CHAPTER 535: CHAPTER 535: THEY’RE ALL AWAKE

The woman looked like she was in her forties or fifties, with a kind and charitable demeanor, her smile appearing both nervous and bashful.

"Director Garrison, they are here to see the children!" The old man seemed overly excited, answering ahead of them.

Director Garrison showed an expression of surprise and looked towards Evelyn Clayton and James Grant as if seeking confirmation, "Please come in and have a seat!"

James Grant and Evelyn Clayton smiled politely, portraying the respectable and extraordinary young couple quite convincingly.

Upon entering Director Garrison’s office, Evelyn discreetly scanned the surroundings.

The office was quite old-fashioned, with only a desk, chair, and bookshelf, almost devoid of any extra items.

After they sat down in front of the desk, Director Garrison enthusiastically made hot tea personally and brought it to them.

"I’m sorry, this is a small place, we don’t have any good tea." Director Garrison showed her signature bashful smile again, "Let me introduce myself first, I’m the director of Ardendale Welfare Home, surname Garrison, Isabella Garrison. What are your surnames? You’re here today to adopt a child, right?"

James Grant spoke first, his tone typically noble and detached like when he faced strangers: "No need for formality, the name is Grant. Today, we’d like to see if there are any children that resonate with us."

Director Garrison nodded repeatedly, seeming very pleased, "Alright, alright — the children will wake up in a moment, and they will go to the courtyard for activities. Then you can see if there are any you like."

This sentence was like a small pebble breaking the calm surface of a lake, leaving a faint ripple that stirred a moment of discomfort in Evelyn’s heart.

Director Garrison’s words were sincere, but the last sentence sounded strange and uneasy.

What does she mean by ’if there are any you like’?

It felt less like adopting children and more like adopting cats or dogs.

Evelyn hoped she was overthinking, and after calming herself, she said with a smile: "Before coming here with my husband, we visited several welfare homes but couldn’t find a suitable match until we saw Ardendale."

As she spoke, she glanced down at the tea leaves in her cup and unexpectedly caught a whiff of the tea’s fragrance.

It was this faint scent that slightly froze Evelyn’s thoughts.

This tea seems to be top-grade Silver Needle Tea?

Doubt crossed Evelyn’s mind as she inadvertently glanced at James, then picked up the teacup to take a sip.

Noticing her gaze, James also paid attention, lowering his eyes to see the tea leaves in his cup, his brow subtly arching.

"I heard that Ardendale is a state-run public welfare organization, and we thought that adopting a child from here would mean more legitimate and comprehensive procedures." Evelyn put down the teacup, her expression unchanged as she finished speaking.

Director Garrison’s smile seemed to deepen, as she said, "Then you’ve come to the right place. The reason we appear so modest is that all the funds we receive go to the children. The children here are well taken care of, and we’re also the only welfare home in the province that only accepts children with no physical or mental defects."

James slowly withdrew his gaze from the teacup and pretended to be surprised when he heard this: "Oh? So does that mean your welfare home only takes in well-rounded children, with no special needs kids?"

Isabella Garrison nodded earnestly, her kind face deepening with a smile, and the fine lines at the corners of her eyes made her appear more approachable and even more amiable.

"It’s easier for such children to be adopted out!"

Upon hearing this, Evelyn finally confirmed the strange feeling in her heart.

There was something off about this welfare home.

At that moment, a knock sounded on the office door, and a timid voice came in.

"Director, the children are all awake."