After all, Mandy had always treated them with sincerity. Cynthia watched the scene unfold but chose not to interfere further. She merely told Jonathan, "Shirley and I will be heading home. You two can continue your conversation." "Alright," Jonathan agreed without hesitation, aware that this matter necessitated an in-depth discussion. Misunderstandings between him and Mandy were trivial. However, his beloved Cynthia should not be misunderstood. Once Cynthia and Shirley had left in the car, Shirley wasted no time in asking, "What did you two talk about? Why did Madam Mandy have such a strong reaction?" Cynthia made no attempt to hide the details, summarizing her conversation with Mandy. Five minutes later, Shirley had pieced together the situation. "So, she was just pretending in front of Dad? Why, though? She was never like this before." Shirley appeared to be stunned by the revelation, having never expected this side of Mandy. "Personal interests are the ultimate test of chara
"Yes." "Sis, I love you!" With Cynthia's approval, she felt confident about their father's. "I may be busy on the 6th. I have something to take care of," Cynthia clarified, not wanting to inflate Shirley’s expectations. "No, it's on the 7th." Shirley's eyes twinkled with joy, and she was over the moon. Cynthia paused mid-chew. The 7th? Was that not the same date as Captain's return? Shirley noticed her sister's change of expression. "What's wrong?" "Nothing." Cynthia did not want to disappoint her sister, so she reassured her, "Just let me know the details once you guys have decided on a place." She decided that after meeting Shirley and her boyfriend on the 7th, she would head directly to the airport. Nexuria was a large place; she should not cross paths with the Captain. Cynthia felt at ease with that thought. The next day, Jonathan returned. Neither of them brought up the matter of Mandy, and their days continued as usual. And before they knew it, it was the 6th. C
"Why didn't you tell me?" Old Man Tanz seemed genuinely hurt. He was fond of this young girl. And yet! She had neglected to share such a major life event, her marriage, with him. "I was in a secret marriage. Not only were you unaware, but my grandfather and father were kept in the dark too." Cynthia halted her chess move and attempted to soothe the old man. Old Man Tanz was even more bewildered. Who could have married Cynthia and failed to inform her family about it? It was beyond absurd! "Who was this man?" Old Man Tanz's indignation flared up on Cynthia's behalf, seething with rage. "I must give him a good lesson!" "It's in the past. I've ended things with him." "That's not acceptable. You must tell me who it is." Cynthia fell silent. She was not sure what to say. She knew that Joshua and Old Man Tanz were acquainted and quite friendly at that. Telling Old Man Tanz about the identity of her ex might not go well. "Don't you consider me as family?" Old Man Tan
The more Old Man Tanz thought about it, the more troubled he became! Cynthia looked at the chessboard where only a handful of his pieces remained, and said softly, "Maybe you should focus on the game for now." Old Man Tanz cast her a glance before making his move. However, another question arose in his mind after only a couple of steps. "Does Captain know about all this?" Cynthia seemed taken aback, a little puzzled why he had come up in the conversation. Regardless of her confusion, she replied, "Yes." After Jimmy had found out, he gossiped about it with the rest of them. Naturally, Captain knew as well. Considering everything that had happened, he knew it all. "He really does?" A spark of hope rekindled in Old Man Tanz's eyes. Cynthia nodded. "Yes." Her simple affirmation lightened Old Man Tanz's mood considerably, and he resumed playing chess with renewed interest. Even though Old Man Tanz did not have many pieces left, he managed to hold his ground for several more mo
At this point, Old Man Tanz stopped guessing and just looked at Cynthia, waiting for her to speak. If he were to keep guessing, he would be led further astray. "Let's talk about it after lunch. There's no rush," Cynthia said, not wanting to spoil the old man's appetite. Old Man Tanz sighed deliberately. "If you don't tell me, I'll keep thinking about it. When I have something on my mind, I lose my appetite. I doubt I'll feel like eating lunch." Cynthia sighed inwardly. Deciding not to beat around the bush any longer, she bluntly said, "It's about Samantha." "Samantha?" Old Man Tanz perked up instantly. He thought about the matter Joshua had brought to him a few days ago. Could it be that both were referring to the same issue? Cynthia replied, "Yes." She stood up, went to fetch the documents from her bag, and after mentally preparing herself, handed them over to Old Man Tanz. "She has made many mistakes. Please, try to remain calm after reading these." Old Man Tanz too
If his eldest son had raised his child as his second son had, Samantha would not have turned out this way. Even though the second son's child was slightly mischievous, he was respectable and would never indulge in these acts of lawlessness. "For minor issues, you can reach out to Michael. After your second uncle Tanz disciplined him recently, he's been given some leeway," Old Man Tanz added. There was something significant that he did not mention. Little Quier was now retired, and if Cynthia were to be bullied, he would likely be the first to defend her. "Alright," Cynthia responded. Once the issue was resolved, Cynthia's heart lightened considerably. Seeing that it was not time for the meal yet, Old Man Tanz asked Cynthia to play another round of chess with him. Before they started, he sent a message to Matthew. [If you don't come soon, Cynthia will be leaving.] Matthew, who was playing chess with a group of retired seniors, glanced at the message and quickly replied, "Hol
However, when she saw the man standing behind her, her mind blanked for a few seconds, a string of question marks flashing in her head. 'Captain?' "You, young man. I thought you weren't coming." Old Man Tanz broke her stupor. "I always keep my promises." Matthew's deep voice was quite pleasing to the ear, complementing his tall and handsome stature. "Alright, stop with the formalities. I'll go check if the meal is ready. You two chat." Old Man Tanz did not intend to play gooseberry here. Matthew nodded slightly, an air of nobility surrounding him. "Alright." Once Old Man Tanz left, silence fell over the area. Cynthia was not usually one to shy away. She had been perfectly calm when she met Joshua's parents. However, this time, she genuinely felt timid. "Do you always get this nervous seeing me?" Matthew observed her state, his tone teasing. Cynthia stayed silent. How could she not be nervous? Matthew gestured to the seat Old Man Tanz had just vacated. "Sit." Cynthia c
A flash of understanding crossed Matthew's eyes. It seemed he would have to take things slow. Feeling the danger of this topic, Cynthia decided to change the subject, "Why are you back? Are you on holiday?" "I'm retired," Matthew murmured. Cynthia looked up in surprise. "Retired?" "Mm." "Why?" Everyone knew that the Captain's capabilities were top-tier in the organization. He had led his team to complete many challenging tasks, earning numerous medals. Most importantly, he had a promising future. Why had he chosen to retire? "I was severely injured during a mission a year ago. The doctor said I couldn't engage in high-intensity training daily. My successor has already been trained, so it seemed right to retire." Matthew did not hide the truth from her. A wave of concern surged in Cynthia's heart. She wanted to ask why he had not informed them about his injury but remembered that some mission details were classified and better left unsaid. So she changed her question, "H