110: Chapter 110 A Battleground: The Suzuki Sisters Suddenly Meet

The cherry blossoms at the Lin Family Manor were in full bloom, with pink and white petals falling like snow, covering the stone path leading to the main building.

When Lin Long walked into the living room holding Sonoko's hand, the butler was already waiting at the door, bowing and saying:

"Sir, Madam, you have returned. Everything in the manor is well. Miss Suzuki Ayako sent someone yesterday to ask about your return date."

"Sister?" Sonoko's eyes lit up, and she took off her high heels a bit faster, "Is she coming today? I miss her so much!"

Lin Long took her coat and hung it on the rack, saying calmly, "She probably will."

He knew clearly in his heart that Suzuki Ayako's "greetings" over the past month were less about caring for her sister and more about waiting for him.

Sure enough, no sooner had he finished speaking than the sound of a car engine came from outside.

Suzuki Ayako walked in wearing an off-white dress, carrying an exquisite fruit basket. When she saw Lin Long, a faint, imperceptible glimmer flashed in her eyes, immediately covered by a gentle smile.

"Mr. Lin Long, Sonoko, you've finally returned."

She walked forward and handed the fruit basket to the butler, her tone natural, "I heard from the butler that you were arriving today, so I specifically bought some fresh strawberries."

"Sister!" Sonoko happily hugged her arm, chattering about their two-week trip, "We went to a private island in the Maldives; the seawater there was as blue as a gemstone! And the Eiffel Tower in Paris, it was absolutely stunning when it lit up at night..."

Ayako listened patiently, nodding and responding from time to time, but her gaze kept inadvertently sweeping over Lin Long.

He was wearing a simple white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, revealing well-defined muscles. Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a warm golden edge over him, making her heart beat uncontrollably faster.

Having not seen him for nearly a month, her longing for him was almost overflowing.

Those moments of tossing and turning in the middle of the night, those moments spent staring blankly at his photos on her phone, all transformed into an indescribable flutter the moment she saw him.

"Alright, you two talk for a while; I'll have the kitchen prepare some tea and snacks."

Sonoko said, pulling the butler toward the kitchen, completely unaware of the strange atmosphere between her sister and her husband.

The living room instantly fell silent, with only the crackling of burning wood in the fireplace remaining.

Ayako looked at Lin Long, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her dress, and said softly, "How... how was your trip?"

"Hmm, it was quite good."

Lin Long walked to the liquor cabinet, poured two glasses of whiskey, and handed one to her, "Sonoko had a great time."

Ayako took the glass, her fingertips accidentally brushing against his hand. She flinched as if electrocuted, and her cheeks instantly flushed.

She took a sip of the wine, the spicy liquid sliding down her throat, but it failed to suppress the restlessness in her heart.

"Mr. Lin Long..." she suddenly spoke, her voice trembling slightly, "I have something I want to tell you. Can we go to the study?"

Lin Long glanced at her, a flash of understanding in his eyes, and nodded, "Alright."

The two walked into the study on the second floor, and Ayako locked the door behind her.

The study was filled with the faint scent of ink and the smell of wooden bookshelves, and the huge floor-to-ceiling window faced the cherry blossom tree in the courtyard.

Ayako walked to the window, watching the falling petals outside, then suddenly turned around, looking at Lin Long with a dazed gaze.

"I missed you," she said softly. Her voice was as light as a sigh, yet it reached Lin Long's ears clearly.

Without waiting for Lin Long's response, she, like a moth to a flame, threw herself into his arms, stood on tiptoe, and kissed his lips.

Her kiss was slightly unpolished, yet filled with long-suppressed desire, her soft lips trembling slightly, carrying the mellow aroma of whiskey and her unique fragrance.

Lin Long was taken aback by her sudden action, but then flames ignited in his eyes. He reached out to wrap his arms around her waist and deepened the kiss.

He could feel her body's stiffness and trembling, and he could also feel the burning heat hidden beneath her gentle exterior.

Their breathing gradually became rapid. Ayako's hands instinctively climbed up to his neck, while Lin Long's hand slowly moved up along her waistline...

Just then, with a soft "click," the study door was pushed open.

Sonoko stood at the doorway holding a tray with two cups of black tea and a plate of exquisite macarons. When she saw the scene before her, she froze completely—her sister was nestled in Lin Long's arms, their lips intertwined, and Lin Long's hand was actually still inside her sister's dress...

"Clang!" The tray fell to the floor, black tea spilled everywhere, and the macarons rolled all over the place.

