Jade wiped her tears, sobbing, "The weather has been crazy recently. I caught a cold, my sinusitis is acting up, and the wind blew my eyes to tears. I'm really sorry."
She looked at Naomi, wiping away her tears but still on the verge of crying.
"Mia, I came to hang out with you." Jade said. She got up, walked over to her friend, grabbing her hand, "Show me around, will you?"
Mia was taken aback by the drastic change in Jade. It was disorienting, even making her question if this was really Jade. She turned her head, looking at her husband, who gave her a slight nod.
Mia left the living room with Jade.
The Cedillo family had been living here for generations. They walked into the backyard, seeing a wide stretch of green. Jade's memory took her back to a blurry childhood. There was a patterned blanket laid on the lawn, where she played with a small shovel and a little boy. Two gentle women kept them company nearby, and a gentleman-like Andre stood not far away.
"Jade, you're spacing out again." Mia said.
Jade was startled, then continued to wander around the familiar yet strange place, as if nothing had happened.
A man stood by the window, Andre looked at the two women moving around in the backyard, a certain feeling rising in his heart. Leo walked over, "Andre, do you have a special feeling for this window?"
When he and Mia was outside, Andre would always stand here, watching him. This time, Mia and a woman were moving around on the lawn, and Andre was still here, watching these two.
"Did you bring Jade to our house today?" Andre asked.
Leo shook his head, "She wanted to come herself."
Andre's frown deepened.
In the evening, the Cedillo family invited Jade to stay for dinner, but she declined. After a while, Chad came to pick her up.
Hansen pointed at Chad, "Isn’t this the young lad who wanted to arrest Mia when she had a fight last time? The chief of police?"
Chad awkwardly nodded and introduced himself to Hansen, "Hi Hansen, I’m Jade’s brother, Chad."
"Oh, I remember now, it was you." Hansen looked at the young man. He was someone who dared to challenge power, and Hansen admired him. He liked the sense of justice Chad emanated.
After picking up Jade, the two of them left. Hansen was still lamenting, "I quite like Jade. If she could marry Leo, I think it would be great."
Mia was taken aback, "What?! No!"
That was his own daughter!
Hansen turned his head in confusion, looking at his agitated daughter-in-law, "What's wrong? Does Jade have a boyfriend at school?"
Ever since seeing Jade, Andre had been frowning. Especially after Jade left, he commanded his father, "Come to the study with me."
Hansen had a resolute expression of not yielding even in the face of death.
Mia pushed Hansen, "Come on, you have to listen to him."
"I won't go. I don't want to indulge Andre's bad temper. Ouch, Mia, don't push me." Hansen complained.
Andre said to Bruce, "Bruce, come over too."
Bruce complied and walked over.
In Andre's study.
The three men sat on the couch. Hansen was getting more and more annoyed with Andre, who was constantly bossing him around. If he didn't know the situation, he would think Andre was the father.
"Just spit it out, don't beat around the bush, you're really annoying." Hansen said.
Andre said, "Molly has been found."
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