After Finn had gone upstairs in a cold manner, Annie had no choice but to follow him, keeping a safe distance to avoid making him feel uncomfortable. Back in her room, Annie slowly began to tidy up her belongings, neatly stowing them away in the drawers. Since she had brought very few possessions, Annie quickly completed the task.
Annie wasn't accustomed to idleness, so after sitting around for a while, she decided to go downstairs to find Keelin, who was busy in the kitchen."Hi, can I help you with anything?" Annie asked with a hint of boredom in her voice. Keelin had heard of Sofia's reputation as a haughty and disdainful fiancée, even going so far as to pour wine over the head of the maid in her home just because the food wasn't to her liking. Therefore, Keelin was initially wary when Annie approached. However, Annie's demeanor and warm smile quickly dispelled any reservations."Don't worry; I just want to help you prepare dinner. May I join in?" Annie spoke sincerely, her face radiating purity and sincerity. Keelin, impressed by Annie's willingness, nodded in agreement. She gently asked Annie to prepare a truffle mushroom dish for dinner, and Annie eagerly got to work, surprising Keelin with her efficiency.The initial impression of a snobbish heiress quickly dissolved, and in no time, Keelin found the rumors about Sofia were unwarranted. The atmosphere soon became harmonious, as Annie's previous experience working as a sous chef at a Michelin-starred restaurant allowed her to prepare even the most luxurious dishes in an easy way. Keelin couldn't help but praise the exquisite meals Annie was preparing."Is this dinner for Finn? Let me take it upstairs for you." Understanding Keelin's intent, Annie took the initiative to bring the meal to Finn. She believed that approaching Finn slowly and cautiously could reduce his aversion to her, so she eagerly seized every opportunity to get closer to him."Sure, thank you," Keelin replied.Annie carefully carried the tray of exquisite dishes upstairs and politely knocked on Finn's door."Finn, may I come in? I've brought dinner for you."Finn, who had been sitting by the window, lost in thought, heard Annie's voice. His expression revealed his impatience, but he responded with a chilly "If you have no objections, then come in."Annie gently pushed the door open and entered. Finn's room was minimalist, predominantly black and white, with everything neatly organized. Finn was sitting at a small table near the window, his face slightly downturned, making it hard for Annie to read his emotions.She placed the tray on the small table, her voice soft as she explained."I've placed the food in front of you, and you can reach out to get it. If you don't mind, I can even lend you a hand to locate the position of the food," Annie said.The more Finn listened, the more he felt that Annie was hypocritical, harboring a deep disdain for a blind person like him. But he had to maintain an appearance of gentleness. In just a few encounters, Finn realizes that his fiancée wasn't the type of person Annie pretended to be, and what he despises the most is the deception."Step aside. From now on, you won't have to bring food here; Keelin will handle that."Since unintentionally losing his sight, Finn has become incredibly sensitive to how people treat him. Previously, there were many maids and even a personal butler in his apartment, but he had let them all go and retained Keelin, who had been helping with household chores and cooking for Finn since his birth.Finn didn't want anyone else coming to live here, disrupting his life, or witnessing his struggles, leading to feelings of pity or disgust. So, Annie's presence in the house left him really dissatisfied.Furthermore, what Annie is doing seems like she is pitying Finn's situation, and he detests people who pitied him at this point in his life.Not discouraged by the rejection, Annie spoke softly, "It's okay. I have some free time, so I'm helping Keelin a bit. Why don't you try the food to see if it suits your taste? Today, I've prepared some nutritious dishes for your health."Annie's gentle and unaffected manner was unfazed by Finn's coldness, which made him feel like he was punching a cushion. He gritted his teeth and continued speaking."I've already said it; there's no need to pity me. Don't pretend to be kind in front of me; this makes me nauseating."Annie acted as if she hadn't heard, continuing to advise."Alright, go ahead and eat to keep it warm. In a little while, the food will no longer be as delicious when it's cold."Annie's stubbornness succeeded in infuriating Finn. He furrowed his brow and angrily knocked the food off the table, creating a