CHAPTER 45: CHAPTER 45: MARRIAGE REGISTRATION (PART 1)

"Just in time." Blake Sinclair glanced sideways, his eyes carrying an indescribable meaning. "Perfect timing."

For some reason, Holly Crowe thought of the bayberries she had eaten that afternoon upon hearing this, the sweetness filling her mouth with a hint of sourness intertwined, lingering on her tongue.

She cleared her throat and looked out the window.

The car quickly arrived at the entrance of Glynmere.

As Holly unbuckled her seatbelt, ready to get off, she suddenly remembered something.

She turned around, "Can you wait for me a moment?"

Blake turned his head, "Hmm?"

"I have something for you."

Blake’s hand paused on the steering wheel, with a hint of a smile in his eyes, "Sure."

"I’ll be right back."

Holly quickly got out of the car, grabbed the bayberries, and ran home, heading straight to her bedroom to retrieve the brooch from the drawer.

But by the time she returned to the entrance, there was only an empty space left, with no trace of the Maybach.

Holly stood momentarily stunned, clutching the brooch.

The evening breeze carried the heat across her cheeks, mixed with a touch of melancholy.

Her phone vibrated just then, a message from Blake Sinclair.

[Sorry, something urgent came up, I’ll contact you another day.]

Holly replied with a [Okay.]

The western sun slowly sank below the horizon.

The sunset stretched her silhouette long.

Not far away, under a tree at the intersection, Blake’s gaze followed that slender figure, his hand unconsciously clenched into a fist.

"Second young master, it’s time to go, the old master’s car has arrived."

The nearby black-clad bodyguard approached.

Blake closed his eyes briefly and reopened them, the tenderness in his eyes replaced by somberness.

The evening breeze blew past, leaving only the tiny dust rising along the roadside, soon disappearing without a trace.

In the following days, Celia Stiles returned to her hometown, and Holly Crowe tended to the shop at Lunar Lotus Studio alone, her days calm and uneventful.

Just she always took that brooch with her before going out, but that Maybach never appeared again, and Blake Sinclair didn’t send any more messages.

Sometimes she would open the box to look at the brooch, but she quickly put it back again.

Until that evening, after she finished her bath and picked up her phone, she saw an audio message from Shirley Sinclair.

Opening it in an instant, the young girl’s tearful voice came through, "Crowe, my uncle... my uncle seems to be dying..."

Shirley’s sobbing made her words unclear, intermittent.

"Crowe... Uncle is dying... Great-grandfather won’t let him eat... he’s bleeding a lot..."

Holly tightened her grip on the phone.

She brought the phone closer, soothing her gently through the speaker, piecing together a rough idea from the young girl’s fragmented words.

For some unknown reason, Blake Sinclair was confined at home by his grandfather to be punished, and from what Shirley indicated, he seemed to be injured.

Holly recalled how hastily he left that day; could it also be the reason for this?

For some reason, Holly had an inexplicable premonition, feeling somehow this matter was vaguely connected to her.

Shirley’s emotions had calmed down somewhat.

"Shirley... you..."

Holly just called out her name when she heard some rustling noises from the other end, and a moment later, Laurel Sinclair’s voice came through.

"Holly, it’s Laurel."

Laurel’s voice was calm, "I didn’t notice earlier, Shirley used my watch to call you, sorry for the disturbance."

Holly was momentarily taken aback.

"Laurel," she subconsciously tightened her grip on the phone, her voice trembling, "Shirley just said Blake... Blake Sinclair he..."

The other end was silent for a moment, and Holly nearly thought the call had disconnected.

After a long pause, a sigh was heard from the other side, "It’s nothing, just some mistakes."

"What mistakes would prevent someone from eating, even lead to bleeding?"

Holly couldn’t help but ask.

"Ah?" Laurel paused for a moment, "Oh, oh."

Her voice suddenly turned a bit solemn, "This... has indeed gotten quite serious. I don’t know who sent Grandpa a photo, saying the second young master had a disordered private life, spending the whole night at a hotel with a strange woman."

A shocking revelation struck.

Hotel... all night...

Could it be related to that night?

Laurel continued, "The second young master is also stubborn, Grandpa asked him who that person was, and he refused to say. Honestly, if both parties truly had mutual feelings, it wouldn’t be an issue, but his silence indeed confirmed the ’disordered private life’."

Holly felt her temples throb.

Indeed, it was related to her.

Unexpectedly, the incident implicated Blake Sinclair as well.

Now he’s being punished because of her.

Who took those photos? And who would send them to Old Master Sinclair?

Holly’s mind was in a tangled mess, but guilt weighed heavier now.

"How is he doing now...?" Holly’s voice was somewhat hoarse.

"Shirley said he’s bleeding... is he injured?"

There was a bit of panic in Holly’s heart as she asked, with the Sinclair family’s stringent set of three hundred rules, if Blake Sinclair was truly punished because of her, what could she do?

While pondering, she didn’t notice the faint footsteps on the other end of the call.

Laurel’s voice suddenly softened, "He... he probably isn’t doing very well right now..."

