It was hot in Melcester in June. The tarmac was shrouded in a veil of heat in the scorching sun, so no one was willing to come outdoor.

Myrna Stark dragged her packed luggage out of the room.

Before she came down, she heard Stephanie Stark's voice from downstairs.

"Dad, Mom, are Myrna's biological parents coming to pick her up?"

Myrna's foster father, Luther Stark, responded sternly, "It's none of your business. Have you mastered the piano music you'll play later? Your grandma's friend will come from Nemmington. She's a professor at Hebbury College of Art and a national piano virtuoso. If you play the piano well, your grandma will talk to her friend, and you'll be able to be admitted to the university in Nemmington."

"I've been practicing it."

Before Myrna could go downstairs, she heard Stephanie continue coquettishly.

"Dad, what do you think Myrna's biological parents look like?"

Hardly had her voice faded away, she muttered innocently yet contemptuously, "They said they would come the day before yesterday, but they didn't arrive until today. Did it take them two days and one night to come here by train from the town?"

Hearing this, Myrna stopped in her tracks, and a hint of irony flashed in her indifferent eyes.

Three months ago, she accidentally found out that her boyfriend was having an affair with Stephanie, who was also dating someone else.

Myrna was so angry that she exposed it. Then she was told that she wasn't a true member of the Stark family. They took her back from an orphanage.

They didn't adopt her out of kindness. Nor did they intend to do good.

The truth was Stephanie had been suffering from a rare blood disease from birth. In addition to taking medication for treatment, she needed to receive blood transfusions every month.

The Stark family's company was listed last year, earning them fame and prestige in Melcester. If Stephanie could be treated with money only, her family wouldn't find it troublesome.

Unfortunately, besides her congenital disease, Stephanie had rare Rh-negative blood.

It was said that only one or two out of 100 thousand people had this blood type.

The Stark family was rich, but they couldn't guarantee that the hospital had enough Rh-negative blood for Stephanie every month.

Therefore, they thought about it and came up with a solution. They decided to adopt a child with a matching blood type from the orphanage and used her as a mobile blood bag for Stephanie.

Myrna was the free blood bag.

Since childhood, Myrna had been trained to be Stephanie's generous sister and had to give her beautiful clothes and the chance to win awards. If it weren't for the exposure of Stephanie's affair with Lawson Cooper, Myrna would still be kept in the dark.

The Stark family told Myrna these things because Stephanie had pretty much recovered after years of treatment. She just needed to take good care of herself, and the medication or blood transfusion was no longer necessary.

Myrna was no longer useful. In addition, her grandmother, Amy Maddrell, was angry that Myrna had caused a big fuss over Stephanie's affair with Lawson at Stephanie's birthday party. For the sake of Stephanie and the Stark family, Amy exposed Myrna's true identity in front of everyone.

Luther didn't want to talk about Myrna. "That's enough."

But Stephanie was unwilling to shut up. She talked back with a pout, "It's true. If they could afford flight tickets, they would have come earlier. They must be poor!"

"Shut up."

Luther saw Myrna coming down the stairs and stopped Stephanie in a low voice.

The first thing that caught Luther's eye was Myrna's beautiful face. She wore a light blue T-shirt and a red and white striped shirt, with the hem casually tucked into denim shorts, revealing her fair and slender legs.

All the members of the Stark family had fair skins, but Myrna looked even fairer.

The fair skin set off the color of Myrna's eyes. Seeing her, Luther always felt alienated from her.

It made sense, though. After all, Myrna wasn't his biological daughter.

"Mya, have you packed your things?" Anyway, Myrna had lived with the Stark family for over ten years. Luther pursed his lips and withdrew his gaze. Different from the rest of the Stark family, he was gentle to Myrna.

Myrna came downstairs with her light luggage and replied, "Yes."

Stephanie finally saw Myrna. She stopped mocking Myrna and said with feigned calm, "Myrna."

Myrna walked past Stephanie without giving a response.

