Chapter 257

Irene Valdemar

Isabella Sullivan was born with no sense of direction.

She could get lost not just in a garden, but on any regular street.

"How did you find your way, Mom?"

Isabella was stunned. "I... don't know. My intuition told me to go this way. I tried it and got out..."

David Sullivan grinned. "Trust the wife, live forever!"

Father and daughter simply thought Isabella had gotten lucky.

But Isabella glanced back.

The exquisite garden. The hidden side door.

It felt like it existed in her memory.

...

At the same moment, in the same garden.

Sebastian Evans was taking his grandparents on a nostalgic trip.

Over a decade had passed, but the main house's furnishings remained unchanged.

The elderly couple's eyes shimmered with remembrance.

When they had handed over the garden years ago, they had only one request.

Nothing in the main house was to be moved.

If Emilia ever returned, they didn't want her to be saddened by an unfamiliar place.

Florence Atlante strained to keep her eyes open.

Her mind was filled with images of young Emilia playing.

"Little Emilia is looking at the fishies, picking bamboo leaves, making wine dippers. Who are they for?"

"For Daddy to drink, hee-hee—"

Her daughter's laughter seemed to still ring in her ears.

The memory felt like it was from yesterday.

"Old man, I feel like our daughter has always been right here..." She touched the carvings on the porch column. "Emilia's drawings are still here. They haven't changed at all."

Florence wished so desperately to return to the past.

Given another chance, she would have stayed by her daughter's side.

Never leaving her.

Not letting her out of her sight for a single moment!

Emilia, where are you? Are you doing well? Mommy misses you...

She turned away, secretly wiping her tears.

Isaac Atlante was both angry and heartbroken.

His grief was undiminished, but his voice was firm. "Do you want your eyes or not? We agreed before coming that you wouldn't cry."

Sebastian placed a hand on the old woman's shoulder, speaking gently. "Grandmother, your eyes have just started to improve. Crying will undo all the progress."

"Auntie would be sad to see you like this."

After Emilia's disappearance, the old woman had fallen ill from longing, crying day and night until her eyes were damaged.

They had seen doctors both domestically and abroad, with little effect.

The Western medicine only treated the symptoms, not the root cause.

The traditional Chinese doctor felt her pulse and prescribed medicine, shaking his head with a sigh: Emotional wounds require emotional healing. No medicine can withstand constant weeping.

The eye damage was superficial; the real harm was to her liver and spleen.

"Alright, I won't cry." Florence wiped her tears and took a deep breath.

Sebastian was right. If her eyes were ruined, how would she see her daughter when she returned?

The old man smiled. "That's more like it. Remember when Emilia was little and would cry, your eyes would get red, which only made her cry harder."

"I remember. You were always so strict with her, constantly criticizing and lecturing."

After searching for so many years, everyone around the old couple advised them to give up.

Someone being missing for so long without a trace spoke volumes.

Emilia was twenty-two when she disappeared. Even if she had no choice then, after over twenty years, if she were alive, she would have found a way to contact her parents.

But there was nothing. Not a single phone call. Not a single message.

The old couple wouldn't listen. They refused to give up.

They should have been enjoying their retirement, but instead, they were奔波ing abroad.

Sebastian was deeply moved, but simply said, "Come, let's go see the back garden."

"Wonderful! Emilia loved the swing and the wisteria in the back garden the most..."

Sebastian supported the old woman as they walked inside.

His phone rang.

He glanced at the screen and subtly moved the phone away, preventing the old woman from seeing.

"Grandmother, I need to take this call."

"Alright."

Once outside the main house, Sebastian answered the call.

"Mother, what is it?"

"Why did it take you so long to answer?" Irene Valdemar's tone was impatient. "Where are you?"

Sebastian replied flatly, "I was busy earlier. I'm out."

"Busy with what? Who are you with?"

Sebastian frowned. "Mother, I'm not a prisoner. There's no need to interrogate me."

"You're the prisoner?! Ha—" Irene's voice turned shrill. "Isn't it the other way around? I'm the prisoner! All of you are guarding against me!"

"Mother, why would you say that?"

"Your grandparents returned to the country. Why wasn't I told?"

Sebastian was silent.

"I knew it. You did it on purpose!"

"Mother..." His voice was weary.

"You're with them right now, aren't you? I went to the old house. The housekeeper said you picked them up. Did you think you could fool me?"

"..."

"Where are you now? I'm coming over."

Sebastian's expression tightened. "Mother, please calm down. Grandmother is not in a good state emotionally. Perhaps another day."

Irene snapped, "What do you mean by that? The old lady is upset, so I can't come? Are you implying that seeing me would make her even more upset?! I'm her daughter! I can't understand why you all guard against me like I'm some kind of thief!"

All these years, the old couple preferred to contact Sebastian rather than communicate with her.

On the rare occasions she called them, they always found an excuse to cut the conversation short.

Sebastian said, "You know the reason very well. Must I spell it out?"

"Go on! Say it! I'd love to hear what you've been holding back!"

Sebastian clenched his jaw, his face rigid.

"Mother, I don't want to argue with you." This was his final act of patience.

But the person on the other end wouldn't let it go. "No! We must make this clear today—I am your mother, not your enemy!"

"Fine." Sebastian took a deep breath, enunciating each word carefully. "Grandmother has always held reservations about you because of what happened back then. Your appearance now will only upset her further. The doctor has given his final warning. Grandmother cannot withstand any more emotional distress. Why do you think Grandfather insisted on bringing her back? Do you really think it was because they missed you and me?!"

Irene opened her mouth to retort, but no sound came out.

Sebastian ended the call and went back inside.

"Sebastian, who was on the phone?"

"Business. It's handled."

"Good."