Mrs. Geoffrey asked, "That Aunt Clare who’s always taken care of you?"
"That’s right, she’s closer to me than my own mommy."
"Then you really should go see her. The elderly always fear loneliness, especially when they’re sick. Next time, bring her to New York... But how can I let you go back alone now?!" Mrs. Geoffrey lovingly smoothed Rebecca Quentin’s silky, jet-black hair. "How about having Howard accompany you back?"
Rebecca Quentin shook her head. "He’s very busy these days, and I don’t want to disturb his work. Besides, going back alone isn’t a problem; he has someone arranged to accompany me, so you can rest assured."
"When will you be back?"
"Howard will return to T City in a couple of days. I’ll come back with him then."
"Alright, I’ll have the driver take you to the airport."
In front of the villa’s entrance, after embracing Mrs. Geoffrey in farewell, Rebecca Quentin, who was supposed to get into the car directly, considerately said to her, "Auntie, Howard has been very busy lately and hasn’t been home much. You should take care of yourself and call Howard when you have time."
Mrs. Geoffrey nodded with a smile. "You don’t need to worry about me. Howard cares about his mom."
Rebecca Quentin showed a hint of jealousy. "Yes, I heard he often expresses his love to you, huh. He hasn’t said he loves me that many times!" She admitted that she wanted to verify what Howard told her last night with Mrs. Geoffrey.
"You silly girl, how can you be jealous of your future mother-in-law? His love for me is familial, but for you, it’s romantic."
Mrs. Geoffrey gave Rebecca Quentin the answer she wanted. Her uneasy heart calmed slightly, and she playfully stuck out her tongue, "I won’t say more. I have a plane to catch. We’ll talk again when I’m back..."
Over ten hours later, T City.
As soon as Rebecca Quentin got off the plane, she naturally went to see Aunt Clare. Of course, Aunt Clare had chronic back and leg pain, but it had never been too serious, so after visiting her, Rebecca called Isabella Joanna.
At that moment, standing below a luxurious apartment building, Rebecca looked up and spoke into her phone, "Isabella, I’m downstairs at your new apartment!"
Isabella Joanna was delighted on the other end, "Dear, I didn’t expect you to come so soon... I’ve already notified the building manager. You can get the key there and rest a bit in the apartment. My show will end soon, and I’ll be back right away!"
Putting down the phone from her ear, Rebecca Quentin’s expression gradually dimmed. After gazing at the building for a moment, she took a deep breath and walked in.
Pushing open the door, Isabella Joanna’s apartment came into view.
No longer the naive and romantic decor she liked when she was younger, the room was now much more minimalist, dominated by black and white tones. At first glance, it even seemed like a man lived there.
Upon closer inspection, all the furniture was of high quality, clearly indicating a significant improvement in Isabella Joanna’s living standard.
Changing her shoes, Rebecca entered Isabella Joanna’s room.
Compared to the apartment’s overall decor, this room was noticeably softer and reflected Isabella’s feminine sensibility throughout.
After a moment of hesitation, Rebecca opened Isabella’s wardrobe.
Because she had found the answer from Mrs. Geoffrey and felt slightly relieved, Rebecca Quentin was stunned in place like her heart had been ripped out upon seeing inside the wardrobe.
Inside were clothes identical to the ones Rebecca had bought from a luxury brand store, just hanging there quietly. On a lower cabinet were Isabella’s usual handbags, all new, but the brand-name bags stood out.
Seeing everything in front of her, Rebecca Quentin’s body began to tremble, her heart consumed by a suffocating pain that made even breathing hurt.
Struggling to process for a long time, suddenly, Rebecca took out all the clothes and bags belonging to the brand from the wardrobe and uncontrollably stomped on them.
Then, like a madwoman, she began to rummage through all of Isabella’s drawers in the room.
The wardrobe, bedside table, vanity, and low cabinet...
The room quickly became a chaotic mess, with clothes and bags scattered on the floor, jewelry boxes overturned with their contents spilled out. Rebecca Quentin had completely lost her composure, her heart in fiery agony.
Finally, in an exquisite jewelry box in the bedside table, Rebecca found that secondary card.
The card was black, the same color as the primary card, very new but with traces of frequent fingerprints, indicating that Isabella looked at it every night as she carefully guarded the card.