?Chapter 405:


    Once his hands were clean, Averi hurried back to the table, grabbed a fork, and eagerly took a bite of the zed chicken.


    “Mmm! So delicious!” Averi mumbled through his bites.


    Sadie smiled warmly, watching her son eat with such gusto, her heart brimming with happiness and contentment.


    “Mom, why doesn’t Mr. Wall join us for dinner today?” Averi suddenly asked, his voice tinged with curiosity.


    Sadie’s smile wavered slightly, her grip on her fork tightening.


    She paused, unsure how to exin Mr. Wall’s absence.


    The atmosphere at the table shifted subtly.


    Noticing the change, Breck discreetly exited, giving mother and son some privacy.


    Sadie took a deep breath, striving to sound casual.


    “He has important work at hispany today, so he couldn’t make it for dinner.”


    “Oh.” Averi nodded, his understanding apparent, and he returned his focus to his meal.


    Sadie observed her thoughtful son, feeling a twinge of sadness in her heart.


    As the night deepened, the estate quieted down.


    Lying in her bed, Sadie drifted in and out of sleep.


    Moonlight streamed through the curtains, casting soft shadows across the room.


    Suddenly, the piercing ring of the phone broke the silence, startling Sadie awake.


    She reached for her phone, noting it was from Wall Manor’sndline.


    “Hello?” she answered, her voice still coated with sleepiness.


    g?lnσν????s, the heart of storytelling


    “Good evening, Mrs. Wall. This is Gabriel from Wall Manor,” the voice on the other end said respectfully. “Mr. Nigel Wall would like to invite you to lunch at Cloudridge Estate next Monday.”


    Perched on the city’s edge, Cloudridge Estate belonged to the Wall family. Nestled against the mountains, it offered tranquility and breathtaking scenery. A faint unease began to stir within Sadie’s heart.


    She responded withposure, “Got it. Please inform Nigel that I will arrive on time.”


    “Very well,” said Gabriel, then disconnected the call.


    cing her phone down, Sadie inhaled deeply.


    The unexpected invite from Nigel threw her for a loop, filling her with a tension she couldn’t quite shake.


    Turning her gaze, she saw Averi, whoy peacefully sleeping next to her, his features rxed into a contented smile.


    Her hand gently stroked his cheek, and warmth flooded her heart.


    “I love you, Averi,” she whispered, as though to reinforce her resolve.


    Seeing that Averi was deep in sleep, Sadie rose and made her way to the study.


    Dim light washed over the desk, highlighting the fatigue on her face.


    Opening herptop, she started working.


    As minutes morphed into hours, Sadie remained absorbed in her tasks, seeking to alleviate her difort through diligence.


    Frustration mounting, she stood and went to fetch a ss of water.


    identally, her hand brushed a file folder on the desk’s edge.


    As the folder tumbled to the floor, papers flew out.


    As she kneeled to gather the papers, her eyesnded on a photo.


    Disyed was a ck sedan, its license te indistinct. A crease formed on her brow, suspicion stirring within her.


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