"In truth..." she sighed, abandoning her attempts to explain. Instead, she asked: "What brings you here to find me?"
Layla looked at her with probing eyes: "I just wanted to ask you again, are you truly intending to let him go?"
The "him" here was Patrick, her ex-boyfriend, the man who was now engaged to Layla.
"Absolutely. Layla, the chapter with him closed seven years ago, it's meaningless to discuss it now. You're the one by his side..."
"But he's always been searching for you." The voice opposite cut in hastily, then realized her tone was misplaced and lowered her head, offering a bitter smile: "You've always held a place in his heart."
Despite believing Flora had betrayed him, Patrick's love for her was relentless, his pursuit unceasing. Even now, when he had chosen to stand by Layla, his love for Flora was profound, etched deep into every breath he took.
The quest for her became second nature to him.
"You're engaged to him now. He's a responsible man, he wouldn't make such a significant decision lightly. If he decided to marry you, then you're the one he should love." she offered a soft smile: "I've found my happiness. Layla, both you and Patrick deserve happiness."
Currently, her happiness lay with Matthew.
From a standpoint of a close friend, Layla genuinely wished her happiness. A single mother finding her second spring was not an easy feat.
Upon mention of her happiness, Layla's thoughts shifted to another: "You wouldn't know, Selena's been like a ticking bomb these days, picking fights with everyone."
Two women in love with the same man - if one was happy, the other was destined to suffer. Flora sighed deeply, she knew her selfishness had wronged Selena.
But she couldn't let go. She wouldn't. Not for herself, not for her children.
A car pulled over by the curb. Flora gripped the file in her hand tighter, cautiously surveyed her surroundings before stepping in.
The man lounging on the backseat chuckled at her wariness: "Don't tense up like that, I won't bite."
"Cut the chatter, Ethelbert." She thrust the file into his lap, eyebrows furrowed: "Where's my father?"
The man appeared unfazed by her tone. He signaled the driver to move and casually opened the file. Inside was a single, fragile piece of paper. It looked like a map, but not quite, quite bizarre.
He smirked: "Exactly what I needed. Don't worry, I'll take you to your father now."
Only when she saw him tuck the paper back into the file, did Flora allow herself to breathe a sigh of relief. Her sweaty palm, which was clenching her dress, relaxed.
She had done as Ethelbert asked, finding a peculiar map in Matthew's study. But she would be damned if she would ever trust him, especially his tall tales about not hurting anyone.
After a moment's deliberation, she had given him a fake map. Thankfully, he didn't notice.
Just as she had suspected, he wasn't the rightful owner of the map. And with every passing moment, she grew surer that her decision to deceive him was the right one.
"Flora!" The man's voice echoed in her ear, causing Flora to startle: "Are you ensuring that Matthew's people don't discover what you're doing today?"
"Of course." she nodded.
However, even if he didn't find out, she wouldn't betray him.
"What's really between you and him..."
Ethelbert's brow furrowed: "Don't mention it in front of me! We share an enmity that the sky itself can't contain."
Flora surreptitiously pouted. It was him who had mentioned Matthew first, yet even her casual reply stirred his ire. This man was truly petty.
Ignoring him, she phoned her mother, arranging a rendezvous at the address provided by Ethelbert, to meet the man she had cherished for so many years.
"Is this my father?" Flora asked softly. Separated by a transparent glass, she observed a frail man lying in a hospital bed, his body tangled in numerous wires.
The man standing beside her chuckled: "Are you doubting me? Believe it or not, he is indeed your father."
With that, he turned and walked away. Flora didn't concern herself with his departure, as her mother had already rushed to the scene.
"Where is he?" Her mother panted, anxiety etching her words.
Flora pointed towards the hospital room: "Ethelbert brought me here."
Her mother gazed straight through the glass. But upon catching sight of the man in the hospital bed, she furrowed her brows. Her response was wholly beyond Flora's expectation.
"Flora, that man is not your father." Firmly, she shook her head: "He just looks remarkably similar. Flora, we've been deceived by Ethelbert."
The cellphone on the desk lightly vibrated. Layla hadn't expected a call from Patrick at this hour, his voice carrying a trace of mirth as he greeted her: "Patrick..."
