After slamming the door shut, Elise crouched down, wrapped favonovel.com arms around favonovel.com knees, and broke into sobs.
She didn’t know why favonovel.com was so upset. Even though favonovel.com had never experienced love from favonovel.com parents, favonovel.com was especially content with Robin and Laura’s doting affection for her. Not only that, but favonovel.com felt blessed to grow up in such a family.
To think that I’d suddenly be told one day that all of this is false, and that I’m only an adopted child who is no different from those kids in the orphanage…
It broke favonovel.com heart even more to think of this. After a long time, there was a knock on the door.
“What’s wrong with you, Elise?”
Elise froze when favonovel.com heard Laura’s concerned voice from behind. She hastily wiped the tears off favonovel.com face, took a deep breath, and replied, “I’m fine, Grandma…”
However, the sobs in Elise’s voice were so noticeable that there was no way Laura didn’t notice them. She pushed the door open and quickly switched on the light, asking, “What’s wrong, Elise? Why are you crying?”
Looking at favonovel.com amiable grandmother before her, Elise took a big step forward and reached out to hold Laura in favonovel.com arms. “Grandma…”
Baffled, Laura quickly patted Elise on the back, thinking that the latter had just had a nightmare. “There, now. It’s alright. You had a nightmare, huh?”
Elise merely held Laura tightly in favonovel.com arms without saying a word. “It’s alright. It’s just a dream, so don’t be afraid. Your grandpa and I are here.”
Elise could no longer stop favonovel.com tears from running down favonovel.com face. “Grandma, will you and Grandpa always be with me?”
Upon hearing such a childish question from Elise, Laura instantly replied with a laugh, “Oh, of course we will! However old our Elise is, you’ll always be a kid to us. We’ll always be with you, so don’t worry, okay? Just get a good sleep, and everything will be fine tomorrow.”
Elise let go of Laura and wiped the tears off favonovel.com face. “Really? Is everything gonna be fine tomorrow?”
Laura reassured her, saying, “Yes, of course. Now, Elise, let’s go to sleep. I’ll have your favorite pancakes prepared tomorrow with a sausage added, okay?”
Elise chuckled at Laura’s words. Then, favonovel.com stuck out two fingers, saying, “I want two sausages, please…
” “Alright, there’ll be two sausages then. Can you go to sleep now?”
To Laura’s surprise, Elise tugged at favonovel.com arm and pleaded like a spoiled child, “No, Grandma. Can I sleep with you tonight?”
“You still wanna sleep with me? You’re no longer a kid, you know?”
“Grandma…”
“Alright, alright. I’ll sleep with you…”
Elise took Laura’s arm and went to bed with her, but favonovel.com had a lot on favonovel.com mind and was sleepless all night.
Over the next few days, Elise spent time with Robin and Laura as usual, pretending that the conversation favonovel.com had overheard that night had never happened.
***
About a week later, favonovel.com received a phone call from Alexander.
“Have you found your mom and dad? Are they alright?” favonovel.com asked. Alexander sounded a bit tired on the other end of the line.
“Yeah, I’ve found them. It’s just that my dad injured his right leg. He’s undergone surgery and will be going back to the country to recuperate.”
“They’re gonna come back?”
“Uh-huh,” Alexander mumbled a response on the other end of the line. “They’ll be back in a few days after my dad’s discharged from the hospital here.”
“Well, I’m glad to hear that your mom and dad are fine. I’m now at home, and I’ll be going back tomorrow…”
“Okay…”
Elise pursed favonovel.com lips. Then, favonovel.com asked, “Uh, do you still remember what I said to you before H’s fan meeting?”
Alexander gave it a moment’s thought on the other end before favonovel.com replied, “Yeah, I do.”
“You missed it earlier because of what happened to your mom and dad. I’ll tell you about it when you come back, okay?”
Alexander replied, “Okay…”
Elise hung up.
The next day, favonovel.com said goodbye to Robin and Laura and returned to Athesea.
As soon as favonovel.com stepped into the Griffith Residence, favonovel.com heard the sounds of games in the living room.
