The peppermint tea was personally brewed by Claudia, who generously added a variety of herbs to it. The resulting drink was refreshingly sweet with a pleasant aftertaste.
“Do you remember the backyard plot? After the . incident two years ago, the house was leveled and turned into a vegetable garden. I’ve planted quite a few traditional medicines there for health maintenance,” Claudia uttered calmly, a faint smile playing on her lips.
Josie lowered her gaze. “That’s nice. That place should have been leveled long ago.”
“This was the first thing he did after waking up. When he made this decision, I knew he had already let go.”
Josie wasn’t oblivious, but she was just somewhat resistant. If he had truly let go, why didn’t he come to see me at the airport two years ago?
Josie then teased lightly, “Let go of what?”
“About our past obsessions. Leanne, we were too radical back then. We made mistakes, and while it’s impossible to ask you not to take it to heart, I want to suggest that we heal our wounds together, okay?” Claudia was cautious and lacked confidence, which was uncharacteristic of her.
Josie understood her well, and she knew that Claudia wouldn’t utter such words unless it was absolutely necessary.
Letting out a soft sigh, Josie said, “In one’s lifetime, perhaps it could heal.”
Claudia furrowed her brows. When she was about to speak, Josie interrupted her by asking, “By the way, where is Nathan?”
Claudia was taken aback for a moment when Josie suddenly asked about Nathan. However, she still responded, “He returned to Atharia two years ago.”
With a smile that wasn’t quite a smile, Josie gave a slight nod. She seems oblivious to where the problem lies. Had I been the one to visit her two years ago instead of Nathan, perhaps her wounds would have healed by now?
Claudia followed her gaze, which landed on the half-packed suitcase on the floor. The items inside were sparse, giving off a sense of desolation.
“Put it away,” Claudia said.
“What?”
“Both Mark and I hope that you can stay at Olsen Residence. It would be better for both you and us.”
Josie understood and raised an eyebrow.
“You’re threatening me.”
“Is this what you call a threat?” Claudia raised an eyebrow in response. “For it to be a threat, I would need something to hit where it hurts, and I haven’t even said anything yet.”
That meant there was more to come. Josie’s lips were tightly pursed as she waited.
“Paul followed Dexter back to Wavery, didn’t he?”
Josie suddenly stood up, her face filled with disbelief. Claudia is actually using Pop to threaten me!
“Don’t be nervous. I have no other intentions. I’ve heard about everything you’ve been through in Rivodia. Paul has Alzheimer’s disease, and on top of that, Arnold got him hooked on drugs. Times have been tough,” Claudia said.
Josie clenched her fists tightly, taking a deep breath. “The Olsen family is powerful and influential. Crushing him would be as simple as crushing an ant, but if you mess with him, it will bring you no benefits.”
Claudia glanced at her, then brought her hands together in prayer toward the window. “Hallelujah.”
“Your misunderstanding of us runs deep. Since we found out about this, we never planned to do anything to him,” Claudia said.
Josie remained silent.
“The Olsen family has been established in Wavery for many years, and we have some influence. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have been able to rescue you from Arnold,” Claudia said casually. “We’ve managed to find the medicine that Paul needs these past few days. It should be able to extend his life for a while and alleviate his pain.”
The two exchanged glances across the room. Josie’s eyebrows were knitted tightly, and she was finding it hard to believe Claudia’s words. “What’s the catch?”
Josie had long understood that there were no gifts without strings attached. Everything had a hidden price.
“It’s quite simple for you. You just need to stay with the Olsen family,” Claudia uttered.
