It was a bright and sunny day, and there were no clouds in the sky or wind in the trees.

Dustin got out of the car and took a deep breath. Only then did he relax a little.

He was back in Rivenesco.

The message that Wilhelm had left needed to be decoded, and that required some time. Once it was done, Dustin would rush back.

At this point, he also wanted to return to Rivenesco to check on Simone and her family.

It had been a long time since he had seen her, and he kind of missed her.

“Dustin, you’re back!”

Simone’s family all came to welcome him when they found out that he had returned.

“David, Monique, Simone, I’m back!” Dustin treated them the way he would his family and smiled warmly at them.

David and Monique asked after him, while Simone looked askance at Dustin. She looked a bit sad.

“You’ve gotten thinner,” she said softly.

“Have I?” Dustin grinned.

Their eyes met, and the tension rose up between them.

Right then, three cars drove in. More of the Langley