Ch. 2051..2060

Chapter 2051 Still Angry

Francesca glanced at her watch. “Ten minutes.” “Thank you!” Sloan followed Francesca to her car. “Mr. Lindberg sent us to protect you, Ms. Felch,” he added nervously. Francesca nodded. “Hmm. And?”

"A man in black intended to assault you two nights ago but we beat him.” Sloan spoke as if he was making a report to Sean.

“So it was you who have been helping me from the shadows! I've been wondering why it has been so peaceful lately. It appears that Chrono and his friends did not leave S Nation.” Realization dawned on Francesca.

Sloan nodded. “That's right. That is why you must be careful and watch out for your safety.”

“I will, thank you,” Francesca said. “Did Danrique not summon you back?"

"He didn't,” Sloan answered seriously. “We have been following you since the day you left and only found your whereabouts after several days of digging.”

Francesca's expression hardened. “Who asked you to investigate me? Danrique?”

“Not at all!” Sloan explained hastily. “Sean had us protect you from the shadows, but we did not know where you are, so we just—"

“All right,” Francesca interrupted him. “Your mission is complete. You may return now.”

“No, we have not received the order to return,” Sloan protested solemnly. “Besides, our mission is not complete.”

“What mission?” Francesca asked casually.

“To... protect you.” Almost letting slip something secretive, Sloan changed tact at the critical moment. “Please don't be angry with Mr. Lindberg, Ms. Felch. He seems to care for you very much.” “If he cared for me, he wouldn't have interminable ties with that Hazel.” Francesca grew angry at that thought. “If he cared for me, he would have flown to me long ago to explain instead of sending you to be his messengers.”

“No, it's not like that—"

“Enough.” Francesca did not wish to speak further with Sloan. “Bring these men back to Xendale. Stop wasting your time here.”

“Ms. Felch—"

"Get out of the car.” Francesca curtly chased him away.

Sloan did not dare to argue with her so he got off the car grumpily.

Then, Francesca added, “If Danrique asks, tell him I forced you to return. He wouldn’t blame you then.”

“Ms. Felch—"

Sloan was about to say something else but Francesca sped away, leaving him to sigh helplessly while looking at the departing silhouette of her truck.

The bodyguard beside Sloan could not resist but remark, “Didn't Sean ask you to convince Ms. Felch to apologize to Mr. Lindberg, Sloan? How come you were kicked out after saying barely two sentences?”

Sloan appeared morose. “I can fight on command, but it is exceedingly difficult for me to convince women, especially Ms. Felch.”

"Err..." The bodyguard seemed to pity him. Having learned her temper after following and protecting Francesca for a while, they knew their mission was more difficult than fighting. Francesca glanced at Sloan and his companion through her rearview mirror and felt rather frustrated.

What does it mean for Danrique to send Sloan instead of explaining himself in person? Did he do something he's not supposed to and dare not face me? Or does he not care about me at all? I suppose it is both.

Finding her anger grow the more she thought about it, Francesca made a silent vow to never speak to Danrique again.

Spurred by that thought, she added Danrique’s number to her blocked list along with Sean's.

After parking the car upon reaching home, Francesca planned to visit Lacy when Layla beckoned at her. “Lacy is asleep. See her tomorrow morning instead. Come to my room. I would like a chat with you.”

"Oh. Let me change out of these first.”

Francesca returned to her room to change into her home clothes before returning downstairs. "Has Danrique contacted you?” Layla asked bluntly as soon as she brought out the tea.

 

Chapter 2052 Guidance

"He called. We fought.” Francesca felt rather uncomfortable when she thought of their last conversation. “He did not want to apologize properly and has his men come and persuade me. There was not a shred of sincerity in him.”

"What do you plan to do?” Layla asked.

“Plan?” Francesca was stumped by the question as she never considered it.

"Over the years, I have taught you many things. The only I did not teach you was how to deal with love. I had thought that you were still young, and it was still early. Before I was ready for it, you have turned twenty-one and already dating.”

Layla felt a little regretful lately and she was determined to pass on to Francesca everything she had learned throughout her life.

“Such a matter should take its own course.” Francesca did not mind.

“You are right to let it run its course, but knowing some principles will save you from many hassles.” Layla then straightened up. “You must first know what your heart wants, Francesca. Do you like Danrique or not? Do you know for sure that you want to be with him?”

“I like him."

Francesca answered the first question without hesitation. However, she faltered at the second question.

