Chapter 553

Zoe reappeared in the living room with an envelope.

“Here you are,” she said, handing it to Odalys. “He left this for you.”

Odalys was startled. “Did Lee leave this for me? He knew I would come?” she asked, shocked.

Zoe offered a bitter smile and poured Odalys a glass of water. “Well,” she said, “he’s straightforward and devoted to his job. To find the truth, he almost got himself killed. After you saved him and our daughter, he told me you’re the lifesaver of our family and that he might be in danger if you came here. He left me this letter, told me to keep it safe, and emphasized that it was for you. Ms. Stone, he trusts you. Please help him if he’s in danger.” Tears welled in Zoe’s eyes. She tried her best to hold them back.

It was an honor to marry a policeman and a soldier, but their wives suffered greatly. They couldn’t always go home on time, or safely. When needed at home, they might be on a mission with their phones off. “Mrs. Hersey, please don’t cry,” Odalys said, a little perplexed. She didn’t know how to comfort others.

“I’ll read the letter now,” Odalys said.

She tore open the envelope, and a sealed note fell out. Lee’s thoughtfulness surprised Odalys. In her experience, men were often careless. However, Lee was cautious and prudent at work. She opened the note; a single line came into view: “[I will lure the culprit out.]”

The short line made her heart skip a beat. It seemed Lee had foreseen retaliation and prepared for it. His disappearance wasn’t an accident.

“Mr. Hersey…” Odalys’s lips moved, her breath caught in her throat as she clenched her fists.

Zoe pushed the note back to Odalys without looking at it. “He left it to you, so it’s yours. I’m not interested in confidential information. I just want him home, safe and sound,” Zoe chuckled, a bitter, helpless sound.

Odalys clasped Zoe’s hand tightly. “Mrs. Hersey, you have my word he will come home safely.”

“Thank you,” Zoe said, quickly grasping Odalys’s hand. She appeared calm, but her soul was in turmoil. Red-eyed, she turned her head to avoid upsetting Odalys, but hot tears rolled down her cheeks uncontrollably.

“Mommy, why are you crying?” Norah asked, emerging from the kitchen with a bowl of strawberries. Seeing Zoe’s tears, she quickly put the bowl on the table, softly coaxed her mother, and soothed her gently. “Mommy, don’t. I’m here. Be tough, Mommy.”

“Okay, Mommy will be strong,” Zoe said.

Comforting Zoe, Norah glanced at Odalys and her eyes lit up. Looking Odalys in the eyes, she whispered excitedly, “It’s her! Mommy, it’s Odalys!”

The children were innocent. Norah quickly released her mother, walked over to Odalys, and stopped before her. “Daddy said you saved me. Back then, I saw a golden light, like this…” She began to gesture with her hands.

She seemed to be around seven years old, old enough for school. In her pajamas, she looked cute and lively, though her hair was a little messy. Norah turned, took two strawberries, and gave one to her mother and one to Odalys. “Mommy, Odalys, the gentleman washed these. I tried one, and it was sweet.” She then stuffed the strawberries into their hands.

After glancing at the strawberry, Odalys looked at the smiling child and squatted down. “Norah, come here! I’ll draw a cute picture on you. What do you think?” she said softly.

Norah nodded eagerly. “Okay! I like cute stuff. Daddy brought me a flower and said it was a gift from you. It’s still on my bedhead.” Admiration shone on her face.

Before the explosion, she had seen a golden light. Later, her father told her to keep it a secret between herself and Odalys. She also learned from Lee that the golden light was her guardian. Since then, she’d wished to see Odalys again.

“Here?” Odalys asked with a smile, rolling up Norah’s sleeve. She opened her bag, touched her finger with the magic dust, and drew on Norah’s arm. Her movements were swift; neither Zoe nor Percival could clearly see the patterns. Soon, a vivid snake appeared on Norah’s arm.

“Wow, it’s a snake!” Norah pointed it out to Zoe.

Zoe looked at the snake, fear flashing in her eyes. Norah happily ran to her room, and Zoe pulled Odalys’s hand. “Ms. Stone, is she… is she in danger?” Zoe panicked. Lee had mentioned that Odalys rarely drew for others unless they were in danger. Zoe was worried.

“No, just a precaution. If Lee is in danger, I’m afraid you two will be, too. It’s better to be safe than sorry. I’ll do something to protect your house before I leave,” Odalys explained.

Zoe nodded. She knew she and her daughter would be used against Lee if he was in trouble. She didn’t want to be a burden, even if she couldn’t help.

“Great, thank you so much,” Zoe said sincerely. She didn’t question Lee and Odalys’s relationship; she saw Odalys as her family’s lifesaver.