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

"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

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

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

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