With a face as red as a tomato, I exited the room to see the maid standing in front of me.

"Madame, ye'er burnin'. Er ye sick-"

"I-I'm fine." I let out a nervous laugh. "It's just hot here."

Finlay beside me let out a chuckle, and I held the urge to strangle him. The maid frowned but said nothing.

"Madame Dolina would like yer company after breakfast-"

"I'm not hungry." I waved my hand. "Take me to Dolina."

The maid argued for me to eat first, and it took a lot of power to make her take me to Dolina. She walked towards the stairs and the hallway looked familiar.

"She's taking you towards my room," Finlay answered in my confusion.

Where were these stairs last night when I needed them?!

I heard people talking inside and the maid gestured for me to go in. I knocked on the door and heard a manly voice.

"Com' in." That's Neil.

Opening the door, I saw Dolina sitting next to Finlay with Rosa and Neil. There was another guy in a white coat I assumed was the doctor.

"Good morning." I greeted them.

"More like no'on." Neil snorted, and I gave him a tight smile.

Scabby bassa.

"Com' 'ere." Dolina patted the bed. "Rosa told meh whit happened last night. Thiz iz our family doctor. He'z goin' to check if somethin' iz wron'."

"Ah took a blood sample an' will run sem tests on it." The doctor said, zipping his bag. "Hopefully, the result will com' out tomor'row an' Ah'll let ye ken."

"Ah'll see ye out, doctor." Neil got up and gave me a side glance before walking out with the doctor.

"Mah poor Finlay." Dolina sniffed, running her hand through his hair. "For'rgive meh for the things Henry did to ye, an' ah couldn't dae anythin' to stop it. For'rgive meh, ah couldn't 'elp yer mither... Please com' back."

"Ah'll let ye two talk." Rosa gave me a sad smile and then walked out of the room, leaving me with Dolina and Finlay.

"Ah feel so horrible for mah baby." A tear slid down her cheek. "He had a very rough childhood."

"What happened?" I asked cautiously.

"Henry loathed Aurora for comin' into Fergus's life. Even though he let Aurora live widh uz, he made the poor hen's life miserable. Ridiculin' her every time he saw her..." she began rambling in her thick accent that I couldn't understand half of the words, but I got the idea.

Henry treated Aurora like sh*t whenever Fergus wasn't around.

"What?" My eyes widened when she mentioned once Henry forced a maid to hide Finlay from Aurora and she went ballistic, trying to find her infant child.

"Aurora snapped an' left widh 'er son. Fergus tried to stop 'er, but she was determined." She breathed in, wiping her cheek. "We dinnae ken she was sick, but Henry did. He ken, an' he still did nothin' for 'er an' she died."

I blinked my eyes, speechless at her confessions.

"Ah couldn't stop mah husband because he was ruthless, an' he wasn't done, not even after she died. Fergus raised Finlay 'ere after Aurora passed away. People used to insult Henry for having an illegitimate grandchild, an' he used to take it out of my poor kid."

"What did he do to Finlay?"

She went full-on Scottish accent mood after that and I focused on what she was saying.

Turns out Henry hated Finlay and belittled him at every chance he got. Purposely praising Neil to him jealous. Competing between Angus and Finlay because they are of the same age. He would lock Finlay in room whenever he did something which made him more rebellious. Fergus tried to open Finlay, but Henry reached him first.

"Even widh everyone a'round, he felt lonely an' missed his mither." She caressed Finlay's cheek. "That's why he left when he turned eighteen an' never cam' back. Now he has but look at hiz condition."

My heart clutched at the new information. I glanced at Finlay and saw him absently staring outside. It looked like he was reliving those moments again.

"Dolina... Everything will be fine." I squeezed her hand. "Finlay will be alright. He'll wake up." I looked into her miserable brown eyes. "I give you my word."

Her eyes widened, and she cleaned her cheek with the back of her hand. "How?"

"I'll do everything I can to help him." I beamed at her. "This is why I'm here."

"Ye'er such a nice hen, Amber." She patted my cheek. "Ah'm so happy mah Finlay found someone who luvs him."

Gulping, I looked at Finlay's still body. "I need to ask you something." I licked my lips and think of a way.

I couldn't directly ask her why Neil doesn't have the business and accuse her grandchild of almost murdering her other grandchild.

"Does Finlay have anything to do with the family business?" Her brows knitted in confusion at my question. "I-I mean, he mentioned something about the whiskey business."

"Finlay inherited the family businezz." She confirmed my suspicion.

"His father gave it to him..." I mumbled, but she shook her head.

"Naw... Fergus ne'er inherited the businezz. He only runs it for the family."

"What?" Now it was my turn to get confused.

"After mah eldest son died, Henry wanted to give the businezz tae Fergus, but after what happened with Aurora, he never named it to him. Henry dinnae trust him and kept it to his name." She took a deep breath. "Then mah husband got leukemia, an' the doctors told him he had little time."

"I'm so sorry the hear that..." I trailed off, not sure what else to say.

"When Henry was sick, he thought back to what he did widh Aurora an' Finlay. He ken this sickness waz his punishment. Aurora wasn't there anymore, so he tried to begged Finlay for for'rgiveness, but Finlay refused to even see him." She murmured, looking at him. "Henry ken he couldn't undo what he has done, so he named the businezz to Finlay in his Will as redemption."

I knew I was right!

"But Finlay wanted nothin' from him. Henry's last wish was for Finlay to forgive him, but he refused it." She shook her head. "Neil tried to convince him to come back an' run the businezz, but Finlay tore the papers an' told him to leave him alone."

"That's why Neil didn't get the business," I uttered, and Dolina nodded.

"Neil dinnae give up an' tried to get his brither back, but then mah poor baby..." she wept.

"Dolina..." I gulped and looked at Finlay's body. "I need to tell you something."

"Whit?" she asked, keeping her eyes on him.

"There is someone who wants to hurt Finlay."

"Why?" She frowned, looking at me. "He'z such a gud kid. Why would anyone want tae hurt him?"

"Because of the business." I tried to explain to her. "There is no other explanation for why someone would do it to him, and after what happened last night, we need to be more careful."

"But who would dae it?"

I know I couldn't say anyone's name with no proof.

"I don't know, but I'll find out."

• • • • •

I left Dolina sitting with Finlay and walked out of the room.

"That was a lot to take in," I mumbled, following the hallway I came from with Finlay, who remained quiet. "Are you alright?"

"I don't know Amber." He frowned. "Whatever I've learned about myself here feels foreign."

"What do you mean?"

"Do I look that merciless?" He stopped in front of me. "Do you really think I wouldn't have forgiven my sick grandfather?"

"Would you?"

"Aye!" He groaned. "Whatever he did, I forgive them all. I get it wasn't easy for any of us, but his last wish was for me to forgive him." His shoulders slumped. "And I didn't."

"You just did Fin." I smiled, looking at him. "I don't know exactly how you were before this, but I know you now. And you are amazing."

"Thanks." He blushed, looking away.

"Now stop whining. We have work to do-"

"Who er ye talkin' to?" My body went stiff when I heard the voice and groaned.

F**k. Not again!

• • • • •

A/N

Morning my sunshines!

It's winter again and well... I'm not really a fan of this season because I want nothing else to do except for staying in a blanket and sleep all day but... You need work to do 💀
But I know a lot of people love this season ⛄
So...

Happy winters!

Speaking of which if you want to read a wintery short story then don't forget to give Mrs. Grinch in love a shot 😉

Till the next chapter!