Ignored by Myrna, Stephanie pouted unhappily and cast her long eyelashes down aggrievedly. With a pale face, she looked as weak as a flower in the wind.

Amy's face darkened. She leaned on her cane and snorted, "Didn't you hear what Stephie said to you?"

Stephanie took Amy's hand, looked up, shook her head weakly, and bit her lips to defend Myrna, "Grandma, forget it. Myrna is in a bad mood. I'm fine."

Hearing this, Amy disliked Myrna more. She began to find fault with Myrna and said in disgust, "You're indeed not one of us. After more than ten years, you still look like a barbarian!"

"Mom," Luther pleaded.

Then he walked up to Myrna and took out a card, pretending to be nice. "This is 1,600 dollars."

Luther sighed and handed the card to Myrna. "Take it. Behave yourself after you go back with your parents. You can buy some clothes with the money. It may also be useful for your future studies."

He had always been cautious in his actions. The Stark family had just taken a development project from the government, so he didn't want to cause trouble at this critical moment.

Luther had investigated Myrna's biological parents. Her father was surnamed Payne, and he was a teacher from River Town.

River Town, which was 300 kilometers away from Melcester, was notoriously poverty-stricken. Entrepreneurs, including Luther, would donate money to River Town for poverty alleviation. He didn't find it necessary to thoroughly investigate a teacher from a small town. Naturally, he thought Myrna's father was like any other teachers from rural areas who were often interviewed in the news.

Myrna was in her final year of high school. When she returned to River Town, she was unlikely to be admitted to university. However, Stephanie would go to a university in Nemmington after finishing her studies at Melcester Central High School.

Myrna's life would be ruined.

At this thought, Luther felt sorry. He thrust the card into Myrna's hand, looked at her fair face, and asked softly, "Have you taken all your things with you? Bring the necklace I bought for you on your 10th birthday. That's my gift for you, and it's yours. You can take it with you."

Hearing this, Amy furrowed her brows and squinted acidly at Myrna. Due to her status, however, she felt embarrassed to ask for the necklace that was worth 500 dollars back.

Stephanie obediently stood next to Myrna and gently echoed, "Yeah. You can take the gift from Dad with you. Maybe you'll need it in the future..."

She didn't say the rest explicitly, but Myrna knew what she meant. Myrna flicked her eyes up and looked sharply at her with cold eyes.

Stephanie responded with a proud smile. She looked haughty, just like everyone else present.

Myrna lifted her backpack and returned the card to Luther, saying calmly, "I put that necklace in the drawer of my room. You can go check it if you don't believe me. Apart from the notebook I bought, I won't take anything from you."

What she said embarrassed the Stark family.

Especially, Amy and Myrna's foster mother, Leann Grant, who assumed an air of superiority and didn't say anything, turned gloomy.

Myrna was always rude and made people feel uncomfortable.

Stephanie glanced at Myrna's backpack, and her eyes flickered with a hint of disdain. She said lightly, "My parents and grandma don't mean that. You're being sensitive. We lived together for more than ten years. Even if you find your biological parents, you're still my sister. We all hope you can do well. It's fine that you don't want that necklace, but you should take the money my dad gave you. River Town is different from Melcester. You'll need a lot of money there."

Luther regained his composure and reluctantly said with a sullen face, "Yeah. You can take the money."

"No need," Myrna refused. She had some money with her.

She didn't take Luther's card because she didn't intend to have any relationship with the Stark family. Just then, her phone rang. She put Luther's card on the table, lowered her eyes to check the caller ID, and said, "My family has arrived. I have to go."

Seeing Myrna walk out, Amy couldn't help but snort coldly and mock, "Hmph, how ungrateful she is! You raised her for more than ten years, but she didn't say goodbye to you when she left."

"Maybe Myrna can't wait to see her biological parents," Stephanie said softly.

Myrna's biological parents were poor and couldn't enter the villa area. What a laugh they were!

"Myrna said she only brought her notebook with her, but her bag was bulging. She may have brought something else..."

