Kathy stuck her tongue out at the retreating figure, then hugged her files and strolled casually into Melinda's office.
Meanwhile, Melinda was completely unaware of Kathy's antics. She had taken an elevator to the top floor of the Thomas Group building. Her status had changed significantly, allowing her direct access to Raymond's office.
She pushed open the door and walked in, taking a seat and looking at Raymond with a slight frown. "Raymond, what's so urgent that you had to call me in so early?"
Raymond sat with his hands clasped on the desk, his gaze deep and distant.
"It's about Sam's transfer. I need you to sign an authorization form." Melinda's eyes widened in surprise at his words.
She hadn't expected Raymond to actually go through with the transfer.
Melinda hesitated. She hadn't yet decided whether to move Sam to a new school.
She looked up at Raymond, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "Do we really need to do this?"
"Given the speculation about our relationship after Grandpa's party, I decided to send Sam to the Thomas Group's kindergarten. The teachers there are top-notch, recruited from abroad. The school is fully enclosed, with strict security, so Sam won't be disturbed by the outside world."
Raymond nodded.
Melinda was torn. The school sounded excellent and very appealing. The incident where Sam went missing had left her with a lingering fear, but letting Raymond handle this made her feel uneasy.
"Can I think about it?" Melinda took a deep breath and said.
Raymond looked at her silently, a complex emotion flickering in his eyes.
They stared at each other, the air thick with a tense and subtle atmosphere. Finally, Melinda stood up and said, "I'll head back now."
Back at the lab, she was preoccupied, spending the entire afternoon lost in thought.
That afternoon, Raymond showed up at the kindergarten right on time.
Melinda had just parked her car and hurried over, immediately spotting the tall and small figures.
Seeing her approach, Raymond remained composed, holding Sam's little hand.
"Raymond, where are you taking Sam?" Melinda quickly pulled Sam back.
"To see the new kindergarten." Raymond raised an eyebrow, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"Wait, I haven't decided yet. This school is pretty good, and the teachers really like Sam." Melinda didn't want people gossiping that she was trying to climb the social ladder by becoming Raymond's future wife.
"Melinda, when did you become so timid? Take Sam to see the school and ask if he wants to go. If he does, great. If not, we'll discuss it. Or do you have another option?" Raymond's forceful questioning left Melinda feeling a bit suffocated. Raymond was going to such lengths for Sam's education! She hadn't even had time to process this when Raymond was already leading Sam to his car.
"No, of course not," Melinda said, shocked, looking at Raymond in disbelief.
"Get in the car!" Raymond put Sam in the car, then walked over to her, his tone brooking no argument.
Melinda stood there, stunned. What about her car? If she left it on the street, it would definitely get a ticket or be towed.
As she hesitated, Raymond snatched her keys and tossed them to his secretary, Stuart.
"Drive Ms. Sharp's car back to my villa."
"Yes, Mr. Thomas." Stuart didn't hesitate, taking the keys and quickly heading to find Melinda's car.
Melinda had no choice but to get in the car. She quickly said, "Do we really have to go now? It's so late. Can't we wait until tomorrow?"
Raymond adjusted his cufflinks, his indifferent gaze sweeping over her. "Do you think I'm making things difficult for you over something so trivial?"
Melinda felt a tightness in her chest. Raymond was being too domineering! She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.
The car started moving slowly. Just then, Raymond's phone rang, breaking the silence inside the car.
He answered the call, listened for a few moments, then frowned slightly. He turned to look at Melinda and Sam, a hint of apology in his eyes.
"I have something to handle. I can't take Sam to the new school myself." His voice was firm and unyielding. "The driver knows where to go. You'll meet the principal, and she'll take care of you."
With that, the car stopped, and he got out, walking away, leaving Melinda and Sam sitting in the car, looking at each other.
Melinda watched Raymond's figure recede into the distance, a complex emotion welling up inside her.
She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, then took Sam's hand.
"Sam, let's go see the new school," she said softly, her voice as gentle and reassuring as she could make it.
The car sped along, the scenery outside changing constantly.
About forty minutes later, they arrived at their destination. Through the car window, Melinda saw a hillside estate, with several red buildings gleaming in the sunlight. The buildings were only seven or eight stories high. A winding asphalt road led to the estate's gate.
The area was surrounded by iron fences, with about a dozen security guards in uniform standing at the entrance, looking very imposing.
The car quickly reached the gate. Since it was Raymond's car, the security guards let them through without any trouble.
However, Melinda was surprised to find two more security checkpoints inside, each manned by about a dozen guards.
Raymond hadn't been exaggerating. This place was indeed very secure; it would be nearly impossible for anyone to sneak in.
Everyone had to go through facial and fingerprint recognition to enter.
At the entrance to the building, a woman in her thirties with shoulder-length hair and gold-rimmed glasses was waiting. She wore a sharp black business suit and had a slight smile on her face, looking very professional.
As the car approached, she quickly stepped forward and opened the door. "Welcome, Mr. Thomas!" she said in a soft, pleasant voice.
But when she saw Melinda and Sam, she paused for a few seconds.
Clearly, she hadn't expected this.
The driver quickly got out and introduced them. "Ms. Fairfax, this is Mr. Thomas and Ms. Sharp."
"Mr. Thomas?" Imogen pushed her glasses up, looking closely at Sam.
She noticed how much Sam resembled Raymond, almost like a miniature version of him.
But she hadn't heard that Raymond was married. "Is this child..."
She looked at the driver, seeking an answer.
The driver’s expression turned stern. "Don't pry into Mr. Thomas's affairs. Just do your job."
Imogen quickly replied, "Yes, of course! I understand."
She turned to Melinda and Sam, smiling. "Ms. Sharp, Mr. Thomas, please follow me."
Melinda got out of the car with Sam, introduced herself, and nodded slightly to Imogen in thanks.
The driver also smiled and said, "Ms. Sharp, I'll wait for you and Mr. Thomas in the car."
"Okay."
Melinda nodded awkwardly, then took Sam's hand and followed Imogen into the school.
By evening, the driver had taken her and Sam to the villa halfway up the hill, where her car was parked.
Sam seemed very pleased with the new kindergarten.
"Mommy, I really like the new school."
"Sam, do you want to go there?" Melinda was hesitant. The new school was far away, and Sam was still young and not very independent. Boarding wouldn't be suitable.
If he commuted, they would have to leave half an hour earlier in the morning and leave work half an hour earlier in the afternoon. She worried this would only lead to more gossip.