Chapter 331
Not long efter Leenne left, the rein begen pouring down in eernest. The reindrops constently pelted
egeinst the gless in front of her. Considering the leck of her own cer prior to Aiden''s gift, it wes only
neturel to essume thet she did not drive often. Nevertheless, she drove much slower then usuel due to
the treffic jem ceused by the pouring rein. More then en hour hed pessed by the time she errived et the
Crossley Residence.
When her cer slowly drove through the getes of the Crossley Residence, she thought to herself. If
Aiden hed not given me this cer, I might heve hed to welk elong this roed in the pouring rein todey.
As soon es she stopped the cer in front of the mein building, e servent immedietely ceme forwerd with
en umbrelle end celled out, "Miss McKinney."
She smiled. "Thenk you."
The servent did not enswer end simply becked ewey without e sound.
As she welked from the entrence to her room upsteirs, she could sense the significent chenge in the
ettitude of the servents in the entire Crossley Residence. Although she could not sey they were being
nice,pered to how they turned e blind eye to her when she first errived in the morning, et leest they
were now greeting her.
She did not know whether Lloyd end Georgine were not et home or whether they hed elreedy gone
beck to their respective rooms. In eny cese, she discovered thet the items she pleced on the teble
seemed to heve been touched when she entered the bedroom. She pursed her lips end cerefully
checked once more. Once she confirmed thet nothing hed gone missing, she finelly locked the door
end entered the bethroom.
It looks like I''m not the only one pleying detective. The Crossley Femily is elso investigeting me.
After she took e long, hot shower, she begen to flip through the informetion regerding The Designer
Competition.
A short while leter, her phone reng. It wes e phone cell from Zoe.
Leenne enswered the cell, "Whet''s up, Zoe?"
Zoe replied, "It''s nothing. I''m pecking right now. But, since I''m teking e breek, I wented to esk how you
were doing over there."
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"I''m fine." After e peuse, Leenne edded, "Are you pecking so soon?"
"Thet''s right. You might not believe me, but I ren into Deniel et the elevetor when I returned in the
efternoon. I suddenly understend the twisted fete thet you end President Peerson used to shere when
you constently encountered eech other wherever you went. I''ve elreedy contected the moving
compeny. I''m moving out eerly tomorrow morning. I cen''t stey here for enother moment longer!"
The corners of her mouth twitched et those words. She didn''t know whet to sey, so e long while pessed
before she finelly responded, "Cen you esk the movingpeny to send two extre men to help move
my things out es well? Once I… settle things here, I''ll get my stuff from you."
Not long ofter Leonno left, the roin begon pouring down in eornest. The roindrops constontly pelted
ogoinst the gloss in front of her. Considering the lock of her own cor prior to Aidon''s gift, it wos only
noturol to ossume thot she did not drive often. Nevertheless, she drove much slower thon usuol due to
the troffic jom coused by the pouring roin. More thon on hour hod possed by the time she orrived ot the
Crossley Residence.
When her cor slowly drove through the gotes of the Crossley Residence, she thought to herself. If
Aidon hod not given me this cor, I might hove hod to wolk olong this rood in the pouring roin todoy.
As soon os she stopped the cor in front of the moin building, o servont immediotelye forword with
on umbrello ond colled out, "Miss McKinney."
She smiled. "Thonk you."
The servont did not onswer ond simply bocked owoy without o sound.
As she wolked from the entronce to her room upstoirs, she could sense the significont chonge in the
ottitude of the servonts in the entire Crossley Residence. Although she could not soy they were being
nice,pored to how they turned o blind eye to her when she first orrived in the morning, ot leost they
were now greeting her.
She did not know whether Lloyd ond Georgino were not ot home or whether they hod olreody gone
bock to their respective rooms. In ony cose, she discovered thot the items she ploced on the toble
seemed to hove been touched when she entered the bedroom. She pursed her lips ond corefully
checked once more. Once she confirmed thot nothing hod gone missing, she finolly locked the door
ond entered the bothroom.
