Chapter 164: Chapter 164: Her Name Is Ann Vaughn?
Because at that time she was still quite naive and thought it was fun, she kept shouting at Ann Vaughn, "Annie, Annie," and then Grandpa gave her a hard spanking.
Regarding this, Bella Hawthorne could never possibly be mistaken.
Cyrus Hawthorne’s tall and slender figure froze for a moment, seemingly thinking he had misheard her, as his deep, intense eyes fixed unblinkingly on Bella Hawthorne.
The sharp chill almost burst forth!
"Say it again, what did Grandpa call her!?"
"Called, called her Annie..." Bella Hawthorne was frightened by her brother’s intimidating gaze and took a half step back, then confidently said, "Brother, didn’t you specially learn lip reading to understand what she was saying? I remember your hearing was also impaired at that time."
Last time at the hospital, Bella Hawthorne was puzzled after hearing from Laura Quinn that Cynthia Vaughn had saved her brother when she was a child; she remembered it clearly wasn’t the case.
But she couldn’t figure out where the discrepancy lay.
Until now, she finally understood.
Back then, aside from the vocal cords being damaged, Cyrus Hawthorne also had his eardrums affected, making it difficult to hear sounds clearly.
To prevent the little one from worrying, he initially pretended to be cold and unresponsive, but in reality, it was just because he couldn’t hear her voice and couldn’t respond.
Later on, he went on to learn lip reading, half-guessing his way to communicate with her on paper, and before going abroad, he specially visited the Vaughn Family when she didn’t attend the appointment, wanting to clarify her name.
And at that time, the little girl standing inside the doorway in a princess dress told him.
"Her name is Cynthia Vaughn, Cynthia for warmth, Vaughn for the moon."
Seemingly afraid he might forget, she specifically explained which characters were in her name.
He cherished and solemnly remembered those three characters, placing them at his heart, never easily speaking them.
Yet as time passed, this name became deeply rooted in his heart.
Now, Bella Hawthorne informed him that the little one’s name wasn’t Cynthia, but Annie, Annie.
Ann Vaughn’s Annie!
"Her name is Annie?" Cyrus Hawthorne repeated the sentence in a low, hoarse voice, emphasizing each syllable heavily. Then he laughed quietly, "It’s utterly absurd."
Regarding Bella Hawthorne’s response, Cyrus Hawthorne only felt ridiculous.
How could the little fox possibly be Ann Vaughn?
Anyone in this world could be the little fox, except for Ann Vaughn—
Cyrus Hawthorne’s hands hanging at his sides suddenly clenched tightly, and his sharp, chilling gaze turned once again to Susie Sommers, his tone carrying undeniable aggressiveness and warning.
"Give her to me."
Susie Sommers had no desire to hand over Ann Vaughn to him, but under Cyrus Hawthorne’s gaze which seemed ready to rip someone apart in a storm, she reluctantly handed over the jar.
Perhaps Annie still wanted to stay by his side?
The jar felt cold to the touch in his hand, and Cyrus Hawthorne’s arms, normally steady even when holding a gun, trembled ever so slightly.
Bella Hawthorne glanced at the contents and immediately turned her head, covering her mouth and crying uncontrollably.
Cyrus Hawthorne’s narrow eyes drooped, then he turned his gaze directly towards Jade Shepherd and Howard Vaughn, a bloodthirsty smile curling on his lips.
Jade Shepherd and Howard Vaughn were horrified, wanting to explain something, but under his seemingly penetrating gaze, they were unable to utter a single word in their defense.
Like a sword hanging above, you never knew when it might fall.
The fear increased rapidly until the heart could barely handle it.
Cyrus Hawthorne said nothing, merely stared at them for a few seconds, then turned and left.
But Jade Shepherd and Howard Vaughn didn’t feel like they escaped unharmed; their hearts were tormented harshly, and their clothes were drenched in cold sweat.
With Cyrus Hawthorne’s methods, they could almost imagine what kind of retaliation he would have for them once he uncovered everything from fifteen years ago.
Yet they still held a glimmer of hope, believing there was a chance for a turnaround.
After all, Ann Vaughn is dead, Cynthia still lives. With Cynthia and President Hawthorne’s relationship over the years, surely she could outweigh a deceased person?
On the side, Susie Sommers watched as Cyrus Hawthorne left with Ann Vaughn’s ashes, unable to hold back anymore and crouched down, sobbing uncontrollably.
Mark Joyce looked at the two women sitting crouched, crying without restraint, unsure whom to comfort, feeling like crying himself.
Outside the hospital building.
Cyrus Hawthorne simply went downstairs to the garage, retrieved his car, placed the jar securely in the passenger seat, and then drove away from the hospital, heading towards Cloudmere Manor.
The car windows were wide open, the wind rushing in faster and faster, making his mind increasingly clear.
The road up the mountain wasn’t long, just enough for Cyrus Hawthorne to recall every detail throughout the years.
Perhaps he didn’t have much personal affection for Cynthia Vaughn, yet her efforts as a child to save him from the fire, and her silly acts to cheer him up.
Those were always the softest and most tender spots in his heart.
She liked the story of the Little Prince as a child, and he would accompany her, playing the roles of the Little Prince and the little fox, despite telling her many times that the Little Prince would eventually leave the little fox.
Her response was always, no problem, as long as the little fox never leaves the Little Prince.
Later, she grew fond of Juliana Jacobs, crying nonstop for the role she played, taking ages to comfort. Feeling secretly indignant, he had cursed Juliana Jacobs countless times.
And so, he later invested heavily to bring Juliana Jacobs to Starlight, signing a contract with generous terms, but with one special clause.
Each year, she must act in at least one high-quality movie, focusing solely on national narratives rather than romance.
If the little one cried again upon seeing a tragic end for the lead actors while he was abroad, how could he possibly comfort her?
This sentiment grew day by day, becoming more intense, until it reached an uncontrollable level.
To reunite with her sooner, he spent a year and a half completing courses that were meant to take four years, returning to the country.
Later, he met Cynthia Vaughn as he wished, but the intense emotions mysteriously faded over time, stirring up no waves.
The feelings of longing were undeniably intense back then, hard to distinguish between love and affection.
And Cynthia Vaughn’s response was that as long as she could stay by his side, she would be satisfied.
Thus, they confirmed their relationship and got engaged.
He adored her, protected her, cherished her, but whenever he saw her, he couldn’t help but recall childhood.
Despite her being right in front of him, observable and tangible, it felt like separated by years of time, so unreal.
Screech—
The car came to a sudden stop outside Cloudmere Manor, Cyrus Hawthorne got out of the car, striding inside.
At this time, Old Master Hawthorne was already awake, and practicing Tai Chi in the courtyard. Upon seeing Cyrus Hawthorne enter, he immediately glanced beside him.
Not seeing Ann Vaughn, the old master’s face instantly fell.
"You brat, coming here once every two days just to cause trouble!"
"Grandpa." Cyrus Hawthorne’s eyebrows furrowed tightly as he walked over, an anxiousness barely discernible on his always composed and steady handsome face: "When Grandpa Vaughn used to carry that girl with him, who was she?"