Chapter 84
Patricia arrived in Luminous City, sent a quick text to Charles, and then headed out with her luggage cart.
Back at Rosewood Estate, Emily burst out from behind Ellie like a wild horse, shouting, "Mommy!" in her sweet, childlike voice, and threw herself into Patricia's arms.
Her soft, warm little body smelled like milk, and Patricia's heart melted.
Patricia ruffled Emily's hair. "Did you miss Mommy?"
"Yes! I even dreamed about you last night," Emily said, hugging her neck and rubbing her face against Patricia's. "I dreamed that you brought lots of yummy treats."
Patricia laughed and pinched her chubby cheeks. "So you're just focused on the snacks I brought, huh?"
Emily stuck out her tongue and giggled. Patricia pointed to the zipper on her suitcase. "Go ahead, find them yourself. Whatever you find is yours."
Emily cheered, "Thanks, Mommy!" and joined the other servants in unpacking.
Patricia turned to Ellie. "Ellie, thanks for taking care of things these past few days."
"It was no trouble. Emily was very well-behaved." Ellie took the rest of Patricia's luggage and leaned in to whisper.
"Ma'am, I've been keeping an eye on Lillian as you asked. She comes to work and leaves on time every day, hasn't been anywhere else, and hasn't met with anyone suspicious."
"Keep watching. She'll slip up eventually, probably waiting for Charles to come back." Patricia glanced around the house, her gaze landing on the area where the tutors stayed.
"Got it," Ellie replied, already forming a plan in her mind.
Back in the master bedroom, Emily had already unpacked her gifts and spread them out on the bed.
She hugged her favorite brown teddy bear and waved it at Patricia, her eyes shining. "My favorite teddy bear!"
She hopped off the bed and ran to Patricia, tugging at her clothes. "Mommy, I want to call Daddy and show him!"
Patricia shook her head with a smile, leaning against the doorframe as Emily started the video call.
The call connected quickly, and Charles's deep voice, tinged with surprise, came through from his hotel room.
"Emily?"
"Daddy!" Emily excitedly held up the teddy bear to the phone. "Mommy brought me the cutest teddy bear with little flowers on it!"
She paused, her voice turning into a soft whine. "Daddy, when are you coming home?"
"Daddy won't be back soon."
Emily's big, round eyes widened. "Will Daddy bring me a teddy bear too?"
"Emily," Patricia called softly. Emily made a funny face and quickly corrected herself.
"Daddy, I miss you. Please come back soon." Emily clung to the phone. "I saved some chocolate for you."
Charles's heart warmed at his daughter's sweet voice. He tried to stay calm, but his affection was evident. "Looks like I need to hurry back."
"Make sure you do!" Emily giggled and kissed the screen.
"Daddy will come back as soon as possible," Charles's voice softened. "Be good and listen to Mommy, okay?"
"Got it! Bye, Daddy!" Emily hung up and bounced over to Patricia. "Mommy, look! Daddy said he'll come back soon!"
Patricia smiled, remembering Charles's promise at the airport, "I'll be back soon," and her heart skipped a beat.
Meanwhile, in his hotel suite in Regal City, Charles had just hung up the phone, his calm demeanor cracking.
He chuckled to himself, then remembered Paul was still in the room and composed himself.
"Paul," he called out, "book me a flight back home, as soon as possible. I'll leave right after I finish my work in the next three days."
Paul hesitated. "Mr. Anderson, but there's an offline investment meeting in four days."
"Cancel it," Charles said, rubbing his temples. "Have the branch manager attend. Don't bother me with these things anymore."
He couldn't stop thinking about Emily's wish for him to come home soon.
Even though Patricia hadn't spoken to him, he knew she wanted him back too.
With that thought, he couldn't sit still any longer.
—
After dinner, Patricia put Emily to bed and returned to her room to apply a face mask.
She was scrolling through her phone when a trending topic popped up: #The Church Group Restructuring.
She clicked on it and saw a long post from the Church Group's official account announcing major changes in the management.
The most notable was: [Sarah Church appointed as Vice President, overseeing the overseas business department.]
The comments section was in an uproar, with the top comments expressing clear dissatisfaction.
[Wasn't Sarah kicked out of the Church family? How is she back?]
[She stole someone else's design earlier this year. How can she be VP?]
[Is the Church Group out of people? Letting someone with a bad reputation manage the company, aren't they afraid of stock prices dropping?]
[Using company resources for personal gain, and now she's back in power. She must have strong backing! The Church Group has no shame!]
Patricia read the comments, feeling puzzled.
She vaguely remembered hearing about Sarah's family issues in her previous life.
Sarah was an heir to the Church family, but there were a lot of third-generation children in the Church family, and they favored boys over girls, giving Sarah insignificant positions.
She recalled Sarah being expelled from the family due to financial issues. How did she suddenly return as Vice President?
She continued scrolling and found that Sarah had been frequently visiting the Church Group headquarters and dining with the current chairman, Robert Church. It seemed her return was supported internally.
Patricia closed the app, feeling a bit uneasy.
The Church Group and the Anderson Group had several overseas collaborations. Could Sarah's return be related to Charles's overseas trip?
Meanwhile, in the VIP lounge at Luminous City Airport, Sarah was looking at the announcement on her phone, a smug smile on her face.
She wore a well-tailored white suit, her makeup flawless, exuding the confidence of a successful woman.
Her assistant handed her a glass of champagne, which she sipped, a hint of ruthlessness in her eyes.
"Ms. Church, everyone is saying Mr. Robert Church pushed for your return. The whole internet is talking about you." The assistant smiled, and Sarah glanced at her, sneering.
She had dealt with those who betrayed her.
Her assistant was now replaced.
"They're just clowns. What do they know?" she snorted coldly, glancing at her relatively clever assistant, feeling a bit more at ease.
Her return to the Church Group wasn't just due to her father's support; she had leverage.
Her phone rang, an airport staff informing her that Adeline's flight had landed.
Sarah adjusted her collar and headed out. "Let's go meet her."
At the exit, she spotted Adeline with her luggage. Adeline wore simple jeans and a white T-shirt, her hair tied back, looking tired from the flight but with a hidden emotion in her eyes.
"Adeline, over here." Sarah waved, greeting her warmly.
Adeline's eyes turned cold as she avoided Sarah's hand. "Ms. Church, you came to meet me personally. I'm flattered."