Chapter 108: Chapter 107: Broken Connection
Seeing the reflection on the old Mr. Bennett’s face, Elliana Lyle felt an indescribable pain for some reason.
Elliana’s silence didn’t slip past the old man, who chuckled, "Norman, this child, might not be good with words but he’s earnest. If you truly love each other, hold on tight and don’t let it slip away."
"Yes, Grandpa, you’re right."
"Haha." The old Mr. Bennett turned around, "Let’s head back, I can smell the food now, it’s probably almost ready."
Back inside the small villa, Elliana was already enveloped by the aroma of food, sparking her appetite. In the dining room, a man donned in a white apron had already set up a large array of dishes.
To be honest, it’s the first time she saw a man like this; she wasn’t even aware that Norman could cook.
Judging by the smell and appearance of the delicately crafted dishes on the table, Norman’s culinary skills were superior, rivaling those of a professional chef.
"Just in time." The old Mr. Bennett sat at the dining table with a laugh, inviting Elliana to sit down.
The man took off his apron, considerately pulled out a chair for her, and sat next to her.
Once the old man began eating, Elliana couldn’t wait to grab a piece of steamed grouper, which was one of her favorite light dishes.
As soon as it entered her mouth, the taste of fresh, tender fish filled her palate, providing a delightful taste experience.
While eating, the always warm old Mr. Bennett didn’t say a word.
After the meal, when Elliana offered to help Norman clean up the dishes, the old Mr. Bennett stopped her, saying, "Girls have delicate hands, why join this commotion? Come, keep Grandpa company and chat with me."
Elliana chuckled in agreement and didn’t insist on helping. Although the old Mr. Bennett was easygoing, he cared a lot about etiquette in every aspect.
Once Norman finished cleaning the kitchen, the old Mr. Bennett cheerfully asked, "It’s dark outside, why not stay the night here?"
Norman held her hand and respectfully said to the old Mr. Bennett, "No, Grandpa, I have a meeting tonight."
"Alright then, I won’t keep you. But," he advised Norman, "no matter how busy work gets, always make some time for yourself. Delegate what you can to others."
"Yes, Grandpa, I’ll remember that," Norman replied.
...
On the way back, Elliana sat in the passenger seat, smiling at the man, and asked, "Norman, I didn’t know you could cook."
Surprised by her inquiry, the man replied, "Hmm? You forgot?"
"Huh? Forgot what?" Her initially smiling almond eyes suddenly widened in confusion.
"..." Seeing her puzzled look, he simply smiled and said, "I learned when I was 14."
Upon hearing this, Elliana fell silent. She seemed to have really forgotten something...
In a daze, a gentle-looking young boy’s image flashed before her eyes.
"The new maid in our house can’t cook well at all."
A little girl sat at the dining table, gobbling down wontons, complaining loudly.
Across from her, a boy watched her with a warm smile, quietly and patiently listening to the little girl’s grievances.
After she finished her complaints, the boy smiled and said, "Then I will learn to cook and make food for you every day, alright?"
"Really?" The little girl’s eyes lit up, "Brother Bennett, you’re not lying to me?"
"When have I ever lied to you?"
So it turns out... Norman really learned to cook for her.
Seeing her in a dazed state, seemingly unable to recall, the man spoke up, "I wonder which little girl said she loves eating fish."
Elliana immediately smiled at him and said, "That would be me."
...
At 11:40 PM, at the Bennett Family villa.
Elliana was dropped off by the man, who told her he might return late and that she shouldn’t wait up for him.
"Alright then, but don’t work too hard." Reluctantly, Elliana went up and wrapped her arms around his neck, stood on tiptoe, and gave him a light peck on the lips.
The guards at the gate maintained a calm demeanor, their eyes fixed on the distance.
"Be good."
Once inside the house, Lana mentioned she had already prepared a bath for her.
Before sleeping, it was already midnight, but Elliana still called Luna, primarily to check on how Luna was doing.
After two rings, the call connected.
"Hello."
Before she could ask, Luna spoke up angrily, "I’m frustrated, I’ll talk when I get back, hanging up now."
Beep beep beep...
...
Initially ready for bed, Elliana went downstairs as Luna mentioned she would be coming back.
Half an hour later, she heard the sound of a car outside. Upon checking the door, it was indeed Luna who returned.
Yet Luna looked even angrier than she expected, her demeanor explosive, ready to ignite at any moment.
"Damn! Bastard, damn it!..."
From the moment Luna stepped in, she started cursing, making Elliana swallow the questions she wanted to ask.
Elliana: (●—●)
After a minute or two, Lana brought a cup of water for Luna. Luna took it and said, "Thank you," before gulping it down.
After finishing the water, Luna seemed to calm down significantly, allowing Elliana to ask her, "What happened? You’re so angry."
"You have no idea, it pissed me off, that Fan Lin is such an idiot, selling himself out and counting money for others."
"Fan Lin?" Elliana asked, confused as to how Fan Lin got involved, and more so how he managed to provoke Luna to such an extent.
Annoyed, Luna explained, "Here’s the thing, I got played. That person never showed up! I ended up waiting half the night for nothing. First, he said he was stuck in traffic, then blocked me completely."
"This..." Elliana pondered before asking, "Was Fan Lin the informant? How do you know?"
"I wasn’t this angry at first," Luna continued, "but after leaving the hotel, I caught someone sneakily following me outside, and it turned out to be Fan Lin."
Elliana didn’t understand at first, wondering if Fan Lin worked for a loan company. As confusion rose, Luna continued, "I felt something was off, demanded his phone’s password, and sure enough, he was the informant. In the chat, he mentioned checking if I was the one who caught him before."
"Is he with a loan company?" Elliana inquired.
Luna, upon being asked, slapped the table a couple of times in frustration, "If only he was just a loan company guy, but he isn’t. He did it to score points and reduce his debt. I can’t believe there are people this foolish in the world, and Galen Collins, how could he let someone like that roam free?"
"Don’t be mad, don’t be mad, here, drink some water, and calm down," Elliana hurriedly comforted her.
Now that the loan line is cut, that person already seems on guard, probably won’t be making an appearance anymore.
"What about Fan Lin then? With him tipping off, isn’t he practically an accomplice?"
"He was sent to the police station. Galen Collins has detained him. It infuriates me, how could someone like that grow up this naive?"
Despite her anger, at this point, it’s too late to say anything. Although Galen Collins has begun using technical investigation methods with the phone number, people like this hardly use their real identities.