Love Began with the First Meeting
Chapter 788 Old Stories (Part One)

Nobody is able to change any other person, but everybody may be the reason for another person's change.

**

"Don't worry," said Molly with a faint smile. "The man I love is Brian."

Looking at Molly, Lenny didn't seem to be relieved with what she heard. She didn't even seem to be less hostile towards Molly as the latter had expected. "I know that," Lenny said. Then she turned her gaze to the blue sea and added, "But people sometimes take the second best choice when they are weak in order to make themselves feel good." She looked back at Molly again, "They replace spiritual comfort by doing that."

Molly opened her mouth as she thought of explaining things further. However, she closed it again. She was not angry with Lenny. On the contrary, she even thought that people who did things silently for their beloved were worthy of respect and admiration. "Perhaps you're right..." said Molly softly. "However, that isn't applicable to me. I love Brian and it will never change."

Lenny stared at Molly deeply for a long time before answering, "If that ever happens one day, I hope for you to treat my young master seriously." A tinge of frailty flashed across her eyes as she spoke. She didn't want Eric to get hurt and she wouldn't want Molly to hurt him either. Even though it was evident that Molly didn't love him.

"It will never happen." Molly said with conviction. She knew that nobody could understand how persistent she was with Brian now. If Brian would not want her back and she never managed to go back to his side, she would most likely spend the rest of her life together with Mark.

Lenny didn't say anything more. However, her beautiful almond eyes were suddenly filled with indescribable sadness. She saw Eric when she turned around. He was standing in a corner not far away from her. She gritted her teeth discreetly and walked towards him. And then with a slight bow, she greeted him with respect. "Young master."

"You're not in the position to step in my affairs," Eric replied in a cold tone. His handsome face suddenly looked cruel as he looked down to Lenny.

"..." Lenny didn't answer. She just remained silent with her head bowed.

That was when Molly turned around and saw what Eric was about to do. Her eyes suddenly grew opened in shock as she screamed, "Eric, don't do that!" "Bang!" a sound of thump suddenly filled the place.

"Oh!"

Lenny automatically covered her tummy with her hands instinctively. She began losing her balance as her feet staggered back some steps. The taste of her own blood spread through her mouth. She tried to hold it back, but she couldn't. Drops of blood started to roll down her chin, staining her once beautiful face red.

What Molly saw paralyzed her for a while. She couldn't even close her jaw when she heard Eric said in a cold tone, "I'm not holding you accountable this time since you had worked for me for quite a while. However, you have to pay attention to your own identity and keep that in mind, Lenny. Otherwise, I would give you a document to cancel the agreement of you being a shadow. I don't want that day to come."

"Yes!" Lenny said as she forced herself to stand straight. She made a slight bow to Eric again. "I will devote my heart, soul, and die for the royal Long Family!"

Hearing how the discussion went made Lenny frown and close her mouth. She suddenly understood that such a powerful family just like the Long's had their own rules. Thus, it would be improper for her to walk forward and say something to the two.

Taking a cold glance at Lenny, Eric said, "Once you get back to the Dragon Island, go to the punishment hall and get your punishment."

Taking a deep breath silently, Lenny answered without the least hesitation, "Yes!"

Eric then began ignoring Lenny and turned his attention to Molly. He walked towards her with his lips firmly pressed against each other. The tiny beads of sweat covering her forehead made him sigh. Then he said, "Why didn't you wear a hat?"

"It had been really cloudy in A City since I came back. I haven't seen the sun for many days. It's good that it is sunny today, thus, I want to enjoy it for now," Molly answered. After explaining why she didn't wear a hat, she shifted the topic by asking, "Haven't you visited the government yet?"

"I went there for a while with the leaders," it was Eric's turn to explain. "However, it would be the staffs of Flight Media and Dream Media that would be doing the follow-ups."

"Where's Brian?" Molly closed her mouth tightly after asking. Being together with Eric had been very relaxing for her. She didn't know why, but she didn't know what to do or what to say after he had said that so seriously to her in the airplane. She felt a bit awkward. "He has something to do right now," Eric answered casually. It seemed that he didn't mind hearing her mention Brian's name at all. "There will be a banquet in the evening and he has to pay a visit before that," he added.

"Oh..." Molly answered sullenly. Seeing the bloodstain at the corner of Lenny's mouth, she said, "Would you like to have a walk over there together with me?"

Hearing what Molly just said made Eric laughed silently. He knew the reason why she made such a request. It was obvious that she wanted Lenny to deal with her wound. However, he didn't say anything about it and just nodded. He told Lenny to go back to the hotel. He then took Molly to stroll along the white sand beach with him. It was in the late afternoon and the sun was already setting in Sun Island. He told Molly about what had happened to the previous generation of the Long Family and Molly ended up asking a question or two whenever she was curious.

"Do you mean that mom..." Molly paused for a moment and then corrected herself, "I mean Aunt Shirley, married Uncle Richie just because she had no other choice?"

"Perhaps it could be put this way," answered Eric. He finally stopped walking and sat on the sand. He then gave the peaceful sunset a quick look and then glanced at Molly, who was standing beside him. She looked perfect with the reddish sunlight washing her face. He said slowly, "By the time they got married, Aunt Shirley should have fallen in love with Uncle Richie. I guess she just didn't have the chance to think about her own feelings carefully and realize that she loved him. There might have been a lot of things filling her mind back then, thus, she missed."

"But I feel that the person Aunt Shirley loved was..." Molly's voice gradually faded until she was quiet. She just realized how different her conclusion was from his.

Sensing that she wasn't able to finish what she was saying, Eric continued on her behalf, "...my dad?" Seeing Molly nodded, he said with a faint smile, "Maybe you're right. My dad was very close to success back then. He was just one step behind the competition. Unfortunately, he was always one step behind and wasn't able to take the gap until the end. That is exactly how life goes. The fate of a person who stepped earlier may be very different compared to the person who didn't make the step. A little step not taken is as good as a mile."

Molly slowly sat down next to him and looked at the glittering sea too. She said, "Yeah. One's destiny is the result of every step he or she takes. The result can change because of a tiny mistake." Looking at Eric, she asked, "What happened later?"

"Later, Wing was recorded in the royal family pedigree, and Uncle Richie signed the marriage document by himself. They held the wedding ceremony and omitted the engagement ceremony, which might have caused more changes," Eric spoke slowly. He had learned all this from the video retained by ZTV, which he had found in the archives. Richie's marriage vow was always vivid in Eric's mind. He remembered his Uncle Richie saying, "Please give your hand to me while setting your heart at rest. From now on, let's take every step in our lives together..." His vow sounded plain but he had really realized what he had said. How many people in the world could put such a vow into practice with perseverance and consistency like him? 00000