Chapter 650

Chapter 650

Elizabeth was so excited she could barely speak: "Nicole, is that you?"

On the other end, Nicole's tone was calm and, as always, gentle: "Elizabeth, I'm just calling to let you know that the ten thousand dollars you lent me—I might need a year or two before I can pay you back."

Elizabeth's tears immediately started flowing: "Don't say anymore, Nicole."

Back when she was on the run, she had never cried.

But at this moment, Elizabeth really couldn't hold it in.

That hardship, that feeling of being pregnant, constantly anxious, in a foreign place with no one to help—only Elizabeth had experienced it.

Those were truly hellish days.

"I'm doing pretty well now," Nicole said, comforting Elizabeth instead.

Elizabeth: "Come back, I'll take care of you."

Nicole interrupted Elizabeth: "I'm really quite settled now, both stable and grounded."

Nicole, who was now on the phone with Elizabeth, had truly settled down.

At least she had a place to live.

She and Kevin were on Kevin's large plot of mountain land.

After Quentin had spared Nicole and Kevin's lives, the two had taken taxis all the way, switching between several of them, spending nearly three thousand dollars, going back and forth until they finally returned to Kevin's hometown.

Kevin's hometown was deep in the mountains.

Their house was a stone house with one wall built against the mountain, already covered in cobwebs inside.

Fortunately, the old quilts and cotton padding were still there.

On the first day home, Nicole personally took apart and washed all the bedding, aired out the cotton padding, while Kevin cleaned inside and out.

After a full day's work, the house finally felt lived-in.

That evening, Nicole stayed home with Octavia while Kevin went wandering around the mountain.

At dawn, he brought back a roe deer.

And a few chickens.

The roe deer was preserved, and the chickens were taken to a farmhouse restaurant at the foot of the mountain and exchanged for four or five hundred dollars.

With that, Kevin was able to bring back two bags of rice, a bag of flour, a barrel of oil, and some vegetables.

That day, the family of three finally had a hot breakfast.

While eating, Nicole's eyes filled with tears.

"Nicole, I want to use the money you borrowed from your friend to buy a farm tricycle," Kevin said, his face turning red.

Asking a woman for money—he really couldn't bring himself to do it.

"Sure!" Nicole immediately agreed.

Before Kevin could say anything, she continued: "With a tricycle, that'll be our means of making a living. Plus, farm tricycles can be used for plowing and fertilizing—we definitely need to buy one!"

Actually, Nicole also wanted to say that with a tricycle, she could go to town with him to find work.

Even if it was just washing dishes at a restaurant.

She could still make a few hundred dollars a month.

The tricycle was quickly purchased—a medium-sized farm tricycle.

Sitting in the cargo bed, Nicole was so happy she almost cried.

"These next few days I'll fix up that wasteland behind the mountain and plant whatever crops are suitable for this season. Then I'll go to town to find work—lots of construction sites need people right now." Kevin, who had once managed a factory, had come to this remote corner of his hometown, where he could only become a day laborer looking for work at construction sites.

They got right to work.

A week later, Kevin had plowed that field behind the mountain and planted crops. Next was finding work in town.

"Nicole, rest well at home. If you get bored inside, have Mom keep you company outside in the sun. This is deep in the mountains, nothing like a big city like Sunwillow City—you might not see another person for a whole month," Kevin said to Nicole before leaving.

Nicole grabbed Kevin: "Kevin, I'm not afraid of loneliness."

Kevin looked puzzled.

"I was once locked in a dark room for years. I'm used to loneliness. But I want to go out and find work like you. I want to have a job too. In the evening after work, I want to come home with you. I want to give my unborn child more security." Nicole looked at Kevin with pleading eyes.

Kevin could read the longing in the woman's eyes.

After everything they'd been through, she had realized that relying on anyone else was useless.

Relying on yourself was most reliable.

Even though it pained him and he didn't want her working while pregnant, Kevin still agreed: "Alright, we'll go to town together to find work."

"But before we look for work, I need to do one thing," Nicole said.

Kevin asked: "What is it? Do you want to buy yourself some clothes? Sure, I'll go with you."

Nicole shook her head: "We borrowed money from Elizabeth. I need to call Elizabeth. And I want to spend my whole life with you properly. I can't drag you down. I want to ask Elizabeth if she can help clear things up for me."

Kevin nodded: "Okay."

A day later, Nicole made this call to Elizabeth.

"Elizabeth, I'm really doing well, Elizabeth," Nicole said calmly over the phone.

"Nicole, as long as you're safe, I'm relieved. Nicole, don't worry about the money. If you need anything, tell me right away," Elizabeth said urgently on the phone.

Nicole smiled and shook her head: "We both have hands and feet. We really don't need much money. Money isn't the main issue. Elizabeth, I have something else to ask you."

Elizabeth: "What is it, Nicole?"

"Elizabeth, your husband and Mr. Lavien are very close. They're brothers who've been through life and death together. Could I ask you to have your husband speak to Mr. Lavien?" Nicole's tone was pleading.

Elizabeth immediately said: "Nicole, tell me—what do you want Alexander to say to Gideon?"

"I really didn't take a single dollar from him. That card I had was one I always carried with me. I used it to buy things, but it was definitely stolen by Isabella. I didn't lie to him. I don't know why he still wants to hunt me down."

Elizabeth fell silent.

"Does Mr. Lavien have some other misunderstanding about me? If so, could you please have Mr. Windsor help ask? Please, Elizabeth?" Nicole's voice was full of pleading.

It was Gideon who had driven her away.

Because he was getting married.

She hadn't pestered him, hadn't caused trouble for his wife. She hadn't even taken anything with her.

Nicole really couldn't understand why Gideon was hunting her down.

"Can you help me, Elizabeth? I promise that if I ever see him again, I won't acknowledge him. I'll never cause trouble for his wife for the rest of my life. I won't bring any problems to their life. I'll disappear from their lives, I promise."

Hearing Nicole say this, Elizabeth's nose stung with emotion.

She cried tears streaming down her face: "Nicole, that man of yours—is he good to you?"

Mentioning Kevin, Nicole's face showed a kind of warmth: "He's quite solid. I just worry I'll drag him down."

Elizabeth said: "You live peacefully there. I'll handle things on this end."

"Thank you, thank you Elizabeth."

The phone clicked off.

"Elizabeth, Elizabeth—"

On this end, Elizabeth looked at the person before her with a shocked expression: "Gideon, why are you here?"