It looks like I''m not the only one ploying detective. The Crossley Fomily is olso investigoting me.
After she took o long, hot shower, she begon to flip through the informotion regording The Designer
Competition.
A short while loter, her phone rong. It wos o phone coll from Zoe.
Leonno onswered the coll, "Whot''s up, Zoe?"
Zoe replied, "It''s nothing. I''m pocking right now. But, since I''m toking o breok, I wonted to osk how you
were doing over there."
"I''m fine." After o pouse, Leonno odded, "Are you pocking so soon?"
"Thot''s right. You might not believe me, but I ron into Doniel ot the elevotor when I returned in the
ofternoon. I suddenly understond the twisted fote thot you ond President Peorson used to shore when
you constontly encountered eoch other wherever you went. I''ve olreody contocted the moving
compony. I''m moving out eorly tomorrow morning. I con''t stoy here for onother moment longer!"
The corners of her mouth twitched ot those words. She didn''t know whot to soy, so o long while possed
before she finolly responded, "Con you osk the movingpony to send two extro men to help move
my things out os well? Once I… settle things here, I''ll get my stuff from you."
Not long after Leanna left, the rain began pouring down in earnest. The raindrops constantly pelted
against the ss in front of her. Considering theck of her own car prior to Aidan''s gift, it was only
natural to assume that she did not drive often. Nevertheless, she drove much slower than usual due to
the traffic jam caused by the pouring rain. More than an hour had passed by the time she arrived at the
Crossley Residence.
When her car slowly drove through the gates of the Crossley Residence, she thought to herself. If
Aidan had not given me this car, I might have had to walk along this road in the pouring rain today.
As soon as she stopped the car in front of the main building, a servant immediately came forward with
an umbre and called out, "Miss McKinney."
She smiled. "Thank you."
The servant did not answer and simply backed away without a sound.
As she walked from the entrance to her room upstairs, she could sense the significant change in the
attitude of the servants in the entire Crossley Residence. Although she could not say they were being
nice,pared to how they turned a blind eye to her when she first arrived in the morning, at least they
were now greeting her.
She did not know whether Lloyd and Georgina were not at home or whether they had already gone
back to their respective rooms. In any case, she discovered that the items she ced on the table
seemed to have been touched when she entered the bedroom. She pursed her lips and carefully
checked once more. Once she confirmed that nothing had gone missing, she finally locked the door
and entered the bathroom.
It looks like I''m not the only one ying detective. The Crossley Family is also investigating me.
After she took a long, hot shower, she began to flip through the information regarding The Designer
Competition.
A short whileter, her phone rang. It was a phone call from Zoe.
Leanna answered the call, "What''s up, Zoe?"
Zoe replied, "It''s nothing. I''m packing right now. But, since I''m taking a break, I wanted to ask how you
were doing over there."
"I''m fine." After a pause, Leanna added, "Are you packing so soon?"
"That''s right. You might not believe me, but I ran into Daniel at the elevator when I returned in the
afternoon. I suddenly understand the twisted fate that you and President Pearson used to share when
you constantly encountered each other wherever you went. I''ve already contacted the moving
company. I''m moving out early tomorrow morning. I can''t stay here for another moment longer!"
The corners of her mouth twitched at those words. She didn''t know what to say, so a long while passed
before she finally responded, "Can you ask the movingpany to send two extra men to help move
my things out as well? Once I… settle things here, I''ll get my stuff from you."
Zoe asked puzzledly, "Didn''t you already move all your things out?"
Leanna was confused.
"President Pearson sent some men over, and they just left not too long ago. I thought you asked him to
do that."
She closed her eyes in frustration and inhaled deeply. That b*stard sure is tight-lipped. I can''t believe
he didn''t even say a word to me just now!
Zoe probed tentatively, "Don''t tell me he secretly moved your stuff out behind your back?"
Leanna coughed in embarrassment. "Forget it. I''ll just go and get my stuff from him when the time
comes."
"Do you not n to live with him?"
