Matthew tightly grasped his daughter’s hand while balancing a bag of snacks in his other hand as they exited the supermarket. As a bus pulled away, he noticed the woman and her son, who had been shopping with them, boarding it.
The young boy glanced back at Matthew’s daughter, cradled in her father’s arms, and could immediately sense her innocence and charm.
“Come on, hurry up,” his mother urged him.
Reluctantly, the boy boarded the bus, stealing one last look at the girl.
Simona, Matthew’s daughter, scanned her surroundings. Cars, buses, and people filled the bustling streets. Unbeknownst to her, a pair of glistening black eyes peered at her from a bus window.
The bus departed, taking the boy away from Simona’s sight.
“Daddy, what’s happening over there?” Simona pointed towards a stall selling sugar-coated hawthorns on skewers, surrounded by curious onlookers.
She wrapped her arms around Matthew’s neck. “Daddy, I want some sugar-coated hawthorns.”
Matthew glanced up at the sky and then down at the plastic bag in his hands. He decided to buy them, knowing it would make his daughter happy.
“Daddy, you’re the best!” Simona exclaimed, cupping his face and showering him with kisses and affection. Even if Matthew were as cold as ice, he couldn’t resist melting under her love.
In the past, sugar-coated hawthorns were only available with hawthorn fruits. Nowadays, various fruits were coated with sugar. Simona chose a skewer filled with hawthorns, their crimson color beneath the crystallized sugar looking enticing.
She swallowed eagerly. “They must be delicious.”
Matthew paid for the snacks. “Now, let’s head back.”
The little girl nodded, content with what she had received.
Back at the caravan, the gas tank was refueled, and Boyce had already brought Samuel back. Samuel also held a skewer of sugar-coated hawthorns in his hand.
“Why were you two so slow? We’ve been waiting for a while,” Samuel remarked, eyeing the plastic bag Matthew carried, then glancing at his younger sister. He understood what had happened and let out a slight sigh.
Boyce gently patted him on the head. “Why the long face, little one?”
Samuel sighed again and settled on the sofa, munching on the sugar-coated hawthorns.
Boyce accompanied Matthew to the interior of the caravan. “Armand has resolved Maria Herbert’s situation…”
“Hold on a second,” Matthew interrupted, not wanting his daughter to overhear such unpleasant matters.
Boyce immediately hushed. “I’ll step out and wait for you.”
“Okay.” Matthew settled Simona in her seat, placing the snacks on the table. “Stay here with your brother. Uncle Boyce and I need to talk.”
“I understand,” Simona replied sensibly, looking adorable as ever.
Matthew ruffled her hair.
She turned her head, worried. “My hair is already messy. You’re making it even messier. If I look too ugly, Mommy won’t recognize me when we find her!”
Matthew chuckled, pinching her cheeks. “Who would dare say my daughter is ugly?”
Simona beamed, her wide grin revealing her pearly white teeth.
Matthew stepped out of the van, with Boyce waiting by the door. Seeing Matthew’s arrival, Boyce stepped back to make room for him.
They took a few steps away from the van, ensuring they were still within proximity.
“Annabelle Flores is dead,” Boyce announced.
Matthew was taken aback. He hadn’t expected Annabelle to be the one who had died.
At that time, Annabelle had been unharmed, while Maria had suffered greatly. They had left them both in the same room, hoping they would eliminate each other. But Matthew hadn’t anticipated Annabelle’s death.
He had thought Maria might be the first to die. Either way, it made no difference to him. The survivor would be the murderer and would likely face imprisonment or even the death penalty for a severe crime.
“I never imagined Maria Herbert…” Boyce shared Matthew’s assumption, believing that Maria would be the one dead. However, he received news of Annabelle’s demise instead.
It revealed Maria’s resilience.
After enduring such injuries, she had managed to kill Annabelle.
“The evidence proving that Maria killed Annabelle Flores is strong, leaving no room for doubt. Additionally, she hired Terry Holmes’s brother to murder Dolores. Maria has been sentenced to death, with a one-year suspension. All the guards this time are under my control. We won’t have a repeat of Sampson Herbert’s previous actions.”
