The two children seemed to be more attached to Cristofer than Estelle, cuddling up to him like koalas. Seeing this, Estelle grew concerned and whispered, “Be careful. Don’t touch Dad’s arm; it’s injured.”
But Cristofer seemed unbothered by his injury, cherishing the moment when his children sought his attention. He sat on the sofa, chatting and playing with them. Even when Yohan and Yvonne used his clothes as drawing boards, he watched them with a fond smile.
Estelle, utterly drained both mentally and physically, retreated to the bedroom, wanting to get some rest. After a refreshing shower, she reached into her handbag and discovered a flurry of messages from “Fake Mr. Mysterious” waiting for her.
‘Estelle, tomorrow is the last day. Don’t forget our appointment.’
‘When will you come here? Tomorrow night or the morning of the day after tomorrow?’
‘It will be great if you come here tomorrow night. I miss you so much. I want to sleep with you in my arms.’
‘I miss you so much that my heart hurts…’
As Estelle slid the screen to read the messages, she got goosebumps and couldn’t help frowning. Somehow, she felt the contents of the messages were disgusting, and she thought, ‘When did Mr. Mysterious become so clingy?’
‘I’ll move to Room 1231 of the Grand Hotel of Hadale City tomorrow night.’ She replied to him. Without waiting for “Fake Mr. Mysterious” to reply to her, she put the phone aside and soon fell asleep.
****
Beep! Beep!
In Rose Garden’s apartment, Impostor Mr. Mysterious got two messages. One was from Estelle, saying she’d be at the Grand Hotel in Hadale City tomorrow night. The other was from an unknown number.
‘Come to see me at the top of Mount Cloud at seven o’clock tomorrow morning.’ – Cristofer.
Receiving Cristofer’s message, Impostor Mr. Mysterious smirked and switched off his phone.
The next morning, when he reached the top of Mount Cloud at his own pace, Cristofer was already waiting for him.
“Good morning, little brother,” Impostor Mr. Mysterious greeted casually.
Cristofer turned around upon hearing his voice. Even though he had mentally prepared himself, he was still surprised when he saw Impostor Mr. Mysterious. They looked identical except for Cristofer’s injured arm, while Impostor Mr. Mysterious was perfectly healthy.
“Are you shocked?” Impostor Mr. Mysterious chuckled as he approached Cristofer. “You never thought I’d still be alive, did you?”
Cristofer recovered from his surprise and asked, “If you’re alive, why didn’t you return to the Hans family earlier?”
“The Hans family abandoned me. There was no reason for me to go back.”
“Then why do you want to rejoin the Hans family now?” Cristofer asked.
“I’ve come back to claim what the Hans family owes me,” Impostor Mr. Mysterious replied with indifference. “I’m also a part of the Hans family, and I deserve my share of the family’s assets.”
Hearing this, Cristofer frowned and questioned, “Is that why you intentionally got close to Star?”
“Star? Is that Estelle’s nickname? Alright, I’ll call her that too,” Impostor Mr. Mysterious said with a wicked smile.
“Cut the crap,” Cristofer said firmly. “I know you’ve returned for the Hans family’s assets. I can give them to you, but I have a condition.”
Raising an eyebrow, Impostor Mr. Mysterious replied, “My dear brother, let me clarify something first. I don’t just want half of the Hans family’s assets; I want…”
“You want it all, I get it,” Cristofer interrupted. “You didn’t come back to the family because you could have had half the assets easily. You used Estelle to try and take everything for yourself.”
“You’re quite astute. You know my intentions,” Impostor Mr. Mysterious admitted. “I’m aware you won’t agree to give me everything, so I had to use Estelle as part of my plan.”
“I’ll give you everything,” Cristofer declared without hesitation.
This surprised Impostor Mr. Mysterious, and he frowned slightly. “Are you truly willing to hand over the Hans family’s assets and the company you’ve built over the years?”
“Yes, but I have one condition,” Cristofer stated.
Impostor Mr. Mysterious then smiled wickedly again and asked, “I knew you wouldn’t give up the assets so easily. Tell me, what do you want? Money? A mansion? Shares in your company?”
“I don’t want any of that. They can all be yours.”
“Then what do you want, exactly?” Impostor Mr. Mysterious asked in confusion.
With a sigh, Cristofer lowered his head and said, “Estelle can easily become tearful even in small things. Please, don’t make her sad.”
“What?!” Impostor Mr. Mysterious was surprised once more, bursting into laughter, finding Cristofer’s words utterly ridiculous. “Are you joking?”
The wind at the mountaintop was strong, lifting the edges of Cristofer’s clothing. He stood tall and continued, “She’s afraid of thunder. In the future, whether you like it or not, stay with her during rain and thunderstorms; don’t leave her alone.”
“…”
“She often gets low blood sugar, especially in summer. Always carry some candies with you when you’re with her.”
“…”
“She’s battling lung cancer. Don’t smoke in her presence, and if you have to, stay away until the smell fades.”
“…”
“Her favorite color is light purple. She dislikes ginger but adores stars and star-shaped items. When buying gifts for her, consider things with star patterns.”
Impostor Mr. Mysterious laughed even harder, regarding Cristofer as if he were a fool. “Are you being serious?”
Irritated, Cristofer shot him a glare and asked in a stern tone, “You still haven’t told me your name.”
“My name is Victor Fox.”
“You came up with that name yourself?” Cristofer asked.
“Yes, I’ve always believed I can win in everything. And it seems I’m right. I’ve won our little competition. But soon, my last name will change to Hans. It sucks.”
Unfazed by his words, Cristofer said calmly, “Regardless, make sure Star never discovers you’re not the real Mr. Mysterious. Since you’ve chosen to impersonate him, be kind to her for the rest of your life.”
Victor chuckled in response, saying, “You know, you’re starting to sound like a nagging mother.”
“I haven’t finished,” Cristofer said with a furrowed brow.
“Okay, go on. I’m listening.”
“Never let anyone else sit in the passenger seat of your car. That seat should be exclusively for her. Also, take a look at this,” Cristofer said, taking out his phone and sending Victor a picture.
Victor frowned as he examined the picture, asking, “Is this… the backside of Mount Cloud?”
“Yes, there’s a massive Malus Halliana tree, and it’s not easy to find. I know you have Mr. Mysterious’ memories, but I doubt you can find the tree. So, I’ve drawn the route in this picture. If she ever wants to see it, you can take her there by following these directions.”
“You’re quite considerate,” Victor remarked with a chuckle.
“Furthermore…”
“Furthermore?!”
“Furthermore,” Cristofer continued, pointing towards a large banyan tree not far away. “Estelle and Mr. Mysterious’ daughter are buried fifteen steps from that banyan tree.”