Grace asked anxiously: "Sister-in-law, still no word from my brother?"
Flora shook her head in despair.
The rescue team had commenced operations, initiating a wide-scale search at sea.
There were no updates so far, and Flora was forced to believe that no news sometimes can be good news.
"Is there no way to contact him?" Grace furrowed her brows: "Isn't he a tech whiz? Isn't there another way..."
Grace's words caused a light to shine in Flora's eyes: "Yes! There is a way!"
After a few long dial tones, the call connected successfully and a lazy voice dripped with familiar sarcasm: "Ah, beautiful lady, you finally called me.
Didn't you know how much I've missed you..."
"Hubert, cut the crap." Flora interrupted Hubert's grandiloquent remarks: "I need you to locate Matthew, can you do that?"
"I can track him down, yes..." On the other end, keyboard clattering sounded: "But for what purpose? Are you trying to catch him cheating?" Hubert clicked his tongue, completely exaggerating.
Every conversation with Hubert gave Flora a headache: "He went to pick up our daughter, but the weather is terrible, and none of us can reach him now..."
"I see, I'll do my best to provide an accurate location." Hubert confirmed, then hung up abruptly.
Flora sighed, turning to Grace with her slightly wet hair, looking restless: "Why don't you go home first, otherwise your mother will worry." She should bear her anxiety alone, without involving others.
Grace shook her head: "It's okay, my mom knows I'm here."
The little girl peered out the window, her voice suddenly broke the silence: "You love him dearly, don't you?" She used to be oblivious to the concept of love, but having witnessed Flora's deep concern for Matthew, she felt as if she'd gleaned a certain understanding of it.
"I'm genuinely pleased for you. Truly. Your brother is an extraordinarily good man." Over the recent years, the girl had discovered a plethora of information regarding Matthew, becoming aware of his individual efforts and those of his company, S.E.I., in doing many good deeds.
As their conversation unfolded, Flora's phone once again broke into a sonorous ring. It was a call from Hubert, bearing an answer Flora wished not to hear.
"I'm sorry, Miss, I have exerted my utmost efforts, but as you know, Matthew has an advanced security system, far superior to others. His defensive wall is so formidable that I couldn't infiltrate to access the information... I have gone to the hospital where Paul is being treated, the moment Matthew appears, I will inform you immediately."
That was all Hubert could do. As he was about to hang up, the air was suddenly filled with a thunderous sound, like spinning helicopter blades mingling with the roar of an engine. Hubert looked up to see a small aircraft hovering above him.
Quickly pressing his phone against his ear, he warned: "Miss...Listen to me, don't hang up yet!"
"What is it? Did you locate him or is there any news?" Flora questioned anxiously.
"Even better than locating him." As the aircraft landed, Hubert quickly ran towards Matthew with the phone in hand: "Here's a call for you, landing at just the right moment."
"Hello, Hubert? Are you still on the line?"
"It's me." The familiar deep voice of the man on the other end left Flora dumbstruck. Before she could gather her wits, he uttered: "I've just landed in front of the hospital. I apologize for causing you to worry."
A simple apology was hardly enough to quell the tidal wave of Flora's anxiety which had seemed to last for an epoch. Yet fortunately, the sun came out after the storm; clarity returned once more.
"Matthew! You reckless fool!" No longer apprehensive, Flora raised her voice to scold the man who had caused her such fear: "Couldn't you have given me a heads up? Or do you enjoy seeing me this worried? Huh?"
"I'm sorry, dear." Standing before his beloved wife, the mighty Matthew was reduced to a paper tiger: "I'm sorry for making you worry, I didn't mean to, I truly apologize. Please forgive me..." After a stream of apologies, he finally broached the main subject: "The original flight route had some issues, so I had to change it. Unbeknownst to me, this change allowed me to dodge the storm... Now I've safely arrived at our daughter's side. Rest, you and Charlie, don't worry anymore."
"Hold on. When will you and your son return?" Flora inquired.
"Once Paul leaves the special care unit, I will bring her home immediately, Andrey's team included of course. Oh... how did you know I had left?"
"Thanks to our little Anna. Without her, I wouldn't have known about your departure." Anna was the little girl who always toddled behind Charlie.
"You must be tired, aren't you? Rest now." Matthew gently laughed, comforting Flora before hanging up and proceeding into the hospital. His top priority now was waiting for Paul's discharge.
"You're the one who was tracing me, aren't you?" As soon as he hung up, he turned to Hubert to inquire.
Hubert didn't deny, nodding in confirmation: "Yes, but I was unsuccessful. There was an expert tracing me back, a very skilled one."
