Theo wore a perfectly straight army green jacket that made him look similar to his old photos. With a solemn expression that exuded indifference, he held a simple army luggage that was also in green.
Quinton, who was behind him, wore a similar outfit.
Both the father and son looked equally solemn.
No one knew how both of them met nor the reason for their sudden return. Nevertheless, it was a pleasant surprise for Michael, who came out to help Theo carry his luggage. âFather, werenât you going to stay in Africa? Why are you back?â
Theo replied, âI changed my mind. Iâm not going to Africa anymore.â
Then, Michael brought Theoâs luggage to the room he once stayed in before, while Quinton also self-
consciously brought his luggage to Cashâs room.
It was only at this moment that Sophia returned to her senses from being shocked by Theoâs appearance and spoke to Cooper. âDad, youâre back too!â
Cooper replied, âHmph!â
Angered, he walked upstairs without even turning back. Then, he stayed there until dinner.
As Theo and Quinton had suddenly returned, the villa was bustling. Apart from that, Nathan had also returned from school.
Michael still thought that it was too peculiar for both of them to suddenly return, so he figured something must have happened.
Theo had once said that he wouldnât look for Quinton nor let the latter know that he was still alive.
Why did both of them return together?
Michael had a hunch that something had happened.
After dinner, the entire family gathered together to watch the TV. Now that the entire family was around, the atmosphere was quite lively.
Cooper was still angry that Sophia didnât greet him first when he returned, so he merely looked at Theo coldly. When Sophia served fruits from the kitchen just now, she put them before Theo first. Even though Theo was sitting closer to the kitchen, Cooper still felt that he had taken his daughter away.
Hence, he hugged Carmen tightly, determined not to let others take her away.
Sophia also knew that Cooper was angry, so she sat beside him and cuddled a huge cat while watching the news channelâTheoâs favorite channel.
Cooper sat on one end with Carmen on his lap, while Nathan sat on the other as he watched TV with a cold expression. Meanwhile, Celine was quite clingyâshe took turns in harassing Quinton and Theo.
âQuinton, do you want some melon? Dad! Quinton doesnât want to eat my melon! Does he hate me?â
Both Theo and Quinton didnât say another word as they paid attention to the TV. To be precise, they were merely zoning out as they watched the show.
The atmosphere was quite peculiar indeed.
Michael finally asked tentatively, âFather, why did you suddenly change your mind?â
Theo replied, âI couldnât get used to it. All Africans look similarâI couldnât tell them apart, so it wasnât easy carrying out the peacekeeper job.â
After a pause, Michael asked again, âWhat are your future plans, then?â
He thought that Theoâs excuse was quite far-fetched to the point that it was probably made up.
Theo replied, âJustin asked me to work at the security company.â
With that, Michael realized that something was definitely off.
Something must have happened. Theo is someone who has given his entire life to the military. He wouldnât say something like this!
Looking at Theo, Michael felt that the latter must be hiding something. Otherwise, he wouldnât return just like this.
Not long after they finished dinner, Maisieâs voice rang when they were watching the TV. âUncle Michael, weâre here again!â
Once he opened the door, he saw Stanley with Maisie in his arms, and Sean was right behind them.
Once Stanley entered and saw that everyone was watching the TV after dinner, he said regretfully, âOh, no! Weâre late! Why didnât you wait for us?â
After putting Maisie down, he opened the refrigerator door and saw a few leftovers.
âWhat soup is this? Let me try. What dish is this? Iâll take two bites. What herbal soup is this? Iâll just take a few sips.â
â¦
Stanley brought his entire family over to eat the leftovers and cleared everything in the fridge in no time. Even the herbal soup that they made for Lucy was not exemptedâhe had to take a few sips.
After dinner, Stanley sat down and greeted everyone with Maisie in his arms. After waiting for a while, Sophia didnât see Christine coming over with Stanley.
What is this idiot doing? Why didnât he bring his girlfriend over for us to have a look? He just knows to eat our food.
After taking a few bites of the melon, Stanley wiped his mouth since he had had his fill. Then, he told Theo, âGreat-uncle Theo, Iâve already reported what you mentioned before to Old Master Fletcher, and he saidââ
Theo suddenly interrupted him. âDonât advise me anymore on my retirement. I donât want to be a soldier anymore because the country doesnât need so many soldiers. The main focus right now is construction and economy. I want to train myself in the corporate world and work in offices.â
Stanley was stunned. He was actually about to reveal something important, but after shooting a glance at Michael and Sophia, he swallowed it and said instead, âOh, Old Master Fletcher just wanted me to tell you that you could do whatever you want. He doesnât care anymore.â
Michael glanced at Stanley, who looked elsewhere guiltily.
What Stanley was about to say was definitely unrelated to Theoâs retirement from the army. Instead, it was something else that they did not intend to let Michael know. However, they didnât team up with Stanley earlier, so he almost let it slip.
After watching the news, Theo got up and said, âIâm tired, so Iâm going back to rest first.â
With that, he left. Quinton also went back to his room without another word.
Michael looked at their leaving figures before looking at Linus and Justin, who didnât dare to look at him. Stanley, who had been secretly glancing at him, turned away as soon as Michael locked eyes with him. Apart from that, Cooper looked rather secretive as well.
Panic rose within him.
Something must have happened!
Something that is related to me and Theo!
Michael suddenly got up and waved. âCome on, Stan. Letâs go to the washroom.â
Stanley quickly rejected him. âI donât think so. Come, Maisie. Itâs getting late. Weâll take our leave now.
Say goodbye to Great-uncle Michael!â
Right after he finished speaking, he didnât even wait for Maisie to say goodbye before he immediately wrapped her in a scarf and escaped frantically. Sean also followed behind him as they left.
Everyone found different excuses to leave. In an instant, only Sophia and Michael were left in the living room.
Sophia munched on the melon that Linus brought as she saw everyone leaving. With only Michael and her left, she also felt that something had happened.
Theo walked to his room on the second floor. But on his way, he saw someone sitting on the sealed balcony on the second floor.
She merely sat there alone, looking at the neon-lit cityscape in a daze as her body was engulfed in darkness.
When Theo saw her, his footsteps suddenly stopped. He then looked blankly at the familiar figure.
That person seemed to have heard him approaching, so she stood up and slowly walked to him. Her face gradually emerged from the dark and became illuminated by the light.
After Theo looked at her face, he widened his eyes in surprise, looking incredulously at the familiar face.
âElizabethâ¦â
To Michael, Elizabeth had been dead for almost 3 decades. However, to Theo, she seemed to be alive just yesterday.
He could still remember every expression of hers. Apart from that, he even remembered the taste of the kiss she gave him before he left.
However, when the person walked closer to him, he realized that she was not Elizabethâthey merely looked alike.