Ch. 1181..1190

Chapter 1181

It was already nine by the time they finished their meal and left the restaurant.

As Sally mentioned that she was a little listless and wanted to get some fresh air, they aimlessly walked along the streets.

Cooper held the slender woman in his arms. "When Ninette came out of the school with her classmates, a speeding car ran over and killed her."

Upon hearing that, Sally stopped in her tracks.

She lowered her head and muttered, "I remember that when Dad brought Stefo back, Stefo wasn't even one year old. Mom took him as her own child, and she would feel upset whenever he cried. Ever since young, Dad would never lay a finger on Stefo, whereas when I bullied him, Dad would sternly reprimand me."

She added, "At that time, I still had no idea that Stefan wasn't my biological brother and even thought that Dad valued his son more than his daughter. Hence, I often complained about it to Ethan and claimed I was glad to have him care about me."

Even if Sally didn't know about Stefan's background back then, she wasn't jealous of him and treated him as her own brother.

Moreover, after Gerald got into trouble, Sally never thought Stefan had something to do with it.

Not only did Stefan hate Gerald to the bone, but he knew Sally and Cooper were looking for evidence to prove Gerald's innocence, so he got rid of Ninette in advance.

Now that Ninette was dead, Gerald would be a rapist in the eyes of the public, no matter what the truth was.

After exiting the hotel, Sally had been gritting her teeth and enduring everything, trying to convince herself that it was fine as long as she could clear the Loake family's name.

But now, she couldn't hold on anymore and burst into tears as she covered her face with her hands.

She even started choking up. "I know the country was more important than love to Ethan. I could have waited for him for ten years, twenty years. No matter how long it'd take, I'd still wait for him to marry me..." Thankfully, Ethan noticed how much she loved him and her patience in waiting for him, so he decided to return from the front lines to marry her.

However, Ethan was dead because of Stefan's jealousy.

Hearing Sally's words, Cooper said nothing, merely wrapping his arms around her. He waited until the woman was done crying and releasing her feelings before bringing her to a nearby hotel to book a room. After returning to the room, Cooper uttered, "Even though Ninette is dead, the others are still alive. I'm sure there's still evidence left, so it's just a matter of time before I can find proof. I'm a man of my word." Sally raised her head to look at Cooper. As she had cried not long ago, the corners of her eyes were red, and tears were still dangling from her lashes, which made her look weak and pitiful.

To Cooper, Sally was like a rose with thorns, appearing cold, arrogant, and indifferent.

But now, she looked so vulnerable that it pained him to see her like that.

When Cooper lifted his hand and was about to touch Sally, the latter stepped backward and turned around before taking off the coat and throwing it on the chair.

"I'm tired. I'm going to bed now."

Seeing her like that, Cooper heaved a long sigh inwardly.

After all, since Cooper saw Sally accidentally spill the food on her clothes when they were having dinner at the food stall earlier, he knew she was traumatized despite looking as if she wasn't bothered. Ever since Sally and Cooper came back, Amanda realized Sally would avoid physical contact with Cooper in a seemingly inadvertent manner.

Previously whenever I was playing in the living room, I used to see Uncle Cooper wrap his arm around Aunt Sally's waist as they watched television and chatted while cuddling. Now, even though they both are in the living room, Aunt Sally will sit on the other couch or come to help me with making dolls using modeling clay. Besides, Aunt Sally no longer sleeps in the same room as Uncle Cooper. Instead, she always sleeps with me.

While Sally went upstairs to get something, Amanda whispered in Lucian's ear, "Lucian, do you think Aunt Sally and Uncle Cooper are fighting?"

"I guess so." Lucian could also tell that something was wrong between Cooper and Sally.

After all, he was cleverer and more mature than Amanda. In addition judging from Cooper's actions in looking for a partner previously, Lucian knew there was an ulterior motive behind the marriage between Cooper and Sally.

Nevertheless, he couldn't explain the details to Amanda.

Meanwhile, Amanda recalled something and instantly puffed her cheeks. "Since Uncle Cooper is a playboy, could it be that he angered Aunt Sally because he flirted with other women outside?" Lucian answered, "Uncle Cooper isn't a playboy. He's just putting on an act."

"If he isn't a playboy, then why would he want to flirt with the pretty ladies he meets?" Amanda asked in return.

Seeing how Amanda disregarded the last sentence he mentioned, Lucian was rendered speechless.

Chapter 1182

Amanda pouted and claimed, "I think Aunt Sally is pretty good. Not only is she beautiful, but she also knows how to fight and even knows how to fly a helicopter. I don't want someone to replace her." She then queried Lucian, "What about you?"

"I don't want her to be replaced too." Although Sally bullied Mommy before, Mommy reconciled with her after that. So, I don't have to hold a grudge against her, either.

Sally appeared aloof and unapproachable, but when she knew what the kids wanted, she would try her best to satisfy them.

