I shook my head and turned his offer down. “Thanks, but no thanks. I prefer hailing a cab and making our way back on our own.”
Kristina leaned over and added with a courteous smile, “Ms. Stanhope, it’s not easy to hail a cab around here. Why don’t you get in the car and allow us to give you a ride home?”
Pursing my lips, I said flatly, “There’s no need.” I had no intention of continuing the conversation with her.
Staring at Summer behind my back, Jared instructed, “Do you want the child to sleep behind your back until you get a ride home? Just get in the car already!”
I furrowed my brows because the duo was slowly getting on my nerves.
Thankfully, a cab showed up from afar just then. I waved at the driver and cast an indifferent glance at the duo. “Thanks for the offer, but my ride is here.”
Summer continued sleeping soundly after we boarded the cab. I tucked her in when we reached Glenwood Apartments. After packing my stuff, I reached for my phone to order something to eat.
I noticed I had a few missed calls from Anthony and Jackson. I was supposed to tell Anthony that I had arrived safe and sound, but I completely forgot about it since we touched down late in the night.
Seeing that it was a weekday, I knew Jackson should be in the middle of work. Hence, I dropped him a text and told him I had reached my destination.
The moment I gave Aston a call, it was picked up almost instantly. The man on the other end of the line asked, “Are you busy?”
I stuffed the clothes we had changed out of into the washing machine. After all, the cemetery was built on a hill and there were muddy stains on our clothes.
“I brought Summer out for a walk with me.” Halfway through the call, I heard noises coming from the bedroom.
Thus, I walked over to check on Summer because she seemed to have roused from her sleep.
“Do you have anything on your schedule in the afternoon?” Anthony asked.
“Perhaps I’ll take a stroll around.” Summer was indeed awake. She sat on the bed, playing with the lamp on the nightstand.
When she saw me, she called out, “Mommy, I’m hungry!”
I nodded and told Anthony, “I need to make Summer something to eat. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Sure,” he replied in a gentle tone.
After hanging up the call, someone rang the doorbell. I thought it was the food I had ordered, but I saw Jackson the moment I opened the door.
He showed up with a bunch of different things. As it took me some time to answer the door, he asked, “Were you sleeping?”
“No. Why are you here when you’re supposed to be working?”
He brought the things he had into the kitchen and heaved a long sigh. “How am I supposed to work when I know there’s nothing in your refrigerator? I can’t possibly allow you and the child to starve, can I?”
He was spot on because Summer had wrapped her arms around his leg, stating she was hungry.
He showed her the desert he bought her and offered, “Why don’t you finish this while I make you something to eat?”
Once he dealt with Summer, he looked at me in the eyes and queried, “Where have you been?”
As I helped him put the things he bought into the refrigerator, I told him, “I dropped by the cemetery. Ironically, I ran into Jared and Kristina.”
I hesitated for a short while but decided to tell him the truth after much consideration. “Kristina seems to be pregnant.”
Jackson paused before turning around and asked with a frown, “She’s pregnant with Jared’s child?”
“Maybe?” I shrugged and replied with a rhetorical question because I wasn’t sure either.
He looked at Summer and said in a hushed voice, “I want you to keep Summer’s existence a secret.”
I pursed my lips. “There’s a possibility that he has already figured out her identity. After all, Summer sort of resembles him in terms of look.”
“So what? As long as you keep him in the dark and deny it, he won’t be able to bring her away!” Jackson was getting slightly worked up. “If it wasn’t because of Kristina, Macy wouldn’t have passed on due to hemorrhage!”
Summer was munching away at the food Jackson bought her in silence because she was famished.
Since Jackson was there, there wasn’t anything much for me to do in the kitchen. After a moment, I received a text from Anthony. Anthony: It’s raining in K City. Is it raining on your end? Remember to bring an umbrella with you if you’re heading out.
I found him adorable and couldn’t help but smiled. Sienna: Alright, I’ll keep that in mind.
Anthony: Remember to put on a few jackets when you’re out. I’ll drop by and visit you once I’m done with my business.
Sienna: Okay!
Anthony: Do you miss me?
Sienna: I do.
Anthony: Me too.
By the time I wrapped up our conversation, Jackson had our meal ready. I put my phone aside and brought Summer to the kitchen to join him.
In the afternoon, Jackson said he wanted to bring Summer out for some fun with him.
I was slightly worn out. Thus, I decided to take a break and told them to go ahead without me.
After the duo departed, I noticed I had a hard time falling asleep. By the time I woke up, my body ached due to the awful sleep.
I got slightly depressed when I caught a glimpse of the gloomy weather. Perhaps it wasn’t a great idea to stay back on my own.
After washing up, I brought an umbrella with me and made my way out.
J City was shrouded in rain and mist. When I passed by Featherstone Corporation, I noticed a lot had changed after four years.
The entire building was renovated. There were all sorts of skyscrapers, including malls and offices around the building. I reckoned that particular area would be the brand new city center in the future.
As I stood in front of the majestic building, I lost myself in a train of thoughts. It’s been four years, huh… I noticed I was not the same person anymore.
It was still early. As I sat in the middle of the square staring at the passerby, I could see couples with bright grins on their faces as well as elderlies who were just taking a stroll.
Time seemed to pass by in the blink of an eye. When Anthony showed up and took a seat by my side, I was startled for a moment. “Aren’t you in K City?”
Smiling, he asked in return, “Aren’t you supposed to be in R Province? Since when have you made your way back to J City? Why haven’t you mentioned anything about it?”
I leaned over and placed my head on his shoulders. “I was about to tell you, but I changed my mind when I thought you were still in K City. My initial plan was to get in touch with you the moment I reach K City.”
He nodded and wrapped his arm around me. “No matter where you are, you have to let me know. I need to know that you’re safe.”
I responded with a nod. Staring at the bustling crowd on the streets, I asked, “How did you find me?”
“Why don’t you give it a guess?”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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