They had intentionally left Maria and Annabelle alone in the Interrogation Room, which had surveillance cameras capturing the exact moments when Maria executed her plan. She had no chance to dispute the case. Considering her past crimes as well, her fate was sealed.
Matthew remained expressionless, as if the woman’s fate had no bearing on him whatsoever.
She had brought this upon herself and had no one else to blame.
In the past, he had shown her leniency because she had saved his life, turning a blind eye to her scheming nature. But due to her actions, he had lost Dolores for many years.
Did he not know Maria was manipulative?
Yes, he did. However, out of gratitude for saving his life, he had chosen not to act. It was Maria who had exhausted his patience and gratitude.
“Let’s go.”
He strode back towards the caravan.
Boyce followed him. “Armand is also on his way to join us. I reckon he’ll catch up soon.”
Matthew glanced back at him.
Boyce shrugged. “He’s always on his own schedule whenever he decides to come. Besides, I can’t persuade him. He’s an able-bodied adult. Can I really chop off his legs?”
Just then, Matthew’s cell phone rang in his pocket. He retrieved it and noticed a call from Abbott.
He no longer pressed the issue with Boyce and Armand. Instead, he swiped to answer the call, positioning himself in front of the car window. With an indifferent tone, he stated, “I already know what has happened.”
Abbott provided an update on the company’s situation, and Matthew powered on his laptop to review the documents sent by Abbott. After thoroughly reading them, he signed and returned the papers. Before ending the call, he issued some instructions to Abbott.
As darkness settled outside, they arrived in White City.
Boyce suggested, “Let’s stay at a hotel tonight. We haven’t had enough rest in the car, and it would be good for the kids to relax as well.”
Matthew appeared to be absorbed in something, continuously browsing web pages. Boyce frowned and approached him. “What are you reading?”
Without a word, Matthew kept his focus on the screen. Boyce caught a glimpse of the words displayed and saw that Matthew was reading about White City’s information.
The first thing that caught his eye was the city’s history.
White City was previously known as Podon, a county. Nathan White, an entrepreneur, had made significant contributions to the area by resolving local unemployment issues. In honor of his efforts, the county name was changed to White City, derived from his surname.
Although the population of White City wasn’t large, it had become a prosperous city. The majority of the locals were employed by the White Group.
Matthew continued to browse and read. The information available on the White Group was limited, primarily focusing on the ups and downs of their startup company. There was no mention of their private lives or family details.
“Daddy,” Simona called out from the compartment.
“Shall we stay in a hotel? If so, I’ll book a few rooms now,” Boyce confirmed once again.
Matthew paused, standing up, and glanced back at Boyce. “Sure.”
Although the caravan provided everything they needed, the space was limited, and it wasn’t ideal for a good night’s sleep.
“My button fell off,” Simona said, sitting on the bed with her legs crossed. Samuel lay beside her, sound asleep.
“Let me see.”
Simona handed the button to Matthew, pointing at her collar. “It fell off from here.”
“I’ll get you another one.” Jessica had packed their clothes, which were stored in the van’s closet. Matthew opened the closet and found a blouse. “How about this one?”
Simona shook her head. “That’s my pajamas.”
Matthew continued searching. “What about this one?”
“Let me find it myself.” Simona felt a bit disappointed in Matthew. She slid off the bed and began searching through the closet, examining all the items. Finally, she grabbed a blue dress. “I want to wear this one. Mommy bought it for me on my last birthday.”
Hearing her mention their birthday, Matthew suddenly realized that he didn’t even know their birth dates.
Matthew helped her take off the blouse with the missing button and helped her put on her favorite blue dress. She also wore a small knitted sweater on top, looking incredibly adorable. Dolores had a knack for dressing Simona and knew exactly what suited her.
As he looked at his daughter, Matthew pondered for a moment and asked, “Simona, when is your birthday?”
“In May.” She pouted. “Our birthday has already passed, and I have to wait for the next one.”
Matthew reached out to gently ruffle her hair.
Just then, the van came to a stop. Boyce entered the room. “I’ve booked the best room in the hotel, and guess what? It’s owned by the White Group.”
He threw his hands up in exasperation. “There’s not much choice here since the White Group runs most businesses in White City.”