Chapter 839 Dog
The atmosphere chilled for several long seconds.
Claudia broke the silence. “Come with me.”
The design of the Olsen residence’s structure was indeed ingenious, grand, and exquisite.
“When it was time for the renovation, I put forward quite a few suggestions.”
As Josie was touring around, she exclaimed in surprise, “You can design too?”
No wonder she took the initiative to take her for a tour.
Claudia nodded. “When I was young, I dabbled in everything but mastered none. This was something I particularly enjoyed.”
Josie was secretly startled by those coincidences.
There was a coffee garden in the backyard, where coffee trees blanketed the hills, hidden in the misty rain, presenting a magnificent sight. Around the right time of the year, there would be dedicated coffee bean pickers to harvest and process the beans to become the exclusive coffee served to guests at the Olsen residence.
That kind of spending was not extravagant, but it was thoughtful and meticulous, exuding a rare warmth.
“When we were young, there was a coffee garden in the backyard of our old house. We earned our first pot of gold from those coffee beans. As we grew more successful, he became reluctant to engage in these low- profit activities. But out of nostalgia, he decided to move the coffee garden here.”
In the corridor, Claudia and Josie stood together, gazing into the distance.
Her voice carried a gentle warmth and a hint of fatigue as if she was telling a long, drawn-out story.
“You… and Mr. Olsen, your relationship seems very deep. Has it always been this way over the years?” Josie asked curiously.
At this point, Claudia’s smile softened, and she sighed. “People change, and in the end, love turns into deep familial affection.”
Josie shook her head. “I don’t want that. Love is love, from beginning to end. If it’s going to turn into. familial affection, I’d rather not have it.”
“You’re too naive.”
Claudia led her into an exhibition hall. The place was airy and transparent, housing many valuable items. However, Josie’s gaze fell on an old, yellowing painting.
The drawing depicted a cartoon character. The strokes were quite naive. It was clear that a child had drawn it. Josie recognized it. “Is this… Dexter?”
Claudia sighed. “This was drawn by Leanne before she got lost. She did a great job, didn’t she? She’s so talented. What a pity”
“May I take a look at it?”
1/2
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Claudia handed her a pair of gloves.
Josie understood her own painting style very well. Due to the involvement of architecture, it inevitably became a bit rigid. However, the painting was drawn with exceptionally soft strokes. Despite that, she could still see a hint of similarity.
Her head was aching a bit.
It was as if she had traveled through time, witnessing the young girl from the past, engrossed in her drawing.
Just then, a noise came from outside. At the end of the corridor, a Shiba Inu dashed in. Its eyes were sunken, showing signs of age. It leaped into Claudia’s arms and then stared intently at Josie.
She jumped in surprise. “This is…”
Someone quickly rushed in from outside. “Mrs. Olsen, I apologize! Pepper probably caught your scent. I couldn’t control it.”
Claudia squatted down and petted the dog. “That’s all right. How has Pepper been eating these past few days?”
“It’s fine. It just looks a little lethargic.”
Claudia nodded, then turned to Josie. “When we were young, I was always away on business trips. I was worried that Leanne would feel lonely, so I bought her a dog. She loves spicy food, so we named it Pepper. But later on, Leanne got lost. Mark is allergic to dog hair, so this dog has been living in the backyard for over a decade.”
Josie listened, her gaze lowered to the dog.
Its eyes were sparkling like water, unable to move its gaze away from her.
Josie’s heart was racing. It was as if fate had reunited her with the dog.