"I never thought you would come."
While some people couldn’t wait to escape this place, Lynch also didn’t expect Severa to come here.
In fact, his interactions with Severa were more like ordinary exchanges, not too involved in those little things between men and women.
Sometimes, being too handsome is also a worry, always attracting attention. When he and Severa left the main building, he noticed a somewhat resentful expression on Penny’s face.
Penny was very aware of Severa’s identity and background. She also knew that unless Lynch tried his best to protect her, the other party could destroy her with just a phone call, or even without making a call, just by expressing dissatisfaction in a public setting.
Immediately after, she would be abandoned by the entertainment industry. After all, everyone in this industry was living off the meals given to them by the capitalists, many of whom had to live by Mr. Wardrick’s favor.
So, even though she had made up her mind, she could only helplessly stand behind the curtains swaying in the evening breeze, watching Lynch and Severa stroll under the romantic moonlight in the garden.
Lynch didn’t expect Severa to come, neither did Penny.
While aimlessly wandering around with Lynch, Severa kicked a little flower growing on the lawn. Normally, it’s impossible for wildflowers to grow on a proper lawn, as it’s specially customized for the Governor’s Mansion and some high-end gardens.
Locally, there’s a company that provides this lawn, imitating a wild environment, for here and other hotels. On the tender green lawn, there will be little pink, yellow, or white flowers every certain distance, not big, about the size of an adult male’s thumb, dotted on the lawn, adding a natural touch.
The little flower bud hadn’t fully bloomed before being kicked away in large part. If it could talk, it would certainly curse Severa and her family, but it couldn’t.
The girl clasped her hands behind her back, walking lightly, her smile almost uncontainable, "I didn’t know, when I saw you in the news with that..." She tilted her head, looking at Lynch, who provided Penny’s name.
Whether he spoke or not was the same, because with Severa’s energy, she only needed a phone call to find out all about Penny’s family, even her ancestors.
"Yes, Penny, when I saw the scandal between you two on the newspaper, I felt very sad." Her eyes shimmered with a certain light under the gentle moonlight, "I think I might have fallen for you."
She stopped, blushing as she looked at Lynch, touching her own cheek, "Is my face really red?"
The white moonlight was as gentle and warm as jade, unlike the glaring sunlight during the day, falling on the girl’s face, making her flawless appearance look three times more beautiful than by day.
Adding a bit of gentle restraint, a bit of mysterious unexplored, a bit of lively vivacity, along with that enchanting blush, Lynch nodded honestly.
"This is my first time confessing to someone. Previously, my father never gave me such an opportunity. This is my first time, a completely new experience for me, does this make me seem clumsy?"
She suddenly felt uncertain, "Rushing over and confessing to you without a band or a violinist, without a candle-holding choir, without friends’ blessings, this isn’t romantic enough, there isn’t even the right atmosphere..." She chuckled awkwardly, "And today is your birthday."
This might be... how the rich confess, Severa’s understanding of "confession" came from her friends.
They would use breathtaking amounts of money to create an atmosphere so romantic it almost made one stop breathing. Lynch noticed she didn’t say violinist but violinist, although both play the violin, five bucks might get the former to play a tune, while five thousand bucks may not sway the latter.
Lynch chuckled but didn’t answer the question, instead posing another, "Why do you like me?"
He didn’t think Severa liked him for his looks. For girls from such families, it’s no exaggeration to say that looks could only win some favor, but not real affection. Lynch was curious if anyone could see through his remarkable outward appearance to his equally remarkable inner substance?
Severa’s face flushed deeper, she also didn’t answer, just started walking again to avoid the question.
She could never forget that afternoon with dust dancing in the sunlight, where her idolized father, Mr. Wardrick, genuinely showed a listening expression, slightly leaning forward, an especially focused demeanor, and Lynch eloquently speaking before him, in no way inferior in momentum or charisma.
She was too shy to say, so she didn’t answer.
After walking some distance, a man-high hedge wall blocked their path. Beyond this point, they would leave the Governor’s Garden, the world outside and here being two completely different realms.
The girl seemed to recall something and softly asked, "Will you accept my confession?"
"I don’t know," Lynch shook his head, "I haven’t thought about these things yet, we are still so young, and have many things to do, actually we are not ready for anything yet."
"Can you imagine soon having a big belly, drastically losing your figure, spending your days endlessly retching and cramming things into your stomach?"
"Then the child would become another headache, maybe you think nannies can help, but have you considered a mother’s love is irreplaceable by a nanny, you will ultimately take care of the child."
"The trivialities of family will exhaust you..."
Lynch halted, "But at that time, we are still young, marrying too early for people like us is unfair as well as unwise, life will eventually make us despair."
"Always crying kids over little things, a husband who cannot understand you, and even you not understanding yourself..."
"Let’s give ourselves time, and we can start as close friends!"
The girl’s expression was somewhat disappointed, different from what she imagined, but she quickly cheered up, then asked, "The reports about you and..."
"Penny..." It was clear Severa had forgotten the name, and Lynch reminded her again.
"Yes, the scandal between you and Penny, is it true?"
Lynch nodded again, admitting without hesitation, and without the least bit of guilt or weakness, "Severa, you should understand me, understand yourself, or even Mr. Wardrick."
"What we pursue is not mere desire, but something above material things. These ordinary things might catch my eye occasionally, but won’t make me pause for those vulgarities."
"In literary terms, my pursuit is a soulmate, a spiritual haven that allows my soul to relax..." He paused, obviously thinking of someone, "...the Penny that’s been troubling you, more like an itch."
"When you’re itchy, scratching makes you feel good, but when you’re not itchy, scratching just makes you feel uncomfortable, even painful."
"I might momentarily shift my focus due to the scenery, but I will always ’return home’!", as they walked, approaching the Governor’s house. Lynch smiled, "I won’t treat you like any other girl, that would be unfair, you are different from others!"
There’s no doubt Lynch was a jerk, yet he excelled in using words.
This was an innate ability, a talent, a potential, allowing him to make simple words mesmerizing.
The girl’s expression had changed slightly, her eyes sparkled with something shiny, she felt Lynch’s words were very right, very pleasant, more like a modern poem, filled with aesthetic vibes.
She also questioned herself, could she become Lynch’s haven?
Lynch stopped, looked at the girl, reached out, slowly, his hand slipping between the girl’s hair and neck, covering her slightly warm cheek, showing a pure smile, "Still, I’m grateful, grateful you like me, this is the best gift I’ve received this year."
He leaned closer, his lips gently touching the girl’s forehead, "I’m very happy..."
A few seconds later, he stepped back, continuing to walk alongside the girl towards the house, speaking as they went, "In a while, things will get chaotic here, some very dangerous things will happen, I hope you can go back."
"What will happen?", the girl’s attention shifted following Lynch’s words.
Lynch’s expression remained normal, with a hint of exuberance between his brows, he looked up at the moon with a subtle smile, "An awakening about the future, very dangerous, you know there’s an irresolvable conflict between the locals and us people..."
Severa nodded, she wasn’t very interested in this, but being born into such a family, she had long been trained by Mr. Wardrick to read newspapers daily, and to analyze some hidden aspects of news.
Lynch’s words were clear to her, ultimately it’s about the conflict between wealth and power.
But clearly, their attentions were not on the same place, "Are you concerned about me?"
Lynch thought for a moment, decided to go with that, "Yes, I am concerned about you."
"So, I hope the danger won’t touch you!" New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on novel✶fire.net