Chapter 1345: Priscilla

Nina and Finn were grateful to Penny, Zoren, and Atlas for taking care of them last night. Since they had no recollection of what happened, they simply accepted whatever explanation Atlas provided and didn’t dwell on it.

Besides, Nina had been staying at Penny’s place since the incident, but with Finn’s offer, it was time for her to say goodbye.

The couple had discussed this beforehand and agreed to take a day off after the family meeting. It was a good decision, considering how much they had drunk the night before. They had slept in, and now they could use the day to settle into Finn’s place. He had already handled everything with Nina’s landlord and arranged for her belongings to be moved.

"Finn," Nina called, watching his side profile as he hummed a soft tune.

Finn glanced at her briefly, noticing the curiosity in her eyes. "What is it, Nina?"

"About last night..." she trailed off, biting her lip as she tried to phrase her thoughts. After a shallow sigh, she asked, "Are you really okay with it?"

"Okay with what? You mean my parents?"

"No, I mean you." She clarified. "What I told them last night, how my family acted... I don’t regret it. But I am a little worried. They’re still your family. They’re your parents."

Conversations about Finn’s parents were rare. It wasn’t that he deliberately avoided the subject, but he never seemed particularly interested, often changing the topic. Now that she thought about it, Nina realized that in all the years she had known him, Finn had never openly defied his parents.

Not once.

"Ahh... Haha." Finn smiled subtly, casting her a brief sidelong glance. "I am fine, Nina."

"When I didn’t tell you about that disturbing gift, you reminded me that we promised honesty," she pointed out. "So, if you’re even the slightest bit hurt after last night, I’d understand."

Finn shook his head. "Not at all. If anything, I was moved. To the point where I felt like I might embarrass myself by crying my heart out."

He paused, remembering the warmth of a family that had embraced him last night. Maybe that was why he had drunk more than he should have.

"Nina, have I ever told you why I agreed with you back then? Why I let you break off our engagement, even though a faint voice inside me was telling me not to?" His voice was cool and gentle, eyes fixed on the road. "It’s because I told myself I was used to it. People come and go. For the longest time, I’ve believed that everything—and everyone—is temporary."

"But after the accident... I had only one thought: why did you stay?" He smiled, tinged with bitterness. "We were no longer together, so you shouldn’t have been there. And yet, you cried for me, held me... and despite your own exhaustion, you took care of me so I wouldn’t wake up sore."

"You still loved me," he added under his breath. "Even after everything. You gave me more than the people who should have been there for me ever did. I’m not saying I hate them, but..."

Finn slowly cast her a sincere look as he eased off the gas pedal.

"Even if I had to go against the world, I’d still stand by your side. Maybe my parents raised me right. Maybe they didn’t. But I do know that I want to protect the family I wanted to build with you. Even if that means going against the family I came from."

Nina’s eyes softened, and she couldn’t help but smile.

But then—

"We’re here," Finn announced.

Nina furrowed her brows. "Already?" she blurted, snapping her gaze toward the large gates ahead.

But that wasn’t what surprised her.

She had been to Finn’s place before—only a handful of times, since she hadn’t liked the idea of staying over before they got married. So, the memory of his house was still fresh.

It was the route that caught her off guard.

"Finn... you’re only ten minutes away from Zoren’s place?" she muttered, turning to him in surprise. "You’re basically neighbors."

Finn chuckled. "Had I known you were staying there that night, I would’ve picked you up. You were so close... yet so far."

"..." Nina blinked. Then blinked again. Her mouth fell open, and after a moment, she burst into laughter. "Does Penny know?"

"I don’t think she knows my exact address. But if she did..." He smirked. "Then I’m sure there’d be more frequent slumber parties."

Skyline Plaza was a billionaire’s row—only the wealthiest could afford to live there.

That wasn’t what excited Nina.

What thrilled her was the fact that, at least for the time being, she would be living very close to Penny.

"I should visit her more often," she muttered, smiling to herself.

Finn returned her smile, but he kept his real thoughts to himself.

’I don’t think Zoren Pierson would like that,’ he mused as the security guard opened the gates. ’Not that I’d like that either... but I still have other tricks up my sleeve.’

"It’s been a while since I’ve come home," he murmured as he drove up the long driveway. "Even before the accident, I barely stayed here."

"Now that you mention it... didn’t you have a penthouse in District 3?"

"Mhm." Finn nodded. "But didn’t I mention I mostly stayed in hotels?"

"Right." Nina pursed her lips. "Because it was closer to everything."

He nodded again, smiling. "And because there was nothing worth coming home to."

Then he glanced at her. "Now, there is."

A soft pink hue dusted Nina’s cheeks as she smiled back at him. She reached for his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze as they pulled up to the mansion’s entrance.

---

[Cortez Household]

DING DONG!

Jessa, who had just finished tidying up, looked up from her drama series. The restaurant was closed today, and from what she had heard, Penny had already arranged for someone to clean the place last night. So, with nothing better to do, Jessa was lounging on the couch in her signature daster dress, a bowl of grapes in her lap.

"Did Yuri order something online again?" she muttered, getting up to check.

Yuri’s deliveries often got left at the gate after the doorbell rang, so Jessa wasn’t expecting much.

But she was wrong.

The moment she opened the gate, she froze.

It wasn’t a package waiting for her.

It was a person.

A very familiar one.

Despite the visible signs of aging, Jessa recognized her immediately.

Her lips parted in disbelief. "Priscilla."