Chapter 437 Arson
He knew she was doing it to see Francis.
But he savored this moment of her being so close, even if she wasn't aware of it. He didn't want to ruin it. It had been ages since they'd been this near each other.
Did this mean she wasn't as disgusted by him anymore?
Maybe he should visit the kids more often.
Suddenly, Daniel's voice came from the couch, "Hey, boss, did you forget about me?"
Francis looked around, curious about where the voice was coming from. His wide-eyed expression made Elizabeth smile.
Michael picked up his phone, "Go talk to William directly. Pay him in full and get him to move out ASAP."
"Got it, Mr. Thomas."
"Let me know when the paperwork's done."
"Will do, Mr. Thomas."
Susan and the nanny came out with the food, "Elizabeth, dinner's ready."
Michael, sitting on the couch, cleared his throat, "Elizabeth, I haven't eaten either."
Susan glanced at Elizabeth but kept quiet. She was an employee at the Jones Villa now and couldn't always cater to Michael's needs.
Pearl also looked at Elizabeth with wide eyes.
Elizabeth sat at the dining table, "Susan, please set another place."
He looked so pitiful that if she didn't let him stay for dinner, he'd probably paint her as the villain.
She decided not to be the bad guy.
Susan smiled and went back to the kitchen to get another set of utensils, placing them on the table.
"Mr. Thomas, would you like to dine with Elizabeth?"
Michael glanced at Elizabeth, who ignored him completely. But he wasn't discouraged and sat down next to her.
"Thanks, Susan."
After dinner, Susan took care of Francis, and Dean hung out with Nolan and Pearl. Michael drove away.
Elizabeth headed straight to the airport.
She had promised Quinn she'd visit him. Since she had nothing else to do today, she decided to take a trip to Valoria.
After landing, Elizabeth went straight to the Reed villa.
When she arrived at the Reed villa's gate, she rang the doorbell for a long time, but no one answered.
She called Quinn, but his phone was off.
She didn't want to call Jesse because his attitude made her uncomfortable. So, she dragged her suitcase to the neighboring house.
An elderly lady was sitting under a tree, petting a cat.
Elizabeth greeted her, "Hi, do you know the people who live next door?"
The elderly lady looked kind. She shook her head slightly, "Not really. Are you looking for them? Do they owe you money? You should hurry and get it back! I saw them moving out this morning."
Elizabeth was shocked. What could have happened that made them move out?
The elderly lady continued, "That family is strange. The son doesn't act like a son, and the father doesn't act like a father."
"They never interact with the neighbors. When we invited them to our gatherings, they always refused rudely. Except for the younger son."
"Unfortunately, he seems to be ill. His family doesn't let him interact with the outside world."
The elderly lady seemed happy to have someone to talk to and said a lot.
Elizabeth found it odd. Quinn had called her, hoping she would visit. But now that she was here, he wasn't answering his phone.
Why?
She guessed that Quinn didn't have full control over his actions. Jesse must have tampered with his phone to prevent Elizabeth from contacting Quinn.
But why would Jesse do this? Was the situation so serious that they had to move?
After saying goodbye to the elderly lady, Elizabeth dragged her suitcase to the road to catch a cab.
Since she couldn't see Quinn and couldn't contact him, staying abroad was pointless. She decided to go home.
The next day, Daniel handed Michael the property transaction contract and the house keys.
Holding the keys, Michael felt a mix of emotions. He brought a bodyguard and his driver to the Thomas family old mansion.
The bodyguard opened the gate, and Michael walked in.
William had already dismissed the old mansion's servants. Now, it was just the two of them.
Michael stood in the courtyard, looking at the familiar scenery. He recalled his childhood, which wasn't filled with happy memories.
But Clio was right; this house couldn't fall into someone else's hands.
What if there were secrets here he didn't know about?
He asked the bodyguard, "Are there any unauthorized people in the house?"
The bodyguard replied firmly, "Mr. Taylor cleared the place after taking over. There shouldn't be anyone here now."
Michael nodded and walked towards the courtyard where he used to live. The bodyguard followed him.
When they reached the house, the bodyguard opened the door first.
Michael walked in slowly. The house had been unoccupied and uncleaned for too long, and it smelled musty. Cobwebs covered the beams, furniture, and bed frame.
He felt a twinge of dissatisfaction. Even if he hadn't lived here for a while, his room should have been cleaned regularly in case he decided to stay.
His mother had probably instructed the servants to clean daily. After she passed away, William took over her estate and the house and likely stopped caring for this room.
William probably thought Michael would never want to return.
As Michael was deep in thought, he suddenly smelled something pungent.
He frowned, "What's that smell?"
The bodyguard sniffed the air and then exclaimed, "Mr. Thomas, we need to leave! That's the smell of kerosene! Someone set a fire!"
Meanwhile, Elizabeth hurried back from Valoria.
She had just returned to Whispering Pines Estates and hadn't had a chance to rest when she got a call from Dean.
"Elizabeth, Daniel just called me. Michael is at the old mansion, and there's a fire! Do you think someone is trying to get revenge? After all, Michael has..."
Before he could finish, Elizabeth ended the call, grabbed her car keys, and rushed out the door.
She was extremely anxious, only worried about Michael's safety. Her hands trembled slightly, and she didn't dare drive herself, so she called her driver.
The driver took Elizabeth to the Thomas family old mansion.
By then, the area was cordoned off. Police officers in uniform were maintaining order, keeping bystanders away.
Flames and thick smoke filled the courtyard.
Elizabeth stumbled out of the car. She stood at the gate, blocked by the police, anxiously looking inside. She didn't know if Michael had made it out.
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