As Rebecca and Sam stepped out of the car, they bumped into Daniel unexpectedly. It had been almost two years since they had last seen him.Even after all this time, Daniel's face still had that familiar look that Rebecca remembered. It brought back memories of someone who wasn't around anymore.She stopped and flashed a smile at Daniel. "It's been a long time. Are you here to grab a bite?"Her tone made it sound like there were no old issues between them. Daniel was surprised by how calm she was.Politely, he reached out for a handshake, but when Rebecca didn't respond, he withdrew his hand. After a short pause, Daniel said, "Yeah. It's been quite a while."He gulped before adding, "I just finished my meal and packed some for the hospital."Rebecca nodded and said, "Alright. Sam and I are going to grab a bite. Take care."Without diving into many questions, she left with Sam. They didn't seem distant even though years had passed, but it also felt like there were no lingering em
Rebecca and Sam settled into their seats at the restaurant, and something caught Rebecca's attention—the odd expression on Sam's face.After ordering their food, Rebecca couldn't resist asking, "Why are you looking at me like that?"Sam nonchalantly tapped the table and said, "Oh, it's nothing. I just thought you might see someone and start thinking about an old flame."Rebecca was puzzled. She hadn't been thinking about that at all. Deciding to let it go, she shifted her focus to the dessert the waiter brought to the table.Surprisingly, enjoying a cold treat in the slightly chilly atmosphere turned out to be a delightful experience, and Rebecca relished every bite."Are you sure you're over him?" Sam persisted when Rebecca remained quiet.Daniel's return triggered valid concerns. His remarkable physical recovery was undeniable. While David's passing brought a sense of relief to everyone, Rebecca's lingering sorrow was palpable during that period.Whether it was witnessing his
Rebecca and Sam decided not to bring up Daniel during dinner. They chatted about work and family. Then they briefly touched on Rebecca's trip to Seardale.Safety meant everything to the Johnson family, and it was only natural for Sam to feel concerned when Rebecca visited places with a dangerous history.However, seeing her return safe and happy made Sam let go of his anger. He decided not to bring up those worries again as he didn't want to dampen the mood.Rebecca decided to stay in Fairport for a longer time during this visit. James, who had aged a bit, settled down there two years ago. With its year-round spring-like weather, James found Fairport to be the perfect place for his retirement.James's children were doing a great job of running the family business. Even though the family was spread out, the business kept growing, so James didn't have to worry anymore.Angela never really considered moving to Fairport. Over the years, she felt like the only person who cared about he
Rebecca kept grinning as she said straightforwardly, "Oops, our place is full, and we didn't expect you and your daughter. There's just not enough space for you two."If Zelda had said that, Angela could have made her feel bad and convinced her to let them stick around. Angela usually pushed Zelda by saying she should look after her younger sister because she was the older one.But the game shifted when Rebecca spoke up. Even though she was younger than Mary, her words surprised everyone with a confidence that no one expected. She was confident because she had survived a car crash that might've been caused by Mary.Also, Rebecca had disappeared as a baby, and it was somehow connected to Mary. This connection left Angela hesitant to confront Rebecca.Even if Angela considered mentioning it, Rebecca could easily brush it off by using her youth as an excuse. Angela shot Rebecca a disapproving look but chose to keep quiet.However, Mary wasn't satisfied and fired back, "Becca, I'm not
Zelda's comment made Mary feel a bit guilty, and she retorted, "Who cares about staying at your place? We'll just book a hotel room for ourselves."She stood tall and held onto Angela's arm while muttering, "I came to be with Mom, not you. It's funny how rich people get stingy. You won't even spend money on a hotel room for us."The others heard her not-so-loud complaint and shot glances her way. Mary ignored them and kept muttering to herself defiantly."Enough. Since we're all here, let's grab a meal first. Why gather at the airport? Come on, let's eat! Nothing's more important than a good meal!" James' suggestion broke the tension.Angela looked tired. She glanced at Mary before sighing. Without a word, she caught up with the others by walking with her cane.Mary was aware that her main support at the moment was Angela. She had brought Serena along for a specific reason. Otherwise, she wouldn't have come at all.Angela shrugged off Mary's hand and continued walking ahead. Mary
"How could that be? I saw—"Mary's words were cut off by James, who suddenly opened his eyes and silenced her with a sharp look.Meanwhile, Angela and Serena were also seated in the back seats of the limousine.James closed his eyes again. Mary glanced at him before shifting her attention to Angela, who seemed weary. In the end, she chose to remain silent.James didn't share a home with Zelda and the rest in Fairport. Instead, he lived in a villa just a short five-minute walk from Zelda's place in the same villa area.Even though he had his own place, he liked to join Zelda for meals at her house. He enjoyed waking up early, taking a short walk around the villa area, and then heading to Zelda's for breakfast.After breakfast, James would dive into some fun activities with the young folks. He would engage in games, go fishing with Kenneth, or make a point to visit his grandchildren at the company.In short, retirement brought him a lot of things to do, especially without Angela's
James ignored Mary and shot her a cold look. Upon realizing that she wouldn't receive any kindness from him, Mary turned to Angela for help.Mary ignored Angela's weariness and sat beside her. She linked her arm with Angela's and started complaining, "Mom, look at how Dad's treating me."I've only been at Fairport for a few days, and now, he's acting like this. It's not easy for me to make the trip all the way here. I brought Serena along because I'm worried about him, but he—"James was fuming with anger and burst out, "You're aware it's a long journey too. Can't you let your mom take a break? She's at an age where she needs rest, and you're not a child anymore."Your daughter's already grown up. Can't you see that?"In his younger years, James had a fiery temper and would often shout at the apprentices he was mentoring.He became more indifferent to trivial matters as he grew older. However, it didn't mean he did not have a temper anymore.James and Angela picked Fairport for
James walked out of the room with his hands clasped behind his back. The room went silent in an instant.As soon as Mary heard the front door close, she turned to Angela and asked, "Did I make Dad mad?"Angela felt too tired to talk. Back before she arrived in Fairport, she had chatted with James quite a bit and learned about his life here. It took a lot of bravery for someone her age to leave her hometown.Even though Angela was aware that Fairport offered a better environment, for someone who hadn't ventured far from her hometown her whole life, it was a big deal.Late at night, Angela often dreamed of Zelda's face and pictured scenes with grandchildren gathered around her. Due to James persuading her, she decided to move to Fairport.Angela began her journey with excitement. She hoped to explore Fairport with James when she arrived. However, things took a turn for the worse as they ended up in a heated argument.Though Angela felt annoyed by Mary's words, she couldn't find it