Matthew didn't respond further, simply returning Hubert's phone. However, in his frosty black eyes, Hubert felt a spark of satisfaction.
Matthew's subordinates followed behind him, one of them patting Hubert on the shoulder, grinning: "With a few more decades of training, you might become our boss's rival, mate."
It had been a long while since Matthew saw his daughter. So standing outside the door of her room, waiting for it to open, he was filled with anticipation.
Paul was still as adorable as ever, looking healthier and rosier compared to pre-surgery. The operation, as Andrey had predicted, was a resounding success.
"Oh, isn't this my beautiful princess?" Matthew opened his arms wide, scooping his daughter up: "Have you missed daddy?"
Her tiny arms encircled his neck. She nestled her head against him, whimpering softly: "I missed you a lot... I asked Uncle Andrey every day when daddy would come to get me."
Standing by, Andrey nodded: "She's telling the truth. Every day, she asked, till I grew tired of hearing it. Thank god you're here now. Please take her away so I don't have to listen to her endless chatter anymore." After speaking, he cheekily added: "Remember to invite me to the island for a meal and drink."
"What nonsense are you speaking?" Matthew furrowed his brows. Early this morning, before leaving the island, he had texted Andrey to pack his stuff, preparing to join him on the island. In reality, this matter had been discussed long ago, and today was just a reminder so Andrey wouldn't forget. Unexpectedly, he indeed had.
"I had told you and your team to follow me to the island for work.
Don't you remember what I said?"
"Had you said so?" Andrey, in turn, widened his eyes: "I can't recall anything.
Honestly."
Matthew shot him a piercing look: "Now you know.
Hurry and get your stuff together!"
Because Andrey and his team had to prepare their gear and machinery, their return to the island was delayed by a few hours.
During this time, Paul clutched his father's shirt hem, prompting his father to converse with him.
"Dad, does mom think I'm ugly?" Since childhood, he has been very conscious about appearances: "I'm skinny, pale, and unattractive.
Would mom despise me?"
Matthew, heart aching, embraced his child: "Of course not, mom loves you the most, and so does dad.
My daughter is the most beautiful girl in the world!" He wasn't joking; in his eyes, his daughter truly was the most beautiful child.
In reality, Andrey had no desire to go to the island.
He had a whimsical lifestyle, unable to bear a life without fun.
Merely thinking about a life surrounded by trees and flowers on the island made him go insane.
Seemingly noticing Andrey's distress, Paul clutched the hem of his blouse, tugging gently: "Uncle, you have to go to the island because of me, are you upset? I apologize... But dad says the scenery on the island is beautiful, you'll certainly like it." The child confidently added: "I will definitely play with you, I won't abandon you."
The soft and expressive voice of the child melted Andrey's heart.
He immediately stopped what he was doing, scooped up the child, and bobbed his head eagerly: "With Paul, it'll be fine, I won't be bored.
It's just a small island after all; I'll stay until my little princess gets better."
The plane took off, carrying along a charming child and a seasoned team of medical professionals, along with modern machinery.
Paul looked out the plane window, marveling at the fluffy white clouds, his hand clenching his pink dress hem: "Dad, will I get better?" The child was fearful, scared that this surgery would be as ineffective as the last one, possibly making his condition worse.
Matthew held the tiny hand of his daughter, reassuring her: "You will definitely get better.
Andrey has said so; the surgery was successful, you're recovering well..." He shifted the child's attention elsewhere: "Our new home is extremely beautiful.
White walls, reddish-brown roof tiles.
Just like the house you and Charlie once drew.
Mom and Charlie are both waiting for you at home, in just a few hours our family will be reunited."
The family would definitely be happy together.
It had to be.
"Yes." Paul nodded, seemingly trusting his father's words.
The next morning.
Flora was woken by the roaring of a plane overhead.
A small plane landed not too far, yet not too close to her house.
Standing in front of the door, she rubbed her eyes as she looked at the plane's color, yawned, and thought: "It doesn't seem to be our plane..."
Just then, a few people descended from the plane.
Two of them were familiar, comrades of Matthew's, who had also protected her when they were in their homeland.
"Sister-in-law, congratulations to you and your husband.
May you both live happily ever after!" Whether she knew them or not, anyone who saw her would wish her a "lifetime of happiness".
Her face turned crimson, she chuckled and shook her head: "The date hasn't been set yet.
Why have you all arrived so early?" They arrived earlier than Matthew going to welcome his daughter back to the island.
"Of course we had to come early." All of them unanimously said: "For the joyous occasion of our brother and sister-in-law, how could we take it lightly?"