Chapter 489 - 485: Finn Vance

"Mr. Vance."

Jasmine Sterling greeted him with a smile. "I’m sorry, have I kept you waiting long?"

"Not at all. I just arrived myself." No matter how turbulent Finn Vance felt inside, his expression remained perfectly composed. After all, he was a man seasoned in the world of business; maintaining a poker face was a fundamental skill for someone like him.

"Do you still have things to take care of? I can wait," Finn Vance said.

Jasmine Sterling shook her head. "It’s not urgent. I can handle it this afternoon when I get back. Shall we go?"

"Alright. The car is outside."

A clean Mercedes-Benz was parked by the roadside, with the driver standing attentively by the door. Seeing Director Vance emerge, he hurried forward to open the car door.

Finn Vance raised a hand to shield the top of the doorframe. "Watch your head."

"Thank you."

After Jasmine Sterling was in the car, Finn Vance walked around to the other side and got in.

"I..." Finn Vance looked at Jasmine Sterling and asked tentatively, "May I call you Jasmine?"

Jasmine Sterling was slightly taken aback, then suddenly smiled. "Of course. You don’t have to be so formal, Mr. Vance."

"My full name is Finn Vance," he said, looking at Jasmine Sterling with an expectant expression.

Jasmine Sterling’s lips twitched. In the end, she just licked them awkwardly. "I think I’ll call you Mr. Vance for now."

"Alright. No rush." Finn Vance smiled and looked at his driver. "Woods, take us to Prosperity House."

Prosperity House was a high-end private kitchen that only served the wealthy and powerful. It was extremely difficult to get a reservation on any given day. Finn Vance had to pull some strings and use his connections just to secure a table for today.

Upon entering, Jasmine Sterling felt a wave of relief. ’I’m glad I made an effort to dress up today. Otherwise, I’d feel completely out of place in such an elegant restaurant.’

As they were being seated, Finn Vance personally pulled out her chair for her. His every action exuded a gentlemanly air.

"Director Vance, will you be having the wine you have stored with us, or shall we open a new bottle today?" a waiter asked politely as he approached.

Finn Vance turned to Jasmine Sterling. "You still have work this afternoon. How about we just stick to juice today?"

"Alright." Jasmine Sterling nodded with a smile.

A woman’s heart is sensitive and delicate, often moved by the smallest of details. At the very least, from the moment they met until now, Finn Vance’s behavior had been perfectly appropriate, making Jasmine Sterling feel very comfortable.

"A glass of fresh-pressed apple juice for the lady, and a cup of sake for me."

"Right away, sir."

"Mr. Vance," Jasmine Sterling began, offering a slightly apologetic smile before continuing, "Thank you for the flowers you’ve been sending me these past few days. But I’d appreciate it if you didn’t send any more, is that alright?"

Hearing this, Finn Vance’s expression stiffened slightly, and his heart sank. "Did... did I cause trouble for you? I’m so sorry. I just wanted to express my feelings for you with the flowers. If you don’t like them, I’ll stop, of course. But I still hope you can give us a chance to keep getting to know one another."

He had misunderstood, thinking that her request to stop sending flowers was a complete rejection.

"You’ve misunderstood," Jasmine Sterling explained. "It’s just that there are more and more flowers, and I’m running out of space to put them. Of course I’m happy to receive them, but it’s also quite extravagant. My office is starting to look like a florist’s shop."

Finn Vance instantly breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, so that’s what it is. I suppose I was being inconsiderate. I understand now. I won’t send them every day anymore."

’Switching to once every three or four days should be fine, right?’

"Still, thank you," Jasmine Sterling said sincerely. "In all these years, besides my own children, no one has ever sent me flowers."

Finn Vance’s eyes filled with deep emotion. "It’s the same for me. Ever since my wife passed away, I’ve been on my own."

"I’ve heard a little about that. You’re known as a very devoted man, Mr. Vance."

The story of Finn Vance and his late wife was no secret in Lorcain’s social circles. After learning he was pursuing Jasmine Sterling, Wendy Duncan had already told Jasmine the key details about him.

His wife had passed away from uterine cancer, and he had never remarried for the sake of his son, who had just graduated from college last year.

Presumably, the time was finally right. And with Jasmine Sterling appearing at this exact moment, for Finn Vance, it was a case of meeting the person he’d been hoping for at the perfect time.

His reputation was excellent and his relationship history was clean, which was why Wendy Duncan fully supported Jasmine Sterling in giving things a try with him.

"Mr. Vance, we’re both adults. The fact that I agreed to have lunch with you today should make my intentions clear. I am willing to see where things go between us."

Jasmine Sterling hesitated for a moment before deciding to be direct. She looked at Finn Vance with a serious gaze, making the atmosphere feel exceptionally solemn. Finn Vance couldn’t help but straighten his posture, a surge of joy welling up in his heart.

He heard Jasmine Sterling begin in a soft voice, "Your story isn’t exactly a secret in Lorcain. A friend told me the general details a while ago, and I based my decision on what I heard."

"So, in the interest of fairness, I feel obligated to tell you about my own situation. After all, both of our circumstances are quite unique. If you’re still willing to move forward after hearing my story, then... shall we try to make this work, together?"

Although Jasmine Sterling hadn’t said anything yet, as Finn Vance looked at her, a pang of tenderness already spread through his heart. Just by looking at her, he could tell she was a woman with a story.

And the contents of that story were likely not pleasant.

"Jasmine, really, if you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to," he said quickly.

Jasmine Sterling gave an elegant smile and gently shook her head. "It’s alright. I want you to know. You *should* know."

At that, Finn Vance couldn’t help but let out a soft breath and nod. "Then please, speak. I’m listening."

Jasmine Sterling mulled it over for a moment, as if deciding where to begin. Finally, she looked up at Finn Vance and cut straight to the chase. "I’ve never been married. The father of my children and I conceived out of wedlock, and at the time, their grandparents told me I could only marry into the family if I gave birth to a son..."

Recalling this nearly tragic past, with her current state of mind, Jasmine Sterling had long since found peace with it all.

Her tone was soft and gentle, as if she were telling Finn Vance someone else’s story.

Finn Vance listened with his brow deeply furrowed. He was shaken, marveling at how this woman, who seemed as gentle as water, could be so incredibly strong. His eyes filled with heartache for her.

Fortunately, the middle of her story became warm and happy. When she spoke of her three children, a genuine tenderness graced her features, and the tension in Finn Vance’s brow finally eased.

Finally, with a blissful smile on her face, Jasmine Sterling concluded, "Mr. Vance, that is the story of my three children and me."

Finn Vance let out a long, deep breath and picked up his glass of sake, taking a sip to compose himself.

After a long moment, he looked at Jasmine Sterling with a storm of emotions in his eyes, his voice tinged with hoarseness as he spoke. "All these years... it must have been so hard for you."