CHAPTER 133: CHAPTER 133: THE RHODES FAMILY AND THE FAIRCHILD FAMILY

Shannon Quinn obediently did as she was told, and the moment she closed her eyes, tears instantly spilled over.

Vincent Rhodes reached out to remove the mask from his face and with his other hand wiped away the tears on her face, holding the back of her head, softly planting a kiss on her lips.

Looking at her wet lashes, he, who was already reluctant to leave, felt even more heartbroken and unwilling.

He brushed his thumb across her eyes, ruffled her hair, put on the mask, and said, "It’s not like I’m not coming back, why are you crying?"

Shannon Quinn opened her eyes, sniffed, and used her hand to smooth the hair he’d messed up, not saying a word.

"Go back inside, you didn’t even wear a coat, don’t catch a cold."

Shannon Quinn stepped out of the elevator, watching as the elevator door slowly closed, completely cutting off their line of sight.

Watching the numbers descend steadily, gradually widening the distance between them, Shannon Quinn lowered her gaze, raised her hand to wipe her eyes, and returned to her room.

Every time he left, she always felt the home was dreadfully desolate.

Only by focusing on work could time pass by more quickly.

In the past two days, Sean Fairchild also sent her some materials on traditional costumes through WeChat, giving Shannon Quinn a basic understanding and slowly forming a mental plan.

On the third day, Sean Fairchild finally arranged a meeting with her, setting the location at a famous local antique city.

Sean Fairchild took her to a museum that collected costumes from various famous artists, where the costumes were only for viewing and not for sale.

Looking at the dazzling array of costumes in the cabinets, Shannon Quinn was permitted by the owner to take many photos with her phone.

Sean Fairchild explained the origin and types of each costume to her, along with cultural aspects of colors and patterns, which could be said to have been very enlightening.

Spending almost an entire afternoon, Sean Fairchild patiently explained everything beside her, answering whatever Shannon Quinn asked with patience.

"Mr. Fairchild, let me treat you to dinner tonight as a thank you for your help today."

"Isn’t Mr. Rhodes joining us?"

"He... had to go out for something. I also have some things about him I wanted to ask you."

"Things about him?"

"Let’s find a restaurant and talk over a meal."

They found a nearby restaurant, also introduced by Sean Fairchild, as he seemed quite familiar with the area.

After ordering, Sean Fairchild asked her, "Sis, what would you like to ask?"

Shannon Quinn knew that Vincent Rhodes was probably a sensitive topic in his social circle; if she probed too deeply, even if Sean Fairchild knew, he probably wouldn’t tell her.

So she just asked him, "...How did you and Quinn meet?"

"Vincent and I?" Sean Fairchild smiled, seeming to find her question a bit strange, "Aren’t you aware of the relationship between our families?"

Shannon Quinn was puzzled and shook her head.

"Looks like he’s kept it well under wraps from you."

Hearing this, Shannon Quinn became even more curious.

She saw Sean Fairchild pick up the teacup to sip his tea before saying, "Do you know what Vincent’s mother’s name is, your mother-in-law?"

Shannon Quinn was stunned and shook her head again.

She even felt a bit ridiculous, having been married for two years without knowing her mother-in-law’s name.

However, Sean Fairchild didn’t seem surprised and mentioned a name: "Sylvia Fairchild."

Although Shannon Quinn wasn’t familiar with this name, the rare surname indicated that Vincent’s mother was a member of the Fairchild Family.

"She was considered my aunt, but due to some past matters from the previous generation, she left the Fairchild Family and later married into the Rhodes Family."

"Regardless, she was a member of the Fairchild Family, and when she got married, the Fairchild Family stepped in. Seeing her relationship with the family ease, her days with Uncle Rhodes were happy, but it didn’t last long before Uncle Rhodes had an accident."

Shannon Quinn listened attentively and asked, "What happened to him?"

"No one knows the specifics, but during the funeral, the Rhodes Family informed outsiders that it was due to a car accident. After Uncle Rhodes passed, my aunt was deeply saddened and succumbed to illness two years later. Vincent was probably only twelve or thirteen at that time."

"... He never mentioned any of this to me."

To be precise, she knew nothing about his affairs.

Sean Fairchild seemed to know some of Vincent Rhodes’s secrets too, but he understood what to say and what not to say, and apart from explaining the relationship between the Rhodes and Fairchild families, he didn’t speak of anything else.

"Have you and Vincent known each other since childhood?"

"Yes, we’re the same age, though he’s a few days older."

Shannon Quinn quickly asked, "Was his injury congenital, or did it happen later?"

Sean Fairchild hesitated a moment, seemingly contemplating whether to speak or not, and instead of directly answering Shannon’s question, he asked, "Hasn’t Mr. Rhodes told you?"

Shannon Quinn awkwardly explained, "I dared not ask him directly, fearing that bringing it up might upset him."

She worried that if she admitted asking, and Vincent Rhodes hadn’t told her, Sean Fairchild likely wouldn’t tell her either.

"He wasn’t injured as a child, but he wasn’t like other normal kids."

"How so?"

Sean Fairchild recalled, "As a child, people always said I had a strict upbringing, but I think Vincent had it tougher. I just learned opera at home daily, while Vincent’s whereabouts were always very mysterious."

The waiter came to serve the meal, prompting Sean Fairchild to move the teacup to clear space for the dishes. Once the waiter left, he continued, "In outsiders’ eyes, the Rhodes Family has always been mysterious. Vincent didn’t grow up in the Rhodes Family home; I saw him only a few times when my aunt secretly brought him to visit the Fairchild Family. After my aunt passed away, my interactions with Vincent decreased significantly."

"Vincent didn’t attend regular school; it seems the Rhodes Family had their own educational institution. He probably studied there. I’m not sure how he got injured, but maybe around eighteen or nineteen? That time when my grandfather died, Mr. Rhodes brought him to the Fairchild Family for the funeral, and he was in a wheelchair then, later always wearing a mask."

Shannon Quinn thought for a moment and asked, "Do you have any photos of him before he got injured?"

"My aunt probably took some."

"Could I see them?"

Sean Fairchild looked at her for a moment, seeming hesitant, saying, "Those things should be at the Rhodes Family; you’ll have to ask Grandpa Rhodes."

Hearing that she would need to go find Shane Royale, Shannon Quinn knew it wasn’t going to happen.

That old man would just make trouble for her; she’d never willingly approach Shane Royale.

"Technically, as the Rhodes Family’s daughter-in-law, you should know more about these things than outsiders, right?"

Shannon Quinn shook her head, saying, "I feel like he’s hiding things from me but refuses to tell me."

"The Rhodes Family seems to have a secret training camp for handling family affairs, but I’m not clear on the specifics. There are too many secrets tied up in this; not telling you isn’t surprising, and possibly, except for those involved, no one knows what exactly he’s doing."

Shannon Quinn had heard of this training camp and knew there were quite a few people from the Rhodes Family involved, but she believed Vincent Rhodes wasn’t among them.

She suspected that before Vincent Rhodes got injured, perhaps it was related to these affairs, but what exactly was he hiding now?