Luther shook his head and sighed hypocritically, "Forget it. We raised her for over ten years. She can take anything she likes with her. Anyway, we have plenty of money."

Amy leaned on her cane, gazed after Myrna's receding figure, and said contemptuously, "Her departure is a good thing for us. She's not one of us anyway.

"Stephie, don't regard her as your sister afterward. She's not worthy of being your sister. Go change your clothes. We'll go have dinner at Watershed Restaurant later. You should seize the opportunity."

However rich the Stark family was in Melcester, there was always someone richer.

They couldn't be compared to the Payne and the Herring families.

Myrna didn't hear what the Stark family said after she left. She only vaguely heard Stephanie's excited reply and the joyful voices of the Stark family.

***

The sun was scorching hot. Waves of heat danced above the road. Except for a few elderly people who enjoyed the cool under the shade of trees, there was almost no one on the road.

A black Phaeton was parked on the roadside outside Rose Heights.

Blake Payne raised his hand and checked his watch. About half an hour had passed, but he hadn't seen anyone coming out of the villa area yet.

So he rolled down the car window impatiently and looked out.

A blast of hot air poured in and replaced the cool air in the car. A man commanded hoarsely from the back seat, "Close the window!"

His voice was low and angry, but it sounded attractive.

Blake turned around anxiously and obediently rolled up the car window.

He mumbled, "We're not waiting for your cousin, so you aren't anxious, right? I should have arrived the day before yesterday, but you insisted that I go to Rainville to pick you up, so I didn't come until today. My grandpa just called to blame me. He said that if I didn't bring my cousin back tonight, I couldn't go back afterward, and he'd come to pick her up himself..."

Calvin hadn't slept for three days, so he had a headache and felt annoyed. Blake's chatter was like electric drill noise for him. Suppressing his anger, he leaned back, raised his eyes to indifferently glance at the young man in front of him, and said in a hoarse voice, "She's my fiancée."

His simple words made the car quiet.

The Payne family had been rich for three generations.

However, there was a vast difference between them and the Larson family. Blake and Calvin grew up together in the same residential compound, but over the years, he gradually realized that Calvin was different from him and that the Larson family was far beyond reach.

The Larson family loved Calvin best of all his contemporaries. Calvin had become the terror of everyone in Nemmington.

Blake's grandfather saved someone from the Larson family. To repay his kindness, Calvin was engaged to Myrna.

Blake couldn't help but feel worried.

Myrna had been missing for over ten years. According to his investigation, Myrna was ordinary. He was afraid that she wasn't a good match for Calvin.

***

"She's out!"

While Blake was worried, he caught a glimpse of a figure walking slowly on the tarmac out of the villa area.

Blake said to Calvin, "It seems to be my cousin. I'll get off and take a look."

Then he unbuckled his seat belt, opened the car door, and got off.

The slender figure was approaching in the sun.

Blake first saw Myrna's legs.

They were slender, evenly proportioned, and straight.

As a coxcomb, Blake had seen many beautiful girls in showbiz, but he was still amazed by what he saw.

The girl who walked over was about seventeen or eighteen years old. Blake could see the purplish red capillaries beneath her fair skin in the sun. With a florid complexion, light blue eyes, and long eyelashes, she looked cold, pure, wild, and untamed.

Blake had seen many beautiful girls, but he couldn't help but exclaim, "Amazing!"

Blake's mother once said that Myrna's mother was more beautiful than some female stars in showbiz when she was young.

Blake was dismissive when he heard it because he hadn't seen any photos.

But now, he believed it.

His mother didn't lie.

Myrna was really a knockout.

Myrna was casually talking on the phone.

"Damn it! Did the Stark family kick you out? That's disgusting! When they used you to keep your sister alive, they hypocritically claimed to be your family. As soon as you became useless, they kicked you out!

"You shouldn't have treated Stephanie. The Stark family doesn't know the truth. If it weren't for you, Stephanie would have died under twenty years old. How could she be cured? Hemophilia isn't like a cold that can be cured with amoxicillin and sleep!"

