Chapter 309
A beautiful, spirited girl smiled brightly; the adoration in her eyes was unmistakable. Her voice was clear and crisp, like a lively, cheerful song. Grelle followed Richard Hampton, though John Ross, the tall, lanky bodyguard, kept her at a distance. Despite this, the petite, lovable girl and the tall man seemed somewhat compatible.
Tiffany glanced at them before looking away, then rose and went to the back of the farmhouse, out of sight. As the saying goes, out of sight, out of mind. Seeing her slim figure again avoiding him, Richard's face clouded, and he stormed back into his own farmhouse. Grelle tried to follow, but the bodyguard firmly stopped her. "Please leave, or you will face the consequences."
Grelle bit her lip, feeling sad. Earlier, he'd tacitly allowed her to follow from afar; yet, upon entering his farmhouse, he'd become hostile. He was so unpredictable. After repeated attempts by the bodyguards to chase her away, Grelle reluctantly left.
Zoe, witnessing everything, was furious. She called to Grelle, demanding in an icy tone, "Grelle, why do you keep pestering him?"
"Zoe, I'm not pestering him! My mother taught me to approach someone I like bravely. I like the guest next door very much, so…"
Zoe swiftly interrupted, "But he doesn't like you." She warned, "Stay away from that guest from now on."
"W-why?" Grelle asked, frightened and confused.
Zoe smiled faintly and enunciated each word, "Because that guest belongs to Tiffany. Understand?" She didn't care if Grelle's actions were intentional, naive, or socially motivated. Anyone who sought Tiffany's affections was her enemy.
Tiffany sneezed. It was October, and Melvor Mountain's autumn temperature fluctuations were extreme. She'd caught a mild cold from the climate change. While rubbing her nose, she walked to the back of the farmhouse. From afar, she saw five children under a large tree, looking up.
She followed their gaze to see an eight-year-old boy high in the tree. Horrified, Tiffany shouted, "What are you doing? Come down! It's too dangerous!"
"Tiffany, we're picking chestnuts for you! These wild chestnuts are tasty!" the boy proudly replied.
Tiffany saw many green wild chestnuts on the ground. She felt helpless. Since her team distributed supplies to the children yesterday, they'd brought her various treats. Last night's dinner fish, for example, was caught by the children in the stream.
"It's too dangerous! This is enough. Come down quickly!" Tiffany added, "Hurry, or I won't play with you next time!"
This threat proved effective. The boy obediently climbed down, his descent surprisingly adroit for a child used to climbing trees. Just as Tiffany was about to praise him, he lost his footing and fell, crying out!
The fall was dangerous. Tiffany instinctively lunged, breaking his fall but hitting the ground hard herself. Her back struck a tree root, reopening an old wound from a previous fight. She felt blood seeping into her clothes but said nothing.
The children, however, cheered wildly, their eyes sparkling with admiration. "Wow, Tiffany is so awesome!" "Tiffany, can you teach me? I want to be as awesome as you!"
Tiffany fiercely shooed them away. "Go back at once! If you climb that high again, I'll beat you up!" She waved her fist for emphasis.
The children scampered off happily, shouting, "We'll bring you the chestnuts tonight!" Tiffany didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
After they left, Tiffany stood up carefully, removing her coat. As she started to lift her shirt, she heard a cough. "Cough, cough."
Tiffany froze, whirling around to see Sidney Pauley smiling brightly. "Long time no see, young lady."
Chapter 300
Was he not afraid of being beaten? Tiffany silently tidied her shirt. "Mr. Pauley, why are you here?" She immediately regretted the question; Sidney's close friendship with Richard made his presence unsurprising. However, feeling awkward, Tiffany excused herself. "I'll go back first."
Before she left, Sidney spoke. "Don't you want to ask about his injuries?"
Tiffany had avoided Richard at Luna Villa, only learning from Jeremy Cooper that he'd been seriously injured, unable even to climb an electric fence. She'd tried to check on him then but failed. Now, on Melvor Mountain, he seemed fine; and many were clearly taking care of him.
Tiffany replied, "That doesn't seem to be my concern." She left without looking back.
Sidney sighed under the chestnut tree. Both Richard and Tiffany were stubborn. He decided to intervene at the appropriate moment.
He strolled back to Richard's farmhouse, vastly different from its previous state. Renovated and refurnished, it resembled a stylish vacation villa. Yet, a certain someone's grim expression created a terrifyingly oppressive atmosphere.
John Ross stood outside, relieved to see Sidney. "Mr. Pauley, what should we do? I think the Missus is really angry. Should I explain? Clearing up the misunderstanding will calm things down!"
Sidney winked, patting the anxious man's shoulder. "Watch me." He entered the farmhouse and rummaged through his medicine box, muttering, "Hemostatic medicine, disinfectant, bandagessomething for swelling and bruises…"
Richard glanced at Sidney, assuming the dressing was for him. "That's not necessary. I won't die," he said. No one cared about him anyway.
Sidney replied casually, "It's not for you. The little girl next door is seriously injured. Her entire back is gory and bloody. The blood has soaked through her clothes."