Therefore, Lucian liked her enough to hope she could be their aunt as well.

"I'm glad to hear that." Amanda seemed to think of a solution as she took out her phone to call Steven.

Steven had already returned to Baykeep. He had hired a professional gardening team to take care of the greenhouses Armand had previously built.

Thus, they would send a different bouquet of flowers to Swallow Garden every morning.

After Amanda told Steven about her request, she even reminded the latter not to tell Cooper about it. Steven laughed and agreed to it before he called the person in charge of the greenhouses. With that, they immediately began to prepare the fresh flowers.

Then, Amanda gave Cooper a call, coaxing him to have Ferropenian cuisine for dinner.

Cooper agreed to it.

At seven thirty in the evening, Sally brought Amanda and Lucian to the restaurant. They took their seats and had not waited for more than ten minutes when Cooper, who had just finished his work at the company, also arrived.

It was only then Cooper realized that they were the only customers in the restaurant.

He thought it was because Sally preferred some peace that she reserved the whole place, so he did not dwell on it. After taking off his coat and draping it on the chair, he took a seat.

Amanda passed Cooper the menu and said excitedly, "Uncle Cooper, the cinema has released an interesting movie today. Let's watch it after dinner!"

"Okay." Cooper rolled up the sleeves of his sweater and continued, "Since you're interested in that movie, let's watch it."

As they were the only customers in the restaurant, the dishes were served in a flash. After taking a few spoonfuls of the food, Amanda suddenly hopped off her chair and wanted to leave. Lucian tugged at her arm and whispered, "How about you switch tasks with me?"

The script Mandy prepared is too embarrassing. I'd rather dance on the stage than say that out loud.

"Sure." Amanda added, "But do you know how to play the violin?"

Lucian was rendered speechless by her question.

Amanda raised her hand to pat Lucian's shoulder before encouraging him, “Lucian, you don't want someone to replace Aunt Sally either, right? Uncle Cooper's happiness depends on us. We can do it!" As soon as she finished her sentence, she sprinted off like lightning.

Meanwhile, Cooper was worried that Amanda would fall when he saw the latter running away like a rabbit, so he asked Lucian, "What did Mandy say to you? Where is she going?"

"She said she's going to the restroom." Lucian shrugged. "She told me not to steal her ice cream."

Upon hearing that, Cooper was amused.

Not long after that, the bright lights suddenly dimmed, and a waiter came over with a large bouquet of red roses.

It was no ordinary rose, as the petals were a distinctive crimson color. The rose petals were large and wavy at the edges, like the hem of a dress, making the flower look elegant and endearing. Before the waiter arrived before them, the fragrance of roses had already filled the air.

Unlike the usual heavier rose scent, the fragrance of this rose was faint. Like a gentle breeze brushing by, it tickled the senses tantalizingly.

Lucian exaggeratedly exclaimed, "Woah! Uncle Cooper, you prepared roses for Aunt Sally? They're so beautiful!"

Meanwhile, Cooper was in a state of bewilderment. When did I ask someone to prepare the roses? Besides, I don't think Sally likes fancy things such as roses. However, this bouquet of crimson roses appears custom-made for Sally as they suit her very well.

Understanding dawned upon Cooper when he noticed Lucian wink at him. He couldn't help smiling as he took the big bouquet and handed it to Sally.

Since Lucian's performance was too exaggerated, Sally immediately realized something was amiss, but she didn't expose him.

While receiving the bouquet, the faint yet relaxing fragrance of roses made the corner of her lips curl upward slightly. "This is the first time I've received such a big bouquet of roses in this color."

Lucian hastily interjected, "Uncle Cooper can give you fresh flowers daily from today onward as long as you like it, Aunt Sally."

At that moment, melodious and romantic music rang in their ears.

Cooper turned around to see Amanda standing on the stage not far away from them, playing the violin while a pianist played the piano accompaniment for her.

"Uncle Cooper, since you've given Aunt Sally the flowers, why don't you invite Aunt Sally to have a dance with you under such a beautiful atmosphere accompanied by music?" Lucian exchanged glances with Cooper.

Chapter 1183

Amused, Cooper pushed his chair backward and rose to his feet.

He then approached Sally and slightly bent forward to invite her to dance. Sally hesitated for a moment before putting her hand in his.

Under the lights, the couple danced gracefully to the music. Needless to say, the atmosphere was utterly romantic.

"No wonder Amanda and Genevieve seldom fought. The kids are so good at romance." Sally smiled.

Cooper smiled as well and said, "Exactly. I'm an adult, but even I'm not as good as they are."

After the music ended, Amanda trotted toward them and uttered sweetly, "Although you're not wearing a gown, you still look so pretty when you dance, Aunt Sally. You're like an angel!" "Thank you." Sally patted Amanda's head and added, "You're so good with the violin, Mandy."

