Chapter 876
“By the way, why did you suddenly come over to the clinic today?” Rosalie asked. After all, today, she had come to see Levi for a consultation, and she had not mentioned it to him.
“I heard from the driver that you were around, so I figured I’d swing by and see how you’re doing. I was thinking of going with you to the appointment, but turns out you got done quicker than I thought,” Jonathan said. “I’ll be right there with you when you start your hand treatment.”
“There’s no need for that. It’s just treatment, and I expect it will take more than a few sessions. It could interfere with your work,” Rosalie hurriedly replied.
Jonathan’s eyelashes trembled slightly. He glanced at Rosalie from the corner of his eyes and replied, “Okay.”
The car arrived at the entrance of the Youngblood residence. Rosalie got out of the car and walked into the house, but Jonathan’s car did not immediately drive away. It remained parked.
Jonathan lifted his hand and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. His mind once again flashed back to the confrontation with Calvin at the clinic entrance just a while ago.
“Jonathan, what was the reason Rosalie decided to drown herself back then? Even if you’ve lost your memory, someone must have told you the truth about that incident. I asked everyone back then, but no one was willing to tell me. So now, can you tell me?” Calvin had questioned.
“Calvin, why should I tell you anything about what happened between me and Rosalie?” Jonathan replied.
“At that time, after Rosalie discovered the link between her car accident case and you, the incident where she almost drowned occurred. Is there any connection between these two events?” Calvin continued to probe for answers.
Calvin was eager to unveil the truth. Throughout the years, Carlos and the butler. clung to a single, unchanging narrative. It was Kurt who had directed Yvette to carry out the abduction. Meanwhile, an unsettling cloud of uncertainty loomed over Rosalie’s supposed attempt to drown herself at the sea.
Doubts gnawed at Calvin, nagging him about whether this narrative was the entire truth.
If not, what secrets lay concealed beneath the surface?
Jonathan took out his phone and hesitated for a moment before making a call. “It’s me. Proceed with the original plan, use hypnosis to recover her memories.” After dry-cleaning the clothes she had worn from Callum’s mansion that day, Lillian came to the building of White Maple Group’s office in Strico. She intended to return these clothes to Callum.
10:01
Upon reaching the front desk and explaining her intent, she had initially expected some difficulties in wanting to meet Callum. However, as soon as the receptionist heard that she had come to return clothes, the receptionist recognized her and did not even ask her name. Instead, a warm smile graced the receptionist’s face as she cordially affirmed, “You’re Ms. Lillian Quinn, I presume? Mr. White has instructed that you may proceed directly to his office when you’re here.”
The receptionist led Lillian to the elevator, assisted in pressing the button, and said, “The CEO’s office is on the 32nd floor. When you arrive on the 32nd floor, someone will escort you to Mr. White’s office.”
Lillian had not expected that Callum had already given his staff some instructions. When she took the elevator to the 32nd floor, someone was already waiting at the elevator door.
“Hello, Ms. Quinn. I’m Mr. White’s secretary. Please come with me,” the secretary said.
Lillian followed the secretary and arrived at the entrance of Callum’s office. The secretary lightly knocked on the door twice and then turned the handle, ushering Lillian inside, “Ms. Quinn, please come in.”
“May I enter?” Lillian asked, noting the lack of response from within the CEO’s office to the knock on the door.
“The Chairman mentioned that as long as you’re here, you can enter at any time,” the secretary replied.
Lillian tightly pursed her red lips and walked in.
The secretary softly shut the door behind Lillian with her mind veiled in speculation. It seemed likely that this woman might be the future wife of White Maple Group’s chairman.
After all, even during his involvement with Madeline of the Tall family, Callum had never granted her the privilege of unrestricted access to his office.
Besides, the secretary had seen the news about Callum and Lillian, so she naturally understood that this woman held a special place in Callum’s heart. Lillian entered the office and found Callum lying on the sofa with a thin blanket covering him, seemingly resting.
For a moment, she hesitated, uncertain if she should allow herself a sigh of relief. Callum’s peaceful repose meant she could avoid a direct confrontation with him, for the moment at least. She would only have to place the clothes down to fulfill her main goal.
She gently put the clothes on the coffee table and intended to leave, but her gaze involuntarily fell on Callum.
He just lay there, with his eyes closed in tranquil slumber. His long, delicate eyelashes covered those beautiful eyes of his, casting a graceful shadow upon his eyelids.
6
23
10:01
Memories of shared moments resurfaced, times when Callum had fallen asleep beside her, and she would always gently poke and touch his cheek. To put it in other words, Lillian would playfully take advantage of him.
In his slumber, she had taken photographs of him, capturing him in various comical poses that had never failed to amuse her when she looked at them later. As Lillian ruminated on these moments that were long bygones, they seemed like fragments of the most enchanting, faraway dream.
Yet, she could not shake the nagging awareness that, eventually, she would have to rouse herself from this dream, much like her eyes were now fully awake.
Or were they? “Wait… Callum’s eyes were open?” Lillian exclaimed to herself.
As she was jolted back to reality, Lillian realized that Callum had now opened his eyes. Embarrassingly, without conscious intent, her fingers had ventured to his face, reenacting the familiar, tender pinching gesture she would so often make in the past.
Heavens, they say that old habits die hard for a reason!
Lillian instinctively tried to pull her hand away, but Callum had already seized her hand. “Did you intend to touch me like this even when I’m asleep?”
“What… No,” she hurriedly explained. “I was just returning your clothes from last time. They are all cleaned now. It’s just that in the past, I would do this when you were asleep, so it’s a habit… Uh, it’s not…”
As she spoke, Lillian felt like she was digging herself into a deeper hole, and at one point, she was not even sure what she was saying anymore.
Callum sat up, raised his arm, and directly pulled Lillian into his embrace. “So, even after all these years, you still have this habit, huh?”
“Callum, let go of me!” Lillian struggled in his arms.
However, her feeble efforts were no match for him. He held her even tighter.
“Lillian,” Callum whispered, his voice soft and pensive. “I’ve become a fixture in your life, haven’t I? The years may pass us by, but some things will never change.” His words were followed by the gentle nuzzling of his face against Lillian’s neck, where he breathed in her familiar fragrance.
In Callum’s world, Lillian had evolved into a cherished routine he could not break, even after all these years. Holding her close and savoring her scent were the one and only antidote to the persistent ache of emptiness in him. She gave Callum a feeling of solace on his long quest for that sense of security.
