579: Be it then or now, family is the most important.

Be it then or now, family is the most important.

"What are you doing here?"2

When Heaven turned her head and saw Silas approaching, her right brow raised. She cocked her head back, peeling her back from the wall, and standing straight. When Silas stood beside her, she spoke. 

"I should be the one asking, director," she said. "What are you doing here when you should be with my husband?"

"True, but I don't want to create confusion." Silas shrugged, turning his head as he glanced at the packed function hall. "After all, there were occasions when having a look-alike wasn't convenient."

"I'm pretty sure my husband disagrees. Not that he cares."

He slid his eyes to the corner where she was. "For sure."

"You're still a director and an important person of the board," she continued, eyes on the people taking their seats as the ceremony began and the host started speaking again. "Your face shouldn't be that important. He can always clarify that."

"Haha. That's true." He rocked his head as he drew a deep breath as if pondering about something. "Though I'm surprised. People usually mistake us while growing up. I remember filling in his class when we were in middle school and he attended my school."

"That sounds fun."

"I almost failed the class, you know?" He hummed lightly. "If not for Dom, I would've repeated a year."

"I didn't know you didn't attend the same school."

"We used to, but people were confused. So, the adults at that time decided to separate us."

"I see."

Silence followed Heaven's last short reply, earning a quick look from him. Meanwhile, she kept her eyes on the stage where the host was speaking, telling everyone about the great feat the Lyon Group had reached in the past year. 

"I'm surprised about you, though." Despite the loud voice speaking through the microphone, Silas's voice still reached Heaven's loud and clear. "Some people were aware of us, but still mistake us sometimes. But not you. I would understand it if we already knew each other for many years, but even when we just met, you recognize who is who."

The corner of her mouth curled up as she chuckled with closed lips. "Director Zhu, I am my husband's wife. I know him from in and out. I know the location of all the moles in his body."

"Oh?"

"I don't even need to open my eyes to know if my husband is around or not." She shrugged as she peeled her eyes off him. "You'll understand once you have a wife of your own… though I doubt you'd get married that soon."

"That's a little insulting, cousin." Silas frowned. "How could you say that?"

A moment of silence befell the two of them, but the voice of the man in the speaker hindered this silence from forming. A round of applause soon erupted in the venue as the host called Dominic on stage to say a few words to everyone. 

"I didn't mean to offend," she said, watching her husband take the short stairs toward the platform. "All I'm saying is, from what I see, dating isn't your priority. Let alone, settling down."

"Well, I still have many things to do, after all."

"Like?" Heaven arched a brow at him with curiosity swirling in her eyes. 

"Like… aiming my life goals." Silas offered her a smile. A genuine one, surprisingly. "It'll be hard to aim for that if I marry someone and have a kid. To be fair, having a kid never crossed me."

Heaven kept her lips in a thin line as she nodded in understanding. "Sounds like someone I know."

"Cousin, we live in such a modern world. Having a family isn't the only finish line people want to reach." Silas drew a deep breath as she set his eyes on the stage where Dominic was talking. Before saying anything, he caught a waiter approaching them from the side. He stopped the server and picked up two glasses of wine from the tray.

"I believe your glass is finished," he said as he faced Heaven, only to see her place her empty glass of champagne on the tray the server was holding. "Want another round?"

"I'm not trying to get drunk tonight," she replied, glancing at the glasses in his hands. "I don't want to ruin the party and jump on my husband."

Silas chuckled, extending his arm to her to offer her a glass. "Don't worry. I'll stop you."

Her brows rose as she glanced down at the glass between them before lifting her gaze from him. "Will you take it to the heart if I don't accept it?"

"I will," he joked, wiggling his brows playfully. "This is my first time talking to you in such a light manner. I still remember that time you made Mercy chase me around the north wing. I really hated you for that."

"I thought we've forgiven each other already." Heaven rolled her eyes as she languidly accepted the drink in his hand. "Or were you lying to us?"

"Of course not, cousin. I'm simply amused that we used to warn each other every time an opportunity arises." He mused as he retrieved his empty hand from her. "But now, we can talk about such a light-hearted subject without wanting to kill each other."

"My children were too precious," was all she said humorously, snapping her eyes back to the stage. Her eyes lingered on the man in the middle of the stage, expressing his gratitude for everyone's attendance and hard work. "Dom and I were willing to do anything for them. Be it becoming the villains in everyone's stories or heroes, doesn't really matter. As long as it would benefit our children and that they'd be safe, we can even grovel to one's feet for them."

Heaven paused as she set her attention back to Silas. "Call it a parent's unconditional love. It doesn't really matter. But that's where our heart lies. Family is the most important for me. It's all I have, be it then or now."

"I'm saying I don't mind staining my hands or bathing with someone else's blood for them," she continued as she looked away, guiding the wine to her lips. "Now that you're a part of the family, we'd take care of you, too."

"Well, that's reassuring." Silas's eyelids drooped as his eyes fell on the wine, touching her lips. A brief smirk appeared on his face as he raised his glass to his lips, eyes glinting as they both watched Dominic making his speech on the stage. 

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