Grandpa Caleb was standing next to the car. He lifted his face to look around the Lakeside Villa. His eagle-sharp eyes showed a great deal of firmness and discipline.
The person who got out of the car behind him was a woman over 60 years old. She was Caleb's personal nurse, Stefani Rosia.
Stefani was seen wearing a light gray coat and stepped forward to support Caleb's arm. Then she turned her gaze to look at Jean who was walking closer.
"Young Master Jean, is this the right place?" Stefani asked.
Jean nodded slightly. He pushed the gate open and stared at them calmly. "Please come in!"
*****
At the entrance, Mellisa's expression became even more nervous as the sound of their footsteps got closer. The front door of the house slowly swung open.
Jean was the first to enter the house. He immediately saw Lilia and Mellisa standing, waiting at the door. Jean raised his eyebrows, his handsome face softened a little.
"Why are you standing here?" He asked in surprise as he took turns looking at the two women.
"Waiting for you!" Lilia walked towards him while answering. She saw the people following behind Jean over his shoulder.
This was the first time she saw Caleb. Perhaps because of that man's dignified and sublime aura, coupled with his cold expression. Caleb has a dominant nature and cannot be ignored by others. Caleb's right leg was injured on the battlefield, so he limped a little.
As Caleb and Stefani stepped through the entrance, the man's eyes met Mellisa's. The expression of the daughter of the Irwan family changed, as if it reflected her conflicted heart.
Mellisa bit her lip, tears began to fill her eyes. She muttered softly, "Grandpa ..."
Her grandfather's hair looked whiter than five years ago. His walking posture was getting slower. Only his stubborn eyes were the same as before.
"Mellisa, come here and let Grandpa see you!"
That was the first sentence that Caleb uttered. The old man's voice was normally loud, but when he spoke to Mellisa, his voice was choked up.
Lilia looked at Caleb in surprise. She suddenly felt that this old general from the Mayer Family was different from everyone in the Irwan Family.
When Mellisa heard Grandpa Caleb's words, her tight lips slowly loosened up. Her tightly clenched fists hung beside her body. Mellisa started shuffling around on her crutches. She took one step towards Caleb, then she knelt without hesitation in front of the old man.
"Grandpa, sorry I made you worry!" Mellisa said aloud.
The sound of her knees hitting the floor was loud, making Lilia jump in shock. She had never seen Mellisa so touched as she was today. Even when Mellisa returned to the Irwan Family, even when her entire body was badly injured, that woman never shed tears.
But at this time, Mellisa was crying while looking at Caleb. The woman couldn't hide her mixture of joy and sorrow.
At this time, no one spoke. Caleb held a stick in one hand and placed the other trembling over Mellisa's head.
"Good girl, Grandpa is just glad you got back to us! Come on, wake up, don't kneel on the floor!" Caleb said hoarsely.
Stefani was standing next to Caleb and immediately leaned forward to help Mellisa stand up. She said softly, "Mellisa, your grandfather heard that you came back to life and insisted on rushing over here. He didn't even think about his body condition. He said he had to see you first to be relieved."
Mellisa lowered her head, her voice choked up as she said, "Grandpa, sorry I didn't come to visit you sooner before this."
The woman continued to lower her gaze, even though she was eager to see her grandfather's face again. But there was a fear in Mellisa's heart. After being betrayed and disappointed for so long, she didn't know if she could survive when her grandfather looked at her with cold eyes.
Caleb glanced at Stefani with an angry face mixed with embarrassment, then he raised his hand to pat Mellisa's shoulder.
"Well, she's not wrong," Caleb grumbled. "I heard that you were injured, is your wound serious? I brought the doctor and told them to treat your wound. How about if you show them your wound later?"
Mellisa looked up in surprise. As soon as she met her grandfather's eyes that were wet with tears, all of her fear immediately vanished. Her grandfather did not change. The old man still loved Mellisa the same as five years ago.
Mellisa shook her head with a chuckle. She took Caleb's arm to help support him. "No, these are just minor injuries. I'll be fine!"
"Okay, okay! I can see you really are the child from the Mayer Family! I know that the girl whom I have trained since childhood won't die easily!" Caleb said with a face full of pride. "A soft-hearted family like the Irwan family won't be able to understand Mellisa's good qualities!"
Caleb snorted in disgust as he said his last sentence. With Mellisa and Stefani's support, the group walked into the living room.
Lilia and Jean followed behind them. As they walked down the hallway, Lilia tugged at Jean's sleeve and whispered in his ear, "How did the Mayer Family find you?"
Jean looked at Lilia's face which was filled with curiosity. He wrapped his arms around her slender waist and pulled her closer. Then Jean said in her ear, "Aunt Stefani is Sister Irene's aunt."
Lilia was dumbfounded hearing that. The world was really small!
"I think we should walk a little faster," Jean glanced at Caleb and the others who had entered the living room. "The old man is here to see you too,"
Lilia took a moment to process Jean's words. She pointed at herself. "He's looking for me?" She repeated in surprise.
Jean didn't answer her question, but Lilia could see the seriousness in the man's eyes. The woman blinked and suppressed the suspicion in her heart. She walked into the living room side by side with Jean.
By now, Caleb was already sitting on the sofa, with Stefani by his side. Mellisa was standing not far from them. His granddaughter was seen lowering her head while trying to calm her emotions. Meanwhile, Leonard was standing by the window in a relaxed posture. But that man stole glances at Mellisa from time to time.
When he heard footsteps, Caleb lifted his face and held the stick in front of him with both hands. He didn't speak, but his dignified gaze fell on Lilia's face.
The veteran war general then observed Lilia closely. For a moment, the living room fell into a deadly silence.
Mellisa finally managed to manage her emotions. As she sensed this awkward atmosphere, she opened her mouth to speak. But Caleb got ahead of her.
"Hmph, didn't I say that Leila doesn't even reach 165 cm? So how can she be part of my Mayer Family?" Caleb snorted in disgust. "On the other hand, this girl's appearance looks almost exactly the same as Mellisa. She's also tall and slender. Who else could be born with such an ideal body except my Mayer Family members!"
Caleb's words sound like an old man bragging about his family's good genes. He used to be tough enough to work in the military, and his wife was also known for her beauty. No wonder their descendants were endowed with ideal looks.
"Good girl, come here." Caleb called.
The man's sudden words caused ripples in Lilia's heart. Deep down, she was already thinking of all kinds of greetings.. But she never expected such warm words.
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