The two old men made it to Albert and Rebecca in no time. It had been a while since they'd last seen each other, and Markus couldn't contain his excitement. If not for his age, he probably would've raced to Rebecca's side."It's been ages, Ms. B!" Despite his age, Markus was still enthusiastic and spirited. He had lost almost all of his hair, but he still had a small patch at the back. He'd tied it back in a short ponytail. It was cute."Long time no see!" Rebecca didn't stand on ceremony with him. She punched his arm lightly.Albert watched them with a smile. If he knew Markus a little better, he would've ratted Rebecca out to him. She'd said he was bald, but didn't he still have some hair?At this moment, someone cleared their throat. Only then did Rebecca notice Liam. She'd suspected it was him when she saw the pair from a distance, but she was sure now. She didn't know how to feel about it.All she knew was that she felt a little embarrassed at having ignored him while greetin
"Not bad, Danny. You came prepared," Ryan said as he drove. The car was brand new; someone from the branch company had driven it to the airport before Daniel and Ryan's flight.Aside from beauties, cars were the only things that Ryan was interested in. He didn't know anything about watches. It was much more fun to chase after other cars, like the Maybach currently in front of them."I heard the people in Rookfort know more about having a good time than the ones in Riverwood. They even have races now and then. Interested, Danny?"Daniel's gaze was focused on the Maybach in front of them. He didn't spare Ryan a glance. "Keep your eyes on the road.”"They already are. It's not like chatting is going to—" Ryan stopped abruptly when they turned a corner. He slammed on the brakes when he realized he could no longer see the Maybach.There weren't any cars before them. It was as if the Maybach had disappeared."Fuck!" Ryan blurted out. How could he have lost them after turning a corner?
Rebecca wasn't alone in this. Markus didn't understand, either. "Yeah, what's he doing here? Don't tell me he's been watching me and Liam. Is that why he followed us here?"Liam thought about it, then nodded. "I bet that's why."Markus snarled, "No wonder he's been coming to Four Seasons so often! I thought he and his friend couldn't find better places to eat in Riverwood. So they've been scheming this whole time!"He gnashed his teeth and slapped his thigh. The car was steady enough that Albert and Rebecca weren't affected by this, but Liam scooted a little further away."It's fine, Markus. He has the right to go anywhere he wishes. He might not be here for me, anyway. Even if he is, it won't be that easy for him to track me down," Rebecca said. She truly didn't take Daniel's presence to heart.Setting aside the fact that Rookfort was the Johnson family's home turf, Daniel hadn't done anything to her while she'd been in Riverwood.He'd probably followed Markus here because of he
Things were bustling at the Johnson residence. It was Sam's birthday, and he'd been away from home for a few years. Everyone was busy preparing.Even Kenneth had gotten up early. He hadn't gone to the company, though. He and Sam weren't on the best terms, but there was no changing the fact that they were father and son.Besides, the apple of his eye was now home. They had to make sure that she had a good time here.Rebecca didn't laze around. She intended to cook the birthday meal. And there were two—no, three—honored guests with them.Upon arriving home after picking Markus and Liam up, Rebecca found that Wendy was still around. Zelda had somehow convinced her to stay.Considering Wendy's personality, Rebecca thought she would hide in a corner as far away from Albert as possible. She was surprised that she'd agreed to stay.Well, the Johnson residence was big enough to accommodate the guests. In the past, their uncle, Joe Johnson, and Felicia used to stay with them. But as Zel
They weren't standing too close to each other, but Wendy felt like Albert had pulled her into his arms when he leaned down.She almost didn't dare to look him in the eye. "Mr. Johnson, it's as you said. You're handsome, and you come from a good family. There are plenty of women better than me in this world, and they'd suit you better. You and I don't make a good match."Wendy couldn't take it anymore. She took a step back but kept her head up as she spoke.Marriages were about balance and equality. If they weren't good for each other, they wouldn't make a good match.Albert wasn't discouraged by her words and actions. He looked at her seriously. "You can't just say we're not a good match and leave it at that. Try being with me if you don't believe me. I can protect you, as can my family."The Johnson family had become what it currently was because of his father's hard work. If they were being honest, Kenneth wasn't worthy of Zelda.The Gibson family had built its foundation with
"Riverwood?"Albert was planning to leave with Wendy, but he paused when he heard the name of the place which he knew so well. The atmosphere around him even turned frigid with tension.He hadn’t forgotten what his aunt had done.She had decided on Rebecca's wedding on her own even before meeting her. Albert was even irritated that she wanted Rebecca to marry into the Winston family.He scorned the notion that his aunt was visiting of her own accord and that she had even brought honored guests from Riverwood. He sneered.Serena didn't realize the change in Albert’s demeanor. She still looked immensely pleased. She took a step toward Albert. "Yes. I think they'll be here soon. Do you want to go and greet them with me?" "Sure."Albert was expressionless. He turned away quietly to put some distance between him and Serena.He lowered his gaze. Then he softened his voice and spoke to Wendy."There might be quite a number of guests visiting later. Just stay with Mom and don't go an
Everyone looked toward the sound and met Albert's cold, indifferent eyes. Mary felt a wave of guilt wash over her at that instant. Zelda was easy for her to deceive, but Albert, on the other hand, wasn't a fool.She immediately smiled and said, " Oh, Albert, you know how I always speak before I think. You know how well I treat your family for sure."How well she treated his family? Albert sneered. He hadn’t forgotten what Mary had done.Mary had been nagging Zelda about how she had married the wrong person during Albert's early years when his parents were still working hard on their careers. She kept complaining that Zelda should have listened to her elders instead so she wouldn't endure all the hardships. She kept emphasizing how unfortunate Zelda's life was.Albert was disgusted with her remarks. She even questioned Zelda and asked her why she married a laborer instead of someone else because the Stiggs were one of the well-known families in Rookfort.Unfortunately, Mary had
The woman's voice, which came from behind the trees, instantly dissipated the tense atmosphere of the standoff.Everyone couldn't help but look toward the source of the voice, especially Daniel. He quickly looked in the direction of the familiar voice. He attempted to catch a glimpse of the face that would only appear in his dreams, but the trees were in the way.Mary was also curious about her niece, whom she had never met. She couldn't be bothered to notice how impatient Daniel looked and leaned forward with curiosity.Serena, on the other hand, wasn't being as obvious as they were. She looked impatient instead. She couldn't understand how Rebecca could get so much attention from them as the Johnsons had just found her.She thought Rebecca wouldn't be of one mind with the family either because she hadn't stayed with her family for twenty years. She couldn't understand why the Johnsons were so willing to show affection to her. She thought they did not need to do so because Rebecca