Chapter 616
As soon as she finished speaking, the girl didn’t give Aubree a chance to ask anything else before she rushed off in a hurry with a worried look on her face.
Reflecting on the conversation, Aubree realized she hadn’t been back in a while. Ethel’s health was no longer what it used to be. Earlier, Bowen had helped out by finding a traditional doctor to care for her. The last time Aubree called, Ethel had told her everything was just fine.
Since there was still no breakthrough in Jacinta’s case, Aubree had no choice but to let Vincent keep investigating. As for whether Bowen was actually in Rithol City, she didn’t plan to dig into it. Aubree believed that he must have his reasons for doing what he did, and she decided to wait until he returned from his “business trip” to ask him about it directly.
After leaving school, Aubree picked up some things and drove to the orphanage. As soon as she walked through the gates, she saw Angela playing with the youngest kids in the yard. When Angela spotted her, her face lit up with a big smile, “Aubree, you’re back!”
“Why are you still being so polite when you visit? You brought so much stuff again! Next time, don’t even think about it. If you bring anything with you the next time, I won’t take it. Thanks to you, the orphanage has gotten a lot of support from the community, and the children’s lives are so much better now,” Angela said.
Her words were filled with genuine gratitude. After Ethel’s death, the orphanage would eventually be handed over to Angela. Naturally, she hoped the kids here could live better lives. They were already poor kids that nobody cared about. If they couldn’t even get enough to eat or stay warm, who could bear to watch that happen?
“If my influence can help the orphanage, I’m more than happy to help,” Aubree said. She noticed that the yard now had a lot more playground equipment, and the clothes hanging on the line looked brand new. The kids didn’t look as listless or hungry as she remembered from her childhood here.
“By the way, Angela, I’m here to see Ethel. I heard she hasn’t been feeling too well lately, so I wanted to check in on her,” Aubree said.
“Oh, that…” At the mention of Ethel, Angela’s smile faded into a worried expression. “Aunt… sigh. The traditional doctor, Mr. Turner, who was brought in last time, did help, but she’s getting on in years, after all."
“Oh, I almost forgot–Aunt Ethel moved to the back wing recently. We renovated the backyard and expanded the orphanage slightly. Aunt Ethel said it’s quieter back there, so she decided to move in. Now she spends her days growing vegetables and enjoying a peaceful life. There’s a back entrance over there. Next time you come to visit Aunt Ethel, you can just use that–it’ll save you the trouble of…,” Angela said with a helpless smile.
She flashed a small, resigned smile as the kids she’d been playing with all came running over, crowding around Aubree.
Aubree smiled and pulled out some snacks to gently coax the kids away. She chuckled, “It’s fine. They’re pretty adorable. Looks like they all recognize me, huh?”
“Well… whenever things are quiet, I tell them stories about you,” Angela replied. “To these kids, you’re their role model–kind of like their big sister, you know?”
After chatting with Angela for a bit, Aubree headed to the backyard to visit Ethel. Just like Angela had said, the orphanage looked entirely different now–the backyard was tastefully landscaped and had an entirely new vibe. Angela explained that Ethel was now the prominent resident in the back wing and sometimes hosted essential guests there. She had also turned the rest of the open space into her vegetable garden.
Following Angela’s directions, Aubree made her way straight to Ethel’s room. Maybe because Ethel was getting older, her room was now located near the main entrance for convenience. As Aubree approached, she noticed someone stepping out of Ethel’s room and leaving through the gate.