Amanda was proud of herself after getting praised. Seeing that Cooper and Sally were holding hands as they returned to the table, Amanda couldn't help chuckling with her mouth covered. Uncle Cooper and Aunt Sally have reconciled! I'm a genius!

Earlier on, Lucian had already contacted the movie theater and booked a room for couples. He also told the staff at the movie theater to play a romantic movie for them.

Amanda was young, but she could tell when the people around her weren't on good terms. However, she quickly dozed off in her seat minutes after the movie started playing.

Lucian was never fond of watching romance films, so he, too, fell asleep twenty minutes into the movie.

The movie only ended after midnight. Amanda and Lucian were still fast asleep, so Cooper and Sally had to carry the kids home.

Upon arriving home, Sally wiped Amanda's face and hands with a warm towel before tucking her in.

Just when she was about to go to the bathroom, she saw Cooper standing at the door.

Seeing that Cooper was keeping mum and staring at her, Sally went to close the door and asked him, "What's up?"

"You know why Amanda brought us out for dinner and a movie, right?" Cooper walked up to Sally. They were so close to each other that they could feel each other's breath on their faces. "I'll be more careful in the future." Sally was practically breathing in Cooper's breath.

He then held her face and lowered his head to kiss her. However, Sally raised her hand to cover his lips before turning her head away.

"I don't mind." Cooper knew what she was afraid of. Besides, he also knew Sally hadn't been in the mood ever since she returned. That was why he had been giving her the space she needed. In the next second, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her in.

Lowering his head, he whispered into her ear, "I've been with several women before you, and my relationships with them were all long-term. You knew about it, but you were never bothered."

"I might recall what happened that day." Sally shut her eyes and stammered, "I'm afraid I have a phobia now."

At the moment, she was even hoping that the person who took advantage of her that day was merely a stranger.

Cooper's heart ached, and he kissed the corners of her lips. While kissing her with his trembling lips, he suddenly invaded her mouth.

He was kissing her so domineeringly that she was having trouble breathing.

Right when Sally was about to shove him aside, he took a step backward and asked softly, "Do you like it when I kiss you?"

Sally only nodded after a while.

Cooper smiled faintly when he saw that. He then grabbed her leg and put it around his waist. As he was running his fingertips across her skin, he said, "I'm the one kissing you. All you need to do is remember how I make you feel."

Sally took the opportunity to place her arms on his shoulders. "What if I can't remember?"

"If once isn't enough, I can keep doing it." Cooper pressed against her body and kissed her on the lips. "I think I'm fit enough to keep you busy until the break of dawn."

Sally laughed when she heard those words.

That night, Cooper kept his word.

Not only could Sally remember how he made her feel, but the foul mood that had been troubling her for the past few days also disappeared into thin air.

Chapter 1184

When Sally went downstairs in the morning, she saw Amanda awake and having breakfast at the dining table.

"Good morning, Aunt Sally!" Amanda waved at Sally.

"Good morning."

Amanda was sizing Sally up and snickering as she was eating her sandwich.

Sally couldn't help but ask, "What's so funny?"

"It seems like you're in a good mood, Aunt Sally." Amanda nodded gleefully at Sally before continuing, "I know why you're so happy, Aunt Sally. I did good, didn't I?" Sally smiled in response and poured Amanda a glass of milk. "Where would you like to go today?"

"The zoo!" Amanda answered immediately. Excited, she exclaimed, "I heard the zoo has just brought in two tigers! I can't wait to see the ferocious tigers!" "Sure. We'll go there after breakfast."

Right then, Cooper walked down the stairs in a dark blue sweater and trousers. With a slender figure and silver thin-rimmed glasses, he looked like an elegant gentleman.

Sally glanced at Cooper and thought about what had happened earlier in the morning. His face is so deceiving! He looks frail and harmless, but he's actually the opposite! "Huh? Why are you not wearing a suit, Uncle Cooper?" Amanda looked at what Cooper was wearing and asked, "Are you not going to work today?"

"No." Cooper pulled out a chair to sit down and asked, "Didn't you say you want to go to the zoo?"

Thrilled that Cooper was going with them, Amanda started gobbling up her breakfast as she had thought Sally was bringing them to the zoo on her own. Sally then poured a glass of coffee and served it to Cooper.

Just as she started eating her pancake, she received a text on her phone.

Sally leaned toward the phone and read the text. After that, she turned toward Cooper and said, "Frank just texted me. He's arriving in Jadeborough at around ten."

Cooper knew who that was. That's Patrick's brother, no? Now that the mafias in Lostaria have been wiped out, Frank is no longer needed to work undercover. I guess he's coming to Jadeborough for Patrick. Cooper glanced at the kids and said, "It seems like we're no longer going to the zoo today."

