"You must be tired, I’ve already had the servants prepare some dishes you like. After eating, go back and rest well. We can talk about anything else after you’ve rested enough."
"Okay, thank you, Aunt Lily."
Aunt Lily, whose real name is Lily Bankston, a psychology professor at Harvard University, was a college classmate of Adam Jones’s father, Henry Jones, though she was several years his junior.
Back then, when Henry Jones had his accident, the Jones family plunged into chaos. Even though the Old Lady was holding the fort, if it hadn’t been for Lily Bankston’s significant help, the Old Lady might not have been able to keep the Jones family business afloat until Adam could take over.
When Adam was six years old and Thompson left the Jones Family, the Old Lady had to manage Jones Corp and take care of him and his sister Lily Jones, which was too much for her health.
At that time, Lily Bankston had been invited by Harvard University to become a professor of psychology, but she turned down the offer from Harvard in order to help the Old Lady take care of Adam and his sister Lily.
It wasn’t until several years later, when the Jones family had stabilized, that she left Boston to teach at Harvard.
Later, when Adam went to study in the United States, Lily Bankston continued to take great care of him.
In Adam’s heart, Lily Bankston was like a mother to him, perhaps even more so.
Besides the Old Lady, Lily Bankston was a senior whom Adam greatly respected.
Lily Bankston was nearly fifty, but she had always been single, never married, and without any children.
Adam once suggested that she retire to China, and he would take care of her, but she refused.
She had already grown accustomed to life in the United States, and returning to China would be uncomfortable for her.
Seeing her insistence, Adam didn’t press the issue.
After all, with advanced transportation, looking after Aunt Lily wasn’t a problem, despite the distance.
After dinner, Adam went to Lily Bankston’s study and shared the purpose of his visit to the United States with her. She listened and remained silent for a long time without uttering a word.
Adam wasn’t in a hurry and quietly sat in front of her, waiting patiently. It was a while before he heard Lily Bankston speak in a low, hoarse voice:
"You said last time that your father’s plane was forcibly shot down over the Pacific Ocean, and I’ve been uneasy ever since. Now we can’t find out who was behind your father, but whoever it is must not be a simple figure. Adam, you must be careful."
"Don’t worry, Aunt Lily, I’ll be careful."
Adam replied nonchalantly. Although there was no concrete evidence, who was involved in his father’s death and who had the motive was clear to him.
Then he heard Lily Bankston continue to ask, "Have you confirmed Jacob Clark’s whereabouts?"
"The facial recognition system shows that the last place Jacob Clark appeared was in Boston. If he had nothing to do with what happened back then, why hasn’t he shown up, instead choosing to hide everywhere?"
Adam shared his suspicions with Lily Bankston and then, not reassured, he added a word of caution:
"My people are already secretly searching for Jacob Clark’s trail in Boston, and we should have news in the next couple of days. You also be careful when you go out. I worry they might use the opportunity to harm you."
Adam’s words made Lily Bankston laugh somewhat dismissively, saying:
"I’m just a university professor with no special skills; why would they go after me? It’s you who need to be careful. You’ve been investigating your father’s accident and recently found leads on Jacob Clark. You should be the one to be careful when you go out; I worry they might harm you."
"I understand, Aunt Lily. Don’t worry."