Lin Long and Ayako abruptly separated. Ayako's face instantly turned deathly pale, and she subconsciously hid behind Lin Long, looking at her sister at the door with panicked eyes.

Lin Long, however, was exceptionally calm.

He had long since sensed Sonoko's arrival through her footsteps. The reason he didn't stop was to take this opportunity to show his cards—he had never intended to have only Sonoko from the beginning; he wanted both the Suzuki sisters.

The study was deathly silent, with only the sound of Sonoko's uncontrollable sobbing audible.

"Sister... Lin Long... you..." Sonoko's voice trembled, tears falling like broken pearls, "How could you..."

"Sonoko, listen to me explain." Ayako took a deep breath and stepped out from behind Lin Long, her face filled with guilt and panic, "It's not what you think, Lin Long and I..."

How could she explain? Explain that she had fallen for Lin Long from the moment they first met? Explain everything that happened between them after Lin Long saved her during the Fukuzawa conglomerate crisis? She couldn't bring herself to tell her own sister those unspeakable details.

In the end, Ayako chose a "beautified" version: "Lin Long and I met at a business banquet. Later, we both drank too much, and then... I know this is wrong, I'm sorry, Sonoko, but I couldn't control myself..."

She concealed the sordid affairs of the Fukuzawa conglomerate and the forced entanglements, attributing everything to "mutual affection," attempting to lessen her and Lin Long's "guilt."

Sonoko looked at her sister's red-rimmed eyes, then at the composed Lin Long, her heart aching as if cut by a knife.

On one side was the sister who had loved her since childhood, and on the other was the husband she deeply loved; no matter whom she blamed, it felt like punishing herself.

"So... you have been together for a long time, haven't you?" Sonoko's voice was filled with despair, "Before Lin Long and I got married, you already..."

Ayako bit her lip without denying it, effectively tacitly admitting it.

Lin Long stepped forward, reaching out to touch Sonoko's shoulder, but she violently shook him off.

"Don't touch me!" Sonoko took a step back, looking at him with teary eyes, "Lin Long, tell me, have you been lying to me from the beginning? Did you and sister already..."

"Yes." Lin Long did not hide it, his tone frank yet carrying an unquestionable force, "I like you both. I am sincere about marrying you, Sonoko; and with Ayako, I am not just playing around."

"You!" Sonoko was shaking with anger, "How can you be so greedy? What do you take me for? What do you take my sister for?"

"I take you both as my women." Lin Long's gaze became profound, "Sonoko, I know this is unfair, but I will not give up on Ayako, nor will I let you go. You can choose to accept it, or..."

He didn't continue, but the meaning in his eyes was clear—he would not change his mind because of her opposition.

Sonoko looked at his firm gaze, then at her sister who was silently weeping to the side, and a sense of powerlessness suddenly rose in her heart.

She understood Lin Long's temper; once he decided on something, no one could change it. And her sister... she had loved her sister the most since she was a child; how could she truly turn against her over this?

Time passed minute by minute, the atmosphere in the study so oppressive it was suffocating.

In the end, Sonoko wiped away her tears, her voice hoarse as she said, "This matter... cannot let Mom and Dad know, and it cannot let anyone else know."

Ayako and Lin Long looked at her simultaneously, both with a hint of surprise in their eyes.

Sonoko sniffled and continued, "I... I accept. But you must promise me that you will never hide anything from me in the future, and... and you must treat me as well as you did before."

After she finished speaking, tears couldn't help but fall again. This was the best ending she could think of—keeping her sister and holding onto her husband, even if the price was a permanent thorn in her own heart.

Ayako stepped forward and hugged her heartbrokenly, "Sonoko, I'm sorry... thank you..."

Lin Long also breathed a sigh of relief, stepped forward, and pulled both sisters into his arms.

Sonoko leaned into his arms, feeling his familiar body temperature, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

She knew that from today on, the relationship between the three of them would become complicated, but since things had come to this, she could only choose to accept it.

Lin Long looked down at the two tear-streaked beauties in his arms, a satisfied smile curling at the corners of his mouth.

He knew this matter wouldn't end so easily; the hurdle in Sonoko's heart would still need time to smooth over, but at least he had taken the most crucial step.

The cherry blossoms outside the window were still falling, like a silent blessing, and also like a prelude to a destined entanglement.

Lin Long lowered his head to kiss Sonoko's forehead, then looked at Ayako's red-rimmed eyes, his heart filled with the pleasure of conquest—this pair of stunning sisters, in the end, both belonged to him.

And this forbidden love, hidden beneath the halo of a wealthy family, had only just begun.