"I can bring them while you meet up with Frank." Sally didn't know Frank well, so she didn't have much to talk to him about.

Although the adults were conversing softly, Lucian overheard the conversation. After all, they were sitting at the same dining table.

Upon hearing what was said between the adults, Lucian uttered, "The weather isn't great today, and it's going to rain in the afternoon. We can go to the zoo tomorrow."

"Is it really going to rain?" Amanda turned toward Lucian.

"Why would I lie to you?" Lucian showed Amanda the weather forecast and continued, "When it rains, the animals in the zoo are all going to hide. You'll only get to see the swans when it rains." Amanda didn't feel like going to the zoo anymore after hearing those words.

Frank was coming to Jadeborough alone, so Sally wanted to fetch him at the airport. However, Cooper wanted to tag along.

He told Sally to sit in the passenger seat because he wanted to drive her.

In response, Sally shot him a glance and uttered in an icy tone, "I can drive faster than you. We'll arrive at the airport within an hour."

"What's the hurry? He's only arriving at ten," Cooper replied.

Sally only understood why Cooper wanted to drive after she opened the door to see a cushion on the passenger seat.

Sally knew he was being attentive, but she still felt embarrassed. "I'm not that frail."

"I know, but you're still a woman," Cooper answered. He then leaned forward to fasten Sally's seatbelt for her after she got into the car. "You'll be my female companion today." The musky cologne on his sweater was rather alluring.

When Sally caught a whiff of the cologne, she couldn't help wrapping her arms around him and kissing his neck.

She had always been one to be able to suppress her desire, even when she was in bed with Cooper. That morning, however, she lost her self-control.

Chapter 1185

Her lips were soft and cool, causing Cooper to feel a tingling sensation on his neck. In response, he lowered his head to kiss her on the lips.

Cooper only retreated after some time. While pressing his nose against hers, he said with hooded eyes, "We've only gotten out of bed, and you're already seducing me. Do you wish to die?" Sally then smiled, adjusted his glasses for him, and said, "I was just trying to get some warmth from your lips."

"You're good at making inferences by analogy, aren't you?" Cooper smiled and sat in the car.

As they were on their way to the airport, Sally told Cooper about the footage Lucian had found.

Cooper knew Sean was most probably following Eurydice's orders. However, the footage wasn't sufficient to prove Sean was involved in Edward's death.

While looking at the road ahead, Cooper uttered flatly, "Josephine doesn't have anyone to back her up now that Edward is dead, right?"

Sally immediately understood what Cooper meant. We can't do anything to Sean, but if Josephine finds out who killed her father, her next course of action is going to benefit us.

More than an hour later, they arrived at the airport and waited for Frank outside the car.

Soon, Frank, who was dressed in a sweater and a pair of cargo pants, walked out from the airport with a stern expression. He then strode toward Sally when he saw her standing by the side of the road. Sally introduced Cooper to Frank by saying, "This is Cooper Sutton, Genevieve's older brother."

Cooper shook hands with Frank after the introduction.

Apart from looking for Sally, Frank had also come to Jadeborough to look for Patrick. Therefore, Cooper drove him to the cemetery right after they left the airport.

Frank stood before Patrick's grave and saw the black-and-white photo of the man, who looked identical to himself, smiling brightly.

Ever since Frank saw the scheduled e-mail from Genevieve, he stopped hating her.

When Frank's mother was killed by the mafia, he thought his younger brother had died as well. That was why he never searched for Patrick throughout the past decade. Patrick grew up independently. It was his choice to die for someone he loved. That's not something I can meddle in.

Frank stood in front of the grave for an hour, and Sally and Cooper merely let the man be.

Once Frank was ready to leave the cemetery, Cooper drove him back to Swallow Garden. The moment Frank entered the house, Amanda was staring at him with her big and round eyes.

After a long while, Amanda finally recalled something, and she pointed at Frank excitedly. "I've seen you before! You're Mr. Furdour! Wait... Something's wrong here." She frowned in confusion and muttered, "Aren't you dead? I even went to see you with Mommy. How did you come back to life?"

Upon hearing that, Cooper couldn't help but chuckle and say, "He's Mr. Furdour, but he's actually Patrick's brother, Frank Furdour."

"Oh! No wonder you look so similar to Mr. Furdour." Amanda finally understood what was going on.

After greeting Frank sweetly, Amanda gave him an orange. Frank's tense expression softened when he saw how cute Amanda was.

Cooper and Frank then went to the study while Sally went to pour a few cups of coffee before joining them.

With Sally in the study, Frank took out a photo of a man from his pocket and put it on the table. The photo was secretly taken through a glass window, but the man's purple eyes were so atypical that Cooper could recognize him at a glance.

Cooper's pupils constricted as he asked anxiously, "Isn't that Zephyr? He's alive?"

