Cyrus was too guilty to look Jonathan in the eyes. As he reflected on the situation, he realized his first concern had not been Ezra''s injury. It was only after he returned to the Finch Manor that he thought of Ezra. Now faced with Jonathan''s questioning, he felt even less confident, but Jonathan demanded an answer.
"The third floor of the exhibition hall holds all your important belongings with locks to every passage. How did Ezra get up there?"
As Jonathan spoke, he nced at Lizzie, already suspicious.
"Jon... Jon, it was my fault. I overlooked it," Lizzie suddenly spoke with a look of self-me in her eyes.
Jonathan was surprised that Lizzie admitted it was her doing.
"I went to the third floor that day to check Cyrus'' painting. After I finished, I left and didn''t realize the door wasn''t properly closed."
Every word was filled with regret, but they were equally piercing to Jonathan. He let out a mockingugh.
ire, who had been silent, quickly chimed in, "Mr. Jonathan, it''s not Mrs. Finch''s fault.
"Whenever she goes to the third floor, she unlocks the door, and I''m responsible for closing it. Last night I..."
ire bit her lip as she followed Lizzie''s instructions to take the me. But when she looked up and met Jonathan''s gaze, she was startled by the sharpness that seemed to see through her. Almost instinctively, she lowered her head in panic.
"Ha!" Jonathan scoffed. The coldness in his voice indicated he saw through ire''s lie.
ire nearly faltered, but Lizzie intervened timely. "Jon, don''t me her. She made a mistake, but she''s been with me for years. I know her enough to know that she didn''t do it on purpose. "With so many things going on at the art exhibition, it''s normal that she forgot to close the door.
"Who could have imagined that Ezra woulde to the art exhibition? Or that he would mistakenly end up on the third floor and in that room?"
Mistakenly? So they turned it all into a mistake and med it on coincidences?
"Ms. Quinn, you''re still as eloquent as ever."
Jonathan met Lizzie''s gaze. Lizzie was clearly taken aback by the way Jonathan addressed her.
Few knew she was once hired by the Finch family to tutor Jonathan, and only she knew how she made her way from being an art tutor to bing Cyrus'' wife.
No one knew the things she did, but the sarcasm in Jonathan''s eyes felt like a p on her face.
Lizzie avoided eye contact. She leaned closer to Cyrus, looking pitiful and wronged just like she used to. As expected, her subtle disy of grievance prompted Cyrus to step up and protect her.
"Jonathan, those past events have nothing to do with Lizz!" Cyrus put his arms around Lizzie''s shoulder, protecting her against the world. He seemed like the perfect husband unconditionally protecting his wife. p, p, p...
Jonathan couldn''t help but apud, and the sound echoed in the study. Each p was filled with sarcasm that darkened Cyrus'' face.
"Jonathan..." Cyrus started angrily, but Jonathan cut him off.
"Mr. Finch!"
The atmosphere in the study tensed. The scene ovepped with that night years ago. As Jonathan recalled it, his hatred for Cyrus grew deeper. "Do you remember her death?" he asked.
Her? Nancy... A trace of emotion flickered in Cyrus'' eyes.
"She died, and you didn''t investigate. You all said she was mentally ill and took her life, but there were so many suspicious points. Why was she mentally ill? Don''t you know that?
"You had another love, but you wouldn''t free her. You kept her locked up and withered in this cage.
"She took her life? That''s the biggest joke I''ve ever heard. She had someone she loved, so how could she leave him alone and go along her way?"
Jonathan lowered his gaze. Nancy could leave him alone with the Finches, but she could never abandon Ezra.
At that moment, Jonathan suppressed the deepest sorrow in his heart. His hatred intensified when he looked at Cyrus once more.
"And for Ezra, who was behind the helper giving him the de? You didn''t care. Cyrus, who is it that you actually care about?
"Her!" Jonathan nced at Lizzie, who Cyrus was protecting. He felt deeply sorry for Nancy.
His gaze sent a hint of guilt in Lizzie''s eyes. She hurriedly tried to exin herself. "No, Jon. Cyrus cares about="
"Lizz. No need to exin." Cyrus stopped her before she could finish.
Lizzie looked troubled. There was a fleeting look of triumph in her eyes that was too quick to catch, but Jonathan''s sharp eyes noticed it. He was even more certain that yesterday''s events were not so simple.
enover
"Cyrus, I will get to the end of this. You better protect her well," Jonathan dered.
This was not like the past. Back then, he had fought hard for Ezra''s justice but was met with Cyrus'' indifference and bias. He had fought, argued, and eventually moved Ezra out of the Finch Manor away from these people.
Over the years, he had nned step by step to be the ruler of the Finches. He was no longer his young innocent self. Jonathan walked out of the study. As Cyrus watched him leave, blood rushed to his head as he struggled to breathe.
"Cyrus, what''s wrong?" Lizzie panicked when noticing his condition.
Cyrus clutched his chest, wanting to speak but failed to. "Cyrus, Cyrus! Quick, call the doctor!" Lizzie frantically urged ire.
"Okay! I''ll call an ambnce." ire hurriedly took out her phone.
Lizzie coldly ordered before ire could dial the number, "No need. Go ring the bell for Mrs. Finch Senior''s doctor."
Eleanor had her own medical team stationed in the west wing of the Finch Manor on call twenty-four-seven.
The house was equipped with several rm bells. If Eleanor had any health issues, pressing the bell would immediately summon the medical team. ire hesitated. Cyrus had instructed not to cause a bigmotion tonight, and summoning Eleanor''s doctor would undoubtedly cause a stir. "What are you waiting for?" Lizzie urged.
ire snapped out of it and quickly ran out of the study. She had no idea Lizzie wanted to make a scene. The rm sounded in less than ten seconds.