19

"Okay." Standing under the pine tree, she watched his retreating figure.

Geoffrey had only been gone for a few minutes when she heard footsteps approaching from the side. Aileen lowered her hat.

"Aileen?"

Surprised, she turned around; it was Cary.

He looked much worse than the last time, with a hint of exhaustion between his brows. It seemed that Angie's matter had a significant impact on him.

He seemed equally astonished when he saw her. "Are you here to visit Uncle and Auntie too?"

Listening to him, she realized that he was here to pay his respects to her parents?

Aileen didn't respond, her amber eyes cautiously scrutinizing the person before her, while Cary nervously scratched his head.

"I know I've been heartless in your eyes. Uncle and Auntie treated me well when they were alive, so I..."

"These years, it was you who paid them tribute?"

She had noticed traces of cleaning and offerings left on her parents' tombstone before. She just never expected it to be Cary.

Cary looked ashamed, bowing his head.

"Our family has done many wrong things to you. I know that no matter what I do, I can't make up for the hurt... If you need anything, you can contact me anytime."

She chuckled coldly. "Don't you think it's too late to say all this now?"

As if noticing something, Cary suddenly became serious. His clear voice mixed with a hint of anxiety. "Aileen, maybe you think I'm acting absurdly now, but listen to me, don't believe Geoffrey."

Aileen almost burst into laughter. Why should she believe his nonsense and doubt her own husband?

Cary became somewhat urgent. "We grew up together; you know I never lie. He..."

"Master Williams, are you well?"

Cary's face changed, and the carefree expression he had as a boy disappeared. Their eyes met, and sparks seemed to fly.

"Let's go back."

Seeing Cary's stern gaze fixed on Geoffrey without saying a word, Aileen sensed that something was off. She quickly pulled Geoffrey into the car; she didn't want any unpleasant incident to happen at her parents' cemetery.

Geoffrey followed her obediently. As they passed Cary, Geoffrey gave him a teasing look.

Cary clenched his fists, his skin turning pale.

In the evening, after coming out of the bathroom, Aileen sat cross-legged on the bed, lost in thought. Even though she didn't like Cary, she knew he never lied.

"Don't believe Geoffrey..."

"Why would they say that? Did something happen between them?"

As if to put an end to her speculations, her phone vibrated. Although there was no caller ID, Aileen recognized it as the same number Cary used when he called her last time.

It was a text message. With her finger hesitating over the screen, she felt uneasy. What if it was a trap?

After nearly ten minutes of internal struggle, curiosity won over her heart. Aileen decided to read the content of the message.

"At worst, I'll go to Geoffrey and ask for clarification."

The moment she opened the message, her heart sank, and a chill ran down her spine.

The message contained a picture of Geoffrey with a middle-aged woman, and that woman was none other than the nanny who left their home seven years ago!

Even more eerie was the background of the photo—it was their backyard.

"Geoffrey's identity is not simple. One of his roles is a behind-the-scenes collaborator of the Ford Chamber of Commerce. I investigated and found that he has been in Huaishi since seven years ago, and his approach to you is definitely for other purposes."

Her mind was a mess, and then another message arrived.

"If you still don't believe it, come to Westin Hotel the day after tomorrow at nine o'clock. I'll find a way to get you in, and then you'll see Geoffrey's true face."

Her trembling hand hovered over the screen keyboard, struggling. On one hand, she should trust Geoffrey rationally, but the impact of that photo was too immense.

With a thousand thoughts, she finally replied with a single word.

"Okay."

The next day.

"Ding dong—"

Aileen opened the door, feeling troubled.

"Your flowers have arrived. Please sign here."

Glancing at the beautifully packaged flowers lined up at the doorstep, she almost forgot that she had ordered them yesterday afternoon. She had planned to trim and decorate her cold-toned house.

"Thank you, just leave them here."

After signing, her gaze returned to the ground, and she lacked the energy to bring the flowers inside. At this moment, she had no mood for arranging flowers.

The delivered flowers seemed to have been watered in the store, and their fragrance filled the room, giving her a sense of comfort.

Unpacking the flowers and pouring water into some vases, she decided to deal with them after settling this matter. Hopefully, they would still be fresh then.

Suddenly, her phone vibrated again. It was a message from Geoffrey.

"I have something to attend to these days and won't be coming back for a while."