"Yes," Frank answered in a solemn tone. "A few days ago, someone from Mysonna sent me this photo. The Carlo family is back, and they have already involved themselves in the entertainment and gambling industries there. Besides, they have a good relationship with the local government."

Frank had worked undercover closely with Alston for almost a decade, so he had interacted with Zephyr frequently.

Among the younger generation of the mafia in Lostaria, Zephyr was the most talented and had the best leadership qualities. He was also a cautious man.

In fact, not even his closest allies could catch him off guard and assassinate him.

Although Frank managed to wipe out the top three mafias in the end, he could tell something was amiss because he knew how smart and sly Zephyr was. Hence, he had a feeling Zephyr was still alive. His suspicion was confirmed when he received the photo sent from Mysonna.

Chapter 1186

"Genevieve told me where the Carlo family hid the gold, but I couldn't deal with it. Hence, I left it to the police. However, the police force was robbed when they were bringing the gold away from the church. When I found out that the gold and diamonds were stolen, I knew there was a mole among the higher-ups in the police force," Frank added. "Based on how things are looking at the moment, it seems like one of the higher-ups is working for Zephyr."

With that being said, Frank had trouble finding out who it was because the mole was well-hidden.

"Does that mean Armand and Genev might still be alive?" Cooper asked because he wasn't interested in finding out who the mole was. Zephyr was also on the ship. Since he's still alive, Genev could've also escaped death.

Frank fell silent for a few seconds before saying in a deep voice, "It's possible that Zephyr was tipped off, so he managed to escape before everyone else. The blast radius was huge, and although we were a distance away from the ship in our speedboat, we were almost flipped over by the shockwaves. Therefore, their chances of survival are slim."

As soon as those words fell, Cooper's heart sank in despair. That's right. If Armand and Genev were still alive, we would've heard from them by now.

Cooper suddenly turned toward Sally and asked anxiously, "On New Year's Eve, you asked me a question out of the blue. Was that because you thought there was a possibility Armand and Genev could still be alive?"

"That could be it. Armand is a smart man, a genius," Cooper mumbled to himself. When Genev was injected with emotional inhibitors back then, Armand unhesitatingly feigned death in order to pursue her. At that time, everyone, including me, believed it. I only knew it was Armand's scheme when I sensed something was amiss later. Armand was so in love with Genev, and he was determined to be with her until the end of time. Besides, they had two children together. There's no way he would die with Genev so soon. He must've had a backup plan.

"I was just guessing," Sally responded.

As Frank said, the blast radius was huge, so it was very likely everyone on the ship had perished. That was why she decided to keep it from Cooper back then. However, her speculation ignited Cooper's hope.

Cradling Sally's face, he kissed her. "As long as they're still alive, everything will be fine," he said with a smile. If that's the case, I can stop living every day anxiously. Heck, I can even stop figuring out ways to reply to Mandy whenever she asks where her parents are.

As Cooper was saying that, Frank was sipping his coffee silently while leaning on the desk.

Frank waited until Cooper and Sally were done talking before saying, "Apart from telling you guys Zephyr is still alive, there's another reason for my visit. I received news saying that Zephyr's men are now in Chanaea. He seems to have good relationships with the officials here. Hence, he's most probably going to build his business empires in some of the major cities here."

Zephyr knew about the strict policies Chanaea had against drugs.

However, he wasn't only good at dealing drugs and operating gambling dens. In fact, he would get involved in anything that could make money. After all, he was an ambitious and smart businessman. In response, Cooper narrowed his eyes and uttered, "It seems like Zephyr knows a lot of the people in the upper-class society in Chanaea."

Right then, Cooper seemed to have thought about something, but the thought merely flashed across his mind for a second. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remember what it was about. Frank hummed in response and asked Sally, "Are you busy lately?"

"She has her hands full. She needs to babysit." Cooper knew what Frank was up to. With a darkened expression, he added, "You guys are the ones after the mafias, and you guys are also at fault for losing Zephyr. She's neither your subordinate nor your agent. You can't just expect her to serve you."

Not only was Sally a good fighter, but she was also a woman. Generally, she would be more undetectable. That was why Frank wanted her help.

Back then, the Carlo family killed Frank's mother. If not for the fact that Genevieve was related to Zephyr, he would've hated Zephyr to the bone. Furthermore, he wouldn't have come to Chanaea.

Since Frank was determined to wipe out all the mafias in Lostaria, he was keen to not let a single one of them loose.

Sally shot Cooper a glance before saying flatly to Frank, "I have my hands full, so I can't help you. However, I'll keep an eye out."

"If I see Zephyr here, I'll strike him down," Sally added.

"Thank you." Frank nodded.

Chapter 1187

The trio had a long discussion in the study until Amanda knocked on the door to call them for lunch. They finally ended their conversation and went downstairs.

During lunch, Amanda kept scooping food onto Frank's plate. "Mr. Furdour, why don't you stay here?" she asked abruptly.