Before she could finish her sentence, Patrick's tone had completely changed.
"Layla, I've just seen... Flora."
The moment he stepped outside, he saw the girl he had been endlessly searching for at the crossroads. But then she climbed into a heavily curtained vehicle and quickly disappeared. The only thing that remained in his mind was the license plate number of that car.
After a few moments of silence, Layla forced a laugh: "You must have mistaken... how could you... have seen her..."
Indeed, how could he recognize Flora. Last time he had visited Matthew's office, conversed with his secretary, yet he hadn't recognized her as the very girl he had been seeking.
"You might be right." Patrick grimaced: "But I want to verify."
He had only called Layla to share this news. Whatever she thought didn't impact his decision. After hanging up, he immediately called one of his subordinates, instructing him to investigate the car with the license plate number he remembered.
There would be an answer soon.
Very quickly, his subordinate sent a message: "Boss, the owner of that car is named Ethelbert. For more detailed information, we need more time to investigate."
More time... Patrick pondered for a while, realizing he didn't have much left. With his and Layla's wedding drawing close, finding Flora had become more urgent than ever.
An idea struck him... That's right, he could ask his senior for help. He had connections in both the underworld and the 'white' world; surely, he could locate someone much faster than Patrick.
Flora, oblivious to being spotted by Patrick, was standing there, aghast at her mother's affirmation. The man lying in the hospital bed wasn't her father - how could this be?
After all, Ethelbert had said otherwise.
"Why has Ethelbert deceived us? I must find him and seek the truth."
She was eager to hunt him down but was pulled back by her mother.
Her mother shook her head: "You must not act recklessly! Let this matter end here, we should not get involved any further."
She said, as a warning from the underworld, ordinary people should refrain from getting involved. It's not that she was indifferent to the man's fate, she simply knew she was powerless. Persisting in meddling would only invite trouble upon them.
Yet, her daughter couldn't stand being in the dark. She implored her mother with yearning eyes: "Can you tell me the truth, mother? Not knowing anything is unbearable."
Of course, she understood her daughter's distress, but some things couldn't be plainly stated. She had to choose what to reveal.
"Flora, do you remember the old lady who came looking for you last time? She was indeed your grandmother, but she has... passed away." Her voice tapered off, disclosing the harsh truth seemed an arduous task.
Seeing her daughter's shocked face, she sighed gently: "Your father was the leader of a significant underworld force. He possessed an important map. People wanted this map. I suspect Ethelbert and his cohorts are among them."
"But you said... Ethelbert is father's adopted son?"
"That's right." her mother nodded: "Ethelbert wants to seize your father's fortune, naturally, he would have to 'deal with' you first. As you are the rightful heir."
The sudden visit of old lady Tremblay was an attempt to transfer her son's wealth to her granddaughter and protect her. But before she could do anything, she passed away. Her sudden demise surely involved Ethelbert, probably because he was an obstacle.
Flora furrowed her brows, sorting out the facts in her head, her voice grew husky when she finally spoke.
"And what about my father?"
"Brother, could you accept a woman carrying another man's child?" The voice at the other end of the phone was choked, whether due to the distance or the unstable emotions wasn't clear.
Matthew flipped through a magazine, not paying much attention to the conversation.
"It depends on the circumstances... but haven't you let go of that old flame a long time ago?"
Being a respected elder brother and one of the few close friends on the trading floor, Matthew had long figured out that the woman Patrick referred to was his former fiancée. A girl who used to be Patrick's childhood sweetheart, later betrayed him and had a child with another man.
But... judging by what he said today, was the man dubbed the lone wolf of the trading floor still holding on to his old love?
"If only forgetting was that easy..." Patrick sighed: "Your woman has a child too, right? Can you accept the fact that her child is not yours? I mean... that her child is not biologically yours."
Matthew frowned: "My situation is different from yours, they can't be equated. Your almost-wife was pregnant with another man's child, she betrayed you, and abandoned you. As for me..."
Thinking of Flora, he couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips. His woman had two children, both his own.
Moreover, there's a difference between having a child before meeting someone and becoming pregnant with someone else's child while in a relationship. They simply can't be compared. The essence of both situations is fundamentally different.