"I am Amber not Clarissa," Amber finally remembered what he spouted and just as he sat down, she finally said."I am not a senile old geezer, I just remember that person when I saw you," Gideon rolled his eyes and replied.
"So I really don"t have to explain right?" Amber asked.
"Oh and I have a made up scar to place on my face before covering it up with a mask for first time events and for crowded places."
Gideon sighed, sometimes he really couldn"t keep up with the way this girl thinks.
"I thought you were quite like your father who can plan a lot ahead of time speacially on businesses. Yet who would have thought that you would also get the randomness of your mother who run away from home."
Both Ashton and Amber frowned upon hearing him speak about Sarah as if he really knew her.
"Don"t look at me like that, I am just an elder who observes people."
"I have no desire of making that old man"s life happy yet," he added in his mind as he laughed inwardly as well.
"So what was that about the wedding?"
The face was indeed a complete shock but that was just it, right now he was curious about the wedding they were talking about.
"First things first why are you here?" Ashton asked as he looked at his grandfather.
"I am just visiting, who would have thought that my randomness would bring such outcome for me to find out such a secret."
If her father was alive, he would grow old faster, with such a look. Surely so many men would try and pursue her.
He heard of how the whole world turned upside down because of Clarissa"s face. And now a descendant of hers actually got her looks.
"But even her personality was good, a complete opposite of Clarissa."
"So what was that about the wedding?"
"Madison and Glenn Price"s wedding, they invited Ashton."
Amber replied nonchalantly but Gideon felt like a bomb was suddenly thrown at him.
He slowly looked at Ashton but to his surprise he was sitting nonchalant as well. As if this was not done to hurt him even more.
"And you plan on going?" he asked him.
"Why not? They invited me anyway, plus you do know grandfather that if I don"t go, it will raise another uproar," Ashton replied with a shrug.
"You"re fine with it?"
"No, of course not."
"That is why I am going with him," Amber grinned.
"Well, since you are there to support him. Then I have no more qualms."
Both of them are old enough and since they weren"t going there to be bullied then he has no words.
He then remembered that his wife was feeling down for a while now. It must be because of the wedding.
"No wonder."
He also knew that his wife still hated this young lady, that no matter how much he tried to bring this young lady into the light she just won"t listen.
He no longer wanted to do anything about it, he would just leave it to destiny on what will happen to his wife and Amber in the future.
The three of them chatted more for a long while before Gideon finally bid them goodbye.
Upon sitting inside the car, Gideon couldn"t help but to sigh heavily.
That young lady was still young but the responsibilities she hold was too heavy.
He just hope that whoever it is, and if possible for it to be his grandson, who would stand beside her would be strong enough to support her with all these responsibilities.
*****
Amber s.h.i.+vered as she came out at one of the stores of Clover in Celestial country.
People had been glancing at her ever since she came out. The mask was not normal after all but she didn"t care.
She just got the things she needed and the wedding reception was tonight. It was already afternoon, so she had Ashton went ahead if ever and she"d just text him to pick her up in the entrance once she arrives.
"Seriously it is too cold right now," she commented when a figure caught her eyes on the side.
It was an elderly woman who was staring intently at one of the gla.s.s windows, she was looking at one of the gowns in display inside the shop.
She looked like a rich madam but what she was wearing couldn"t entirely warm her up from the cold.
She was wearing a coat but without scarf and gloves.
Her cheeks were already red from the cold but it doesn"t seem like she can feel it.
She was lost in her own thoughts.
Amber walked over as she removed her own scarf, "I don"t know what is currently running on your mind madam, you can admire a beauty but you must not neglect your own body."
As she spoke she placed the scarf at the elderly woman"s neck, wrapping it herself. This completely shock the elderly woman.
She may be of age but she still looked beautiful and well maintained.
"Oh."
The lady touched the scarf and felt the warmth coming from it. She looked at Amber who was smiling at her.
"I apologize for shocking you. But the weather was completely cold right now. We wouldn"t want you to get sick now, would we?"
"Thank you sweet child," the elderly smiled back.
Amber heaved a sigh of relief, she felt bad seeing this elderly woman in the cold with less clothing but she also knew that most rich madams, would throw the scarf.
"You looked relieved," the madam asked.
"Well, I was actually half expecting that you would throw the scarf," Amber sheepishly replied with a timid smile.
"Well I can hear the concern in you anyway. I wouldn"t want throwing away such a precious thing now would I?" the madam smiled back at her.
Amber smiled happily before looking back at the dress the madam was looking at.
It was a beige colored evening gown with diamonds sprinkled all over it. It also has a fur shawl to guard the wearer from the cold of the in coming winter.
"It is a beautiful dress, but if I might say. What I saw on you was longing."
The madam was stunned at first before smiling sadly, "I am thinking of buying it to gift to a lady I really like who was about to leave my grandson permanently."
After saying this, she sighed.
"I really like her and saw how hurt my grandson was. But fate didn"t want them together. And now my grandson agreed to something that deprived him of his own freedom."
She shook her head, "I really hate it, the reason behind it. I don"t know what I can do for my grandson anymore. The family deprived him so many things."
Amber listened intently before looking up at the dress once again, "Maybe your support is what he needed the most?"
"Do you know me?" the madam couldn"t help but ask upon hearing her reply.
"I"m sorry but I don"t I just returned here and was completely unaware of the ident.i.ty of so many people."
She turned and faced the elder lady.
"But, I can completely hear the concern from your voice. In reality I too deprived someone else of their freedom. That guilt had been eating me up."
The elderly looked at her and listened as well.
Both of them were standing on a cold place but they looked like they didn"t care at all.
"But I really really needed him and his help, his support and his background. I may seem selfish but there is a goal I must achieve and I badly needed him for that."
She once again smiled with uncertainty towards the elderly.
"I really am a bad person and am completely aware of that. That is why, since I have already taken away his freedom, I have decided to give him my full support."
"Give him as much help as I can give, so I think that since it was already done, it was already over with. For now, why don"t you give him your support as well."
"If you think his about to reach his breaking point, lend him your shoulder, your ears. Listen and support him."
Amber smiled warmly.
"You"re such a beautiful child," the elderly told her after listening to her.
"No, I"m not. I have so many sins and have taken so many things from other people," Amber shook her head and her hands upon hearing this.
"You knowing just who you are makes you even more beautiful," the madam replied with a hint of fondness.
Amber had no words as she could only look back at the dress.
"But that doesn"t change the fact that I still deprive other people for my own gain. So somehow looking at that person, I kinda understand your own conflict."
"What they need most now, was support from everyone. We can never have everything we wanted, sometimes we even needed to sacrifice so many things ourselves in order for those important to us to become better."
"And it is on those sad times, those times where we felt like the world was against us that we needed the support from every person out there."
"Please don"t stay away from your grandson because of your guilt towards him. Just be with him, your guilt may not surely disappear but at the very least you wouldn"t have even more regrets."