“I have decided to be with him after mustering all my courage, but now he has unsevered ties with another woman. I have no way of being sure.”

“There are many uncertainties in the world,” Layla said gravely. “There is a saying in Zarain: God is always one step ahead of men. That is why we must learn to be strong and brave in the face of change.”

"Hmm." Francesca listened attentively, though she could not empathize at that moment as it was something she had not yet experienced.

"Whether it is about feelings or some other matter, the first thing we face is making a choice to take the right path, then trudging forward bravely.

“Instead of allowing the slightest pitfall to get in the way, you must think of a solution in the face of difficulty. At the same time, defend yourself from the threat posed by other people.

"Of course, if you are certain that the path is wrong, you must turn back before it's too late and stem the damage.”

After expounding upon some principles to Francesca, Layla paused before asking a question.

"So, have you made up your mind that you want to give up on Danrique?”

“Give up on him?” Francesca was taken aback. Though she was still angry at him, she had not thought of actually giving up.

If you won't give up, then give him a chance to explain himself or ask him in person. Don't hold it in,” Layla chided severely. “People may change. Treasure the time you have together.”

Francesca was indignant. “He has not appreciated me at all! Despite being the one bugging me to get married, he got himself tangled with another woman. He chased me away and has not given me any explanation or come to me.”

“That is his fault. You just do your part. Even if you don't end up together, you wouldn't have any regrets.” Layla smiled. “If you lose this relationship due to stubbornness, you will lament this loss when you look back upon it.”

Francesca fell silent at those words. Perhaps I should give Danrique a chance to explain and hear him out properly.

"One more thing,” Layla said solemnly. “Though I disapprove of your treatment of Prince William, you told me he is your friend you cannot leave to him die. Hence, you have my support.

"However, if you want to be with Danrique, you must keep a distance from Prince William, or things will be difficult to deal with if misunderstandings arise.”

"William and I are just friends,” Francesca explained.

“You think of him as your friend. What about him?” Layla argued. “Though I have never met him, his intention is clear when I see you return with exquisite Chanaean snacks and a bunch of flowers daily.”

 

Chapter 2053 More Than Meets The Eye

“Those flowers are all from his garden, and he only made the food because he was too free.” Francesca was still brushing it off.

“He's a fallen prince, and yet he has so many assets to his name. His parents died when he was very young, and he has health issues. Most importantly, his cousins had been trying to set him up and kill him, but he still managed to leave unscathed. Besides, he even has dealings with Lindberg Corporation. He's definitely not a simple man, all right!”

"How did you know he has dealings with Lindberg Corporation? Also, how did you know he has assets?” Francesca was confused. Have I ever brought all that up with Ms. Layla? When I got affected and got injured back then, Ms. Layla found out about the family issues William was facing. However, I don't think I've ever told her anything else.

"One of them is in Erihal, while the other one is in M Nation. Danrique is such an arrogant man, so why would these two men have any interaction with each other if they aren't working together? Besides, Prince William just casually paid you one hundred million for the medical fee, right? He's a man on the run. If he could come up with so much money, he must have a lot of assets,” Layla answered.

Upon hearing that, Francesca fell into deep thought.

“You're a smart person, and you always let your guards down with your friends. It's a good trait to have, but it could also give you trouble.” Layla advised, “Prince William is sincere toward you, so you ended up seeing him as a friend. However, he’s a man with a complicated background, so a lot of things aren’t up to him to decide. Even if he were to keep treating you sincerely, he won't be able to prevent you from getting dragged into his personal matters. Hence, you should keep a distance from him!"

“That wouldn't happen, right? We're just friends.” Francesca thought Layla was merely overthinking. “Danrique is a dangerous man as well, but he had never caused me trouble.”

“Initially, we were worried about him as well, and that was why Lincoln went to Xendale. There, he noticed that Danrique was a simple man. He took over Lindberg Corporation when he was still young, so he has a lot on his shoulders. If he were to accept the president's offer to link up with him by a marriage back then, he would be able to enjoy life now. Instead, he’s still busy trying to penetrate the Epean market.” Layla sounded like she was very impressed with Danrique.

"What? The president wanted to make alliances with him through a marriage?” Francesca was dumbfounded. “I didn't know about that.”

“The president's daughter is of the same age as Danrique, and she had always liked him. The president brought it up with Danrique personally, but Danrique rejected his offer because he already had someone else in mind. Some of the subordinates of Erihal’s president were Lincoln's friends. Hence, he found out about it shortly after he arrived in Xendale.” Layla then laughed and continued, “I guess he meant you when he said he has someone else in mind.”

