After slamming the door shut, Elise crouched down, wrapped her arms around her knees, and broke
into sobs. She didn’t know why she was so upset. Even though she had never experienced love from
her parents, she was especially content with Robin and Laura’s doting affection for her. Not only that,
but she felt blessed to grow up in such a family. To think that I’d suddenly be told one day that all of this
is false, and that I’m only an adopted child who is no different from those kids in the orphanage… It
broke her heart even more to think of this. After a long time, there was a knock on the door.
“What’s wrong with you, Elise?” Elise froze when she heard Laura’s concerned voice from behind. She
hastily wiped the tears off her face, took a deep breath, and replied, “I’m fine, Grandma.” However, the
sobs in Elise’s voice were so noticeable that there was no way Laura didn’t notice them. She pushed
the door open and quickly switched on the light, asking, “What’s wrong, Elise? Why are you crying?”
Looking at her amiable grandmother before her, Elise took a big step forward and reached out to hold
Laura in her arms.
“Grandma…” Baffled, Laura quickly patted Elise on the back, thinking that the latter had just had a
nightmare. “There, now. It’s alright. You had a nightmare, huh?” Elise merely held Laura tightly in her
arms without saying a word. “It’s alright. It’s just a dream, so don’t be afraid. Your grandpa and I are
here.” Elise could no longer stop her tears from running down her face. “Grandma, will you and
Grandpa always be with me?”
Upon hearing such a childish question from Elise, Laura instantly replied with a laugh, “Oh, of course
we will! However old our Elise is, you’ll always be a kid to us. We’ll always be with you, so don’t worry,
okay? Just get a good sleep, and everything will be fine tomorrow.” Elise let go of Laura and wiped the
tears off her face. “Really? Is everything gonna be fine tomorrow?” Laura reassured her, saying, “Yes,
of course. Now, Elise, let’s go to sleep. I’ll have your favorite pancakes prepared tomorrow with a
sausage added, okay?” Elise chuckled at Laura’s words.
Then, she stuck out two fingers, saying, “I want two sausages, please.” “Alright, there’ll be two
sausages then. Can you go to sleep now?” To Laura’s surprise, Elise tugged at her arm and pleaded
like a spoiled child, “No, Grandma. Can I sleep with you tonight?” “You still wanna sleep with me?
You’re no longer a kid, you know?” “Grandma…” “Alright, alright. I’ll sleep with you.” Elise took Laura’s
arm and went to bed with her, but she had a lot on her mind and was sleepless all night. Over the next
few days, Elise spent time with Robin and Laura as usual, pretending that the conversation she had
overheard that night had never happened.
About a week later, she received a phone call from Alexander. “Have you found your mom and dad?
Are they alright?” she asked. Alexander sounded a bit tired on the other end of the line. “Yeah, I’ve
found them. It’s just that my dad injured his right leg. He’s undergone surgery and will be going back to
the country to recuperate.” “They’re gonna come back?” “Uh-huh,” Alexander mumbled a response on
the other end of the line.
“They’ll be back in a few days after my dad’s discharged from the hospital here.” “Well, I’m glad to hear
that your mom and dad are fine. I’m now at home, and I’ll be going back tomorrow…” “Okay.” Elise
pursed her lips. Then, she asked, “Uh, do you still remember what I said to you before H’s fan
meeting?” Alexander gave it a moment’s thought on the other end before he replied, “Yeah, I do.” “You
missed it earlier because of what happened to your mom and dad. I’ll tell you about it when you come
back, okay?” Alexander replied, “Okay.” Elise hung up.
The next day, she said goodbye to Robin and Laura and returned to Athesea. As soon as she stepped
into the Griffith Residence, she heard the sounds of games in the living room. Stella hurriedly came
forward and took Elise’s suitcase from her, saying, “Welcome back, Miss Elise.” “Thanks,” Elise replied
with a smile. Then, she asked, “Who’s playing games?” “It’s Young Master Danny…” Elise strode into
the living room. “Why are you playing games here, Danny?” “Welcome back, Boss—” Danny replied.
Before his voice could fade, though, he seemed to have had the shock of his life, and he jumped up
from the sofa.
“W-Who are you?” Only then did Elise remember that she was no longer disguising herself with ugly
makeup at present. Moreover, Danny didn’t know that her current appearance was what she really
looked like. Therefore, she replied with a chuckle, “Who do you think I am?” Danny gaped at Elise; his
mouth was so agape that one could stuff an egg in it. “Oh, my God! Is that you, Boss?! Did you have
plastic surgery?”
Elise wished she could punch him. “What do you mean by ‘plastic surgery’? This is what I really look
like, okay?” The cell phone in Danny’s hand dropped to the floor at Elise’s words. The game displayed
on its screen hadn’t ended yet, but he couldn’t be bothered about it anymore. Immediately, he strode
up to Elise and eyed her up and down. Then, he screwed up his face, saying, “Boss, stop fooling me,
okay?” “I’m not fooling you. This is really what I look like,” Elise replied patiently. Danny still didn’t
believe her, though. He fixed his eyes on her as if to see through her, asking, “Then what was the
matter with your previous look?”
“Well, I just wanted to see your true response. It was your fault for behaving so badly when we first
met. I haven’t dealt with you for that, okay?” Danny flung his arms around Elise. “Sniff… I was wrong,
Boss! I’ll take back what I said to you before. You’re not an ugly country bumpkin. You’re an angel
descended from heaven…” Elise was utterly speechless. For a moment, she was at a loss for a reply.
“Alright, I’ll forgive you.” Only then did Danny let go of her with a cackle. “That’s great! By the way,
Boss, the results of our college entrance exam will come out tomorrow.
Remember to send me your exam registration number so that I can check your results for you.” “What?
The results are gonna come out tomorrow? That’s quick, isn’t it?” “Well, the results usually come out at
10PM on the 22nd, and today’s the 21st already. But it’s said that the 50 provincial top scorers would
learn about their results beforehand.” “Oh, is that so? Well then, I’ll hand my exam pass to you later.”
“Alright.” The next morning, however, Elise was roused from sleep by the ringing of her cell phone.
When she answered the phone in a sleepy haze, she heard a voice asking, “Hi, this is Mayweather
University’s student admission office.
May I speak to Miss Elise Sinclair?” Elise opened her eyes at once, though her mind was still in a daze.
“Yes, I’m Elise Sinclair. What can I do for you?” “Well, we’ve learned about the results of your college
entrance exam and would like to ask if you’re interested in applying to our university. If you enroll at our
university, we’ll waive all of your tuition fees and give you a monthly living allowance over your four
years at university.
Also, you’ll be awarded the National Encouragement Scholarship right away in your first year at our
university. Are you interested in applying to our university?” Elise blurted out subconsciously, “That
sounds like a great offer!” “Well, that’s only natural. After all, our university is among the top ten
universities in the country, so you can’t be wrong in choosing us. Besides, our student recruitment
officers are already on their way to your home.
We can sign the enrollment agreement today if you want.” Elise blinked her eyes. Just as she was
about to say something, her phone registered another incoming call that was also from a landline
number. She could only reply, “Sorry, but I’ve got another call to answer right now.”
Then, she answered the new incoming call. The voice on the other end said, “Greetings, Miss Sinclair.
This is Tissote University’s student admission office. May I ask if you’re interested in applying to our
university?” Tissote University? That’s the second best university in the country! Elise thought. She
replied, “Are you really calling from Tissote University?”
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