“Everything’s fine,” Isabel smiled.

John glanced at Blake, who had accompanied Isabel. “And this must be the son of the Yates family, isn’t it?”

Blake smiled. “Mr. Flynn, you have a sharp eye. I’ve never met you before, yet you recognize me?”

John said, “There’s a resemblance to Thomas in your features. I can tell right away. As for your exact position in the family, I’m not quite sure.”

Blake replied respectfully, “Mr. Flynn, my mother is Yolanda Yates. I’m here with Isabel today. You two talk; I’ll take a walk outside.” Blake exited, giving them some space.

John, in a hospital gown, looked decent, though more gray hairs peppered his temples.

“Mr. Flynn, how are you feeling? Let me take a look,” Isabel said.

“It’s nothing, just an old issue. Regular high blood pressure. Don’t worry,” John said, gently patting Isabel’s hand.

Isabel wasn’t convinced. She checked John’s pulse. He did have high blood pressure, and, given his age, a few other minor issues. If they all flared up, his body couldn't handle it. “Mr. Flynn, I have medicine in my lab. I’ll have some brought to you. Once you take it, you’ll feel much better!” Isabel had a lab few knew about.

John replied, “Alright. By the way, that Yates boy you came with—is he your fiancé? Seraphina told me about this.”

Isabel blushed. “Yes, he is.”

John said, “Judging by his appearance, he seems a decent match for you. But the Yates family is complicated. I worry you might suffer.”

Isabel said, “Mr. Flynn, don’t worry. We’re just engaged. The future is uncertain.”

“Alright. I know you have your own ideas. You’ve always been smart, unlike Seraphina, who’s very innocent. When I’m gone, I’ll have to ask you to look after her. I’m really worried about her,” John said, sighing.

Isabel replied, “Mr. Flynn, don’t talk like that. You’ll live a long life. And of course, I’ll take care of Seraphina.”

John nodded. After chatting with Isabel for a while, he said he wanted to talk to Blake.

Isabel, unsure why, found Blake. “Mr. Flynn wants you inside.”

Blake was surprised. “Why?”

Isabel said, “I don’t know.”

Seeing Blake enter, John said, “Mr. Yates, please have a seat.”

“Mr. Flynn, what can I do for you?” Blake asked.

John replied, “If I didn’t come to you, you would have come to me eventually, wouldn’t you?”

Blake paused; John’s sharp eyes seemed to see through him.

Blake said, “You’re right. Once you’re discharged, I’ll come to you.”

John said, “Young man, I know what you want. I can give the D project to your family. I refused to cooperate with the Yates family before because I didn’t like your father. Since you’re Isabel’s fiancé, for her sake, I’ll make an exception.”

Blake hurriedly said, “Mr. Flynn, I didn’t come here to talk about cooperation. I’m here with Isabel.”

John said, “There’s no need to explain. It will happen sooner or later. Consider it a gift from me. I hope you’ll treat Isabel well.”

Blake considered further explanation but decided against it. Thomas had recently ordered him to secure cooperation with the Flynn family. John was notoriously difficult, so Thomas had assigned the task to Blake.

Blake originally lacked confidence. The Flynn family had refused cooperation with the Yates family for decades.

“Thank you, Mr. Flynn. It seems you truly care about Isabel,” Blake said. He hadn’t expected John to be so protective of Isabel, even offering the D project voluntarily.

“You must be wondering why I care about Isabel so much,” John said, noticing Blake’s confusion.

“Yes,” Blake answered honestly. If it were just Seraphina, it wouldn’t explain John’s protectiveness toward Isabel.

John closed his eyes, lost in thought. He had always been very loving to his wife, and especially wanted a daughter. So, when his first child was a girl, he was overjoyed. Unfortunately, his wife couldn’t have more children due to health issues. When Seraphina was born, she was treated like a precious gem.

But at age five, Seraphina was kidnapped. This panicked John and his wife. They offered a large reward.

Seraphina was missing for half a month. Just when they were about to lose hope, a subordinate told him two little girls wanted to see him at the company entrance.

He rushed there and saw two dirty, soot-faced children, almost unrecognizable. But their bright, dark eyes caught his attention. He recognized one as his daughter, Seraphina. Overwhelmed, tears streamed down his face.

He brought the girls back home. He and his wife warmly welcomed Seraphina, asking about her well-being. The other girl sat quietly, watching. Then John realized he’d neglected her. When he looked at her, he saw envy, quickly masked.

“That girl was Isabel,” Blake said.

John said, “Yes. She told me her name was Isabel. I also learned from Seraphina that Isabel had saved her. Seraphina had been kidnapped and was about to be sold when Isabel rescued her.”

Seraphina and Isabel ran away together. “Where’s your home? They’ll come after you if they know you’ve escaped,” Isabel asked Seraphina.

“I don’t know,” Seraphina cried. She was too young to remember.

Isabel asked, “What’s your name? Do you remember your dad’s name?”

Seraphina replied, “My name is Seraphina Flynn, and my dad is named John Flynn.”

Isabel didn’t know John. Judging from Seraphina’s dress and appearance, Isabel guessed she was from a wealthy family. So Isabel decided to take Seraphina to the city to find her family. They walked, begging for food when hungry. Some people, feeling pity, gave them something to eat. The two girls supported each other and eventually reached Ardenfall. Finding the Flynn family in the vast city proved difficult; both girls were dirty and looked like beggars.

“Seraphina, do you really not remember where your home is? Don’t you know the phone number?” Isabel asked.