Tiger spoke with utmost respect, “Yes, sir!” After the arrest of Samons and Greenie, Chris Shelby, along with Tiger and others, returned to Jefferson Village. Upon arriving at Jefferson Village, Tiger immediately arrested the village chief, David, and his son Evan. The arrest of David and Evan brought jubilation to the villagers of Jefferson Village. With matters settled in Jefferson Village, Chris Shelby prepared to leave. Harold Jefferson and Marie also planned to depart with Chris Shelby.
Marie approached Stewart with a look of reluctance and said, “Dad, we’re heading back to the East Coast. You must take good care of yourself. When we find the time, my brother and I will often come home to visit you.” Harold Jefferson added, “Dad, after we leave, you must take good care of yourself.” Stewart smiled and replied, “Go on! Follow Mr. Shelby closely; you’re sure to do well in the future.” Hearing this, both nodded vigorously.
Subsequently, Chris Shelby and his companions drove back to the East Coast. By the time they reached the East Coast, it was already ten o’clock at night. Due to the late hour, Chris Shelby took Marie to Cloud Bay. Before going to Cloud Bay, Chris Shelby had called Esther to ask for her permission, and only after getting her consent did he dare to bring Marie to the villa.
Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Marie said, “Mr. Shelby, maybe I should just stay at school instead.” Harold Jefferson chuckled and reassured her, “Don’t worry! Both Mr. and Mrs. Shelby are kind people; they will surely welcome you to stay.” Chris Shelby nodded and added, “Harold is right, Marie. Don’t overthink; consider this your home.”
At that moment, Esther and Juliette came out. Upon seeing them, Marie quickly approached and greeted, “Mrs. Shelby! Miss Juliette!” Esther, with a smile, responded, “You’re back, come on in!” Then, Chris Shelby and the others entered the villa. Inside, May and her daughter Ava were present. Chris Shelby curiously asked, “May, have you been discharged from the hospital?” May respectfully replied, “Mr. Shelby, I have been discharged, and I’m feeling fine now.” Chris Shelby nodded in acknowledgment.
“Mr. Shelby, dinner is ready for you,” May informed, knowing they were returning and had prepared the meal in advance. Chris Shelby nodded again, and they began to eat. During the meal, the TV reported a new disaster in Jefferson Village, causing distress among everyone. After dinner, Chris Shelby went back to his room to sleep.
Esther watched him and hesitated before asking, “Dear, do you have any free time these days?” Chris Shelby was momentarily stunned, then smiled, “I do! Wife, what’s on your mind?” Esther paused, then said, “There’s something I need to discuss, but I haven’t quite figured it out yet. I’ll tell you once I do.” Confused by her words, Chris Shelby felt utterly baffled.
The next morning, Chris Shelby received a call from Lynx. “I just got news that something big has happened in Europe, and all the major powers are heading there.” Surprised, Chris Shelby asked, “Lynx, what exactly happened?” Lynx shook his head, “I’m not entirely sure, but it seems that all the major powers are in search of something.”
Chris Shelby wore an expression of confusion. What could possibly be so valuable that it compelled all major powers to search for it? Whatever it was, it certainly wasn’t anything simple. Chris Shelby instructed, “Lynx, keep a close eye on things and tell me immediately if anything happens.” With that, he hung up the phone.
Just then, Juliette walked over. Chris Shelby looked at her curiously and asked, “Juliette, what’s up?” Juliette replied, “Brother, Marie just told me they’re getting a break soon, so she’s planning to look for an internship outside. Esther and I discussed it, and we decided to let Marie intern at Chester Group for now. She might need to stay in Cloud Bay during her internship.”
“Eh?” Chris Shelby was speechless. Marie was also going to stay in Cloud Bay? Was it turning into a city of daughters? And what was he in this scenario? The monk among the women? Juliette added, “Brother, there’s another thing I need to tell you.”
Chris Shelby, somewhat exasperated, said, “What else is there? Can’t you tell me everything all at once?” “Hmph!” Juliette scoffed and continued, “Brother, Esther might be going to Oxwoods in a few days.” “What does Esther need in Oxwoods?” Chris Shelby asked, surprised.
“Ah!” Juliette sighed, “Brother, Chester Group has a major client in Oxwoods, and there’s an important collaboration between them. Esther wants to go and discuss it, but she’s still hesitating.” Now Chris Shelby understood. This explained why Esther had been so hesitant in her conversation the previous day-it was because she needed to go to Oxwoods!
Chris Shelby asked, “Is that big client in Oxwoods reliable?” After all, collaborating with foreign companies wasn’t simple. Especially now, with international tensions worsening-Pavo was currently in a trade war with Amerosia. It was a challenging time for all export businesses in Amerosia. And since Oxwoods was allied with Pavo, Esther’s trip there wouldn’t be easy.
Juliette shook her head, “I’m not sure about that. You should ask Esther. But I hope you can accompany her to Oxwoods.” Chris Shelby rolled his eyes, “Nonsense! My wife is going that far; of course, I’m going to accompany her. How could I be calm otherwise?”
…
The next day, Marie indeed moved her things from school to the villa. Then, she went off to intern at Chester Group. Ava, May’s daughter, also started her internship there. At noon, Esther called Chris Shelby, suggesting they go out for lunch together. Naturally, Chris Shelby didn’t refuse. Honestly, since Juliette and the others had come to the villa, he rarely had the chance to dine alone with Esther.
Later, Chris Shelby and Esther went to a restaurant near Chester Group for lunch. Since Chester Group was located in the downtown area of East Coast city, most of the diners there were local office workers. “Hello, what would you like to eat?” a waiter approached and asked as they entered the restaurant.