Seeing someone walking toward her, Myrna lowered her eyes and casually said, "Anyway, the Stark family raised me, so I repaid their kindness by curing Stephanie's disease. I'll have nothing to do with them in the future."

The person on the other end of the phone gritted his teeth and said fiercely, "Don't you know how much you've helped the Stark family over the years? If it weren't for you, Luther wouldn't have expanded his business from Melcester to Nemmington!

"Moreover, you helped your sister make up the lessons she had missed and arranged her music. The Stark family took advantage of you in many things!

"They were your family in the past, so I just felt that they showed partiality to Stephanie. But when I knew they weren't related to you by blood, I realized they were shameless!

"They knew you weren't their biological daughter, so they didn't treat you as one of them. However, they used you in every possible way. How shameless they were."

"Indeed," Myrna agreed with a smile.

"It's sick!"

Myrna lowered her voice as she saw Blake approaching. "I have something else to do. Enough talking. I have to hang up."

"Where will you stay tonight? Do you want me to pick you up in Melcester?"

"Don't bother. My family has come to pick me up."

"Are you really looking for your biological parents?"

With an indifferent look in her eyes, Myrna replied in a low voice, "You know, fallen leaves return to the roots. I need to know where I come from and who I truly am."

The person on the other end of the phone didn't say anything.

Myrna didn't want to guess what he was thinking and whispered, "Bye."

She hung up quickly. When Blake arrived, she had put her phone in her pocket.

Everyone liked beautiful things and people. Smiling, Blake stepped forward and took the initiative to greet Myrna, "You're Myrna, right? I'm your cousin, Blake Payne. You can call me Blake."

Myrna looked up at Blake. He was tall with a handsome face. His smiling eyes made him look innocuous and friendly. He had a strand of hair on his forehead dyed in bright purple, revealing his frivolity and playfulness against his noble demeanor.

Myrna seemed to have seen this face somewhere before.

She found it difficult to recognize faces and couldn't remember unimportant people. She thought of everyone she knew, but she didn't remember who the man in front of her was.

"Yes. Nice to meet you. I'm Myrna Stark," Myrna politely replied. Blake thought she was well-behaved.

"Grandpa has some trouble with walking and can't take the plane, so he asked me to come and pick you up. He takes the bullet train and will arrive later. Your father and my parents have booked a private room at Watershed Restaurant. They may have been waiting there. Let's go."

Blake spoke with a smile and reached out, trying to take Myrna's backpack.

"A friend of mine is in the car, and he'll have dinner with us. Do you mind?"

Myrna subtly evaded Blake's outstretched hand and kept one step behind him. She replied in a hoarse, casual, and clear voice, "Of course not."

Blake looked at his empty hand and was taken aback. He glanced at Myrna, who appeared to be weak, with a confused expression.

He didn't see how Myrna dodged him.

Blake thought it might be an accident, so he didn't think much about it. He walked up to the car and opened the passenger door.

"It's hot outside. Get in the car."

Before Myrna came out of the villa, she didn't know what kind of people her biological parents were or what they did. She just posted her information on a popular website for searching for lost children, and soon someone contacted her.

Luther was totally responsible for this. Stephanie unintentionally revealed to Myrna that her parents were teachers from River Town.

Myrna squinted her eyes at Phaeton, which had a faint halo around it in the sun, then looked away.

She knew this car. Her friend Hilda told her that it started at 320 thousand dollars.

It was equipped with a sunroof, which was clearly the top-of-the-range model and cost no less than 600 thousand dollars.

Myrna raised her eyebrows. The Bentley that Luther bought two years ago was 800 thousand dollars. Myrna couldn't help but wonder who her grandfather from River Town was.

As soon as Myrna got in the car, she was greeted by the cool air which dispelled the heat brought by the sun outside. She saw Blake's friend who was going to have dinner with them.

The man was handsome in his early twenties. With a slightly raised canthi, he looked cold when he lifted his chin. Myrna couldn't tell the brand of his clothes, but they were exquisitely made and seemed to be tailored for him. The metal buttons shone brightly, and there weren't any folds. His eyes were deep, and he looked lazy, noble, and inapproachable.

