The Contracted Ever After novel Chapter 26

At four in the morning on Monday, after a two-hour bullet train ride and three bus transfers on winding mountain roads, Cordelia didn't reach her destination until ten.

By the time she arrived at Evergreen Primary School, where Logan had once taught, Cordelia felt sick to her stomach.

Ricardo, a genuinely friendly and warm-hearted guy, told her that Logan was the only one who had come to teach there out of the goodness of his heart in all these years. Everybody else only came to boost their image, but Logan genuinely cared for the students.

Ricardo handed over Logan's diary to Cordelia. Tucked inside were photos of Logan with the children, his warmth and kindness even more pronounced with them by his side.

When Cordelia saw the photos, she bawled her eyes out. Her heart ached for Logan.

After touring the campus with Ricardo, Cordelia checked the time. It was almost noon. She was due at Barney's at three in the afternoon. However, while waiting for the bus on the mountain road, Cordelia saw a private car parked on the side. The driver, a young lad, looked rather flustered, kicking his tires in frustration.

"Need a hand?" Cordelia approached and asked.

The guy seemed relieved to see her. "I ran out of gas and there's no signal here in the middle of nowhere." He explained.

Cordelia remembered the storeroom she had seen at the school earlier, which had a few barrels of gasoline. Ricardo had said it was for heating in the winter.

"Go straight and then take a left. Look for a big tree, and you’ll find Evergreen Primary School. They have gasoline." Cordelia pointed out.

Seeing his blank face, Cordelia sighed, "Come on, I'll take you there."

He locked his car and followed Cordelia to Evergreen Primary School. Along the way, they started chatting. Turns out the lad was also from Millstone. He worked in a small company and was here on a business trip. He thought there was a gas station nearby, but couldn't find one. He would've been stranded on the mountain overnight if it hadn't been for Cordelia.

They were both from Millstone and bumping into each other in this remote area felt like a homecoming of sorts. They exchanged contact info.

The guy's name was Edwin.