Turning to Laura, who remained silent, he slowly buckled his seatbelt.

Unable to suppress a smile, he informed his sister, "Yeah, we Lived together for three months."

Olivia buried her head in the seat, not emerging for a long time.

Laura hissed, “Edwin, what are you trying to do here?"

Edwin met her gaze silently, his voice a bit rough.

“I get it; whisking you home out of the blue is a stretch, but there's at least someone in my family who's onto my liking for you, my yearning to be with you."

Olivia buried her head in her hands.

If their father heard this, he would explode in anger.

Laura felt a deeper flush of humiliation. What on earth was this supposed to mean?

Edwin refrained from probing further; he gently squeezed her hand.

"We'll just watch the lanterns, and then I'll escort you back."

Laura lowered her head, maintaining silence for an extended moment before she spoke up.

“Edwin, did you know I've always yearned for a home since I was a little girl? I finally have one, and what you're doing might snatch away my last sanctuary. I'm different from you. If this relationship slips away, at most, you'll face some scolding from your parents. Tomorrow, you'll still be Edwin, the sole heir of the Evans family. But for me, the only thing I possess can slip through my fingers at any given moment."

Edwin listened, a pang in his heart.

Yet, he understood that every word spoken by Laura held an undeniable truth.

The twists of fate can be downright unjust at times.

In that instance, Olivia softly nudged his arm and murmured, “Edwin, can we address this later? Causing a scene will only add to Laura's struggles."

Edwin reclined in his chair, gently shutting his eyes.

“Laura, I miss you so much."

And he regretted it.