Deanna chuckled a few times, comforting the person in front of her, "Of course I know, haven't I been too busy lately?"
Her words were not untrue. In recent years, she had indeed been busy, barely having time to connect with old friends.
The person across from her obviously didn't buy it, half-jokingly reproaching her, "Come on, you heartless person. You disappeared without a trace back then, didn't even contact me, and now you remember me?"
The person across from her understood the principle of "out of sight, out of mind" very well and expressed some dissatisfaction with a half-joking tone.
Deanna touched her nose. She could hear the real blame in the person's words, but there was more concern.
He must have worried about her a lot over the past few years.
She awkwardly laughed and changed the subject.
"Let's meet up, it's been so long since we've seen each other."
There was a hint of appeasement in her words, which somewhat reduced the resentment in the other person's heart, but he still snorted coldly.
"When?"
Deanna thought for a moment and replied, "How about this afternoon at two o'clock, at the coffee shop where we used to meet."
It was their old secret base, also a beautiful memory.
The other person responded, "Reluctantly, I'll agree."
Deanna couldn't help but feel delighted. This person was still the same as before.
At two o'clock in the afternoon, Deanna arrived as promised, elegantly and generously dressed, and walked into the coffee shop.
As she approached, a young man was already waiting there with a magazine on his lap.
He was wearing a stylish suit, with a cynical look on his face, but his features were handsome and striking, attracting blushes from passing girls who couldn't help but steal glances at him.
He caught sight of the girls' little actions from the corner of his eye, smirking cunningly, causing their hearts to flutter.
Deanna immediately recognized the familiar face and sighed, sitting opposite him amidst the envious glances of the girls.
"Long time no see."
She greeted him relaxedly, and as soon as he saw her, he dropped the newspaper instantly.
"So you still remember."
He rolled his eyes, "Sit down quickly, Deanna."
Deanna wasn't angry at all. Instead, she teased him cheerfully, "Come on, Landon, big brother."
This person was her childhood friend named Landon Sherman.
Landon looked her up and down in her plain clothes, intending to say something harsh, but eventually turned it into a sigh.
"You finally decided to show up. I thought you'd avoid me forever."
Deanna smiled bitterly, "Why would I hide from you? When I left, I had no choice. You also know how bad my reputation was at the time, plus those things, I..."
She didn't continue talking about those things. She didn't know what to say.
Landon also knew her difficulties and didn't say anything more, but his expression was complicated.
He sighed heavily and said, "It's okay, it's all in the past. Seeing you doing well, I'm relieved."
Deanna smiled gracefully, everything was understood without words.
The waiter came over and asked, "What would you like to drink?"
Before Deanna could speak, Landon said, "A cup of Blue Mountain coffee and a latte."
They smiled at each other. Her taste hadn't changed.
At this point, Landon asked her, "What do you want from me? If it's nothing, you wouldn't suddenly find me."
Deanna sighed and told him, "After I left, my mother passed away. Garrett took her property and shares, and Emily married Raphael. I asked Garrett to return my things. I got the house back, but he's unwilling to give up the shares."
Leaning forward, she earnestly said, "I want to entrust you to help me find the lawyer who helped him back then. Only in this way can I possibly get back what I want."
Landon was angry upon hearing this.
"I suspected something fishy when you disappeared. Your stepsister and Raphael, they probably had an affair long ago. And your father, he's simply confused! He actually sided with her, not you."
He looked at her with eyes full of heartache.
Deanna, however, remained calm, having reconciled with life long ago amidst the trials and tribulations.
"It's nothing. I've been doing well these years without the Jones family."
Landon sighed, feeling even more sorry when he saw her being calmer than himself. He thought she must have suffered a lot from her family over the years.
With a heartfelt tone, he said, "I'll help you find out."
After hearing her talk about her life over the years, he asked, "How have you been these years?"
Deanna tousled her hair and roughly said, "Rented a house, lived with my grandmother and two children, sold some medicine, and treated some illnesses for people."
He was surprised, "You have children?"
She nodded, "Yeah, I had a pair of twins."
He was shocked and eager, "We must meet them another day!"
Deanna said, "Another time."
The two of them talked all afternoon, and in the end, Landon refused to let go of her, pulling her and saying, "You must treat me to dinner tonight. It's been so many years since we last met, you owe me!"
Deanna couldn't help but laugh and cry, "Of course!"
They left and headed straight to the restaurant.
As they entered, they bumped into Lance.