A solemn expression replaced the smile on his face, and he shook his head gently. "Chloe, I'm sorry to disappoint you. I came because I was afraid you'd be anxious, and I wanted to update you on this matter. During my recent trip to Gerby, time was tight, and I found no trace of her. I had to start from scratch.""I'm sorry for the trouble," I replied with a hint of disappointment."Don't say that. We were all classmates," Theo responded."I went to the four high schools in their city and finally found some information about her. I only learned the basics of her situation. After all, she's been away from school for too long. They also mentioned that there's been no news of Beatrice in recent years." He shook his head and added, "But I can't shake the feeling that the situation is not optimistic."Surprised, I asked, "Why do you say that?"Theo straightened up. "I asked a hotel attendant about their address. The attendant said that those living in that area are mostly wealthy p
I did find it quite unusual."Well, I appreciate your efforts," I said apologetically."This time, it was a matter of time constraints. I was afraid you'd be anxious, thinking I was not getting things done. So, I had to come and see you first." Theo chuckled.I smiled and quickly replied, "That's true. After all, we're old classmates, both here in Foswood. It's strange how we've grown so distant. How would I have found you guys if I hadn't run into Michelle?""Hey, we've actually been keeping an eye on you recently! But..." Theo hesitated."That's normal. The situation between me and Matthew has caused quite a stir in the city," I awkwardly laughed.Not wanting to dwell on the topic of Matthew, I changed the subject. "Beatrice's situation does seem a bit suspicious.""At least we found her address. It's just a matter of time before we get some information. You can rest assured. I'll continue investigating the next time I go," Theo assured me.Perhaps he sensed that I was deeply
"Chloe, I can tell you're sincere. Otherwise, why would we promise to treat you to a meal? You won't look down on us no matter what we eat, even if it's just pickles. That's the Chloe we know."Theo spoke with a hint of excitement."Of course not! Haven't you seen me during the early days of my startup? In today's market, it's all about networking. That's how you get things done. What's there to look down on?" I replied in a relaxed tone. Theo's sincerity had won me over."You're someone who speaks the truth and gets things done. That's precisely what we appreciate about you. In the hearts of our classmates, you've always been like a goddess."I smiled contentedly. "Really?""Yes! It's a pity things turned out this way between you and Matthew. If only it had worked out differently," he said with a touch of regret. "Among our classmates, you two getting together, and this being the result... well!"Theo seemed hesitant, as if afraid to touch on a sensitive topic."In fact, I us
"As long as it's not someone like Michelle," I said, laughing with a hint of distress. "You have no idea! She's been blocking me downstairs daily, and I have no clue what she's up to.""Michelle does give off a vibe to avoid. You better keep your distance. Having her fixate on you can't lead to anything good." With that, Theo stood up. "Chloe, I'll take my leave. Call me when you're back, and I'll arrange everything. Don't worry, they're all proper people.""Are you really leaving?" I reluctantly stood up, feeling a bit unfulfilled.Theo replied, "We'll have a proper chat when you're back. I won't waste your work time."I escorted him to the elevator, and we agreed to meet again when he returned to the capital. It seemed that Theo was indeed a person who got things done, was straightforward, and had depth.After seeing Theo off, I called in Carol to ask about Michelle's visit in the morning.Carol confirmed that she did come to visit the company. She stayed until everyone went
The four of us walked downstairs together towards the backyard, which had a vast expanse of greenery.The backyard had distinct layers, surrounded by numerous tall trees, creating a serene atmosphere with lush greenery. There was even a private shoreline at the back.Despite living in Pleca Park for so long, I hadn't found the time to explore this area. On the left side of a gentle slope were rows of fruit trees, and below was a sizable vegetable garden.This backyard had been designed specifically for my father's tastes. Various types of flowers bloomed around the perimeter in each season, filling the air with their fragrances.It wasn't until I reached the backyard that I realized many of the fresh flowers in the rooms were sourced from our own garden.Ava and Jenny chattered incessantly as we walked toward the backyard, like two butterflies fluttering around us.At that moment, I suddenly thought of my biological father. I wondered where he was right now and if he was safe.I
I was just about to ask another question when Atlas's hand tightened, clearly signaling me to stop.Then, I heard Ava say, "Grandpa, I brought my mommy and daddy to watch you planting trees. Grandma said to hurry and finish up so we can have dinner soon."I quickly composed myself and looked over. I saw my dad wearing a straw hat with a towel around his neck. His face was covered in sweat, and his complexion had become considerably darker.But he looked much healthier, considering he used to be a pale, scholarly man.Now, he looked like a farmer toiling in the fields."Why are you so tan, Dad?" I pointed at my dad's face and laughed.He was delighted to see me and Atlas. He pointed to the woods behind him with a sense of accomplishment and said, "Look at what we’ve done! There’s no way we can avoid getting sunburned while doing all this, can we?”Then he pointed to all the differently shaped plants in the distance. "Those are our creations. Not bad, right?"Atlas looked over ad
When my father saw me looking at him, he quickly resumed his smile. "I should do it myself. I need to throw some things I don’t need anymore away too.”As soon as I heard him say that, I knew he was thinking about it, so I quickly seized the opportunity to convince him to follow through. "We’ll have some peace of mind after we deal with that. It’ll be better to not have to think about what things are like there every year. Won’t that just be asking for trouble?"“But we should never forget our roots,” he said."Dad. Aren't I part of your roots? You should be wherever I am too." I said confidently.My dad smiled but didn’t say anything. He was probably still thinking about how to handle this.Atlas understood what I was thinking and said, "Chlo is right, Dad. You should just settle down here. I'll send someone with you to help pack your things and deal with the house one day.""It’s okay. Your mom and I can go back together when the time comes. It'll be easy to deal with the house
I smiled and said, "I’m going to take them to Solaris tomorrow. I want to give them to Dominic. These are from our own garden, so they’re different, you know."I feel terrible for that couple since they don’t have any children. They said that if their child was still alive, he would’ve been around our age.” I felt upset as I thought about Dominic's situation and muttered to myself, "I wonder how his wife is doing.”Atlas nodded. "You should definitely bring them some fruit. Take a basket for Archie too. I'll take you to the airport tomorrow."Honestly, I was grateful that Atlas never stopped me from doing what I wanted.Before we realized it, the day had gotten dark. If it weren't for the darkness, we might have continued to linger in the orchard.Atlas gave the order. "Alright. Ava, Jenny, let's call it a day! If we don't go back, Grandma will come looking for us in the orchard."My dad got someone to pick a few of the large breadfruits and had them delivered to the house.As w