“Eight months?” Zara gasped, “But to reach the temple in that time, you would have to walk at least eight or nine kilometers every day!”
Fitz nodded resolutely, “That’s right. Nine kilometers is the minimum, and if the weather and conditions are favorable, I’ll have to walk even more so I can take my time and enjoy the natural beauty along the way.”
Zara couldn’t help but feel worried for her brother.
Deana, sensing her daughter’s concern, turned to her and said, “Zara, let Fitz take a bath first. He needs to rest after his long journey.”
Zara nodded in agreement, then turned to Fitz, “Brother, take a bath and get some rest. We’ll be waiting outside for you.”
Fitz nodded in agreement and made his way to the bathroom. As soon as Zara closed the door behind him, he wasted no time in stripping off his tattered clothes and preparing to take a much-needed bath.
But as he stood before the bathtub, staring at the clear, warm water, he hesitated. After a moment’s thought, he grabbed his dirty clothes and made his way to the shower room adjacent to the bathroom. Placing his clothes on the ground, Fitz turned on the shower and began to rinse off the dirt and grime that clung to his body. He took his time, washing away the dust and sweat accumulated from his long journey, bit by bit.
Meanwhile, Zara and Deana had made their way to the dining table, where they exchanged a meaningful look. There was so much they wanted to say, but words seemed inadequate in that moment.
There was a brief moment of silence before Zara broke it, “Mom… Fitz has changed so much in the past six months,” she said, shaking her head in amazement, “He’s saying things I never thought I’d hear from him. It’s like he’s a different person entirely.”
Deana’s face broke into a proud smile, “I’ve always believed that everything in this world has a purpose,” she said. “Even though Fitz has lived as a playboy for over 20 years, it seems that he was always meant to find his true path.”
She paused for a moment before continuing, “When he returns from the Temple in eight months, I believe his life will undergo a profound transformation. I don’t know what that change will be, but I’m certain it will be for the better.”
Zara let out a small sigh, “It seems like all of Fitz’s hardships on the road have been worth it,” she said. “If he’s found his true path now, it’s all thanks to Mr. Wade’s tough love.”
Deana nodded in agreement, “Sometimes people need to hit rock bottom before they can bounce back up again,” she said. “But some people have been coddled their whole lives and never experience that fall. That’s why we’re so grateful to Barne.”
Zara spoke up again, “Oh, and by the way, Mr. Wade said he’s coming over after lunch.”
Deana was taken aback, “Yolanda is coming here?” she asked.
Zara nodded, “Yes.”
Deana smiled, “That’s wonderful,” she said. “I’ve been wanting to thank him in person for all he’s done.”
***
Meanwhile…
Yolanda maneuvered the old man’s BMW 530, and together with Steven, arrived at the Thompson First Villas.
Thompson First Villas consisted of villas and high-rises. The villas had ground-level access for vehicles, while the high-rises had separate areas for people and vehicles. As Yolanda arrived at the underground garage, he had to drive carefully, mindful of the relatively high population density.
Just as he entered the underground garage, Angela emerged from the elevator hall.
Outside the elevator hall, a sleek seven-seater car was already waiting, with Michelle, the housekeeper of Zilian Villa, in the driver’s seat and Maria sitting in the first-class seat on the left side of the second row.
The second and third rows of the nanny car were all tinted with extremely deep one-way privacy films, and the inside could not be seen clearly from the outside.
Michelle and Maria had accompanied Angela to the university in the morning to sign some contracts and were planning to go back to Zilian Villa for lunch with her. However, Angela received a lot of contracts, materials, documents, badges, access control cards, and customized stationery from the university, which made it difficult to carry them all.
Furthermore, all the documents, badges, access cards, and customized stationery that Angela collected were needed for her upcoming work. It would be cumbersome and easy to lose and forget them if they were brought back to Hong Kong, so she proposed that Sister Michelle drive to Thompson First Villas first, and she would store these items in the new house there.
Maria had wanted to establish a good relationship with Angela, so she accompanied her to sign the contract at the university. However, the sudden decision to come to Thompson First Villas after signing the contract was a complete surprise to Maria.
Although Maria came to Aurous Hill to find Milos, she wasn’t ready to meet him yet and was absolutely unwilling to come to this area.
As Angela stepped out of the elevator hall, Sister Michelle slid open the electric door on the right side of the back row, and Angela hopped into the car.
With a smile, she apologized to the two women, “Sorry for keeping you waiting. Let’s go.”
Maria returned the smile, her voice light and relaxed, “We haven’t been waiting too long, only about five or six minutes.”
Angela then inquired with genuine concern, “Maria, I know you weren’t feeling well earlier. Are you feeling better now?”
Maria spoke quickly, a hint of relief in her voice, “I already feel better, so don’t worry.”
Angela flashed a grin, “Maybe Aunt Flo is on her way. When do you usually get your period?”
Maria hesitated for a moment before answering, a slight blush creeping onto her cheeks, “Um, usually around these two days every month.”
Angela’s smile grew, “That explains it! Make sure you drink plenty of hot water today to keep your immune system strong, and don’t overdo it with exercise.”
“Got it, got it,” Maria nodded eagerly, turning to Michelle, “Michelle, let’s hurry back. I’m starving now.”
Michelle flashed a smile, “It’s only a ten-minute drive back home, and we can have dinner as soon as we get there.”
With that, she started the car and prepared to leave the underground parking lot.
Meanwhile, Yolanda had just parked his sleek BMW in an empty space not far from their car. Since Tanaka Koichi hadn’t purchased a designated parking spot for his house, Yolanda was forced to park in one of the property’s temporary parking areas.
The downside of these temporary spots was their distance from the elevator entrance, which meant that after parking, he and Steven had to navigate the garage, following signs to find the elevator hall.
Yolanda had been a resident of Thompson First Villas for a considerable amount of time, yet this was his first visit to the underground garage in the high-rise area. Likewise, Steven had never been to Thompson First Villas, making both of them clueless regarding the best route. All they could do was search for the building number provided by Tanaka Hiroichi and follow the address.
As they made their way towards the elevator hall, they came face to face with Michelle’s car.
Despite the darkness of the interior, it was evident that someone was in the car, peering out. Angela caught sight of Yolanda and Steven as they walked past and let out a gasp of surprise. She had never expected to run into Yolanda in such an unlikely place.
