont to think this woy, I'm well owore of the risks of the surgery ond the foct thot I'm unlikely to survive it.
'With these thoughts in mind, I believe it is necessory to moke preporotions in odvonce.
'So, I wrote o few letters.
'One for my parents.
'One for you.
'One for Tammie.
'And one for my best friend.
'I only wrote four letters.
'Frankly, I didn't plan to write one for Leon.
'It's because I wasn't sure what I wanted to say to him.
'It seems like nothing needed to be said.
'Ms. Felix, thank you for appearing in my life. Although we don't keep in touch often, I care about you deeply in my heart.
'I feel that you and I share the same sorrows.
'And I can empathize with you.
'Likewise, you also know what I've gone through.
'That kind of mutual feeling is sufficient.
'To be honest, I don't know what else to write...
'I don't seem to have had much interaction with you, Ms. Felix.
'Perhaps we can talk about Leon.
'Never mind, discussing him will only worsen my mood.
'Well, that's it. Goodbye, Ms. Felix.
'Please take care of Tammie for me.
'When she grows up, tell her that I loved her very much.'
The letter was very short.
But I could still feel her despair at the time.
I told Shawn that I was meeting with Leon before going downstairs to look for Leon outside the Gants' villa. Eventually, I found Leon in an inconspicuous corner, which had a wall facing the main hall of the villa.
Leon was here, guarding Francesca.
He was still wearing the clothes he had worn at the hospital that day. He sat on the ground, hugging himself, looking pitiful and dirty. I approached him and crouched down beside him. "We're all saddened by her departure, and I know you are too. But you still have Tammie."
"I know. I'll take care of Tammie."
Surprisingly, Leon's voice was unusually calm.
So, I asked him, "What are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking that my life is ruined. I have lost my loved one and my passion for life. All that's left is my responsibility toward Tammie."
With a pause, he added, "The Gants won't let Tammie come with me though."
"They will. Francesca had told them that she wished for Tammie to grow up with you. They will respect her wish."
However, Leon just buried his head in his arms and mumbled, "It's over, really all over. She left with hatred toward me, not even leaving a single word behind for me. And I don't even get to see her. To be honest, I'm feeling that there's no hope."
Leon spent two years apologizing to Francesca.
He worked very hard to strive for success.
Yet, in the end, it was all for nothing.
I didn't know how to comfort him because of his explosive personality. I was afraid that comforting him would only make things worse.
Just as I remained silent, he suddenly turned to me and asked, "Can you take me into the villa? I want to see Francesca."
I was taken aback.
I could, but not now.
"I'll take you in later tonight."
Immediately, he became overjoyed. "Thank you, Renee!"
"Leon, even if you get to see her, what difference will it make?"
He didn't answer my question but changed the subject by asking, "What's in your hand? Francesca liked pale purple. Did she give you that?"
...
After Renee left, Shawn stood up, walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, and gazed at the man downstairs. The man was thin and weak, appearing different from his look in the photo. But Shawn was sure it was him.
Renee walked past the man on her way to see Leon.
It was then the man called out. "Mrs. Xenos, be careful of the flower baskets at your feet."
Renee carefully avoided them and left.
Shawn withdrew his cold gaze and returned to the sofa, deep in thought. He enjoyed pondering things when he was alone.
A few minutes later, someone knocked on the door.
Furrowing his brows, Shawn answered, "Come in."
He didn't lock the door after Renee left.
The door was opened. A small and thin old man stood at the entrance. As Shawn stared icily at the elder, the elder put on a kindly smile and asked, "Do you need anything, Mr. Xenos?"
Without much warmth, Shawn asked, "What do you want?"
"I came to see whether you need anything."
Sneering, Shawn replied, "Do you think I don't know who you are?"
Instantly, the elder's face turned pale.
He called out softly. "Shawn."
"Only my wife can call me that."
The elder quickly corrected himself. "Mr. Xenos."
"Nine years ago, you were an accomplice to my mother."
Shawn brought up the events from nine years ago directly.
"Yeah, I followed your mother's orders, but we both did it for you, Sha—We did it for you."
"You put me in an unjust situation and claim it was for me. I can maintain my own standing without the need for your clandestine and unscrupulous methods. Three young heirs in the family died in succession. How can you and her justify yourselves?"
"So, are you completely letting go of the family power and allowing Renee to inherit it?"
The elder knew everything.
"What belongs to my wife should naturally be returned to her."
"Even if it pushes you into a desperate situation?"
Upon hearing this, Shawn chuckled lightly. His voice carried disdain and pity as he said, "Father, that's the difference between you and me."