Chapter 9

“Dear cousin, I hope you’re not so annoyed just because of the company’s problems and you don’t have time for ‘entertainment’, right?”

Lenn Gibson carelessly pushed the door open. Without giving Eloise Rhodes a chance to speak, he jumped onto the desk, taking up half of it. He swung his long legs around, wearing a smirk that suggested he was ready for trouble.

Eloise Rhodes frowned and pushed him away. “Why aren’t you staying in your own office? Why come to me and cause trouble?”

Lenn Gibson was like sticky candy—just as he was pushed down, he’d sit back up again the next second, showing no respect at all for President Rhodes’s cousin. Although they were a few years apart, they had grown up together, getting into trouble constantly. Every time they caused problems, Lenn Gibson would shift the blame onto Eloise Rhodes. Over time, Eloise Rhodes became both annoyed and helpless when dealing with her cousin.

“Why the hurry?” Lenn Gibson drawled, his gaze flickering with mockery as he looked at Elodie Rhodes. “Half of the week has already passed, cousin. I hope your grandiose promise to ‘get Serena Thorpe sorted out in a week’ isn’t going to fall through, is it?”

He had already learned from his mother, Maddix Rhodes, that Selina Thorpe had taken time off these days and wasn’t in Nantou at all. In other words, his cousin, who had never failed in his pursuits, hadn’t even managed to lay a finger on his prey. It seemed like fate itself was on Selina Thorpe’s side. The thought that Eloise Rhodes might lose filled Lenn Gibson with glee. He inwardly sighed, “Good and evil will eventually be rewarded.”

There are only three days left. Based on what he knew about Selina Thorpe, it would be impossible to pull this off unless Eloise Rhodes took drastic measures. Lenn Gibson shook his head, pretending to be disappointed. But his expression clearly showed that he was looking forward to the drama to unfold.

Eloise Rhodes’s expression darkened, and her tone became harsh: “What’s with that look? There’s no woman for whom I’d spend more than a week.”

He would never admit that he’d been blocked by Selina Sopra before even having a chance to take action. If word got out, his reputation as Eloti Rhodes would be completely ruined.

Li Daqi, who was standing nearby, stepped forward, patted Eloise Rhodes on the shoulder, and said with a sly smile, “Don’t worry. I’m betting for a month’s time. Young Master Xuan doesn’t need to put too much pressure on himself.”

He was outside just now. He’d already learned about all the messes that had happened over these three days from Eloise Rhodes’s secretary. Eloise Rhodes had been blocked on social media, her new number wasn’t working, no one was at the hospital when she went there, and Adrian Thorpe harassed her at her apartment. It was a complete disaster. But he chose not to say anything, simply waiting to see how Eloise Rhodes would handle the situation on her own.

Eloise Rhodes took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. Her tone remained arrogant: “The day after tomorrow, you’ll see how obedient she is to me. In a couple of days, I’ll show you her crying and begging me not to leave her.”

Though he said that, he wasn’t at all confident in his heart. He had already found out that Selina Thorpe would be returning to Nantou tomorrow. He had to get everything ready by tonight—he couldn’t afford to make any more mistakes.

“I knew there wasn’t a single woman in City A who could escape Young Master Xuan’s grasp!” Lenn Gibson clapped his hands exaggeratedly, jumping down from his desk in a fawning manner. But inwardly, he was secretly waiting for Young Master Xuan to make a mistake.

“A bunch of idle guys with nothing better to do. Now get lost. If you want to see the results, come back in two days!” Eloti Rhodes waved her hand impatiently, not wanting to see those smug faces for another moment.

Even a fool could tell that it was Lenn Gibson who had brought these two together. From childhood on, he’d been schemed against by this cousin countless times. Having such a relative who loved to make fun of him was simply the biggest tragedy of his life.

“Why the hurry?” Li Daqi grabbed his arm. “It’s almost time for dinner. Ye Da has already reserved a table at Jinshi Century. He’s just waiting for the three of us to arrive.”

Lenn Gibson also stepped forward, taking Eloise Rhodes in each arm and pulling her toward the office. “Exactly! Yeda has already reserved a table for us. How can we let him down? Besides, you have to go out with us for a meal and relieve some of the stress, right?”

Both of them knew exactly what was going on. Ye Da had booked a fancy restaurant. In other words, he was expecting Eloise Rhodes to pay the bill. They had traveled all this way, so they certainly weren’t going to come for nothing.

