Leland Burns continued his search while Garrison Reeves’s team also looked for Winifred Dawson. Neither side was willing to give up. But Leland knew that time was running out; he had promised Henry and couldn’t go back on his word.
By mid-October, there was still no sign of Winifred Dawson.
Leland Burns, waiting at Autumn Joy Estate, did not see Winifred return. Instead, he was greeted by the unexpected arrival of Garrison Reeves.
While searching for Winifred Dawson, Garrison Reeves had learned that Leland Burns was still alive.
When he had first heard the news that Leland had been imprisoned and then supposedly died, Garrison felt nothing but satisfaction.
His immediate thought was to return home quickly and take Winifred Dawson away.
However, he was tied up with work abroad and couldn’t find the time to return. This delay lasted two to three months. By the time he received news about Winifred again, it was that she had died at sea.
Garrison Reeves didn’t believe it and immediately organized a search. Though they didn’t find Winifred, they discovered another piece of news: Leland Burns was still alive.
The person who should have died didn’t, while someone who should have been fine ended up dead.
Garrison Reeves searched for Winifred Dawson for over two months, growing increasingly impatient. He approached Leland Burns, suspecting that Winifred might be with him. He wondered if Leland had imprisoned her and falsely announced her death to keep her for himself.
Garrison Reeves couldn’t tolerate such a thing. Leland had once forcibly kissed Winifred in front of him and taken her away. Back then, he was powerless and couldn’t protect the one he loved most. But now things were different…
Garrison Reeves arrived directly at Autumn Joy Estate. By now, many people secretly knew that Leland Burns wasn’t dead, but due to his status, no one spoke out. A man who could escape death and get out of prison possessed unimaginable skills. Naturally, people pretended nothing had happened and stayed as far away as possible to avoid becoming the next Burkhart family.
On October 15th, it rained.
After more than a month of oppressive heat, the rain finally came down heavily. The sky was foggy with dark clouds gathering above; occasional flashes of lightning seemed to threaten the heavens themselves.
Raindrops the size of pebbles hit umbrellas with a loud patter, forming puddles on the ground. The rain splashed up ripples, making the surrounding scenery look like shattered fragments reflected in water.
Garrison Reeves stood outside Autumn Joy Estate, looking at the closed iron gate. He wore a white shirt with a black coat draped over his shoulders and held a black umbrella. Three men stood beside him.
One man held an umbrella and pressed the doorbell. Facing the surveillance camera, Garrison’s eyes were deep: “Leland Burns, I know you’re alive and hiding in there. Let’s meet and talk about Autumn.”
There was no response. Garrison frowned as his assistant said, “Mr. Reeves, it’s raining so heavily. If they don’t come out, what should we do? Wait here?”
Garrison’s eyes never left the camera. He hadn’t interacted much with Leland Burns but guessed enough about him as a fellow man who loved the same woman. He knew some of Leland’s past experiences and believed he understood him somewhat.
He felt certain that Leland would let him in because he must be watching from behind that camera.
Staring at the camera meant he was directly looking into Leland’s eyes-a silent confrontation between two men whose gazes locked in battle.
Leland Burns’s eyes were bloodshot and even worse today, sharp as an eagle’s with a murderous glint.
He hadn’t expected Garrison Reeves to have the guts to come taunt him face-to-face.
…
Garrison waited outside for five minutes, knowing this was Leland giving him a hard time.
His assistant grew anxious until they saw a figure inside. Leland Burns appeared under the eaves, watching Garrison from afar.
The door lock clicked open. Garrison lifted his chin slightly, signaling his bodyguards to push open the gate. Holding his umbrella like a nobleman, he walked in slowly, splashing water with each step.
Approaching Leland Burns, their eyes met in silent combat like two lions fighting for territory-the already gloomy weather becoming even more oppressive.
The assistant hesitated before quickly following Garrison and standing a meter behind him.
Garrison broke the silence first: “Long time no see, Leland Burns. I thought you were really dead and planned to pay my respects at your grave since we knew each other once. Who knew you’d survive-proving true that saying: bad people live long.”
Starting off so confrontational without any pretense? The assistant was shocked; he had always seen Garrison as reserved and gentle-tempered. This was his first time witnessing Garrison so aggressively confront someone else-what kind of grudge did these two have?