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
To be honest, I would have contacted Archie on my own even if Atlas hadn’t told me that.I could tell he was thrilled while we were on the phone. He insisted that Ardie would come pick me up and we should have dinner together.After hanging up, Grayson said, "I knew it would be like this, so I didn't bother making any dinner plans for you. Ryan and I have a meeting, so we won't be taking you out. ""Suit yourselves," I playfully retorted. "I'm at the mercy of everyone else. People with families are different."Ryan immediately snorted and said, "Easy on the boasting, and be mindful of your influence on everyone else. We're working hard for you, but you’re enjoying your life out there.”I quickly retorted, "Hold on, I'm not stopping you from having your own life or family time. I'm just setting an example, you know? Good work comes from a good family. Balancing work and family is the key to success. And you, it's time to think about marrying Joyce. Both your parents have met each o
I smiled awkwardly, saying, "How could that be, Dad? I’m here to see you now, aren’t I?”Ardie, who was holding the basket of fruit, chimed in. "These are some fruit she bought for you from Foswood.""We picked those from the orchard in Pleca Park last night." I quickly added, "Ava personally picked them for you.""Oh?" Archie looked delighted. "Get them to wash this for me, I'll try them. Is that mischievous little girl doing alright?""She's doing great. I'll bring her to see you next time." I said to Archie. They really liked Ava, especially because of her mischievous charm."You should come sooner. The winter weather in Solaris is terrible. This season is just right."He then asked me, "How's the company doing over here?""Everything’s going well. Atlas has entrusted it to some reliable people, so I don't need to come over so often. The operations here have been well-organized, and Atlas always tells me to keep a low profile,” I said that to reassure him.He nodded. "Hmm, t
After having dinner, Ardie drove me to Dominic’s place.When I knocked on their door, the one who opened it was the caretaker, Shirley. I had recommended her to them.I felt relieved. Shirley was surprised to see me and quickly ushered me inside.As I stepped into the house, both Dominic and Sally were visibly taken aback. Sally finally slapped her thigh and said, "Oh my. It's Ms. Chloe. Why are you here?"I quickly placed the fruits I brought in front of them, and said, "I actually wanted to come earlier, but there had been some incidents, so it got postponed to today."Then I looked her up and down, asking, "Are you okay now? You're looking good.""Oh. Thanks to you, Ms. Chloe, otherwise, I'm afraid I..." She choked up.Dominic lowered his gaze.I hurriedly sat beside Sally, held her hand, and said with a smile, "It’s your own good fortune. I'm so happy to see you recovering."She looked at me with gratitude, then turned to Ardie, who had come in with me, "And who is this.
Atlas never mentioned this matter to me. I was sure he knew about this.I took the opportunity to ask Dominic many questions, and he promised to visit Bourdamun soon. I even invited Sally to join us.After all, winter was approaching in Solaris, and it would be a test for Sally's health.Our conversation went on late into the night, and as we parted ways, we agreed to meet in Foswood.On the way back, Ardie said to me, "I didn't expect your business to become this big. It really impresses me."I smiled wryly and said, "Didn't you hear what Dominic said about the crisis involved?"Ardie dismissively said, "Ah, what are you afraid of? With someone behind you who can strategize things, you can rest easy, right?"His words did ease my mind, and I said, "If it weren't for Atlas, I really wouldn't have the confidence to do this. Ardie, do you think I might hold him back?"Honestly, this concern had always been on my mind.Ardie chuckled as he drove. "That just means you don't know h