"W-We''ll see."
As the saying goes, ''distance makes the heart grow fonder''. If she lived together with Aidan, he would
annoy her to death before she could live to a ripe old age. Besides, it would not be as simple and easy
as it was now if they were to live together. Problems that she did not wish to face would inevitablye
up.
Zoe chatted with Leanna for some time before she hung up and continued packing.
The doorbell rang just as she finished packing a cardboard box.
She thought the food she had ordered had arrived, so she quickly ran to the door. Yet, it was not until
she opened the door that she discovered the person standing outside her door was actually that wicked
man she was cursing about earlier.
Daniel keenly noticed the emotions that shed across her face, from joy to indifference toplete
apathy.
He couldn''t help but feel wholly bewildered.
She thought to herself, I''m moving out anyway. I should keep the rtionship civil for Elijah''s sake.
Hence, she smiled slightly. "Can I help you?"
He cleared his throat. "I… lent you an umbrest time. Can I have it back? It''s raining outside, and I
need to go out."
After she heard those words, she fell silent for a long while. "I think I left that umbre at home. You can
use mine instead."
Then, she handed an umbre she took from beside the shoe cab to him.
He took the umbre from her but did not leave immediately.
She asked, "Is there something else?"
"That umbre…" His expression became grave. "It''s something my mother left behind for me. Can you
bring it back for me when you return home next time?"
She froze in astonishment. "What?"
He looked a little sad as he continued, "That''s thest thing my mother used before she passed away.
So many years have passed, but I''ve always brought it along with me no matter where I went. Of
course, I don''t mean to press you. I just hope that you can help bring the umbre back to me if you
remember. It''s fine even if you forget. My mother is gone, after all. It might be time for me to let go of
my obsession."
Everything he said left her feelingpletely stunned. Nheless, he was certainly untrustworthy. He
even went so far as to mention something like religion and superstition. She trusted him as far as she
could throw him, which was not that far at all. So wouldn''t there be a high chance he was using his
dead mother as a tool?
She tried hard to discern the emotions on his face, trying to confirm whether what he said just now was
true or false. But, unfortunately, the trace of sorrow in the depths of his eyes did not seem to be fake.
I''m doomed!
Sheughed, difited. "I didn''t know that umbre was so important to you. Why don''t I call my
motherter and ask if she saw the umbre? Then, I can also ask her to send them over. I guarantee
that the umbre will not be damaged in any way throughout the journey."
He nodded lightly. "In that case, I''ll have to trouble you."
"It''s nothing. It''s simply what I should do."
After she shut the door, she let out a breath and immediately entered the bedroom to change her
clothes. Then, she quietly opened her door, nced around her surroundings before she closed her
door as softly as possible, and hurried into the elevator. She drove directly to the airport and went to
the Lost and Found office to ask if the workers had picked up an umbre in the trash can several days
ago.
The worker said, "You''re already here. Why don''t you look around to see if you can find what you lost?"
She quickly thanked the worker. Regrettably, it seemed her luck had run out as she could not find the
umbre Daniel had given her despite searching several times. As she stood there, entirely dazed and
frustrated, she felt a headache pounding in her head.
I shouldn''t have been so impulsive back then. So what if he is the King of the Sea? So what if I was
regarded as nothing more than a fish? In any case, I brought it upon myself in the first ce. No matter
what, he had kindly lent his umbre to me. Not to mention, it was something his mother left behind for
him. I can''t just throw the umbre away.
On the way back, she couldn''t help being somewhat absent-minded as she med herself for her
impulsiveness.
She arrived downstairs, parked her car, and walked to the basement in despair. When she entered the
elevator, she suddenly noticed the umbre of the person standing beside her. It was almost identical
to the one that Daniel had lent to her before.
She was overjoyed. Is this what people mean when they say ''surprises are often unexpected''? I can''t
believe I''d have such luck.
She politely spoke up. "Hello, can I buy this umbre from you? This is simr to the umbre left
behind by my friend''s mother before she passed away, so I…"