“Benny, seriously? Teresa just came back to check on the company. She stopped by the office, and I only just found out. She even left me a note. If I’d known she was coming, I wouldn’t have wasted my time with Edward.”
Miriam handed the note to Benny, who took it and read it. He stared at it for a few seconds before muttering, “Oh… so she just came back to check on the company? Then where is she now?”
“How would I know? Teresa didn’t tell me anything.”
“No, something’s off,” Benny said, shaking his head. He recalled how Teresa had glanced nervously to the side when he’d spotted her from his car.
“Teresa’s always been close to you. You’ve been best friends for years. For her to act so distant now, she must have someone else in her life. I told Jonathan the same thing. If Teresa’s found someone new, I’m done helping him look for her.”
Miriam fell silent, piecing together Benny’s words. She could now guess what had happened—Teresa must have secretly brought Michael back to Nareigh for a short visit. The person near the taxi earlier was undoubtedly Michael. That explained why she left in such a hurry.
“See? This is all on you,” Miriam said, shaking her head.
“Why am I always the bad guy?” Benny groaned, throwing his hands up. “Seriously, what did I even do? Women just love blaming me for everything.” He felt unfairly targeted—not just by Miriam, but also by Cheryl.
“Anyway, you’ve already told Jonathan about it. Just leave Teresa alone. The two of them are just not meant to be,” Miriam said with a resigned sigh.
Michael woke up, realizing he was already on the plane. Rubbing his eyes to shake off the sleep, he crossed his arms and glared at Teresa. “Mom, do you want a left eye-roll or a right one?” Michael asked, puffing his cheeks in mock annoyance.
“The left one, I guess,” Teresa admitted sheepishly.
Michael promptly rolled his left eye at her. “We didn’t even get to see Mr. Lime. Why’d we leave so fast?” he grumbled.
“Well…” Teresa stammered, trying to come up with an excuse. “I booked us a tour of Candy Castle for tomorrow. If we stayed any longer, we’d miss it. You fell asleep in the car, so I didn’t want to wake you up.”
Michael slumped in his seat, pouting as he stared at the floor. Teresa reached out to ruffle his hair, her tone full of apology. Seeing Jennifer and Donald strolling together had distracted her, and then Benny showed up unexpectedly. In the end, she had to make a quick escape. “We’ll come back next time, okay?”
Michael let out a dramatic “hmph,” crossing his arms and turning away.
“Come on, Mr. Handsome, don’t be mad.” Teresa teased, giving his cheeks a playful pinch. Finally, Michael relented. “Fine, but you better buy me chocolate ice cream,” he said, narrowing his eyes.
“Of course, my sweet Muffin,” Teresa replied with a grin.
Teresa had booked a luxurious suite, costing over three grand a night. The location was decent, but the main draw was the bathtub and the cozy environment, which Michael absolutely loved.
Determined to visit Candy Castle, Teresa didn’t dare sleep in. Before dawn, she took Michael to line up, entering through Security Gate 07 and managing to snag a front-row spot. Seeing Michael’s bright, excited smile made the sleepless night completely worth it.
The evening breeze was a bit chilly. Michael, bundled up in his black jacket, little hat, and scarf, finally got to see the Candy Castle he’d been dreaming about. He couldn’t stop swaying with excitement.
“Are you tired?” Teresa asked with a chuckle.
Michael shook his head, grinning. “Nope! I’m too happy to be tired!” His little bottom wiggled with joy.
A few passersby standing nearby couldn’t help but comment, “What a cute kid! He really looks like you.”
Teresa’s face lit up with a smile. Finally, someone said Michael looked like her, not Jonathan. That small remark felt like a little victory.
A black Rolls-Royce cruised past the road in front of Candy Castle Square. Inside, Jonathan suddenly sneezed. The driver glanced back, concerned. “Catch a cold, sir?”
Jonathan shook his head. “No.”
He wasn’t sick—just lost in thought. Benny’s words kept replaying in his mind, making his brows furrow. Maybe she’d met someone else during her travels. Meanwhile, he was still stuck in the past, unable to let go. “Find me a bar.”