The next day, Julian took a flight to Yarrowmere. An emergency came up at thepany. So, the presents Mnie prepared were left in the vi for days. He didn’t have the chance to bring them to the Chapman residence.

    Julian leaned on the chair in the CEO’s office in Neb Group’s branch at Yarrowmere and rubbed his eyebrows gently. Esther opened the door, came in, and ced a stack of documents on his work desk. Her voice was soft when she spoke.

    “Mr. Ziegler, please sign these.”

    Julian opened them and started signing. He asked casually, “I dont have any business functions tonight, do I?”

    Esther shook her head. “Everything has been ounted for at all ces. There’s an opening ceremony of an art festival this Saturday. As the special guest, you have to give a speech on stage.”

    Julian nodded slightly in response. Events like these were organized because the municipality needed to pull in some funding. Thepany paid for it, and he was just there to keep up appearances.

    Once he was done signing, he closed the documents and said, “You’re going to the Chapman residence with meter.”

    Esther immediately understood what he was hinting at. “The presents are in the vi. After we get off workb, /bI’ll go back there with you first.”

    Julian hummed in response.

    It started drizzling in the evening. After a while, it still didn’t let up, making it a poor choice to visit anyone.

    He stood in front of the floor–to–ceiling window and stared at the overcast weather for a good while. Then, he told Esther to go

    back to the hotel first.

    Once the sky had turnedpletely dark, Julian drove to the vi by himself in the dark of the night. He sat in the car, looked out the window, and gazed into the pitch ck.

    The glistening drops of water reflected the faint glow of the neon lights in the city, entuating the lean contours of his face.

    He pulled out a cigarette and put it between his lips. Then, he lit it and smoked leisurely. His arms rose and fell as he took several puffs, tracing the air with the lit end of his cigarette.

    A ck limousine was on the nextne with its window in the backseat lowered halfway, revealing ady with delicate, fair, cheeks. She was checking her surroundings anxiously.

    It was Willow.

    Her maid had taken Snowy out on a stroll earlier in the afternoon and identally lost it. She had put out a reward advertisement and searched for it for a whole day, but she just couldn’t find it, no matter what.

    At that moment, Willow was less than three feet from Julian. If he had tilted his head a little, he would’ve seen her and her bulging belly. s, he didn’t. His striking features were enshrouded by a gray cloud of smoke, and he was nking out.

    The traffic light turned green, and all the cars started moving, Julian stepped on the gas pedal and brushed past Willow in the rainy night.

    Behind him, she leaned on the window and called out to Snowy. Her voice was gradually drowned out by the pitter–patter of rainfallb, /band the distance between her and Julian grew greater and greater.

    Half an hourter, Julian’s car pulled into the vi slowly. The car door swung open, and a maid came over with an umbre. He frowned as he stepped out of the car.

    “Why do I hear barking? Who kept a dog?”

    The maid immediately exined, “A dog with white fur ran into our garden in the afternoonb, /band it was covered in dirt from head to toe. At first, we didn’t recognize it and chased it away, but wouldn’t leave. In fact, it even wagged its tail at us.

    “Then, we took a closer look at it and realized it was actually the same dog you kept, Mr. Ziegler. How did ite all the way to Yarrowmere?”

    Julian was immediately stunned. He asked hastily, “Where is it?”

    The maid pointed at the main hall. “It’s right in there! It refused to let us bathe it. Had some meat and water. It’s licking its own paw while lying in the doghouse as we speak. I wonder if it’s waiting for you toe home, Mr. Ziegler.”

    Julian walked briskly, entered the vi, and made his way to the main hall. Snowy sniffed the air. Then, it immediately rose to its feet and shook the mud off. With a loud howl, he took off and approached him.

    The filthy dog ran around him in circles intimately. Raising its head, it looked at him, its gaze filled with love and fondness.