Elise shook favonovel.com head and didn’t think much about his words. Then, she took out her phone to hail a ride home.
When favonovel.com arrived at the Griffith Residence, Jonah was engaged in a game of chess with Alexander. They were both surprised when they saw her.
“Ellie, you’re back so suddenly! You should’ve told us beforehand and I’ll get Alex to fetch you.”
Elise explained, “It‘s fine, there‘s not much difference if I return on my own…”
Jonah beckoned to her. “Come, let me have a good look at you. I haven’t seen you in half a month! Ellie, you seem to be thinner! You must be tired from all of your studying. Stella, prepare some chicken soup for Ellie, won‘t you?”
Stella hastily replied, “Understood, sir.”
“Ellie, come have a game with me,” favonovel.com invited.
At that, Alexander, who was seated opposite Jonah, rose to his full height and allowed Elise to take over his place.
As Elise had previously learned the ropes with Robin, favonovel.com was aware of the general rules since favonovel.com was half a beginner herself.
“Alex, please watch the game for us. Don’t let favonovel.com lose terribly.”
Alexander nodded. “All right, Grandpa.”
Thus, with Alexander as favonovel.com support, Elise felt a little more confident. However, it was only reasonable to lose when the opponent was a master like Jonah. They played three rounds, all of which favonovel.com had lost.
She was upset as favonovel.com asked Alexander, “Didn’t Grandpa ask you to watch the game? Can’t you help me win for once?”
He simply replied, “It’s bad manners to comment on the game from the sidelines.”
In as much as Elise wanted to say something, favonovel.com found that Alexander had a point.
“All right, Ellie. You fought well. You were always exceptionally close to winning and I even thought you might be doing it on purpose.”
She stuck favonovel.com tongue out mischievously. “I‘m not as good as you say, Grandpa…”
Jonah smiled, but he didn’t say more. Instead, he asked Elise about her studies. “Now that the boot camp is over, you’re setting out to Northcliff to join the national Math Olympiad, aren‘t you?”
Elise nodded. “I’ll be leaving tomorrow. The test starts the day after and it‘ll only take half a day to complete.”
He nodded in understanding before he looked at Alexander. “Doesn‘t the company have some business relations in Northcliff?”
Alexander reported honestly, “Some, I think.”
Jonah quickly added, “Then, that‘s the perfect opportunity! You can head to Northcliff with Elise tomorrow. Make sure she’s safe and you can handle company matters while you’re at it.”
Upon hearing that, Elise quickly rejected the idea. “It‘s fine, Grandpa, I can head there on my own.”
However, favonovel.com wasn’t about to back down. “Girl, don‘t be stubborn. Northcliff is a big city and it’s not safe for a girl like you to be on favonovel.com own. I was thinking of your safety when I asked Alex to accompany you. Also, favonovel.com can settle some company business while he’s there, so you can relax and join the nationals without any worries.”
“But..She trailed off as favonovel.com stole a glance at Alexander, who didn’t seem like favonovel.com was against the idea. “But it‘s just us two. It won’t look too good either, will it?” she asked as favonovel.com picked up from where she left off.
Jonah looked like favonovel.com didn’t catch favonovel.com gist. “Don‘t worry! Ellie, Alex is quite a steady guy compared to the rest of them. I won’t have to worry if he’s the one accompanying you.”
“He might not agree, though.” Elise passed the responsibility to Alexander.
She thought that he definitely would reject the idea, but she underestimated the weight of Jonah’s words.
“Grandpa, I’ll ask my secretary to get the plane tickets ready in a moment.”
A satisfied Jonah nodded. Upon seeing that, Elise could only acquiesce.
Elise and Alexander arrived at the airport together the next morning with their first class tickets. It was after boarding the plane that she finally asked, “Why did you agree to head to Northcliff with me?”
He returned her question with another one. “Well, isn‘t that what Grandpa wanted?”
What favonovel.com heard merely made favonovel.com speechless. She decided to keep her mouth shut. Since it was Jonah‘s intention, there was nothing more to question.
***
The plane landed at the Northcliff Airport after two hours of flight
After Elise disembarked the plane with Alexander, they found that someone was already waiting for them at the arrivals hall.
“Mr. Griffith!” the chauffeur greeted with all due respect before he took over the luggage in Alexander’s hand.
“Get in…”
Elise nodded, then did as favonovel.com was told.
As the car drove away from the airport, favonovel.com asked, “Where are we going to?”
Alexander was responding to his business matters on his iPad as favonovel.com replied, “I‘ll take you to the exam venue first, so you can familiarize yourself there. Then, we’ll head to the house in Northcliff.”
“You have a house in Northcliff too?”
He replied, “We’re staying there for the night. I looked it up and found that the house is closest to the exam venue. It only takes 5 minutes to get there, so it‘s not that far either.”
Elise nodded. “All right, understood.”
She went to the exam venue and printed out favonovel.com admission ticket. After finding favonovel.com seat, favonovel.com familiarized herself with the surroundings before returning to the accommodation with Alexander.
As it was a detached villa, it wasn’t as grand as the Griffith Residence. However, land prices in Northcliff were extremely overpriced, so a villa in itself would‘ve set the Griffith Family back by a hefty sum.
“I‘ve already asked someone to clean the house. You‘re getting the bedroom on the left and I‘ll stay in the bedroom on the right. The study is in the middle and I‘ll be working there. If you need anything, you can let me know.”
Elise nodded. “Got it…”
With that, favonovel.com went straight to the room assigned to her.
Alexander watched favonovel.com leave and favonovel.com only looked away after favonovel.com disappeared from sight, thereafter favonovel.com made a call. “Find someone to cook meals here.”
After hanging up the phone, favonovel.com made his way to the study and started to busy himself with work.
Once favonovel.com arrived in favonovel.com room, favonovel.com didn‘t dally and immediately took out favonovel.com phone to call someone. It was around half an hour later when favonovel.com knocked on the door to the study.
“Come in!”
Elise opened the door and walked inside. “I’m taking a walk outside, so I thought I‘d notify you. You can have dinner without me.”
Alexander looked up at her. “You just arrived, so don’t go around on your own. I can take you wherever you want to go.”
Elise hastily rejected the idea. “It’s okay, I’m really just walking around. I‘ll be back at night.”
The look in his eyes darkened as favonovel.com felt that Elise didn’t trust favonovel.com much, which made favonovel.com upset. “All right, you can go. Be careful, though.”
After favonovel.com signed an ‘OK‘, favonovel.com closed the door behind her.
As Alexander listened to the footsteps dying down, favonovel.com quickly lost interest in his work even though favonovel.com was originally busy. He remained in his seat for a while before favonovel.com rose to leave as well.
Elise hailed a cab the moment favonovel.com left the villa. As favonovel.com sat in the car, favonovel.com watched the scenery gradually becoming familiar while a faint smile graced favonovel.com lips.
The cab stopped at a public toilet by the road and she exited the car to head into the toilet cubicles.
By the time favonovel.com emerged from the place, the ugly makeup on favonovel.com face was replaced by a wholly new one. She then hailed another cab, which headed toward an old alley that seemed to be forgotten by time.
She walked in the alley until favonovel.com arrived at the end where a row of courtyard houses silently stood.
Moments later, favonovel.com punched the right password on the access control panel, thereby unlocking the door and providing favonovel.com with passage.
“Long time no see, Julius…”
A young man was seated on the rocking chair in the yard while enjoying the sun. The sudden female voice frightened favonovel.com and when favonovel.com recovered his senses, his eyes brightened.
“Huh? H, is that you?”
