However, Jackson did not want to owe Fabian this. He thought about it and an idea flashed across his head.
Jackson took out a piece of candy from his pocket and threw it at the iron gates. Then, he blinked his innocent eyes that were full of life and walked to the guard’s office. He called out in a crisp voice.
“Sir!” He called out, his soft voice filled with childish playfulness.
A middle-aged man walked out of the office and asked him in a friendly manner, “What’s wrong, buddy?”
“Sir, the candy my sister gave me has fallen outside.” Jackson blinked his clear eyes and pointed his adorable finger to the iron gates. Then, he looked at Lillian who was walking slowly toward him. “If I lose the candy, my sister will be sad. I don’t want her to be sad. Can you help me take it back, sir?”
The guard had no idea that this was Jackson’s scheme.
Naturally, he did not suspect a thing from such an innocent and naive child. As such, he comforted Jackson. “I’ll help you get back the candy. Your sister won’t be mad at you.”
“Thank you, sir.” Jackson thanked lovably.
He watched as the guard walked over to open the side door. Then, he walked over to pick up the candy he threw out just now.
However, at this moment, Jackson snuck out quickly from the side door.
After the guard picked up the candy, he spotted Jackson running in another direction. He quickly chased up to him. “Hey, what are you doing? Come back now!”
“I’m sorry, sir. I have to look for a friend. I’ll come back soon.” Jackson apologized while running in the direction where Fabian left.
Of course, the guard was not reassured. He turned back to see another tiny figure walking out and when he took a closer look, he saw that it was Jackson’s sister who he mentioned earlier.
In order to prevent two children from going missing, the guard turned back and stopped Lillian.
Jackson did not know what was happening behind him. When he ran to the crossroad, he saw Fabian crossing the road. He waved his tiny arms. “Hey!”
When Fabian heard the familiar voice, he turned around to see Jackson standing on the other side of the road waving at him. Plus, he was holding the box he gave him just now.
Fabian figured that Lillian must have rejected it, so his already sunken heart was even heavier now.
However, he did not want a child like Jackson to wait for him on the side of the road. As such, he turned around to go back.
However, when he was about to walk back, he saw Lillian struggling in the arms of a middle-aged man in a guard’s outfit.
Fabian sped up and zoomed past Jackson to run toward Lillian.
Lillian wanted to go look for Jackson but was stopped. She could not speak, so right now, she was whining anxiously and about to cry.
“Lily!” Fabian called out Lillian’s name frantically and zoomed over to the guard. Then, he reached out to try to take Lillian away.
The guard placed Lillian back into his arms vigilantly. His face was stern as he questioned Fabian, “Who are you? Why do you want to snatch this child away from me?”
“I know this child and she knows me too,” Fabian explained, emphasizing to the guard with a serious expression. Then, he looked at Lillian who was on the brink of tears with eyes as soft as the spring breeze. “Lillian, it’s me. Did you forget about me?”
Lillian lifted her teary eyes and looked at him. However, she then buried herself deeper into the guard’s arms.
This made the guard more suspicious now. “You said this child knows you, but I think not only does she not know you, but she also doesn’t want to pay any attention to you.”
“…”
Fabian did not understand why Lillian was treating him like this. He could feel his heart sinking further and further.
The guard peered at Fabian. “You should go now. If you don’t, I’m calling the police.”
After he said that, Jackson ran back just in time.
“Sir, this guy is not a bad person. He really knows my sister.”
“Buddy, don’t get fooled. Bad people nowadays look a lot like good people. You and your sister are still young, so don’t believe strangers so easily.”
The guard educated and lectured them seriously. Then, he turned around with Lillian in his arms. Before that, he reminded Jackson.
“Buddy, come back with me now. It’s almost time for class.”
Jackson did not want the guard to worry about him, so he nodded in agreement. He walked quickly toward Fabian and lifted his handsome face.
“Here, I’m giving this back to you. My sister doesn’t want it.” Jackson reached out his hand to hand it over.
