Chapter 189

Chapter 189

After I got to the airport, I gave Flora a call.

The phone rang for what felt like forever, and I started thinking maybe Flora hadn't landed yet.

Finally, someone picked up.

To my surprise, it was a man's voice.

"Hey, Caroline! Long time no see."

I was stunned for a moment. Why was Zach answering Flora's phone?

"Give it back! If you snatch my phone again, I'm gonna lose it."

After some scuffling sounds, Flora managed to get the phone back.

"Caroline, I'm out of the terminal. Where are you? Stay put, I'll come find you."

I glanced around; there weren't many people nearby, so I agreed to wait. After hanging up, I turned on location sharing.

The exit was close, and soon I could make out two figures playfully bickering.

I couldn't help but smile. They seemed to be getting along well. If Zach was serious, he might be a better match than Bradley.

I saw Flora waving at me, running over, with Zach right behind her, looking at her with affection.

A year apart, had their relationship progressed?

But before Flora reached me, I was suddenly yanked back by a strong grip.

I turned around, catching just a glimpse of a man's collar.

But I already knew who it was.

"Let go."

I had been trying to avoid running into Raymond, yet here he was.

I was facing away from him, unable to see his expression or know if he had anyone with him.

"I warned you, don't let me find you, or... I won't let you go again."

He'd said that before, but not to me.

A year ago in the coffee shop... he knew I was there.

Such a small thing, yet I remembered it so clearly.

"Is this fun for you?" I suddenly felt drained of all energy. "Can't you just pretend I'm dead? You seem to be doing just fine."

Flora and Zach had already reached us. Seeing Zach, I instantly understood what was going on.

Naturally, with Zach present, he was inevitably tipped off to Raymond.

"The one doing well is you. You're about to get engaged to Edward. Now that I think about it, the way you acted like you couldn't live without me was all just for show."

A year later, Raymond was still the same.

As for my feelings for him, I was too tired to argue anymore.

"Think whatever you want. So now that you're holding onto me, what do you plan to do? You have a wife and kids now, do you still want me around?"

Suddenly, he pushed me away.

Caught off guard, I stumbled forward, but Flora caught me just in time.

I turned back, only to see Raymond alone.

He had come by himself.

"No rush, now that I've found you, we have plenty of time to take things slow."

He turned away without hesitation, no longer clinging to me like he used to.

This wasn't like him.

"Crazy," Flora muttered angrily. "He has a wife and kids, what's he doing still bothering you? Does he have any sense of morality? It's you who'll end up in trouble."

I shook my head and looked at Zach. "Did you tip him off about my whereabouts?"

Zach pointed at himself in surprise. "It really wasn't me this time. I only found out Flora was coming to see you when she was about to leave. She didn't tell me she was coming to see you."

"How many times have you snitched before? I can't trust you this time either! Go live with Raymond! Caroline, let's go."

Flora pulled me away, not sparing Zach a glance.

"Don't follow us, or I'll never speak to you again."

Could such simple, even childish words really threaten Zach?

Zach indeed didn't follow us.

I brought Flora back to my place.

"So, when did you and Zach...?" I teased with a grin. "Honestly, he's way better for you than Bradley ever was."

"I haven't officially agreed to anything with him. He's just been hanging around, crashing at my place like he owns it. As for feelings... I don't think there's much there, but like you said, he's good to me, and that's enough."

Sometimes it is wiser to be with someone who offers genuine kindness than to endlessly pursue someone indifferent.

Love wasn't everything.

"But what about you? Why are you still tangled up with Edward? Aren't you scared to marry him?"

I shook my head. "It's just an engagement. I don't think I'll ever actually marry anyone again."

Just engaged, not married. Flora got what I meant right away.

She sighed. "You might think this is a way to get back at Raymond, but you're still not letting yourself off the hook."

Letting go was easier said than done.

"Anyway, tomorrow's my engagement party. After it's over, let's have some fun."

Suddenly, a child's cry came from the other room.

I led Flora into the bedroom.

"Her name is Liliana. How about being her godmother?"

Flora gently picked up the baby, rocking her softly, her eyes full of warmth.

"Of course, your child is my child too. I'll make sure she has the best."

Even without Raymond as a father, Liliana would grow up surrounded by love.

That evening, Edward called to remind me about the details for the engagement party tomorrow.

He mentioned that Mr. Bryce Lopez and Mrs. Allison Lopez wouldn't be attending, saying their presence wasn't necessary.

I figured they wouldn't show.

Bryce had a clear dislike for me, and since I was Raymond's ex-wife, how could they agree to come?

Even with a new identity and my ties to the Reyes Family, they probably didn't want to stir up trouble for the Lopez family.

I didn't mind.

"By the way, I heard there's a Lopez family in Vesperia too. Are they related to yours?"

Edward seemed caught off guard by my question.

He paused, then chuckled. "You're getting bold with your questions. What can I say? Do you really want to know?"

"I get it, you don't have to tell me."

If there was no connection, Edward would have denied it outright, not danced around the answer.

"Aren't you just trying to get back at Raymond? Whether you know more or not doesn't really matter, right?"

I was exhausted.

For a moment, I even thought, wouldn't it be nice if Raymond and I could just disappear together tomorrow?

But I had a daughter, so I couldn't go anywhere yet.

"See you tomorrow."

I abruptly ended the call.

There were things I didn't want to know, but I had to, or I would be played for a fool.

It turned out men couldn't be trusted.

The Lopez family in Vesperia was related to the one here, but they never interacted, meaning their relationship wasn't good.

Would they send someone to the engagement party?

If so... tomorrow might be even more dramatic.

With Edward's tactics, no one could foresee what may transpire tomorrow.

Early the next morning, Edward came to pick me up himself.

Avery joined me, while Natalia offered to stay home and look after Liliana.

As I was heading downstairs, she quietly warned me, "Be careful. Edward recently ordered a large amount of explosives. Don't get caught up in it."

I had a hunch Edward was up to something, but how did Natalia know?

She noticed my confusion and simply said, "I'll explain when you get back."