Chapter 3 Going Home
Selena's POV
Twenty minutes later, the treated saplings looked much better.
I washed my hands and turned around to see my parents looking at me with amazement and pride.
"How do you know all this?" Father asked.
"I've been interested in gardening since I was little, and I took a special interest class in college," I explained.
"Good! Good! You're truly my daughter - even our hobbies are so similar!" Father looked at me approvingly.
Mother excitedly took my hand: "Dear child, I've been worried about finding someone to take care of these plants! Come with me!"
She led me through the carefully maintained small garden and pushed open a wooden door I had thought was a tool shed.
Outside the door was actually a smooth private driveway.
"Get in the car, I'll show you our little garden," Mother said with a wink, her face showing a childlike innocence.
The electric car drove through a dense forest, and after about five minutes, the view suddenly opened up.
I was shocked by what I saw.
On the vast, seemingly endless land, automatic irrigation systems were spraying water mist, and several large machines were operating in the distance. This farm was the most complete and massive I'd ever seen, covering at least three thousand acres.
"This... what is this?" My voice trembled slightly.
"This is just a little hobby your dad and I have," Mother said casually. "We mainly do organic farming and rare crop cultivation. Over there is the vineyard, further on is the greenhouse flower area, and that section in the distance is the experimental field where we're trying out some new planting techniques."
"Madam."
Just then, a middle-aged woman in work clothes walked over, her eyes lighting up when she saw me: "Is this Miss Selena?"
"Yes, Anna," Mother nodded with a smile. "From today on, she'll be the new owner here."
I froze.
Mother pulled out a set of keys from her pocket and placed them in my palm.
"Since you're interested too, this land is yours from now on," Mother said gently, holding my hand.
I looked down at the keys in my hand, not knowing how to respond for a moment.
Mother suddenly hugged me, her voice choking up: "Child, how have you been at the Kateson house? Have they bullied you?"
"It's been okay."
Mother released me and looked me up and down carefully, her eyes immediately welling up: "Silly child, you're still trying to fool me? Look how thin you've gotten, you don't even have a decent piece of clothing. You must have suffered a lot at the Kateson house."
Then she turned to the middle-aged woman behind her. "Tomorrow, go order several sets of luxury dresses for her - only the best in the world! Also, give her my garage keys. If she doesn't like the cars inside, order new ones. And clean up those penthouse apartments by the city riverbank for her to live in."
"Yes, Madam," the middle-aged woman nodded respectfully.
"Alright, alright..." Father walked over, his eyes also a bit red. "Don't keep the child standing. Jonathan made his specialty roast lamb. Let's go eat."
Mother wiped her tears and smiled again: "Your dad's always thinking about food. Let's go, we can look at the farm tomorrow. Today let's go home for dinner first."
After dinner, Mother took me upstairs to see my room.
The room was decorated warmly, but when I looked carefully, I found that all the furniture was luxury custom-made, especially the paintings on the wall - if I wasn't mistaken, they were authentic works by a deceased master.
Was this the kind of family Taisia had described as poor and struggling?
"Mom," I couldn't help asking, "what exactly does our family do?"
Mother paused: "What's wrong?"
"Taisia said the place she lived was very poor, but from what I can see, it's not," I said directly.
Hearing Taisia's name, my parents' faces clearly dimmed.
Father patted my shoulder gently: "Child, we can't tell you exactly what our family does right now. But rest assured, as long as I'm alive, I'll never let you suffer again."
"Oh right," Mother suddenly remembered something and pulled out a photo frame. "Since you're back, there's something we should tell you. You have an engagement. Would you like to meet him?"
Father interrupted her: "Selena just got back and you're already talking to her about this!"
"What's wrong with just looking? I think the young man is quite nice," Mother retorted.
"It's fine," I said, taking the frame Mother handed me. The man in the photo wore a custom suit, had sharp features and piercing eyes - he was indeed quite handsome.
Seeing Mother's expectant look, I swallowed the refusal I'd been about to say.
I figured meeting once wouldn't hurt - if we weren't compatible, I could just refuse later.
"Okay, I'll meet him once."
Three days later, I arrived at the top restaurant in the city center at the agreed time.
I arrived ten minutes early and chose a seat by the window.
Time passed minute by minute. Half an hour after the agreed time, there was still no sign of this Mr. Sterling.
After waiting another fifteen minutes, I completely lost my patience.
It seemed this person didn't take this meeting seriously at all.
I got up and left the restaurant. Just as I reached a relatively quiet street, a dark figure suddenly rushed out from a side alley, clutching a bag.
Several men in suits were chasing behind him, shouting as they ran: "Stop! How dare you steal our boss's bag!"
My eyes locked onto the running figure.
The next second, I rushed forward. Just as the robber looked back, I circled to his side, lowered my body, and swept my right leg out hard—
"Bang!"
The man fell to the ground as if his support had been knocked out from under him.
I pressed down on his shoulder, locked his wrist, pinning him down firmly, while my other hand easily pulled the stolen bag from his arms.
The robber looked at me in terror and tried to reach for it again, but seeing the suited men catching up, he could only glare at me fiercely before scrambling away.
I dusted off the bag - it was an exquisite men's wallet, and the material looked quite valuable.
Just as I was about to open the wallet to check, a deep voice sounded from behind me: "That's my wallet."