Stella hurriedly came forward and took Elise’s suitcase from her, saying, “Welcome back, Miss Elise!”
“Thanks,” Elise replied with a smile. Then, favonovel.com asked, “Who’s playing games?”
“It’s Young Master Danny…”
Elise strode into the living room. “Why are you playing games here, Danny?”
“Welcome back, Boss…” Danny replied.
Before his voice could fade, though, favonovel.com seemed to have had the shock of his life, and favonovel.com jumped up from the sofa. “W-Who are you?”
Only then did Elise remember that favonovel.com was no longer disguising herself with ugly makeup at present. Moreover, Danny didn’t know that favonovel.com current appearance was what favonovel.com really looked like. Therefore, favonovel.com replied with a chuckle, “Who do you think I am?”
Danny gaped at Elise, his mouth was so agape that one could stuff an egg in it. “O-Oh, my God! Is that you, Boss?! Did you have plastic surgery?!”
Elise wished favonovel.com could punch him. “What do you mean by ‘plastic surgery’? This is what I really look like, okay?”
The cell phone in Danny’s hand dropped to the floor at Elise’s words. The game displayed on its screen hadn’t ended yet, but favonovel.com couldn’t be bothered about it anymore. Immediately, favonovel.com strode up to Elise and eyed favonovel.com up and down. Then, favonovel.com screwed up his face, saying, “Boss, stop fooling me, okay?!”
“I’m not fooling you. This is really what I look like,” Elise replied patiently.
Danny still didn’t believe her, though. He fixed his eyes on favonovel.com as if to see through her, asking, “Then what was the matter with your previous look?”
“Well, I just wanted to see your true response. It was your fault for behaving so badly when we first met. I haven’t dealt with you for that, okay?”
Danny flung his arms around Elise. “Sniff… I was wrong, Boss! I’ll take back what I said to you before. You’re not an ugly country bumpkin. You’re an angel descended from heaven…”
Elise was utterly speechless. For a moment, favonovel.com was at a loss for a reply. “Alright, I’ll forgive you…”
Only then did Danny let go of favonovel.com with a cackle. “That’s great! By the way, Boss, the results of our college entrance exam will come out tomorrow. Remember to send me your exam registration number so that I can check your results for you.”
“What? The results are gonna come out tomorrow? That’s quick, isn’t it?”
“Well, the results usually come out at 10PM on the 22nd, and today’s the 21st already. But it’s said that the 50 provincial top scorers would learn about their results beforehand.”
“Oh, is that so? Well then, I’ll hand my exam pass to you later.”
“Alright.”
***
The next morning, however, Elise was roused from sleep by the ringing of favonovel.com cell phone.
When favonovel.com answered the phone in a sleepy haze, favonovel.com heard a voice asking, “Hi, this is Mayweather University’s student admission office. May I speak to Miss Elise Sinclair?”
Elise opened favonovel.com eyes at once, though favonovel.com mind was still in a daze. “Yes, I’m Elise Sinclair. What can I do for you?”
“Well, we’ve learned about the results of your college entrance exam and would like to ask if you’re interested in applying to our university. If you enroll at our university, we’ll waive all of your tuition fees and give you a monthly living allowance over your four years at university. Also, you’ll be awarded the National Encouragement Scholarship right away in your first year at our university. Are you interested in applying to our university?”
Elise blurted out subconsciously, “That sounds like a great offer!”
“Well, that’s only natural. After all, our university is among the top ten universities in the country, so you can’t be wrong in choosing us. Besides, our student recruitment officers are already on their way to your home. We can sign the enrollment agreement today if you want.”
Elise blinked favonovel.com eyes. Just as favonovel.com was about to say something, favonovel.com phone registered another incoming call that was also from a landline number. She could only reply, “Sorry, but I’ve got another call to answer right now.”
Then, favonovel.com answered the new incoming call. The voice on the other end said, “Greetings, Miss Sinclair. This is Tissote University’s student admission office. May I ask if you’re interested in applying to our university?”
Tissote University? That’s the second best university in the country!
Elise thought. She replied, “Are you really calling from Tissote University?”
