Brian only allowed Molly to go out because he knew that she would be going to the concert with Shirley
tonight. The concert would be over by 10:00 p.m., so Molly would be back home before 11:00.
Eric smirked. He knew how wise and crafty Brian was. He really liked to keep everything under his
control.
But lately, Brian also seemed to allow Molly to do more and more things her way. Eric wondered how
Brian would treat Molly and Becky after Becky's return.
Eric was a bit envious as he thought about it. When he entered the study, Brian was on the phone with
someone.
"When will you come over?" Brian asked the person on the other end. He wore a relaxed, sly
expression on his face. Those who knew Brian well knew that he only showed such expression when
he talked to his family.
Eric sat down in the chair opposite to Brian, his legs crossed. He picked up a pen from the desk and
fiddled with it. Without saying anything, he waited for Brian to hang up the call.
When Brian was done, Eric asked,"When is Uncle Richie coming over?" He was certain that it was
Brian's father who had called him.
"After Shirley comes back from the concert," Brian replied in a nonchalant tone.
Eric shook his head, smiling. "I really feel sorry for Uncle Richie. He was so sulky, but he still let Shirley
go to the concert to make her happy."
The corners of Brian's lips curved up slightly. He understood his father's affection for Shirley all too well.
"Have you made a decision regarding the matter at hand on QY Island?" Brian asked Eric, while calmly
fixing his eyes on him.
Eric shrugged and said,"I think it is interesting. I want to give it a try."
"Aaron is a cunning man. So try to be careful and don't go too far or be reckless about it," Brian
reminded him.
Eric crooked his eyebrows and said,"You already have everything in place for me in advance. I don't
think I have anything to worry about."
Even though Eric's words were laid-back, Brian realized that he was not very happy about it.
Eric was a haughty man and he was as wilful as his father. Brian hadn't initially intended to meddle in
Eric's business, but after the change on QY Island's political power, he felt that he had belittled Aaron
before.
Brian changed the topic and asked,"When do you plan on going to QY Island?"
"After I get hold of that urban wasteland!" Eric looked at Brian and asked,"Don't you intend to go there
yourself?"
"I will think about it later." Brian was still indecisive about that. He was waiting for Becky to come back
to him. He had given her and himself a deadline. If she still wasn't back by the end of the year, he
would give up on her.
Brian sighed, feeling pensive. Becky was wayward and did everything on her own terms over the years
that they were together. Her behavior had become so unrestrained just because Brian had given her
the right to do whatever she liked.
*
Delighted after getting permission from Brian, Molly changed into casual clothes. She chose to wear a
down coat and a knitted hat along with it. She carried a small backpack and stepped out of the villa. At
that very moment, the stress and pain which haunted her was pushed away by her beaming,
heartwarming smile.
She ran into John on the way out and he volunteered to give her a lift. She told him that she would
rather take a walk since it was still early and she could really use some exercise. Molly thought a walk
alone might clear her mind a bit.
John didn't suspect anything and when Molly was almost out, Lisa gave her an envelope with a credit
card and some money in it.
"Mr. Long asked me to give this to you." Lisa beamed and explained as she took in Molly's confused
look.
Molly frowned and stared at the envelope, with even more confusion in her eyes.
Lisa said in a worried tone,"It will be inconvenient if you go outside without any money. You need it."
Molly looked at the envelope in her hand for a few seconds. She wanted to decline and that was
exactly what she would have done if anyone gave her money before, but it was different now. She still
owed Shirley some money. She persuaded herself and regretfully accepted the money.
After she left the villa, Molly walked along the empty road for a while. When she reached the foot of the
hill, she hailed a taxi and headed straight for her own house. She had called her father when she just
left the villa and learned that her mother had been discharged from the hospital this morning.
Molly was relieved, not only because she could do whatever she wanted to do today without worrying
about anything else, but also because Brian had agreed to let her go without suspecting her. Of course,
she was happy that her mother was out of the hospital. Molly believed that her mother was now in a
stable condition and that she would recover soon. If that was the case, she could leave this city with
her family as soon as she left Brian in a few days.
Everything would finally be over. Shirley had once said that people should always be hopeful about
their future. She also told Molly,"If you have regrets about your past and can't do anything to change it,
you should try to face it and accept whatever is thrown your way. Even if you get hurt again, you should
never give up." Molly truly believed that Shirley's words made sense to her now more than ever.
The taxi came to a halt. Molly got out and stood in front of her house. She hadn't been back home for
nearly a month. She was having mixed feelings about being back. Although she had met her mother
and Daniel in the hospital, she still hesitated while she stood in front of her house. She didn't know
what her mother had meant when she asked Molly to come back home, but this time Molly was there
on her own terms and with a clear purpose.
Molly nervously grabbed the backpack tight and took a deep breath. She bit her lip anxiously and
walked into the courtyard. She decided that today she would try her best to persuade her parents to
leave A City.
As Molly stepped into the courtyard, a navy blue car slowly approached and rolled to a stop at the
roadside not too far away. The man inside the car stared at Molly's back and slowly spoke on his
phone,"When do I move in to take action?"
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