Our Love Story: Hard to Guard Against the Sudden Love Strike-Chapter 469 - 447: Powerless to Resist (9th Update)
A group of fathers sat together, happiest when sharing their children’s achievements with friends.
Sienna Thornton, sitting obediently beside Quentin Thorne, listened as he introduced her to his friends, feeling as if she was reliving the years of study and entrepreneurship all over again.
Looking back now, during those years it felt like nothing but hardship, and there were times of despair when she almost couldn’t endure, but in the end, she pulled through.
She wasn’t born strong as iron; in fact, she was even more fragile than most girls. It was only her beliefs that supported her through countless adversities that ordinary people couldn’t bear, achieving what she is today.
.
In the living room, Quentin Thorne was chatting and laughing with Sienna and the guests; in the dining room, Mina Thorne and Ian Grant were busy handling the birthday dinner.
Seeing her father so proud of Sienna, Mina felt a bit uncomfortable inside.
Ian came out with a pot of freshly cooked lamb, noticed her daughter’s distracted gaze toward the living room, and then saw Sienna sitting beside Quentin socializing with friends, which ignited a fire in her heart.
She nudged Mina’s arm, motioning toward the living room with her chin: "I’ve got things covered here. You go over and chat with your father’s friends."
Mina lowered her eyes, silently took the clay pot from her and placed it in the center of the long dining table, without a word.
Seeing this, Ian immediately pulled her daughter into the kitchen and gave her a scolding: "You should learn from that girl! She’s only half a year older than you and is welcome everywhere she goes! How much is she earning now? Yet you’re still stuck on a fixed salary every month! Right now, with your dad and uncle around, no one dares to look down on you! But once they’re gone, don’t be surprised if your in-laws despise you to death!"
Mina said nothing, silently enduring Ian’s bitter disappointment.
Ian continued, turning the conversation towards herself: "I didn’t make a name for myself at work back then and retired early to take care of you. That’s why your dad looks down on me! We don’t get along well! Why are you following in your mother’s footsteps? Do you want Seth to become like your father? Seth’s dad is the chief prosecutor! But his wife is just a grassroots prosecutor—what does that say about your father-in-law’s reputation? What will your in-laws think of you?"
Mina: "..."
After reprimanding her daughter, Ian felt better and pushed her to join the liveliness in the living room and make her presence known.
Mina never went to the living room in the end. She quietly returned to her room and called Seth.
Seth was also idle, lying on the office sofa playing on his phone, when he stumbled upon a short video from an official account featuring a clip of Sienna being interviewed by state media.
The short video had a rousing background score, with small text in the lower left corner reading, "She is a Harvard scholar, a legal prodigy, and a proud daughter of the nation!"
Seth watched the short video, feeling a rush of emotion, finding this version of Sienna incredibly impressive.
He recalled the beginning of the year in the interrogation room at the police station when he informed her she could go home, cleared of suspicion. Her eyes were brimming with tears, her nose was red, yet her gaze wasn’t one of grievance for being wronged and then exonerated, but filled with determination.
He sensed that she wanted to convey something back then, but not knowing her well, he couldn’t decipher her expression at that moment.
Until a few nights ago, when he blocked her way back to her room, and she glanced up at him with that same look.
It was then he finally understood what her expression meant—she seemed to really dislike him.
Thinking about this, Seth chuckled helplessly and watched the short video featuring Sienna once more.
After a while, his phone rang, showing Mina was calling. He initially didn’t want to answer but realized ignoring it would only be more painful, so he reluctantly picked up.
"What is it?"
"Seth..." Mina’s voice was low. "What are you doing?"
Seth irritably scratched his head: "At the office!"
Mina let out an "Oh," and silence fell on the line for a few seconds before she asked, "Do you think I’m really lacking?"
Seth, frustrated by her vague question, snapped, "What do you mean?"
"I’m just a grassroots prosecutor."
"So?"
"Does that embarrass you?"
Seth was utterly exasperated by her demeanor, losing his patience, and growled, "If you mess up and end up in my hands, then you’d definitely embarrass me. But if you haven’t done anything wrong, what’s there to be embarrassed about?"
His words were not meant to comfort Mina, nor did they address the crux of the matter. If he cared at all about Mina, he would have realized that Mina’s sudden question was definitely triggered by Sienna’s return to the Thorne Family.
However, even though he didn’t care and just responded offhandedly, it was enough to warm Mina, who had just been harshly scolded by Ian. Her affection for Seth probably stemmed from his lack of disdain for her shortcomings.
That’s what true love is probably like.
. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺
Mina hung up, feeling much better. Figuring Ian was nearly done, she went downstairs again.
At the staircase, Sienna happened to be coming up. The two exchanged a glance and passed each other without expression.
The guests had all taken their seats. The ten-seat dining table was just full, and Quentin went to fetch three plastic chairs to add more seating.
Seeing Mina come down, Ian quickly beckoned Mina to sit, intending to sit next to Quentin herself. However, Quentin waved her off, lowered his voice, and said, "Go sit over there and let Annie sit here."
Ian was dumbstruck by this for a few seconds, on the verge of snapping, but suddenly remembered there were guests around, so she bit back her anger.
Her face darkened as she sat beside Mina in the extra seats, and her hands were still trembling with rage.
Mina noticed but was powerless to act.
Quentin was clearly favoring Sienna, which was obvious to everyone, but what could she do? Ask Quentin to abandon Sienna once more? Or incite her parents to divorce, then leave with her mom to have some peace?
Neither was realistic.
It was like the rainy season transitioning between spring and summer, damp and sticky, annoyingly unpleasant, yet driving away the early spring chill and making the temperature feel comfortable.
The Thorne Family was currently in this kind of situation.
Because Ian was willing to accept Sienna, even if it was just a facade of compromise, Quentin saw her in a more favorable light as a result.
Quentin gradually showed a smile, and since Sienna moved in, he went from being often absent to coming home on time every day after work.
Nowadays, the Thorne Family’s atmosphere was mostly harmonious and far better than when Sienna had just appeared, and the tension between Quentin and Ian often ended with Ian having a breakdown and crying.