“It seems like he's in great demand...” Francesca pursed her lips. Why do so many people want to marry him?

“That's not important now. The president's daughter got married early last year. She married a wealthy businessman from Dartan. What I'm trying to say is Danrique may have his shortcomings, but I know he only has you in his heart. Besides, he would rather work harder in life than compromise. That shows that he's a man with principles. Moreover, he chose to be with you and announced the marriage to the public without knowing your real identity. Doesn't that show his determination? This man is worth-"

“Is he really that good?” Francesca mumbled.

"Only you would know.” Layla rolled her eyes at Francesca before advising, “On the other hand, I hardly see a flaw in Prince William. He's perfect. He's so flawless that it makes me feel uneasy. Obviously, he has never hurt you, so I'm not going to badmouth him. Judging by how resilient he is, I feel that he’s a man who's very set in his way. It seems like he’s been willing to sacrifice everything for something he believes in. One day, you could end up being the person he sacrifices.”

q

Chapter 2054 Arrangement

"We're just friends. Why would he sacrifice me?” Francesca brushed her off. “Ms. Layla, you're overthinking. However, I'll listen to you and keep a distance from him.”

“That's good, then.” Layla nodded and urged, “From tomorrow onward, bring Anthony along when you give William treatment. Just let him follow you, and he can be just your helper. As long as there's someone else there, others will have nothing to say.”

"Okay. I understand.” Francesca agreed to it in a heartbeat.

"Also, talk it out with Danrique. Even if you want to break up with him, talk it out, and you guys can go your separate ways peacefully. If you want to get back together with him, then reconcile with him, okay? You're going to strain the relationship if you keep giving him the cold shoulder. He could be a scary man to deal with if he were to fight back. Hence, no matter what you decide to do, just patch things up so that there won't be trouble in the future,” Layla reminded again.

“All right.” Francesca pouted because she felt aggrieved. “If I knew, I shouldn't have gotten into a relationship. Before this, I could do whatever I wanted. Now, I have to watch what I do. Uh, this is really suffocating.”

"Well, you don't have a choice because your fiancé is Danrique Lindberg.” Layla laughed. “However, even without him, it's about time you learn to be more mature. After all, you're representing the orphanage. Your words and actions will have an effect on the kids.”

“I've actually been thinking about that...” Francesca then asked, “Is it possible to transfer the orphanage to you guys? I'll pull out, but I'll still give you guys money every year. That way, the orphanage won't be affected if I get into trouble.”

"You'll forever be connected to us. Transferring the ownership to us won't make a difference.” Layla ruffled Francesca’s hair and said, “You'll get worried if it gets transferred to an outsider, right? Therefore, you have to stay tough and move on.”

"All right, then. I'll go upstairs now,” Francesca answered.

"Okay." Layla's expression turned solemn as she watched her leave.

Right then, Lincoln knocked on the door and entered the room. “So? Did you tell her about it?”

“I couldn't...” Layla heaved a sigh and said, “I've watched her grow up all these years, and I've already considered her my daughter. I couldn't bear to tell her I'm leaving.”

"You don't have a choice, do you?” Lincoln felt rather sad as well. “Things aren't looking good now, so we have no choice but to leave.”

“I don't get it. We've already been under the radar for so many years. How did we get exposed again?” Layla was baffled. “Could it be that someone had exposed us on purpose?”

“I've thought about that possibility as well.” Lincoln frowned. “Could it be Chrono?”

“It's possible.” Layla was angered. “If not him, who else would have a reason to do so?”

Lincoln analyzed and uttered, “The thing is that Riz Corporation's intelligence department is comparable to the FBI. It's possible that they were investigating Francesca, so they ended up investigating us too. In order to exact his revenge on Francesca, Chrono purposely exposed our identities to our nemesis. I really can't think of any other possibilities.”

“It must've been him then.” Layla gritted her teeth and added, “If I knew this was going to happen, I should've steeled myself and killed that maniac back then.”

“There's no point in talking about that now.” Lincoln sighed. “Now, you need to quickly convince Francesca to get back together with Danrique. We need him to protect her. Otherwise, Francesca is going to be in danger after we leave.”

“I've already said so much, so I hope it worked.” Layla was still feeling uneasy about it. "However, Danrique has a bad temper, you know? I heard that he’s still messing around with a daughter from the four great families. Is he really sincere toward Francesca?”

“Well, it seems like that's the case now. Who would know what's going to happen in the future, right? We should just deal with what's in front of us now.”

