Chapter 16
845words
Spreading beautiful things to others brought her happiness, and she made many new friends during her time working there.
"Good morning, Jenny," Ember greeted cheerfully as she entered the shop. The store owner, Jenny Alby, immediately pushed a plate of steaming hot pastries toward her.
"Here, try these—I made them myself today."
After completing her prep work for the day, Ember received a delivery order. To her surprise, the address was right next door to her home.
Carrying a bouquet of lilies, she arrived at the customer's door and pressed the doorbell.
"Sorry, I'll be there in a moment," said a bright, clear voice from inside.
When the door opened, a handsome young man stepped out and took the bouquet from her hands.
"Thank you… Wait, is that you?" His tone shifted mid-sentence as the latter was half-tinged with surprise and delight.
Ember looked up at him, feeling somewhat puzzled, yet she found his face strangely familiar.
"You're…" She racked her brain for a moment before matching his face with the chubby childhood playmate she remembered.
Locking eyes with the man, the memory clicked, and she exclaimed, "I remember now—you're Forrest Jackman, right?"
A smile spread across Forrest's face as he handed her a cup of floral tea.
"I never thought you'd come back to Oceanus. What a coincidence—we're neighbors now.
"I still remember how much you loved playing house under that tree." Forrest gestured toward the apricot tree in his front yard.
"You always made me help you build little houses beneath it."
"You still remember that?"
The nostalgia brought a smile to Ember's face as well. "I do. But didn't you move abroad? How was it living overseas?"
"It was fine, but there's someone I missed here, so I decided to come back," Forrest replied as his gaze was filled with warmth.
"I never expected to run into you. Looks like coming back was the right choice."
Just like that, Ember and her childhood playmate became neighbors once more. Forrest often invited her for walks, and Ember frequently shared the desserts she baked with him.
Forrest also owned an Alaskan Malamute. The first time the big dog met Ember, it became so enthusiastic that it jumped on her legs, licking and nuzzling her affectionately.
This added a new activity to their daily routine—walking the dog.
"Good boy! What's his name?" Ember asked while throwing a frisbee that the dog quickly retrieved and returned.
"He doesn't have one yet," Forrest replied as he watched the playful duo with a smile. "Why don't you name him?"
"Really? Are you sure?"
Ember looked up, meeting the man's gentle, smiling gaze. For some reason, her face suddenly felt warm.
How strange… Why was her heart racing so fast?
Thousands of miles away in the capital city, Atlas' cold expression finally softened as he examined the documents Callan handed him.
"Mr. Ferguson, we've located Ms. Sloane!" Callan reported with urgency.
"We discovered that Ms. Sloane registered a new bank card in Oceanus last month, and tracing its activity led us to her location."
As he spoke, Callan placed a photo in front of Atlas.
In the picture, Ember was holding a handful of daisies, and she was dressed in a simple linen dress. Her dark, sleek hair was tied neatly at the back, giving her a calm and serene appearance.
Atlas finally saw Ember's face again for the first time in months, and his hands couldn't stop trembling. He gently brushed his fingers over her image before abruptly leaving the hospital.
His black Maybach roared down the highway under the pouring rain, accelerating with each passing second.
"Ember, wait for me. I'm coming to see you," he muttered.
But suddenly, the car swerved violently.
"No!"
Atlas quickly turned the wheel and slammed on the brakes, but the vehicle still careened out of control, crashing into the guardrail.
A sharp pain shot through his leg before everything went dark. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself lying in a hospital room.
No, this couldn't be it! He had to find Ember!
He tried to get out of bed without a second thought, only to realize his left leg was immobilized. It was held together with a frightening array of steel pins.
Callan stood nearby with a grave expression.
"Mr. Ferguson, the roads were slippery in the rain. You were in an accident and injured your leg. The doctors say the combination of this new injury and your prior ones could result in permanent damage to your left leg…"
But to Callan's surprise, Atlas listened to this news as if it were someone else's concern.
"I understand," he replied flatly while nodding once. Then he began limping toward the door.
"Mr. Ferguson, Mr. Ferguson!" Callan hurried after him. "Where are you going? The doctor said you're not—"
"It doesn't matter," Atlas interrupted coolly. "Prepare my travel arrangements to Oceanus immediately."
No matter what, he was determined to see Ember again.
