She lowered her head to look at the dog and found that she was much bigger than the puppy in her memory.
“She is already four years old. Fortunately, she still remembers you.” A husky voice came from the door of the building.
When Estelle heard the familiar voice, her heart skipped a beat, and she didn’t dare to raise her head. She kept looking down at the dog until a pair of black handmade leather shoes appeared in her sight.
“Estelle, long time no see,” the man standing before her said.
Estelle slowly raised her head, seeing his black shoes, trousers, suit jacket, and shirt. And finally, she saw his face. ‘You’re all in black. And your smile is as gentle as before,’ Estelle thought.
“Estelle, sorry that I came back to you late,” the man explained.
Suddenly, tears welled up in Estelle’s eyes. With a lump in her throat, she said, “You…”
“I understand you’re angry. I kept asking you not to leave me, but I left you and didn’t contact you for years. It’s natural for you to be mad at me,” the man sighed and said.
Estelle felt lost for a moment. “Are you Mr. Mysterious or… Cristofer?”
Hearing this, the man chuckled and said, “If I were Cristofer, how would I know that we used to live in Rose Garden?”
“If you were Cristofer, wouldn’t you know that through your telepathy with Mr. Mysterious? So, I’m not sure who you are,” Estelle reasoned.
The man nodded and explained gently, “This Samoyed can prove my identity.”
“It’s been so many years. The dog is grown up and looks different from the puppy I remember. How can I be sure she’s the one Mr. Mysterious gave me?” Estelle quickly snapped.
“She can recognize you,” the man patiently clarified. “The dog remembers you and your scent. So, after recognizing you, she happily rushed over to you.”
Estelle bit her lower lip but didn’t say anything.
“Is there any sign of a dog at the Hans’ Residence?” the man asked.
‘No, there’s no dog at the Hans’ Residence,’ Estelle thought. She had also visited their former marital home and knew that Cristofer didn’t have a dog there either.
Thinking about this, she lifted her head to gaze at the man in front of her. The sun was shining brightly, casting a golden halo-like glow on him.
Whenever Mr. Mysterious appeared, she felt warmth and hope. At that moment, those same feelings overwhelmed her, and her nose tingled.
“Mr. Mysterious… Are you really Mr. Mysterious?” she asked.
Without answering, the man in front of her opened his arms and said with a charming smile, “Do you want to cry?”
“A bit.”
“If you want to cry, go ahead. Come here. Cry in my arms,” the man suggested.
However, Estelle didn’t move, tears streaming down her face.
With an affectionate smile, the man approached her and gently hugged her. “You still cry easily,” he remarked.
Nestling against him, Estelle caught a faint scent of smoke and the fragrance of cologne on his body. She then asked, “Did you start smoking again?”
“Well, I missed you so much, and I was so excited at the thought of seeing you that I smoked to calm my nerves just now.”
“Then why didn’t you contact me all these years?” Estelle said, suddenly feeling deeply hurt. “Do you know how devastated I was when I heard you were dead? While I was abroad, I had to take care of the children, look after my mother, and run the company all on my own. Do you have any idea how tough my life has become? Do you understand the hardships I endured?”
The more she spoke, the more hurt she felt. She clenched her fist and struck his chest. “Ron told me you weren’t dead but that you didn’t want to be with me anymore…”
“I never said I didn’t want to be with you.”
“Then why did you…” The man interrupted before she could finish her sentence, saying, “Estelle, I’ve also faced difficulties and challenges over the years. I’ll explain everything to you later, okay?”
Shaking her head, Estelle said, “I’m still not sure who you are. Can you answer some questions first?”
Raising his eyebrows, the man asked, “Are you still suspicious of me?”
“You look exactly like Cristofer and even wear the same clothes as he was yesterday. I can’t distinguish between the two of you at all,” Estelle explained.
Hearing this, the man in front of her didn’t get angry. Instead, he continued to look at her with a gentle smile. “Alright, go ahead. Ask me anything you want.”
“I…” For a moment, Estelle didn’t know where to start.
“Take your time. I’m here with you,” the man reassured her gently.
After contemplating, Estelle sniffled and asked, “What’s your name?”
“No matter what my name is, you can keep calling me Sir,” the man replied.
“I’m asking for the name on your passport,” Estelle pressed, raising her head to scrutinize his expression.
“It’s Christopher, spelled with a “Ch,” the man answered confidently.
“…”
“You also gave me another name, the one we shared under the Malus halliana tree that night. Do you remember it?” Estelle asked, looking into his eyes.
“I absolutely remember it. It’s Hunter,” the man replied in a captivating and pleasant tone. “I’ll never forget the name you gave me. Do you have any more questions?”
With warm tears rolling down her cheeks, Estelle shook her head vigorously. She didn’t feel the need to ask any further questions.
He gently touched her face and smiled, saying, “Don’t cry, Estelle. Please don’t cry.”
“Mr. Mysterious…” Estelle choked on her words as she addressed him.
“I’m here, Estelle.”
“I have one last question,” Estelle raised her face.
“Go ahead.”
“Do you share the same body as Cristofer?” Estelle asked, her voice filled with anxiety and confusion. “I carefully remembered last night, and I realized you’ve never appeared in the same place at the same time as Cristofer. There are so many similarities between you two. Mr. Lopez mentioned he wanted you as his heir, but he transferred all his assets to Cristofer. I’m worried that…”
“Are you concerned that I might be Cristofer or another one of his personalities?” the man chuckled. Then he pointed to his neck and showed her his palms. “Do you believe me now that I’m not Cristofer?”
There were no wounds on his neck or palms. Seeing this, Estelle felt relieved and thought, ‘You really aren’t Cristofer.’
****
It was already morning by the time Cristofer finished his video call with Dr. Stewart. The morning breeze was still a bit chilly, but the sun shining on him made it feel warm.
Dr. Stewart suggested that to confirm if he had ever had a secondary personality, he could try doing what Mr. Mysterious had done. However, very few people knew about Mr. Mysterious. Cristofer wanted to ask Estelle more about him, but after thinking for a while, he decided it was better to figure it out alone.