Frank looked up from his plate at Amanda. He had no intention to stay in Chanaea any longer now that he had checked on Patrick.

However, before he could get the words out of his mouth, Amanda interrupted, "My mommy is also recovering overseas. I'm sure she doesn't know Mr. Furdour has a brother in you. Why don't you spend a few more days here? Mommy will surely praise me for the warm hospitality I give you when she's back."

Cooper added, "Stay in Jadeborough for a couple more days if you don't have anything urgent. I already gave Steven a call, and he'll be over tomorrow."

"Okay." Frank didn't decline their offer as he wanted to personally give his thanks to the person who raised Patrick.

Amanda was serious when she said she wanted to give Frank a warm reception. After lunch, she suggested taking him around Jadeborough and declined Cooper's offer to tag along, claiming Lucian and her were enough.

Before leaving, she whirled around and sneakily whispered to Cooper, "Uncle Cooper, I can only help you with this much. The rest is up to you. Good luck!"

Cooper was dumbfounded by her actions when he finally realized what she was up to.

Frank had excellent combat skills since he was in the police force, so Cooper wasn't the least bit worried about him being with the kids. Putting on his coat, Cooper took Sally out. Sally asked confusedly, "Where are we going?"

Instead of answering, Cooper questioned, "Which place haven't you visited yet? Have you been to the flower and bird market? Or do you want to go singing? Or maybe the aquarium?" The two walked side by side toward the garage.

Sally was stunned by his invitation before she belatedly realized he was trying to ask her out on a date. "Are you asking me out on a date?"

Cooper pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and replied, "I've never been on a date before, if you count having a meal together as one." Sally turned to look at him. "Aren't you good at giving flowers?"

"So you do know how to be sarcastic, Ms. Loake." The corners of Cooper's lips curled into a smile before he continued, "You were the one who asked me which flower I should give to Ms. Yerton, and I merely answered your question."

When they reached the garage, he walked over to a sports car and opened the passenger seat door for her. "Work never ends, but we should take the chance to relax whenever we can. You can also consider this as me asking you out on a date."

"Let's go to the aquarium." He stood by the opened door with an arched brow. "Will you do me the honor?"

Sally's lips curved into a smile before she walked past him and rounded the car to the driver seat.

Sally had no interest in places like aquariums and zoos. She thought those places were a waste of time.

Yet, as she strolled along the underwater tunnel of the aquarium, she came face to face with rare, beautiful fishes, turtles, and sharks. She felt as though she was walking on the ocean floor with only a glass wall separating her from the aquatic animals. The view was stunning.

Watching the fishes gliding through the water, a wonderful feeling welled up within Sally. She realized places like the aquarium weren't a waste of time after all.

She stopped in her tracks, and Cooper halted beside her. "There are many joys in life, and you should experience every single one of them yourself."

Sally glanced at him. "Do I look like someone whose heart needs healing?"

"Nope." Cooper laughed.

It was then he caught sight of the hickey on her fair neck. It reminded him of how passionate he had been last night. The combination of his intense kisses against her fair skin accentuated the marks. When he stroked the hickey with a light touch, a sense of gratification filled him.

The skin of his fingers was calloused, causing Sally to feel ticklish and slap his hand away. At that moment, an elderly man wearing a cap with a child in tow walked up to them. "Would you like your future to be read, sir?"

Cooper was baffled at how swindlers could bypass security and enter the aquarium.

As if he could see through Cooper's thoughts, the elderly man explained sheepishly, "I don't normally offer my fortune-telling service to others, but my granddaughter wants to buy some fish, and I don't have enough money."

Cooper asked teasingly, "If you can read fortunes, then why couldn't you predict yourself lacking the money to buy fish?"

Chapter 1188

The elder waved his hand. "Fortune-telling can only tell you the gist of one's fate. It can't read every detail of your future. We're part of a materialistic society now which denies the existence of immaterial things anyway."

Cooper chuckled at the elder's contradicting words. "Why do you think I'll take up your offer then?"

The elderly man replied, "Because you have some truths to discern."

The elder's answer stopped Cooper from leaving with Sally. "I have someone important who is very far away from me. I want to know if she and her lover are alive?"

The elder asked for the woman's birthday. A few minutes later, he said, "Old friends will meet again someday."

Cooper had always considered Armand intelligent. He was sure Armand must have survived the explosion with Genevieve. Despite his certainty and confidence in Armand's capabilities, relief still washed over him at the elder's words.

Time is something I have in abundance. I'm confident I can wait until the day arrives when we finally reunite.

Cooper pulled out his wallet and gave the elder every banknote in there. Yet, the elder merely took two pieces.

"I charge fifty per person, so taking two hundred is more than enough." A glint flashed across the elder's eyes when his gaze swept past Sally.

He asked Cooper, "Should I read the marriage fortune between you two?"