At that point, Lincoln's attitude was rather optimistic. “It's unfortunate that Francesca had agreed to treat Prince William, and she can't just take off at this crucial moment. Otherwise, things will be a lot easier if she could just go to Xendale.”

Chapter 2055 Leaving

“At this moment, things are still under control. If we delay, more and more of our enemies will arrive. By then, Francesca might get dragged into it." Layla was getting worried. “With Chrono, it's already hard enough to deal with. If more of them arrive, we're doomed. Those enemies of ours aren't easy to handle.”

“Luckily for us, the orphanage and the foundation aren't under our names. Once we leave, they won't get affected.” Lincoln patted her shoulder and said, “Don’t worry, okay? Anthony will still be here after we leave. He'll take care of Francesca.”

“I'll be grateful as long as he doesn't cause more trouble.” Layla rolled her eyes. “I've already come up with an excuse to have him following Francesca around. Therefore, he won't be alone, and it'll be safer for him.”

"You're thoughtful with your arrangements, aren't you?” Lincoln smiled helplessly. “If they stay together, they can look after each other.”

“I'm thinking if we should contact Danrique ourselves.” Layla was hesitant. “Maybe we should get him to come to fetch Francesca. Otherwise, I'm still going to be worried.”

"We shouldn't do that,” Lincoln answered. “After all, Francesca isnt married to him yet, so he doesn't have the responsibility to do so. Besides, if he really cares about Francesca, he'll come here himself. We don’t need to ask him to come. If he doesn’t show up, that means he doesn't care about Francesca that much. If we were to look for him, we'll become a laughingstock. In fact, we won't be helping Francesca if we do that.”

“You're right.” Layla nodded.

"We'll leave first thing in the morning tomorrow and lure our enemies away. That way, Francesca wouldn't be in so much danger. As for Chrono and his associates, I don't think you should worry too much. I heard that Danrique had secretly asked people to protect Francesca. Furthermore, Prince William is rather capable too. With him around, nothing's going to happen to Francesca.”

“I've just told Francesca to keep a distance from William.” Layla frowned. “I think that man is dangerous.”

"Well, at least he’s okay now. Let's just take things as they come, okay?”

After going back to her room, Francesca showered and got into her bed to scroll through her phone.

She was contemplating whether to call Danrique.

With her temper, she knew she wasn't going to forgive him if he didn't take the initiative to look for her and explain himself. However, Ms. Layla is right. I shouldn't be so petulant when it comes to relationships. I should give him a chance to explain himself so that I wouldn't regret it in the future. With that in mind, Francesca rang Danrique, but she couldn't get to him.

Just like that, she got angry at him again. Fine! Danrique, you've blocked my call, haven't you? Infuriated, she texted him: Danrique, go to hell! I never want to see you again!

After checking the time, she realized that it was almost nighttime in Summerbank. Who knows? Danrique might be with Hazel now!

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. Suddenly, her phone rang, and she thought Danrique was calling her. She picked up the phone immediately and fumed, “B*stard! Why are you calling me back? Go to hell!”

After she yelled out that sentence, she was getting no response from the other end of the phone call. When she was about to hang up, she heard a gentle voice saying, “It seems like the cookies weren't good, huh? Did they make you angry?”

Francesca was stumped. “William?”

"Calm down, okay?” William's voice was so gentle and soothing. “I've made some mushroom soup for you. I'm at the café now!”

“It's already so late, though,” Francesca answered sheepishly. “I am already in bed.”

"Didn“t you say you wanted mushroom soup?” William smiled. “I've asked the others to look for the ingredients, you know? It took me two hours to make it.”

Chapter 2056 Starry Night

"Oh, I didn't mean it.” During dinner, Francesca suddenly thought about the mushroom soup Dr. Felch used to make, so she just mentioned it. She never thought William would take it so seriously and make her a bowl of mushroom soup.

“I don't know if the soup I made is better than the one Dr. Felch made.” William smiled. “Why don't you give it a taste and let me know?"

"Well..." Francesca missed the mushroom soup Dr. Felch made, so she agreed to meet him. “Okay. I'll go over now.” “I'll be waiting for you!" Francesca changed and went down quietly before driving to the café.

When she left, Lincoln and Layla were having a discussion downstairs, and they both saw Francesca going out. When they exchanged glances with each other, Layla sighed and said, “She's all grown up now, and she just won't listen.”

