Carole paused, a look of surprise crossing her face.


    What were the odds that everything seemed to fall apart all at once?


    And just after she had cut off ties with her past?


    Could it be Anthea''s doing?


    The thought flickered through Carole''s mind before she dismissed it as unlikely.


    Anthea, despite her talents, was only eighteen.


    What kind of clout could a kid like that have?


    Carole gazed at Anthea and said earnestly, "Annie, honey, I want you to know I''ve truly let go.


    Whatever happens back in our old town, whether it''s life or death, it has nothing to do with me


    anymore."


    Anthea nodded slightly, "Mom, it eases my mind to hear you say that."


    "Silly girl," Carole replied affectionately, "Annie, there''s something I want to ask you."


    "Go ahead, Mom."


    "Do you think I''m too old to start learning some newnguage?"


    "You want to learn newnguage?" Anthea was taken aback.


    She had thought Carole might ask about the recent troubles with the Yeager family.


    It seemed Carole had really moved on.


    Carole nodded. She wanted to learn French. She had never thought it was important untilst week


    when she met with some French clients. She had felt like aplete illiterate. She couldn''t


    understand a thing, not even a simple word. Thankfully, there were a couple of students from a


    language school at the next table.


    So, Carole decided to use her free time to seriously study French.


    Anthea looked up at Carole, "Mom, you can learn at any age if you''re willing."


    "Really?" Carole was surprised. At thirty-nine, she had thought it was a lost cause.


    Anthea nodded decisively, "I''ll drop by the bookstore and get you some learning materials, then find


    you a private tutor online."


    "Sounds good."


    After dinner, Anthea headed to the local bookstore and picked up some basic textbooks. She also


    arranged reliable online lessons.


    Carole was thirsty for knowledge. Not only did she absorb the new information, but she also took it


    seriously. With the restaurant still closed, she had time on her hands and decided to increase her


    daily lesson to three.


    Within three days, Carole learned basic conversational French. To elerate her learning, she


    suggested that Anthea speak French with her in daily conversation, correcting any mistakes on the


    spot.


    When Nanson returned home, he was surprised to hear Carole conversing in French with Anthea,


    "Carole. When did you pick up French?"


    "Just started, I only know the basics. Annie''s the real pro here." Carole was impressed by Anthea''s


    nearly wless pronunciation.


    Nanson was curious, "Why are you learning French, Carole?"


    "Because we often have foreigners at the restaurant, and French is useful. It can''t hurt to learn it."


    Anthea chimed in, "Nanson, you should consider learning too. Your courier business is booming,


    and it''s only a matter of time before it goes international."


    Nanson was naturally business-savvy. Within months, he had turned a failingpany around and


    was on the rise. Going global was just a matter of time.


    "I could always hire a trantor," Nanson countered.


    Anthea raised an eyebrow, "Some trantors can be crooked, twisting words to suit their needs."


    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    "Annie, you''re exaggerating," said Nanson skeptically. "There can''t be that many bad trantors out


    there."


    Nanson always believed that there were more good people in the world than bad.


    "Nanson, have you ever heard the saying, ''Business is a battlefield''? What if a trantor is bought


    by a rival, leading to lost deals or leaked secrets? What then?"


    Business was a battlefield.


    One false step could lead to a lifetime of regret.


    Anthea wasn''t exaggerating at all.