Cooper nearly burst out laughing.

He and Sally weren't a real married couple, so there wasn't any marriage fortune between them in the first place. He was sure the elder was a swindler, albeit a swindler who didn't cheat a lot of money. However, Cooper decided to play along since the elderly man had said some nice things to reassure him earlier.

After getting the two's date of birth, the elder studied their features. "From your looks, you're a rare fated couple. Even though neither of you expressed your feelings, the other party understood them. Your minds are in sync. Alas..." The elder shook his head as he trailed off. After pausing for a beat, he continued, "You're just soulmates."

Cooper didn't feel any pity. Instead, he chuckled. "Looks like it's true when you said you were a fortune teller."

Despite Sally and him not being an actual couple, they knew what the other was thinking. She was like a missing piece of his body. Wasn't that proof enough that they were soulmates?

The elder left with his granddaughter after he told Cooper's and Sally's fortunes.

Cooper vaguely noted Sally was in a bad mood when they continued their tour around the aquarium.

He recalled the elder's comment about how they were a rare fated couple and assumed that was the cause of Sally's worries. "You don't have to give a thought to what the old man said. If fortune-telling is so accurate, then why doesn't everyone go and have their marriage fortune told? There will be fewer couples at City Hall filing for divorce in that case."

Sally merely grunted an acknowledgment and said impassively, "I didn't take his words to heart."

She was aware of their relationship. Her mind was rational and clear-headed, but hearing they were only soulmates had inexplicably rubbed her the wrong way. Her initially relaxed and calm feelings turned turbulent.

After the fortune-telling interlude, Sally had an indifferent expression throughout the remaining tour around the aquarium. She didn't speak much either.

It wasn't out of the norm for her. Cooper was used to her being quiet, so he didn't give it much thought.

Seeing as it was still early after leaving the aquarium, he asked if Sally would like to go shopping, but she didn't enjoy shopping for clothes and bags.

Cooper rubbed his throbbing temple and finally drove Sally to the flower and bird market. They bought a few tortoises for Amanda so the child wouldn't feel bored at home.

Since it was an off day and the market was one of the larger scale markets in Jadeborough, the place was packed.

When they were about to leave with the tortoises, Cooper spotted a flower shop having a sales campaign with a cool-looking purple teddy bear and a bouquet of roses as the prize. Cooper stopped in his tracks when he saw the prize. "That teddy bear looks like you."

Chapter 1189

Sally followed his line of sight, and her gaze landed on the teddy bear before darting back to Cooper. Her features scrunched up with annoyance as though she wanted to scold him, but she appeared too lazy to do so.

With a chuckle, Cooper said, "You look even more alike now."

Sally didn't respond to his teasing.

Cooper reached for her hand and led her to the flower shop. "Let's go and have a look. We came out to have fun anyway."

The sales campaign was held to attract customers and increase the shop's sales, so the games weren't challenging. A majority of customers could easily win them.

When Cooper and Sally made it to the final challenge, only six couples were left.

However, the last challenge was slightly more difficult. The men would have to kiss their significant others as they carried them.

The couple that could hold out until the end would walk away with the prize.

Sally didn't mind intimacy in their private moments but disliked showing affection under the scrutiny of the public.

She wanted to get Cooper to leave, but he was already casually rolling up his sleeves. He took off his glasses and slid them into his pocket. Without the lens obscuring his eyes, he looked gentler. Cooper coaxed, "Come on. This is the last challenge already. It'll be such a waste to walk away now."

Cooper was a businessman, and throughout his career, he had never left in the midst of a contract signing.

Before Sally could react, the challenge had started.

Cooper hunched down and slid an arm beneath Sally's knees, easily swooping her into his arms.

Sally's nose brushed the collar of his sweater and caught a waft of his faint yet delicious scent. Once again, she spotted the faint hickey on his neck.

Before embarrassment flooded her, Cooper's voice interrupted her thought. "You're much lighter than before." Even though he didn't carry her much, he still noticed the change in her weight. He then said, "I'll have Melissa make some mushroom soup later."

Sally stayed silent.

The other couples started kissing. When the flower shop manager saw Cooper was still dilly-dallying, she joked that Cooper and Sally would lose if they didn't start kissing soon.

Cooper lowered his head to Sally. She could feel his breaths tickling her forehead. "Do you want to kiss me, or should I do it?"

"I'm not choosing from those two options," she refused coolly.

Cooper ignored her rejection and warned, "If I kiss you, I might not be able to control myself and end the challenge earlier."

"That teddy bear is pretty cute, and we're already here. It'll be a pity if we don't take it back with us." His gaze roamed Sally's face before he stated, "I'll kiss you if you still refuse to move."

With that said, he moved as though he was about to kiss her. Sally immediately threw her arms around his neck and raised her head to meet his lips. Her eyes were closed, but her quivering lashes betrayed her nervousness.