“I guess she’s going to see Prince William.” Lincoln was calm. “She can't go far with that lousy car.” Right then, Anthony rushed toward them anxiously. “Ms. Layla! Francesca has gone out! I'll chase after her now!”

“Come back here!”

William was already sitting by the entrance of the café when Francesca arrived

It was a starry night that night, and the moon was pretty.

“William!” With the car key in her hand, Francesca walked toward him gleefully.

“I'm sorry I woke you up.” William smiled at her. His blue eyes seemed even brighter that night. “It's all right. I wasn't asleep yet.” Francesca noticed that there were some flowers on the table. When she was little, she used to pluck the flowers at a flower field nearby Dr. Felch’s house.

Dr. Felch scolded her, but he ended up buying over the flower field. He then brought some fresh flowers to her and said, “Frances, if you want something, make sure you work for it. You can't steal, okay?”

“All right!” Francesca answered.

Dr. Felch was a man of few words. Francesca was only four back then, so she didn't quite understand what he meant.

After she grew up, she realized that she had to earn the things she wanted in life instead of stealing. "Give it a taste!” William pulled a chair for her.

Francesca sat down and saw the bow! of mushroom soup. That looks exactly like the one Dr. Felch used to make!

She was eager to taste it, so she nodded vigorously. “Yes! It's delicious, and it's very similar to the one Dr. Felch made.”

"Hal It seems like I still need to improve on it!” Propping his chin up with a hand, William looked at her with a smile on his face.

Francesca was over the moon, and she was drinking the mushroom soup so quickly that it was as if she was starving.

Somewhere nearby, Sloan and the others saw everything, and they were all frowning.

Next to Sloan, his subordinate was taking photos and sending them to Sean.

Sloan then said, “Stop sending those photos. If you keep sending them, those two aren't ever going back to each other. Also, we won't be able to go back.”

“What should we do, then?” The subordinate asked worriedly. “I want to go back to Xendale.”

"Me too."

"Me too."

Everyone wanted to head home, and none of them wanted to stay there. We're taking photos of people secretively every day like we're a bunch of paparazzi.

Right as Sloan was on the verge of losing his mind, Francesca's phone vibrated. When she saw it was Gordon calling her, she answered it unhesitatingly.

“Hello?”

“Did you block my number?” Danrique asked coldly.

"Yes. What's wrong with that?” After saying that, Francesca recalled what Layla said to her, so she composed herself and added, “Didn't you also block—"

“Your fruit tea is ready, Your Highness!” Suddenly, Robin came out with some fruit tea.

William quickly gestured for him to keep quiet, but it was already too late.

Chapter 2057 Sleeping Together

"Are you with William right now?” Danrique's tone changed immediately. Though she felt timid inwardly, Francesca decided to stick with it after glancing at William quickly. “Yeah, why?"

“You realize that the time right now on your side is one o'clock in the morning, do you?” Danrique’s voice sounded like the sharp wind in the winter through the phone. “Francesca, you blacklisted me on your phone and hung out with a man late at night. Splendid. You did well!" “That's not it, I-"

As she wanted to explain further, the phone was immediately hung up by Danrique. It happened so fast that Francesca, still holding her phone, was left dumbfounded. “Da*n it. He hung me up.”

“You just had to stir up trouble,” William sternly scolded Robin while seeing this.

“This is all my fault.” Robin hurriedly lowered his head before apologizing, “I'm deeply sorry for what happened, Ms. Felch.”

“No, this is not your problem. He's just being mean, that's all.” Francesca, however, was not bothered by what happened. “All right then, let's not be affected by him and continue our meal, shall we?"

“Frannie, you think I should give L a call and explain it to him?” William asked gently, “He must have the wrong idea after learning that you're with me when it's late at night.”

"And what if he did misinterpret something? Why do I care?” Francesca complained before she said, “He didn't explain anything about his entanglement with Hazel either.”

“Hazel's love for him is just unrequited. L doesn't even like her to begin with.” William smiled. “But I could tell that he's really into you.”

"And if he did love me so much as you said, he would be here by now. He wouldn't wait for so long.” The more Francesca thought of it, the angrier she got. “It's been nine days since I'm back in S Nation, and I still don't see any actions from him!”

“About this..."

"Forget it. That's enough. Thank you for the delicious food. Please excuse me for now,” said Francesca, who had lost all her appetite.

"Okay. You should get more rest. It's very late now.” while sitting in his wheelchair, William sent her out and said, “Since I know you're angry, I won't be saying anything else, but do give L a call once you're feeling better.”

