Chapter124.
Jaxon confessed, “Mom dropped us off downstairs and then left.”
“Dad, I took Leila to play,” Joshua exclaimed, his voice brimming with excitement. For the past two years, he and his brother had often accompanied their father to work at the company. They held Leila’s hand and made their way to the lounge inside. The two boys skillfully located the toys they had left there.
Gabriel was lost for words.
Leila’s eyes sparkled when she spotted the pink fox on the bedside table. She remembered it hadn’t been there during her last visit.
“Hmm, could it be Gabriel who bought it for me?” she wondered.
The door of the lounge was not closed.
The lounge door was ajar. Gabriel immediately noticed Leila’s eyes twinkling with joy. The pink toy fox on the bedside had been offered to her before, but Leila had refused it, so Ezra had taken it away.
Lately, Gabriel had either been on business trips abroad, babysitting at the Robinson family, or sleeping with the Campbell family. It had been ages since he’d stayed overnight in the company lounge, and he was unaware that Ezra had placed the toy fox on the bedside. Gabriel saw Leila’s fondness for it. His eyes softened. He watched as she ran towards him, clutching the little fox in her arms, and blinked her big, watery eyes to say thank you Gabriel reached out to the little girl by his legs and effortlessly lifted her onto his lap.
He teased, “How does Leila know this is for you? What if it’s for other children?”
For other children?
Will Gabriel have another daughter?
A flurry of question marks popped into Leila’s head. She looked down at the pink fox in her arms. Although reluctant, she gently placed the little fox on the nearby desk.
Leila murmured, “Well… then give it to the children.”
She was about to slide off Gabriel’s lap and go play with her two brothers and their toy cars. Just as she was about to dash away, she remembered something.
She turned around and tugged at Gabriel’s pant leg, earnestly saying, “My Thank–you… Give it back to me.”
She had thanked Gabriel just moments ago, and since it wasn’t for her, she felt she had to retract her gratitude.
Gabriel was thoroughly charmed by Leila’s train of thought.
He pulled her back onto his lap, his slender fingers gently tickling the tip of her nose. His sharp, yet captivating eyebrows were creased with a smile.
Gabriel’s voice dropped to a soft murmur, “It was a gift for Leila.”
As he spoke, he stuffed the little fox back into her hands and asked the secretary to bring her a
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cup of milk.
Ezra used to bring the milk in, and it was no longer a surprise to see him handling work while little Leila was around.
After all, Leila was incredibly well–behaved!
Leila looked at the bottle in front of her, her eyes shining brightly. Thank you, Gabriel.”
After the others had left, Gabriel asked Leila in his arms, “Leila, do you know where your mom went?”
“Mom, find herbs,” Leila, who couldn’t keep a secret, looked up at him.
Waterbrook Village, Aspen.
More than ten dusty off–road vehicles were parked at
at the village entrance.
Hazel stepped out of the car, looking sharp and self–assured in a black combat jacket and long boots.
A black baseball cap and mask concealed most of her face, leaving only a pair of beautiful, icy eyes visible.
The middle–aged man waiting at the village entrance caught sight of her. A flicker of astonishment flashed in his eyes. He ambled over, puffing on an old tobacco pipe, his back slightly hunched.
“Are you the one they said was here to buy the herbs?”
Hazel nodded, noticing the shrewdness in the middle–aged man’s eyes, despite his attempt to seem ordinary.
This guy
was playing the role of a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
John had his best bodyguard by his side, safeguarding Hazel
Ever since the incident on their first return from the airport, they had been on the defensive due to the small number of people they’d brought. So, he had deliberately started to gradually bring back the forces he’d cultivated overseas to the domestic front.
After the second incident involving Hazel, as a result of these two ambushes, he had started arranging sufficient manpower to accompany him everywhere, no matter the distance. The middle–aged man exhaled a cloud of smoke, and the hazy fumes masked the sharpness in his
eyes.
“My name’s Raymond Clarkson.
“It’s too late today. You folks rest in the village for the night and head into the mountains early
tomorrow.”
Raymond led Hazel and her group to several houses on the outskirts of the village. The closest one was around 1,000 feet from the main village.
“These are all empty. You can sort yourselves out.”
Before leaving, Raymond gave a special warning, “By the way, girl, I’d like to remind you that no matter what you hear at night, don’t go outside. Otherwise, you’ll be in trouble.” In response to his somewhat mysterious, yet not lecherous, gaze, Hazel nodded her thanks.
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She took John with her and carefully inspected the three yards Raymond had assigned. Each yard was approximately 100 feet apart.
For safety reasons, they chose the largest one. There were four rooms in the yard, and each room could accommodate around ten people.
Except for Hazel and the four female bodyguards, the remaining forty people were housed in three separate houses.
John arranged for people to take turns keeping watch at night to prevent any mishaps. The mountain nights were bitterly cold, but they heated the fireplace and slept soundly.
In the still morning of the rural mountains, the loud crowing of a rooster cut through the air.
Hazel had woken up early. When traveling, one had to be extra vigilant.
Raymond arrived early, carrying a cross–body bag full of patches.
Despite the early autumn morning, with a cool breeze carrying the mountain chill, he was waving a fan as if it were still summer.
“Are you all set? It’s getting late. We need to get going.”
Hazel smiled and stepped forward.“Well, we’re all ready. Could you please lead us into the mountains?”
She was still wearing the same clothes as the day before. Today, she added a black mask that covered half her face and her neck. She looked incredibly cool and beautiful.
Raymond said, “Let’s go.”
He took the lead and walked ahead. They didn’t need to pass through the village to reach the mountains.
After crossing the river at the village entrance, the path grew narrower and narrower, with overgrown weeds taller than a person.
Along the
his way.
way,
there were some faint markings on certain trees, and Raymond used these to find
Hazel and John also left their marks, just in case they got separated and couldn’t find their way back.
Raymond noticed but said nothing.
“Girl, how did you know about those grass?”
He asked, feigning confusion. “It’s the first time I’ve heard of it. Do those grasses have names too? What are they called, Seven Stars what?”
Hazel answered, “Seven Stars Reviving Herb.”
Raymond still held the old tobacco pipe in his hand, though he didn’t smoke it. Now and then, he would bring it to his nose and sniff.
Dylan’s people had initially approached Raymond, simply stating that this grass research value, without revealing Hazel’s identity or purpose.
had significant
“There happened to be a herbal research project in the laboratory this time, so I thought I’d give it a shot.
“The best result is to find it, but if not, there’s nothing we can do.”
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She spoke casually as if she was just there for a casual look.
But a glint flashed in Raymond’s eyes, and his hand holding the old tobacco pipe tightened.