Meanwhile, in the stations in the east, the sun was scorching hot. The sun in the seventh month of the lunar calendar was so intense that it could seemingly melt people. Yet, people continued to come and go in the stations, each hurrying along their way. No matter how intense the sun, it couldn’t stop them from moving forward.

Selena Thorp, who had been missing for three days, was standing in the waiting area. She held an umbrella in one hand and constantly wiped the sweat from her face with a tissue. From time to time, she complained, “It’s so hot! I wish I had come a couple of days later.”

In her entire life, there’s nothing she fears, except heat. During hot weather, she never goes out unless it’s absolutely necessary. This Sunday, she planned to rest at home and sleep with the air conditioner on. But before dawn, her niece Lu Xi called, crying that her sister Lu Yixin was sick.

Selena Thorp didn’t have time to think further. She grabbed her bag and headed east. Along the way, she regretted her decision countless times over.

Lu Yixin was her older sister. Back then, she became pregnant before getting married. When the family asked who the father of the child was, Lu Yixin refused to say anything and also refused to have the baby aborted. Lu’s father, who valued his reputation greatly, couldn’t stand the gossip from the neighbors. In a fit of anger, he drove Lu Yixin, who was pregnant, out of the house. Lu’s mother always obeyed her husband and remained silent throughout the ordeal. By the time Selina Thorpe found out, Lu Yixin was already pregnant and living alone in the eastern tribe.

Over the years, no one in the Lu family cared about Lu Yixin, except for Selina Thorpe, who would visit her and her mother every time she had time off. Lu’s parents avoided talking about their daughter altogether, as if she never existed at all.

“It is quite hot,” Lu Yixin agreed softly, her eyes filled with tenderness. In truth, she didn’t find it that hot at all. When they were children and shared a bed, she would always cover herself with a blanket, while Selina Thorpe preferred to have the fan on all night. She was used to Selina Thorpe’s aversion to heat.

“Auntie, why don’t you wait until the sun ‘takes a break’ before going back?” Lu Xi said in a sweet voice, tilting her round little face up. She also held onto the hem of Selina Thorpe’s dress with her little hand.

Selina Thorpe smiled as she knelt down. She pinched Lu Xi’s soft cheeks playfully and said, “Does that mean you’ll have someone to go to the amusement park with you if your aunt stays?”

“Hehe!” Lu Xi stole a glance at her mother, then covered her face with a smile. Lu Yixin stood by, her eyes filled with affection, yet also a hint of disapproval—this girl always clings to her aunt.

“Then, why don’t Xi Xi and Auntie go back to Nantou and stay there for a while?” Selina Thorpe asked with a smile.

“Stop thinking about my daughter.” Lu Yixin walked over, gently tapping Serena Thorpe on the head. Seizing the opportunity, she continued, “If you really like children, then find someone and have your own kids. Stop always thinking about Xi Xi.”

Many times, Lu Yixin wondered if it was her own experiences in the past that made Selina Thorpe lose trust in men. But Selina Thorpe clearly loved children very much. Having worked in obstetrics and gynecology for so many years, she never even thought about changing jobs, which shows that she truly loved children from the bottom of her heart.

Regarding those events from the past, Lu Yixin never wanted to talk about them with anyone. The sight of her own sister and her boyfriend lying naked in her bed was a shadow that would haunt her for life. She thought she had found someone special—he was the only man who hadn’t been seduced by Adrian Thorpe, and he was also the one who accompanied her home the most often.

But she never imagined that everyone was the same. After she discovered the truth that day, the man simply said to her, with a calm expression, “It’s exactly as you saw. Let’s break up.” Since then, she never saw him again.

She thought everything was over, but not long after the breakup, she found out she was pregnant. The child was her lifeblood—she couldn’t bring herself to have it aborted. Too proud to be with a man who couldn’t take responsibility, she had no choice but to leave home. In the east, she raised Lu Xi alone.

Selina Thorpe saw the sadness in Lu Yixin’s eyes. Her heart ached, realizing that she had once again brought up painful memories for her. She quickly changed the subject: “Sis, the car is about to arrive. I need to go now. Please take care of yourself. If anything happens, definitely call me.”

Lu Yixin nodded, her eyes slightly reddening. “You too, take care of yourself. Don’t always think about work. It’s time to consider matters related to your lifelong happiness.”

Selina Thorpe nodded absentmindedly, then turned and headed toward the ticket checkpoint. She didn’t dare to stay any longer, fearing she might not be able to resist asking about the details of what had happened back then. She also feared seeing Lu Yixin’s sad expression. What she didn’t know was that the events from those years were far more complicated than she had imagined.