“No. I won't!” Francesca sulked. “He can do whatever he wants, and I don't care!”

“This-"

"See you!"

With that said, Francesca sped off in her car and left.

As for William, he stayed at the same place as he watched the lady driving further away. When the car was no longer in sight, he turned around and said, “We should get going too.”

“Yes, sir.”

When Francesca got home, she parked her car outside of the compound in fear that she would wake Layla and the others. Just as she snuck into the house and was about to head upstairs, a voice she could never forget sounded behind her, “You're back.”

“Ms. Layla!”

Francesca turned around right away and looked right back at Layla timidly.

"Go and take a bath.” Layla had a pillow in her arms as she went up the stairs. “I'll be sleeping with you tonight.”

"What?" Francesca was caught off guard by what she said. Back when they were still living in the rundown house, she always struggled to fall asleep because of her fear of mice. As a result, Layla would always hug Francesca in her arms and pat Francesca to sleep.

When she got older, however, she started getting used to sleeping alone.

Besides, the house was so massive and clean that there were no more mice.

“There will be a heavy thunderstorm tonight. I'm scared.” Layla gave her a reason that definitely was not convincing at all.

"Okay..."

Francesca was a little speechless, but there was no way she could turn Layla down.

After her bath, Francesca returned to the room in her pajamas. Layla was lying on the bed with an eye mask on and the rabbit pillow in her arms.

Thinking that Layla was asleep, Francesca carefully got into the bed, only to hear Layla asking, “Are you sleepy?”

“Not really.” Francesca was startled for a second. “Ms. Layla, you're not asleep?”

“I was waiting for you.” the pitch of Layla’s voice appeared much lower than usual in the silent night. “Frannie, Mr. Lincoln, and I will be away for some time, so make sure you and Anthony take good care of yourselves.”

“You'll be away? To where? Is it about the foundations?” Francesca hurriedly asked

Chapter 2058 Before Parting

"Yes," Layla replied, “We have to be very serious when selecting the foundation. There must be no mistakes, which is why we will go together. Promise me that you'll take good care of yourselves when we're not around.”

"Okay. Got it.” The absent-minded Francesca did not dwell on this matter and asked, “So when are you coming back?”

“I can't give you an exact answer now.” Layla avoided the question and continued, “We'll be getting in touch with dozens of them, and that will take quite some time.”

“Fine.” Francesca nodded. “Anyway, there's nothing much going on in the orphanage right now, and with Lacy getting better by the day, you don't have to be too worried.”

“Frannie...” Layla mumbled. There was so much that she wanted to tell Francesca, but she found herself lost for words. In the end, she said, “You should give Danrique a call tomorrow and talk to him nicely.”

“Nope. We're through!” Francesca explained what happened to Layla and added, “Did you know how unreasonable he acted? He hung up on me before I could explain! I'm so mad!”

Layla immediately questioned Francesca, “You were the same, weren't you? You scolded Danrique and hung up on him as soon as you heard another lady's voice in the call. Then, you booked a flight and flew back to S Nation. Did you know that you were equally unreasonable back then?”

“Um...” Francesca found herself speechless upon Layla’s words.

“Now you know what it feels like to be wrongfully accused, don't you?” Layla returned her with a smile. “When you were with Prince William, you chatted and happily had a bowl of mushroom soup together. You think you are above board because you know what you're doing. Then what about Danrique? How did you know something shady is going between him and that girl?"

“That's not how it works. Hazel loves him, and she wants to marry him,” Francesca hurriedly explained herself, “William, he-"

“Then, how did you know Prince William doesn't have feelings for you?” Layla asked again, “If he did not have any feelings for you, why would he be making you mushroom soup? There's no reason for him to make you snacks and gift you flowers every day.”

The question hurled by Layla entirely left Francesca choked.

“Frannie, we must not have a double standard in any way.” Layla pointed out. “Think about it carefully. If Danrique did have something going on with that girl, he wouldn't answer that call. He could've ignored the call and pretended he didn't hear it as he was busy. If a man cheats on you, there's no way he would expose himself easily. The only reason you noticed it so easily was because it was a trap set up by someone instead of a misunderstanding. The same goes for whatever happened tonight.”

"What do you mean?” Francesca was stunned. However, it did not take her too long to get a hold of what Layla meant. “Ms. Layla, you're telling me Hazel did that on purpose? So that I'd be angry at Danrique? You're saying William also pulled the same trick on Danrique?”

