Chapter 378: The Tragic Love Story

Halston stepped back in surprise. “Raylee, I never knew you could be this feisty, but I like this side of you. Hehe, I guess I’m a little masochistic, but that’s just how love is, isn’t it? No matter what you’re like, I’m hopelessly smitten.”

“Quit beating around the bush, are you going to spill it or not?” Raylee brandished her fist.

“I will… I will…” Halston recalled the matter the elders had spoken about like a broken record. “Joseph is the son of Old Mr. Lorimer’s comrade but was essentially an orphan. He was raised by Old Mr. Lorimer, so you could say he was somewhat of a son to him! That guy was the epitome of a golden boy. Why? Because he was smart, talented at everything he picked up, learned quickly, and to top it all off, he was incredibly handsome. He was well-versed in astronomy, geography, music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. There was nothing he couldn’t do. He was also the top scholar at Jexburgh University. So it happened that this genius, top-of-his-class, incredibly handsome guy, at the age of seventeen, got mixed up with a rebellious young girl who was a high school dropout. Given the disparity in social status, it was only natural for Old Mr. Lorimer to oppose their relationship. Hence, he attempted to break up the young lovers.”

After a momentary pause, Halston added, “In the end, he was forced to marry Old Mr. Lorimer’s goddaughter, Anne Lorimer. As a result, this loveless marriage only lasted a year or two. Joseph was never truly done with that rebellious girl. He used the excuse of a business trip to take his lover to Pudrana, and then, the two of them just vanished. Upon checking the flight records, he never even went to Pudrana. Anyway, no one knows his current whereabouts. It’s as if he just vanished into thin air. Anne fell into a deep depression. With her newborn child, she travelled the world searching for him, but in the end, she too disappeared. You know, this family, which could have been perfectly happy, but fell apart because Joseph was led astray by that rebellious girl, abandoning his wife and daughter.”

Raylee hadn’t anticipated that there was such a legendary figure in Jexburgh, who even had such a poignant love story.

Halston continued, “Joseph’s affairs, which were once the talk of the town, were gradually forgotten as time went by. Some lamented the downfall of a once-in-a-generation prodigy due to love, some expressed their discontent about Anne ending up with a jerk, while others wondered where the whole family had disappeared to. Anyway, I’m already sick of hearing all the gossip related to the incident, but come to think of it, you do share a resemblance with Joseph. Despite Old Mr. Lorimer’s age, his eyes are incredibly sharp.”

“Do you have his picture?” Summer asked urgently. “I want to see just how similar we really are.”

“That would be difficult!” Halston lamented, shaking his head. “After Joseph eloped with his lover and disappeared, Old Mr. Lorimer was so infuriated that he destroyed all of Joseph’s belongings, documents, and photographs. Even the news about this genius winning various competitions and championships on the internet were completely erased. Old Mr. Lorimer even told everyone to treat Joseph as if he never existed.”

“In that case, do you have a photo of Old Mr. Lorimer’s goddaughter, Anne?” Raylee asked again.

“Are you curious to see if you resemble Anne? You should ask Old Mr. Lorimer or perhaps the Lorimer family about that, but,” Halston said, furrowing his brows, “that’s not necessary because she’s plain ugly. She’s short and has single eyelids. She doesn’t resemble you in the slightest.”

Raylee found herself lost in thought. She was still in the process of uncovering the mystery of her origins when, unexpectedly, a man named Joseph, who bore a striking resemblance to her, came into the picture. In the end, all news and information about Joseph in Jexburgh had been completely erased by the Lorimer family. It was as if this person had never existed. Is this good news or bad news?

Halston concluded, “It’s not surprising that you two look alike. After all, in this world, nothing is impossible. That’s the situation at hand. You can take it at face value, but there’s no need to delve too deep into it.”

Raylee gave a nod of agreement.

“What secrets? Don’t you dare slander me. I don’t know anything!” Halston continued to deny.

“So, you’re not going to talk?” Summer glared at him.

“Fine. I’ll talk!” Halston continued in a meaningful tone. “Judging from the size of Mr. Foucault’s mask, as well as its thickness, weight, and density, I deduce that his facial features must be similar to those of Old Mr. Lorimer, both having sharply defined angles and pronounced features.”