jarring and headache-inducing sound."Are you deaf, or do you not understand human language? I already said, Stay away from me. I don't need your care or cooking; it's unnecessary."Finn's actions also frightened Annie, and her gaze became concerned. Annie tried to remain calm, silently cleaning up the mess on the floor, not saying anything further.Though Finn couldn't see, he heard the sound of porcelain clinking as Annie bent down to clean up, and he coldly added, "You don't need to pretend to be diligent here; just let Keelin handle everything. You can leave now."Annie bit her lip, quickly cleared away the broken pieces into a tray, and then left Finn's room. In front of Keelin, who was waiting outside with a surprised expression, she shook her head slightly to signal that everything was fine and asked Keelin to prepare a fresh meal for Finn and bring it in."Also, bring in a tube of burn cream. When I knocked over the soup bowl, Finn got a slight burn on his hand."Annie's voice remained soothing and pleasant, as she had long grown accustomed to incidents like this. When working as a restaurant server, she had been splashed with hot liquid and even slapped in the face by customers when they were dissatisfied with her attitude.Keelin sighed, patted Annie's shoulder in consolation, and then carried another lunch tray upstairs. When Keelin knocked on Finn's door and was allowed to enter, she heard Finn's low, impatient voice."In the future, don't let Annie into my room. I don't like it."Keelin acknowledged it quietly and placed the meal in front of Finn, guiding him to the location of the food. Afterward, she didn't rush to leave but handed Finn a small tube of burn cream, her elderly voice gently rising."This is the burn cream Sofia asked me to bring for you. She said, Your hand got burned."With that, Keelin left the room, leaving Finn sitting in silence. He held the tube of cream in his hand, and his brow furrowed in deep contemplation, his thoughts a mystery.Finn had been furious in the evening, so naturally, Annie didn't dare to approach him anymore. Annie lived as if she were invisible, having dinner with Keelin and then returning to her room. She didn't even dare to look straight ahead when passing by Finn's room.Annie woke up early the next day, perhaps due to her habit of being busy in the past, so she wasn't used to idleness. Excessive free time made her feel somewhat out of place, so she st
As Annie reached the door, she coincidentally ran into Denis. They nodded at each other in greeting and walked inside together. Denis casually spoke first."Annie, you've been quite busy lately, haven't you? I heard from your mom that you're working a lot and don't have time to bring lunch to her every day like before."In the past, Annie used to cook or buy meals for Isolde for every meal. However, these past few days, due to moving to Finn's house, Sofia also requested that Annie spend more time with him, so she had to lie to Isolde, telling her that she had a busy job and had become a maid for a wealthy family, which required her to move in with them.Isolde's hospital bills were substantial every time, so Annie didn't inquire much about Annie's situation. She only reminded Annie to take care of herself and not to overwork."Yeah, I've been taking on more jobs lately to cover my mom's medical bills. Even though I could borrow from my friends, you know how it is, I still have to pay
"I'm sorry, I rushed to help you and didn't pay attention. It's my fault," Annie apologized softly.Finn continued to ascend the stairs in silence, acknowledging Annie with a low, appreciative grunt. His voice had a hint of gentleness that even he hadn't realized. Perhaps, at that moment, Finn no longer felt the same level of resentment towards Annie as he did when she had unexpectedly appeared at his house.Together, they descended to the ground floor, with Finn going straight to the kitchen, where he found a familiar water pitcher in the corner."Let me help you pour some water," Annie offered, pouring a glass for Finn and then serving herself one. They quietly sipped their water, exchanging no further words. Afterward, they silently made their way back to their respective rooms.Everything seemed unchanged on the surface, but there was a subtle shift in the hearts of both individuals.A few days later, Annie's life at Finn's home had gradually settled down, and at least Finn was n