"What I said are just my assumptions. They may not necessarily be the truth. However, you should learn to put yourself in Danrique’s shoes. Why can't he hang up on you when you did the same to him just because of a misunderstanding?”

Francesca was speechless.

“This is the first time the both of you fall in love, which means you're going to act childish occasionally because you lack the experience. However, if you wish to stay together, you must learn to appreciate him. Instead of keeping it to yourself, you should talk things out with him whenever there is a misunderstanding.”

Layla continued to reason with Francesca.

Meanwhile, Francesca, who was listening carefully, quickly stopped giving any response minutes later.

“Frannie. Frannie?”

Upon noticing no response coming from the young lady, Layla waved her hand right above Francesca's face, and she quickly found out that the young lady had already fallen asleep, to which Layla sighed, “This girl is hopeless!”

At the same time, little did Francesca know that those were the parting words from Layla.

She thought Layla and Mr. Lincoln would be back a couple of days later or even half a month or so, just as usual. In truth, however, it took about a few years for them to be reunited again

Chapter 2059 Reminder

When Francesca woke up the following morning, Layla was nowhere in sight. Initially, Francesca was not bothered as she thought Layla had returned to her room. However, just as she was getting changed, Anthony came barging in while he shouted, “Francesca, this is bad-"

Anthony quickly found himself choking on his word, for he ran into a half-naked Francesca. The scene had him turning around immediately, and with a nervous tone, he said, “I-1 didn't mean it!" “Remember to knock next time.” On the other hand, Francesca took her time putting on her shirt and jeans. "What happened? Why are you so nervous?”

“Ms. Layla and Mr. Lincoln are gone,” Anthony replied hurriedly, “I went to see Mr. Lincoln this morning, but he’s not around. Then there's also Ms. Layla! Both of them are gone. They both left in a jeep.”

“They have something they need to attend to.” Francesca replied casually, “Why are you acting like it's a big deal?”

“No. That's not it! The door to the armory in Mr. Lincoln was opened!”

Upon hearing this, Francesca stiffened up for a second before she put up a serious expression. "What did you say?”

At the same time, she was also walking toward the door while Anthony followed. His tone was anxious as he said, “Something is wrong with them and I'm sure of that. Mr. Lincoln gave me a morning lesson every day and acted like he was making a funeral arrangement for himself. Moreover, Ms. Layla also stopped scolding me for some reason. She even cooked a big meal for me yesterday.”

"Get to the point,” the impatient Francesca said sternly.

“I think they're gone because of something else. They might not return, or Mr. Lincoln wouldn't open the armory. It's been a long time since they lay their fingers on those weapons,” Anthony finally voiced his opinion after being reprimanded.

Meanwhile, as Anthony continued his long-winded talk, Francesca was already in Lincoln's room. The armory door was locked, but a color pattern was gone from the rainbow marking imprinted on the lock.

When Lincoln designed that armory, he once said he hoped he would never have to open it again, for that meant that they would be able to live peacefully for the rest of their lives alongside Layla. And in case there was a need to open it, he wished there would be a limit to how many times he would open it.

Hence, he made a rainbow marking and imprinted it on the armory’s lock, which signified that the door could only be opened seven times. Each time the door was opened, one of the seven color patterns from the rainbow marking would be gone.

Long ago, when they first got here, they were often harassed by the local mobs. The mobs looking for trouble had also injured the orphanage’s employees and children.

Hence, out of anger, Layla and Lincoln opened the door to the armory three times and had the local mobs entirely removed from their roots.

Later, they opened it up again during Chrono's revenge to retrieve some self-defense weapons against Chrono and his men.

By right, after all these incidents, there should be only three more color patterns on the rainbow markings, but there are just two of them right now, which means that the armory was opened once again by them the night before or in the morning.

Seeing the disappeared color from the rainbow marking and recalling everything Layla said to her, Francesca finally understood everything. She eventually learned why the straightforward and decisive Layla tried to talk sense into her and why she slept with Francesca. Those were all Layla's farewell messages.

Yet, there she was, completely unaware of anything.

In an instant, overwhelming guilt swallowed Francesca. She hurriedly dialed Layla's number, only to discover that she had already switched off her phone. Unable to reach Layla, Francesca immediately called Lincoln, and it was the same. His phone was switched off, just like Layla's.

Francesca was anxious, and she immediately grabbed the car keys from Lincoln's table. As she was about to leave to chase after Layla and Lincoln, she heard Anthony shouting, “Wait!”

"What now?” Francesca replied impatiently.