Fabian looked at the box that had been returned and smiled in disappointment as well as frustration before taking it back.
He turned around to look at Lillian who was resisting him and even wanted to run away from him. Then, he tightened his grip around the box as a hint of regret appeared in his eyes.
“Lily, this might be the last time I see you.
“I don’t have the good fortune to wait for you to grow up nor do I have the right to take care of you as you grow up. Lily, I hope you get better and if we have the chance to see each other in the future, I hope that you’ll be able to talk then.”
Fabian took the box in his hand. “This is the happiness you gave me when we first met. I’m giving back this happiness to you now and I hope that you’ll be happy forever, Lily.”
Fabian placed the box into Lillian’s hand. Lillian lifted her crystal-like eyes and stared straight at Fabian.
Fabian maintained his smile that was as warm as the spring breeze. “Lily, goodbye.”
After he said that, he turned around without stopping.
Jackson took a step forward and asked while facing Fabian’s back, “Are you leaving?”
Fabian did not stop walking. He only turned around to look at Jackson and smiled gently at him before continuing his journey.
Lillian watched as Fabian walked farther and farther away. Her lively and clear eyes started tearing up unbeknownst to her. She blinked and opened the box with her tiny hands. Then, she saw a candy inside the box.
Furthermore, this candy looked familiar in the sea of her memories.
On the island.
Niamh woke up from her dream groggily and realized Ryan was no longer next to her. In addition to that, there was breakfast on the nightstand next to the bed. It was obvious that Ryan had prepared this for her.
After Niamh cleaned up, she ate some of the food. Then, she walked out of the house to see Ryan standing at the beach looking at the blue sea.
He was wearing a white shirt, and the warm autumn sun was falling on his body, making his temperament look warm and noble.
However, it was still different from the past. Ryan was not the noble prince that Niamh initially knew.
“You’re up.” Ryan did not turn back, but he knew that it was Niamh’s footsteps.
Niamh walked up to him and stood behind him, neither obsequious nor supercilious. “Ryan, tell me the rules of your game. Don’t waste our time.”
Ryan turned around and smiled when he looked into Niamh’s cold eyes. “Ten minutes. I’ll give you ten minutes to hide. If I can’t find you half an hour later, then you win.”
Niamh did not expect this to be a game of hide-and-seek.
“Alright, start the clock now.” Niamh agreed immediately.
“Are you sure you can defeat me?” Ryan looked at the house in front of him and then at the sea that was around them. He was confident.
However, the confidence in Niamh’s eyes was even more steady and bold. “You’ll know soon enough whether I can beat you.”
All of a sudden, Ryan felt that this was very interesting.
He smiled and walked to the beach before turning around. He looked at the time. “The game starts now.”
Niamh looked at Ryan’s back that was facing her and turned around decisively. Then, she looked at the endless sea in front of him.
‘Ryan, you’re definitely going to lose this game.’
Ryan knew Niamh was going to hide now. He looked at the ticking time on his watch. He only turned around after the last second of the ten minutes passed.
There was only one house on the island and the structure of the house was simple. He did not think that he would not be able to find Niamh in under half an hour.
However, as time passed, not only could he not find Niamh in the house, but he also looked all over the yacht near the beach and still could not find any traces of Niamh at all.
It was as if she had evaporated from this island and he could not find any traces of her.
How was this possible?
Everything on this island could be seen at one glance. It was a small house with no special hiding places. Where could Niamh be?
Ryan felt that this was unfathomable and there was a look of anxiety on his face.
He did not want to lose. He did not want to let Niamh go just like that.
He looked at the time again and there were only ten minutes before the game ended.
Ryan went back into the house to look all over again while feeling unconvinced. He even looked under the bed but still, there were no traces of Niamh.
He walked out of the house and looked at the vast and limitless sea. His heart felt as if it had sunk to the bottom of the endless sea.
“Eveline, will you seriously win this?”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.