The voices from behind were nearly inaudible. Holly thought it was a bad signal and was about to ask again when she heard Blake Sinclair’s voice come through, "Holly."

His voice sounded hoarse.

"I’m sorry, I left in such a hurry last time."

Holly inexplicably felt her eyes grow warm. Right now, she couldn’t even recall what happened last time, nor did she wonder why the person on the other end of the call had suddenly changed.

"It’s I who should apologize. If it weren’t for me..."

"I’m fine," Blake Sinclair interrupted her, "Don’t worry."

She was about to say something when suddenly there was a commotion on the other end, followed by a loud and angry voice, "Have you thought it over? Who was that person?"

Holly’s heart started beating fast.

Blake Sinclair remained silent.

"Hmph, still stubborn! Now that you’ve become President Sinclair, does no one dare to manage you? Your private life is a mess! Listen to the things people are saying! Where does that leave my old reputation?"

Holly realized that the voice belonged to Grandpa Sinclair.

"Not talking, huh? Then continue to be punished!"

The sound of a heavy cane striking the floor came through, making Holly’s heart tremble.

Punished?

"It was me!" Holly shouted without thinking, her voice slightly trembling, "I was the one with him that night!"

The other end fell silent.

A long silence followed.

Holly was breathing rapidly; she took a deep breath, "Blake, give the watch to Grandpa Sinclair."

There was a helpless sigh from his end, "Holly, you don’t have to do this."

"Stop talking." Holly interrupted him.

She got out of bed with her phone, headed to the wardrobe to find clothes, "Hello, Grandpa Sinclair, this is Holly. I’m coming over to Sinclair Manor right now to explain in person. Please don’t let Blake be punished before I arrive."

"Holly, you..."

"We’ll talk when I get there."

She quickly dressed without even drying her hair, grabbed her keys, and headed outside. Just as she reached the door, she suddenly remembered something, "Blake, don’t hang up the phone. I need to know you’re safe."

On the other end, Blake let out a soft chuckle, offering reassurance, "Okay. Do you need me to send someone to pick you up?"

"No need. Just don’t hang up."

"Alright."

Holly hurried downstairs with her phone, got into the car, and stepped on the accelerator.

The car smoothly cruised through the night, while the phone screen on the passenger seat remained illuminated.

Her damp hair clung to her neck, cold as ice.

Holly didn’t know what to say, so every few minutes, she’d call out his name, as if verifying something.

"Blake Sinclair."

"Mm, I’m here."

"Blake Sinclair."

"I’m here."

There were no extra words, only this simple question and answer, echoing repeatedly in the car.

About half an hour later, the car finally arrived at Noralis Villa, her car passing unimpeded.

In the night, Sinclair Manor’s outline gradually became clear.

The car came to a stop, and Holly stepped out with her phone, moving inside.

"Blake, I’ve arrived," she said, her voice slightly breathless.

As soon as she finished speaking, his voice came through, so close it felt like it was beside her ear, "I see you."

Holly’s heart skipped a beat, and she looked up.

Right in front of her, Blake Sinclair stood.

Unlike his usual suit and tie, he was dressed simply in a dark, casual shirt, the cuffs casually rolled to his elbows.

The night was ink-black, and the warm yellow light cast a soft glow over him.

The evening breeze blew, lifting the hem of his shirt and her hair, dispersing the worries of her journey.

Holly jogged forward, breathing irregularly as she reached him, "Are you okay?"

At this moment, she had no reservations, tugging his wrist and checking him over.

Aside from his fingers being slightly red, there were no obvious injuries, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

Blake had been watching her all the while, his gaze falling on her damp hair, as the jasmine scent from her shampoo drifted into his nose.

His Adam’s apple moved slightly, and he chuckled, "Do you need me to take off my shirt for inspection?"

Holly’s hand stiffened, and she abruptly withdrew it.

Just then, footsteps approached from the doorway, followed by a stern voice, "You’re the girl from the phone?"

Grandpa Sinclair walked in with his cane, though he was over eighty, he looked vigorous, his stride steady, eyes sharp, carrying a natural authority.

Holly almost instinctively pulled Blake behind her.

"Yes."

She looked forward, meeting the Old Master’s gaze, failing to notice the tenderness brimming in the eyes of the person behind her.

They followed him to his study, and Holly retold the events of that night in their entirety.

At the end, she raised her head, "That’s the whole story. Blake Sinclair isn’t the kind of person they say he is."

Grandpa Sinclair didn’t say much, his eyes flickered between the two of them, his tone deep, "Young lady, do you know that out of the three hundred and twenty rules of the Sinclair Family, two are ’maintain moral integrity’ and ’do not take advantage of others’ weaknesses’?"

Holly was taken aback, confused.

"No matter the reason, for him to be involved in such a matter before marriage is irresponsible to a future partner; it goes against maintaining moral integrity."

He struck the floor heavily with his cane, "He took advantage of you while you were unaware, which is precisely taking advantage of others’ weaknesses. According to family rules, he must be punished."