“There's a letter here.”

Anthony pulled a letter out from the bottom of a vase and delivered it to Francesca. It was a letter written to Francesca.

The young lady immediately opened the letter, filled with familiar handwriting. The words were all written with love and care, just like Layla's tone last night.

Dear Frannie, Lincoln and I are already gone when you see this letter. Many enemies are on the hunt for us now that our cover is blown. Therefore, we decided to leave before we drag you into this mess.

q

Chapter 2060 Letter

You don't have to worry about us, and please don't come looking for us. It's just the two of us now, so we shouldn't be having any problem protecting ourselves. In fact, it is you that I'm worried about. Now that you need to take care of the orphanage, you must learn how to become even more independent and stronger.

As for the foundations, you can cast this matter aside and ignore it first. Lincoln has already transferred his lifetime savings into Lovely Care's account. With the addition of your money back then, you should be able to keep the orphanage operating for some time. Frannie, you're a grown- up now, which means it is time for you to become truly independent.

I believe that even without us, you'd be able to take good care of the orphanage and yourself. As for the weapon and drugs, you must keep on crafting them and use them wisely as you need them to defend yourself. You must also practice your skills and techniques daily to keep yourself in your best form, or you will not be able to protect yourself if there's any danger.

Anthony, you cheeky rascal, I know you're reading this letter too. Remember, as the elder brother, make sure that you take good care of Frannie, the orphanage, and yourself when we're gone. Do you understand? All right. I got to go. Lincoln is urging me already. He always says that I'm long- winded, and here I thought I could keep my cool and unique traits by staying single. I've never thought I would become such a naggy old lady before you guys. Hehehe. Please don't be sad. Just look at it as if we're on a trip. If we're lucky, we'll see each other in no time!

The ending of the letter read: Love you always, Ms. Layla.

At the end of the letter, Layla even drew a smiley with some punctuation. She had imprinted her optimism onto that piece of paper and, most importantly, on Frannie’s heart.

Tears started rolling down Francesca's cheeks as she read the letter. However, instead of sobbing, Francesca smiled. “What's wrong with Ms. Layla? Acting so emotional all of a sudden. If she’s just on a trip, she'd be back in no time!”

“But I'm very worried about them.”

Unlike Francesca, who remained strong at heart, Anthony was visibly shaken. “They had the guts to charge into the gangster's headquarters and wiped them out with only a couple of guns in hand. To think that they are forced to go on the run quietly, it's obvious that the situation is very dangerous.” Francesca, however, did not say anything. Instead, she quietly locked the armory and kept Layla's letter carefully.

“Francesca, do you think we should go and look for them? They are no longer in their best form because of their age. I'm afraid that something...” Anthony asked in a worried manner.

“And I'm not worried at all? But what can we do even if we manage to find them? We'll only become a burden to them,” Francesca pretended to be sheer-willed as she continued, “Besides, what about the orphanage and the kids? What will we do about them if we're gone as well?”

“Ummm...” Anthony found himself lost for words.

“Ms. Layla left us this letter and confessed what happened so I won't be reckless when making decisions.”

What Francesca said made sense, but she said it in a sobbing voice.

Anthony, too, knew that Francesca was worried for Layla and Lincoln, but with the orphanage being her responsibility, there was no way she could push it aside. Thus, the only thing she could do was be responsible for the orphanage and move on.

Perhaps, Layla's decision to confess the truth was precisely that.

But again, if Layla did not tell them honestly, Francesca would be worried, which would cause her to try her best to unveil the truth, and that would be risky.

“All right. Cheer up, and let's get to work.” Francesca took in a deep breath before cheering herself and Anthony up. “Now that Ms. Layla and Mr. Lincoln are gone, you'll have to manage the orphanage on your own, so you'd better get going.”

“But Ms. Layla wanted me to go to William's with you.” Anthony clearly remembered his duty.

“I won't be at William's place for too long because Ms. Layla and Mr. Lincoln are not here. I'm also worried that the orphanage would become a target of Chrono and his men.” Francesca frowned. "So, do you want to come to the orphanage with me?” Anthony hurriedly asked.

“No. I can't show my face around the orphanage. At least not for now, or they'd be bold enough to make a move there, or it'd endanger the kids.” Francesca put up a serious expression as she said, “I'll be making more weapons and poison in these few days. The orphanage will be counting on you for now.”

"Got it.” Anthony nodded. “Then, I'll go and get you when you leave William's place. It is an order from Ms. Layla.”