Chapter: 364
The directive left him momentarily speechless.
After a pause, he replied, “Understood, Mr. Bates. Shall I arrange the earliest flight possible?"
“Tomorrow afternoon," Jonathan said after thinking for a moment. “I need to take care of some things in the morning."
He needed to completely clear his mind of any lingering thoughts.
Meanwhile, Bethany had found Nola.
Aimee had dozed off, oblivious that Nola had quietly left. It wasn't until Bethany finished her work and went to check on her daughter that she discovered Nola was gone.
Not wanting to disturb Aimee, who had spent a tiring day looking after Nola, Bethany took her daughter back to her room.
It was a precious moment for just the two of them. After bathing Nola, Bethany lovingly dried her hair.
"Next time, don't run off like that, okay? Mommy was so worried!"
Bethany said patiently.
Nola nodded, her eyes gleaming as she gazed at her mother. "There's a super handsome man downstairs!"
“You're picking up such bad habits from Aimee," Bethany remarked, brushing it off.
"Tomorrow, I want to see that handsome man again!" Nola exclaimed enthusiastically.
And she also had half a mind about getting her money back.
Bethany was taken aback and studied her daughter in the mirror. "What? You're already into handsome men. When I was your age, I didn't have a clue."
Nola didn't quite grasp what her mother meant; she just giggled.
After completing their bedtime routine, Bethany cradled her daughter and gently patted her back.
Worn out from the day, Bethany was already drifting off to sleep.
In a half-trance, Bethany thought she heard Nola whisper in her ear, “Mommy, I miss my brother. The handsome man looks just like him..."
Brother.
In the blink of an eye, Bethany snapped to attention, covering Nola's mouth.
"Don't mention your brother to anyone, okay?"
Seeing Nola nod, Bethany eased up a bit. "Go to sleep. Aimee will take you out tomorrow. Remember what I said: avoid discussing your brother or describing what he looks like."
Nola was a bit unsettled by Bethany's intense reaction. With teary eyes, she nodded. “Alright, I won't mention anything."