Before he could even strike up a conversation, did she start feeling sorry for him?

Yuri massaged his temples, feeling a headache coming on. "Fine, fine, I won't meddle in your affairs anymore. Brittany has taken a liking to you, and there's nothing I can do to stop that." "But my terms remain the same."

Yuri was adamant: "You must make Craneville your home, at least for as long as I live."

He and Brittany had missed out on thirty whole years together. Now that they had reconnected, he wanted to spend as much time with her as possible to make up for those lost years. Brittany paused mid-sip of her soup.

Isaac's family was all in Craneville. If he truly accepted his father's condition, the chances of him returning to the bustling Imperial City were slim.

She couldn't bear to have Isaac give up his family for her sake.

Just as she was about to speak up.

"Dad, I've said it before, wherever Bri is, that's my home," Isaac replied honestly. "Now that my brother has taken over the reins at Grandeur Capital and is doing a great job, I have no ties left in Imperial City. Living in Craneville isn't a hardship for me." He had been concerned about Grandeur Capital, but in the past few months, Noel Salter had been doing so well that Isaac believed under Noel's leadership, the Salter family would continue to flourish. He could comfortably step back. Seeing him give in on this point, Yuri had no grounds to object.

"Piper seems to be digging into something. Be careful not to give anyone leverage against you."

With that, Yuri stood up and left.

Brittany hadn't expected Isaac to agree so readily. She was worried: "Zakky, are you really okay with staying in Craneville?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

Isaac looked unfazed. Life in Craneville was worlds apart from the hustle and bustle of Imperial City, but he had his beloved and his son here. Why wouldn't he stay?

Brittany seemed to read his thoughts, her heart swelling with emotion: "I'm sorry, it's all because of me."

"It's my choice," Isaac assured her, holding her hand to take the pressure off her. "Bri, remember one thing. To me, you're always the most important."

"Where you are, that's my home."

Brittany's eyes turned misty with emotion. Not even considering that Yuri might come back, she leaned in and kissed Isaac on the chin, which he deepened by holding her head close.

Yuri, having stepped out of the diner, thought he hadn't said everything he wanted to and turned back.

The sight of the entangled couple made him wish he could unsee what he had just witnessed.

...

After breakfast, Isaac left the Lynette household.

Brittany, whose morning sickness was almost gone, informed Yuri before driving off to her office. Eltham called, wanting to have dinner together as an apology for his rudeness the night before. Brittany mentioned she might have to work late and might not make it for dinner.

Eltham didn't press further.

After hanging up, Brittany dove into another round of work.

Meanwhile, Isaac returned to the villa, where Nathan had been waiting for a while.

"Mr. Salter, you asked me to dig into Eltham, and I found something not many people know."

"Go on."

"Eltham isn't as noble as he appears. He's been strictly controlled since childhood. During his teenage years, he had a girlfriend," Nathan revealed, pulling out a stack of documents, a few photos, and a video clip. "Turns out, his girlfriend was from a modest background. Eltham defied the Queen's orders for her, the first time he ever did. It didn't end well."

"Eltham was grounded, and his girlfriend was deported, vanishing without a trace."

Isaac opened the file, his gaze narrowing on the photos.

The girl in the photos bore a striking resemblance to Brittany, about seventy percent similar.

She was thin, with a tattoo on her wrist. Despite looking similar to Brittany, their auras couldn't be more different.

Brittany, having grown up in the Dustin family, received the finest education before Julie's death. She carried herself with a dignified grace. But the girl in the photos had a darkness in her eyes.

Standing next to Eltham, she seemed like she belonged to a completely different world, yet oddly, they also seemed to merge into one. "What was her name?"

"Hestia."

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