Soon, a couple threw in the towel as fatigue took over.

Following the first couple, several more gave up soon after. The prize was merely a teddy bear which didn't cost much. It wasn't much of a motivation for other contestants to put in all their effort.

Five minutes later, another couple gave up, and Cooper and Sally were the winners.

When the flower shop manager passed the teddy bear and roses to Cooper, she praised, "The two of you must love each other very much for being so into the kiss."

Sally kept quiet, but her ears were flushed from having the public's eyes on her during an intimate moment.

Seeing the tinge of pink on her tiny earlobes, Cooper teased, "I thought you didn't know what embarrassment was, Ms. Loake."

Then, he handed the teddy bear to Sally. "Here, your prize."

Sally studied the teddy bear but couldn't see the similarities between it and her. "I'm not a child. I don't like fluffy toys like this," she said indifferently.

Cooper put the tortoises in the trunk and flashed her a smile. "Then, be a child just for today."

He might've blurted it nonchalantly just to coax Sally, but those words were like a rock thrown into a calm pool. It elicited ripples in her heart and destroyed her calm. An indescribable feeling surged within her.

Chapter 1190

Just then, Sally's phone rang, distracting her from that emotion.

It was a call from Robert.

Although Robert had yet to be reinstated into his position, given his experience and impending reinstatement to his original post, several people were already trying to get into his good books.

In a few days, Andy Jennings' mother, Margaret, would be celebrating her seventieth birthday. He planned to help his mother throw a celebration party and invite friends over. Robert called Sally because he had been invited by Andy.

After the phone call, Sally explained to Cooper, "Mr. Jennings is in charge of the department overseeing the country's administrative justice. He's powerful, highly regarded, and someone Mr. Gaudette is trying to win over. If Mr. Jennings supports Mr. Gaudette, Mr. Gaudette's position would be quite secured, and he need not worry about the votes."

However, it was also precisely because Andy had yet to show support, and thus, the Gaudettes had no ally in the Ministry of Justice. Otherwise, the punishment for Robert and Gerald would not have been merely jail time.

Cooper narrowed his eyes. "Say, do you think Mr. Jennings is inviting his friends for dinner to celebrate his mother's birthday, or does he have other motives?"

"Hmm, I don't remember him holding any celebrations when his mother turned fifty and sixty. But to hold one suddenly this year?" Sally tilted her head to look at Cooper with a grim expression.

It seemed like Andy was aware of the Gaudettes' tactics.

Hence, Sally had a feeling that Andy was unlikely to reject the Gaudettes' request for an alliance this time for his safety's sake.

The birthday celebration was held at a private dining restaurant in Jadeborough three days later.

Andy's mother was a native of Jadeborough. Therefore, he specifically picked this restaurant, which specialized in Jadeborough cuisine, and its location was discreet enough to hold his mother's birthday celebration.

The restaurant's exterior looked ordinary, but the interior consisted of small private rooms and a banquet hall that could accommodate more than fifty persons.

Several guests had gathered in the banquet hall when Cooper and Sally arrived.

The majority of them were from the military or political circles.

Sally was dressed casually as usual, with a black turtleneck sweater and woolen coat. The pairing made her look tall and slender.

Despite not applying any lipstick, Sally looked stunning nonetheless.

With a black coat of the same design as Sally's, it appeared like Cooper was wearing matching outfits with her.

It was an open secret that Robert was on good terms with Gerald. Rumor had it that Sally had a big part to play in getting Robert acquitted of his charges.

Given her identity as a former commander's daughter, people did not find it strange to see Sally there.

However, her act of bringing a male partner raised eyebrows among the guests.

Sally had never been bothered by other people's opinions. After saying hello to Robert, she brought Cooper to greet Margaret.

Beatrix, whose family worked closely with the Gaudette family, also attended the celebration.

Given that Beatrix was distantly related to Eurydice, and her family was relatively well-to-do, she quickly befriended the other wealthy heiresses of high social backgrounds.

While they were happily chatting, someone blurted, "Sally is here too."

In the past, this group of heiresses was jealous of Sally. Both her father and her partner's father were high-ranking officials. Furthermore, she was intelligent and pretty with a seemingly perfect life. Whenever they met Sally at similar gatherings, they would feel inferior and even dared not look her in the eye when talking to her.

However, Sally had lost everything now.

Josephine and the other heiresses felt good to witness the fall of the Loake family. Their statuses were finally elevated, and they no longer felt inferior in front of Sally.

Seeing the heiresses mocking Sally, Beatrix also wanted to join in to please them.

She had not forgotten the humiliation Sally made her suffer at the shopping mall back then.

As Sally walked toward them, Beatrix stepped forward and blocked her path. "Sally, you brought Mr. Sutton with you?"

Sally had no choice but to pause in her tracks.