CHAPTER 218: CHAPTER 218: I WON’T LET GO

Shannon Quinn took a deep breath and said, "I’m not exactly a great woman either, and your family might even think I’m not worthy of you. I believe you’re not obsessed with me. Since you’ve retired and I have the life I want now, I’m sure you can find the kind of woman you desire. We don’t need to cling to the past anymore."

"You have your choices and thoughts, and I have mine. Everyone has the right to pursue their own happiness. I’m just expressing my stance now and not forcing you to be with me, but I won’t let go."

Shannon Quinn felt she had made her position clear. She couldn’t control what others thought, and she couldn’t believe that someone could continue to persevere after being rejected multiple times.

She forced the clothes he hadn’t taken back into his arms, then turned and walked into the cabin without saying more.

Landon Sutton called after her retreating figure, "As long as you don’t belong to someone else, I won’t give up pursuing you."

Shannon Quinn hesitated briefly but continued walking forward without turning back.

Landon Sutton wasn’t discouraged by her indifference; her attitude was actually better than he had anticipated.

One advantage he had over other men was that he was Leo’s father.

Once back in the cabin, Shannon Quinn immediately sought out Leo to settle the score: "Finn Quinn, come here."

Hearing his full name from his mom, Leo felt fear, quickly admitted his mistake, handed over all the money he "earned," and promised it wouldn’t happen again.

Ever since she saw Landon Sutton, Shannon Quinn’s mind had been in turmoil, as if his presence meant her life would never be peaceful again.

Frankly, she still couldn’t understand why he was so obsessed with her.

Before getting married, whether it was as Vincent Rhodes or Landon Sutton, he had no interaction with her. When did he start claiming to like her?

Why did he marry her back then, anyway?

Amid the crowd, knowing of his existence, she could always catch glimpses of him unexpectedly.

Every time their eyes met, it was never more than a second, and Shannon Quinn always had an unwillingness to look at him, pretending to chat and laugh casually with the people around her.

In the evening, Old Z had arranged a program on the luxurious cruise ship, inviting well-known singers for a grand performance.

The scene was lively. With the dynamic music, Shannon Quinn gradually relaxed, no longer troubled by earlier events.

"Shannon, how about a dance later?" Liam Sterling suddenly appeared behind Shannon Quinn, leaning in to say.

Shannon Quinn was slightly surprised, then said, "You want to embarrass me on stage?"

"Not on stage, just find partners and dance a waltz. Didn’t you learn it last time? Besides, even if you step on me a few times, I won’t laugh at you when we’re dancing together."

"All right." In such an atmosphere, Shannon Quinn became less restrained, especially since she had partnered with Liam Sterling at previous events, and they were already so familiar with each other that she didn’t think much about it.

Liam Sterling deeply understood what Aidan Lockwood had once told him.

He always thought that with time, everything would fall into place.

His relationship with Shannon Quinn had indeed gotten better, but it was limited to friendship.

He didn’t dare mention being together to Shannon Quinn because he knew she never had romantic feelings for him, and breaking this dynamic would definitely distance her from him.

Yet, there was one thing he found strange. He was arguably the man closest to Shannon Quinn over the years, knowing her for four years, and during this time, she hadn’t been involved with any other men.

He wondered if it might have something to do with her past man; perhaps her heart had long been occupied by someone.

Liam Sterling was also curious about what kind of man could hold a woman like her and why they didn’t end up together.

Shannon Quinn never talked about her past, and Liam Sterling never asked.

He even thought, if he could protect her and her son like this for a lifetime, it wouldn’t be bad.

The dance began, and the lift stage descended to become a flat dance floor.

To the melodious music, countless couples entered the dance floor, and Shannon Quinn was among them.

Holding Liam Sterling’s hand, she felt no stirring emotions between a man and a woman, kept her head down watching her step, trying not to make mistakes, and was not at all worried that her clumsy dance moves would affect Liam or that he would mock her.

After a few rounds, she slowly got into the rhythm and looked up at the people around her.

Unintentionally, she met someone’s gaze in the crowd momentarily, which startled Shannon Quinn.

Turning around, she faced away from that direction but still felt the burning gaze on her back.

Landon Sutton sat in the corner, eyes fixed on Shannon Quinn, holding a glass of champagne, lightly swaying it. His movements appeared gentle, but the hand gripping the glass’s stem exerted force, knuckles turning white.

He had noticed that lately, the man Shannon Quinn interacted with the most was Liam Sterling.

He had seen them laughing and chatting at her office entrance; he had seen Liam visiting Shannon’s home; and now they were dancing so harmoniously. He hadn’t even danced with Shannon!

Shannon Quinn, who had just managed to relax, became uneasy when she noticed Landon Sutton continuously watching her.

"I’m a bit tired, can’t dance anymore," Shannon Quinn used as an excuse.

Liam Sterling glanced down at her high heels, aware that she didn’t usually like wearing them, so he stopped, gently embraced her, and guided her out of the dance floor. He laughed, "Not bad, you haven’t forgotten everything."

Shannon Quinn laughed, "That’s right."

"Let’s sit over there and take a break."

"I’m going to check on Leo. He hasn’t napped all day; he should be tired by now. I’ll see if he wants to sleep."

"Sure, do you know where the room is? Do you need me to come with you?"

"No need, I know where it is. I’ve been there once already."

"Okay, by the way, there’s a fireworks show at midnight. It should be pretty, so don’t fall asleep."

Shannon Quinn nodded and subconsciously glanced in Landon Sutton’s direction. Their eyes met directly, and she quickly looked away, heading off in a different direction to find Sheila Yardley.

Leo was with Sheila Yardley, already asleep. Shannon Quinn managed to bring him to the room with some effort.

After settling the child, Shannon Quinn planned to go downstairs for some food. As soon as she opened the door, a dark figure was in front of her.