Chapter 90: Our Honourable Guest
Thea’s heart sank. She had no chance to explain and could only apologize. "I didn’t plan to..."
Ryder hugged the box and left the study. It seemed that the box was important to him. Perhaps even more precious than his life.
Thea stood quietly for a while. Once she came to her senses, she touched her face and found it wet.
She had been crying.
Marilyn, the butler went upstairs to find her. As she didn’t see Thea in the main bedroom, she went into the study to look for her. When she finally arrived, she was startled at the sight of Thea, whose features were all clouded into a shape of despair and disappointment.
Butler Marilyn was flustered to see her in that state. She slowly approached her and said, "Miss,Young Master has already left the house."
Thea closed her eyesq.She believed he would let his guard down and show care and patience to her. She also thought that he would be the one to save her whenever she was in danger, proving that she was someone special to him.
But she misunderstood him.
Ryder’s anger transformed him into a completely different person. His calm demeanor vanished, replaced by a fierce intensity. His deep eyes, normally serene, narrowed into an icy cold glare when directed at Thea.
Butler Marilyn called out, concern etched in her voice, "Miss?" as Thea began to descend the stairs.
She forced a tight-lipped smile, attempting to reassure Butler Marilyn, before continuing downstairs.
Upon reaching the bottom, Elder Edward approached her, asking, "Thea, where is Ryder?"
Butler Marilyn intervened, "Master, the young master has gone out."
Elder Edward promptly retrieved his phone to call Ryder, but was met with a frustrating response: "The number you are dialing is not answering. Please call again later."
Elder Edward’s face reddened with annoyance. "Why isn’t that boy answering my call?" he fumed, his patience wearing thin.
"Thea, let’s go. He will come alone.." Elder Edward suggested.
"Okay, Grandpa," Thea replied, following him as they meandered through the garden, surrounded by nature’s serenity.
As they strolled, Elder Edward gestured to their surroundings, inquiring, "Have you seen the sight? Is it beautiful?"
Her gaze wandered over the lush greenery, vibrant flowers, and tranquil water features. "Yes...this place is so beautiful."
In this peaceful setting, Elder Edward’s gentle companionship and soothing conversation helped calm Thea’s earlier distress, allowing her to appreciate the garden’s beauty.
It was raining heavily.The raindrops tapped on the window, obscuring the views outside.
The skies went dark as night approached,but the road was lit up with glistening reflection of the raindrops under the headlights.
Thea leaned her head on the window, feeling torn about everything that had happened.
"What does that photo mean to him?" she wondered.
When the car returned to the Thompsons Mansion.
"Why didn’t he come home together ?"Rosie asked as they entered the hall.
Elder Edward turned around and glanced at the garage.His car wasn’t there.
"He hasn’t come home?"
"No."
The rain was getting heavier outside.
Inside Thompsons Group’s resting area on the top floor, the curtains were shut, and the surroundings were pitch black. The sound of the wind and thunder echoed in the room as Ryder sat still on the sofa.
He had a smile on his face as he studied the picture. Abruptly, he texted the picture to someone..closed his eyes while lying down on the sofa.
Ryder’s phone rang, shattering the silence. He glanced at the screen, his eyes locking onto his grandfather’s name. With a deep breath, he answered, his voice cautious.
"Hello, Grandpa."
The response was immediate and intense. "Why did you suddenly disappear?" Elder Edward’s voice boomed, a mix of anger and concern.
Ryder’s reply was brief and measured. "Grandpa, I’ve returned to the company."
Elder Edward hung up the call."What did he say?" Elizabeth asked.
"He has returned to the company." Elder Edward replied.
Thea, who had been watching the exchange, spoke up. "Aunty, it’s getting late. I should return home now."Elizabeth was standing beside her.
Elizabeth nodded in agreement. "Yes, Mr. Jack will drop you home."
As Thea prepared to leave, Elizabeth handed her an umbrella. "Here, take this. It’s raining outside."
Uncle Jack drove her home, the sound of rain pattering against the umbrella as she stepped out of the car. "Thank you for the ride, Uncle Jack. Drive safely." she stood infront of the driver’s seat, holding the umbrella Elizabeth had handed her, and spoke to Uncle Jack,who was seated behind the wheel.
Uncle Jack, still seated in the driver’s seat, looked at her with concern. "Miss Thea, you should go inside. You’ll catch a cold if you stand out here in the rain."
Thea nodded, holding the umbrella as she hurried towards her front door.
Ryder had just flipped open the document file when John Smith stepped foot into his office.
"Buddy... Brother Liam came back from abroad.Shall we have dinner today?"
Ryder nodded his head without lifting his head,his eyes glued to the words on the documents.
John lowered himself on the swivel office chair as he studied his friend’s face.John’s eyes wandered to a photo on the desk, and he picked it up, studying it intently. "Hey, isn’t this from our high school days?" he asked.
Ryder grunted a brief response, "Hmm."
"When was this taken? I don’t remember seeing this one before."
Ryder’s hands stilled, and he fell silent, his gaze fixed on the documents in front of him, his expression inscrutable.
"You don’t want to reply, fine.." John said, his tone slightly frustrated. "I won’t pester you. I’m leaving for my Tomorrow at night, I’ll send you the location of the restaurant."
With that, John got up from the chair, closed the office door behind him, and walked out, leaving Ryder alone in the room.
Later that night, Ryder arrived at the restaurant, the location of which John had sent him in a message. He pulled into the parking lot and parked his car beside John’s, taking a moment to glance at the restaurant’s exterior before getting out. As he entered, his eyes scanned the room and quickly landed on two figures sitting and chatting leisurely. John, catching sight of Ryder, turned his head and smiled wryly.
"Here comes our honorable guest.." John said, "What took you so long to get here?"
"Late night rendezvous with a mystery woman, Ryder?"
Liam’s warm greeting cut through the banter. "Long time no see, Ryder. Good to catch up."
John feigned hurt, his tone playful. "Hey,Liam, no love for me? I’m the one who suggested dinner, after all."Ryder, settling in, shifted the focus. "What made you choose this place, John?"
John’s expression turned enthusiastic. "I stumbled upon it and thought, why not? The ambiance is great, and I’ve been meaning to try it out."
"Moreover I heard this restaurant is run by a woman.Here the food which is served is tasty."John replied
Ryder was looking at his phone."Have you ordered yet?"
"Yes..."John replied.
"Liam, you are working at a University?"
"Hmm to gain some knowledge and experience."Liam replied.
"Did your father allow you to do so?"
Liam nodded his head.
Thea arrived at the restaurant, ready to assist Mrs. Evelyn as she usually did. She tied on her apron, preparing for the evening’s tasks.
Mrs. Evelyn, expertly juggling multiple dishes, turned to Thea and said, "I think we have some special guests tonight. Some wealthy young men have come in for a meal."
There were not many customers sitting today. Thea looked at the table, but couldn’t see their faces. "Here, take this to them. Careful, don’t burn yourself.."Mrs. Evelyn handed her a tray. Thea took it and carefully went to deliver the dishes.
"Your order, Sir." Thea held the tray in one hand and took the dishes from it with her other hand, putting them on the table. She didn’t look at their faces.
"Thea?" She looked up as she was about to serve the last dish from the tray. "John?" Thea was a little shocked as she found John.
"What are you doing here?"
"I help Mrs. Evelyn to run her restaurant." She replied, as she looked to find Ryder and Liam along with John.
"Good evening, Professor Liam."
"Ooh... Don’t tell me, Liam, you are working in her University." John spoke.
"Yes, I am.." Liam answered.
