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“Toph, there’s no need to go through all this trouble again.” Renee spoke, her voice filled with sincerity. She looked
into Toph’s eyes and confessed, “I am not Pamela.”
Toph’s hands trembled, almost causing the instant noodles to spill. Despite mentally preparing himself, hearing the
admission directly from Renee still came as a shock.
Renee extended her hand and continued. “Let’s get to know each other again. My name is Renee Thompson.
Thompson…”
She paused, biting her lip before continuing, “As in Melvin Thompson’s Thompson.”
A moment of silence hung in the air before Toph murmured, “So you’re indeed Melvin’s daughter.”
Renee questioned, “Indeed?”
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtToph looked up, explaining, “We always felt that you resemble him, so we made an educated guess, and it turned
out to be correct.”
Renee lowered her head, a soft smile gracing her lips. “I hope I never resemble him.”
Taking a deep breath, Toph asked, his voice tinged with concern, “Why did you both conspire to deceive Uncle
Nicholas and Aunt Linda? Do you know how desperate Aunt Linda was to see her daughter? Can you bear to
deceive them?”
Renee kept her expression neutral, avoiding eye contact with him as if it could keep them apart. Deep down, she
knew they could never truly bridge the gap between their worlds—they were clearly from two different worlds.
After a while, Renee’s soft voice broke the silence. “Toph, if… and I’m just saying ‘if’ here, if your mother had an
incurable disease, would you do anything for her?”
“Of course!”
“Then you should understand why I lied to them.”
“Renee!” Toph called out her name, surprising himself with how effortless it felt. “That’s not a reason for you to
deceive others, especially people like Uncle Nicholas and Aunt Linda. You… You deceived and hurt them. Aren’t you
afraid of the consequences?”
Renee smiled bitterly. “Toph, you said you’d do anything for your mother. Can’t you understand that I’d do anything
for my mother too?”
Toph froze, listening as she recounted the whole story.
…
Fred arrived at the cafe 15 minutes before the agreed-upon time. He was pleasantly surprised that Zuko had taken
the initiative to invite him this time. Fred had prepared coffee and pastries in advance, specifically instructing the
staff not to make them too sweet, as he had noticed that Zuko didn’t have a sweet tooth.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm
Sitting up straight, he tidied his hair and adjusted his tie, practicing a smile at the empty air as he eagerly
anticipated Zuko’s arrival.
“Ah, Mr. Hamerton, you’re here? No, that doesn’t sound right. Mr. Hamerton, would you honor me with your
presence tonight and join me for dinner?
“Mr. Hamerton, if there’s anything you need, please don’t hesitate to ask. I’ll be at your service!”
“Cough, cough!”
Suddenly, Zuko appeared behind him and couldn’t help bursting into laughter, observing his comical performance.
“I won’t pretend with you.” Zuko waved his hand. “Mr. Grist, it seems like your situation within the Grists isn’t very
pleasant, is it?”
Fred felt awkward and could only lower his head, burying his embarrassment.
Zuko narrowed his eyes. “Mr. Grist, if I had a way to let you take control of the Grist Group, would you… be willing to
make a deal with me?”
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