Hubert went from being stunned to angry. He glared at Finn and Annie on the opposite side and then forcefully pushed his chair back, rising to his feet and raising his voice in frustration."Very well, Sofia. Let me see how long you and Finn can stay happy—a blind, untalented man and a money-hungry, unfaithful woman, such a fitting couple."After Hubert stormed off in anger, Annie let out a small sigh of relief. She realized she was standing close to Finn, her hand still casually resting on his hair. She quickly pulled her hand away and scratched her head, trying to explain herself."I just couldn't bear to see Hubert smug and taunting you," she continued."He wants to see you fall to satisfy his selfish desires. That's why I acted friendly towards you, to disappoint him."Annie's voice grew softer as she spoke, fearing Finn would resent her, but Finn merely responded with a quiet "Hmm" before saying, "Anyway, thanks for what you did, Sofia."Annie tilted her head slightly to look at
After Joyce returned, Isolde's topic ended, and Annie breathed a sigh of relief, seeking an excuse to leave. If she stayed a moment longer, Annie feared she wouldn't be able to contain her thoughts any longer.Back home, Annie rarely had the luxury of lounging on her bed to watch a movie. She usually didn't have the luxury of free time for such activities, so lying there for a while already made her feel restless. Annie stretched her shoulders and headed to the kitchen to warm a small slice of apple pie. After serving a portion to Keelin, she carried another piêc upstairs to Finn.Finn seemed to have a genuine liking for apple pie. When Annie had given him a piece earlier, he complimented it in a soft tone, even praising Annie's culinary skills.Annie stood outside Finn's room and lightly knocked on the door. After receiving Finn's permission, she entered. Finn sat in a corner of the room, cradling a guitar in his hands, lost in thought."I brought you a piece of apple pie. I placed
Hubert was about to retort when Tracy returned, abruptly ending the conversation. Tracy, a young and elegant woman, was Finn's stepmother, and now her hands filled with shopping bags from renowned local brands, indicating she had just returned from shopping.With Tracy's return, all of them sat down to have dinner. As Annie had anticipated, the atmosphere between Tracy, Ryan, and Hubert remained harmonious, but they entirely disregarded Finn during the meal.Annie couldn't help but sympathize with Finn, considering how he could be treated as an outsider. She couldn't imagine how Finn had coped with this situation before.As a result, Finn's distant and reserved nature didn't come as a surprise. Annie sighed and placed a piece of grilled chicken on Finn's plate, breaking the silence."Finn, give this grilled chicken a try. It's seasoned wonderfully and very delicious."Under the table, Annie lightly patted the edge of Finn's shirt, trying to lift his spirits in a cute and careful manne
In the evening, Finn and Annie sat together in the dining room, enjoying fruit and listening to recent popular songs. Only when it was time for dinner did they reluctantly join the rest of the invisible duo at the meal.The harmonious atmosphere between Tracy, Hubert, and Ryan went unnoticed by Finn entirely, who remained focused on finishing his meal and then departing. Annie, too, couldn't eat much, feeling the heaviness in the air, making it impossible to swallow her food. In the end, she ate only a small portion before following Finn.Back in their room, Annie found Finn still sitting motionless on the sofa. Ever since she moved into Finn's house, she had noticed that he often sat there lost in thought, with no discernible expression on his face.Annie didn't disturb Finn, she sitting in a corner of the room and playing a game with her headphones on to avoid causing any noise. After a while, noticing that Finn's rigid posture hadn't changed, Annie couldn't help but speak up."Finn
Annie returned to her room, and she and Finn shared some pastries. She savored each bite as she recounted the earlier conversation, noticing a subtle furrow in Finn's brow."Next time, don't argue with Hubert or Tracy," she cautioned. "Neither of them is particularly gracious, and if you provoke them, they might find ways to harm you.""I can't always be there in time to protect you," Finn replied. "You know, my inability to see everything is a limitation. You should be more cautious to avoid getting entangled in trouble."Annie nodded and promised to heed Finn's advice. She found his counsel quite sensible. It was remarkable how a woman with a husband and a son of her own could captivate Ryan, and how a son of the previous man of Tracy could succeed in winning Ryan's affection and becoming the heir, and certainly not through gentle means.After they finished their meal, Annie fetched a small tray and headed to the kitchen. When she returned, Finn was lying in a corner of the bed. Swi