Around his wrist was a bracelet that filled the car with a faint scent.

It seemed that he had good taste.

With a smile, Blake said outside the car, "Myrna, this is my friend, Calvin Larson. You can call him Calvin."

Myrna paused and looked at Calvin.

Phaeton was quite spacious, but Myrna had an illusion that Calvin didn't know where to put his long legs. He needed to bend his knees.

Myrna felt an invisible gaze fall on her. She pursed her lips, lowered her eyes, and obediently yet casually greeted Calvin before sitting in the seat next to him.

Hearing Myrna's soft voice, Calvin raised his eyes with a surprised look on his usually expressionless face.

He glanced at the blond girl sitting quietly in the corner beside him.

Myrna's eyelids were thin. She raised her curled eyelashes and looked out the car window, appearing petite and obedient.

***

Blake was a good driver. There were three people in the car. Blake was afraid that Myrna would be embarrassed, so he occasionally talked to her.

He told Myrna about the Payne family.

Calvin remained silent.

He was like a sleeping lion. No one could ignore it even when it didn't reveal its claws.

The car soon arrived at its destination.

Watershed Restaurant was located in the center of Melcester. It seemed that a skyscraper must be built on every piece of expensive land there.

However, Watershed Restaurant boasted a large garden in the most bustling area. Being a quiet place in the rustling and bustling city, it was high-quality with good business.

"I'll go park the car."

Blake parked his car at the door of Watershed Restaurant and said to Calvin, the silent spectator so far, "I have booked a private room. Please take Myrna in. I'll be there after I park the car."

"Hmm." Myrna heard a deep nasal voice beside her. Calvin whispered in her ear in a deep and attractive voice, "Let's go."

Myrna raised her eyes and slowly followed Calvin after thinking for a moment.

Watershed Restaurant was large, but Calvin was very familiar with it. He was tall with long legs, and he seemed to walk fast, but he was only half a step away from Myrna.

Myrna furrowed her brows and pinched the strap of her backpack. The whole thing was a real headache.

She looked for her biological parents just to figure out who she truly was, but now it seemed like she was in trouble.

"Myrna?"

Myrna followed Calvin at his heels. Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice call out her name in surprise.

She looked up and saw a group of people standing not far away.

Luther, Leann, Amy, and Stephanie, whom Myrna parted with a while ago, were among them.

In addition, Lawson and his mother, Celia Cooper, were also present. Moreover, there were two other women dressed in long dresses. The younger one supported the elder one, whose gray hair was put up. With an emerald necklace around her neck and clad in a rose-red dress, she exuded an elegant and composed demeanor that was formed over time. She looked in Myrna's direction from afar and talked sideways to the person next to her as if asking who Myrna was.

The Stark family was stunned to see Myrna.

"What are you doing here?" Luther strode over and asked in a low voice with a hint of annoyance in his eyes.

He gave Myrna money, but Myrna didn't want it. He thought Myrna was proud, but unexpectedly, Myrna followed him to Watershed Restaurant.

Stephanie was going to be apprenticed later, and the members of the Cooper family were also there. Luther didn't want to wash his dirty laundry in public, so he suppressed his anger and said, "Myrna, we didn't drive you away. You posted your information online to look for your biological parents. Since you have found them, you should have followed them back. Why are you causing trouble here?"

He thought Myrna had heard them talking downstairs and deliberately came after them.

Without noticing Calvin beside Myrna, Luther took out his wallet and continued, "You've figured it out and decided to take the money, right?"

He took the card from his wallet and wanted to hand it to Myrna.

Myrna looked up at the furious Luther and was about to speak.

Just then, Calvin reached out and pushed Luther's card back into his wallet. Then he grabbed Myrna's hand, looked down at her, and said with a scowl, "Let's go. Your grandpa is waiting for you."

Myrna's eyebrows were scrunched up. Anyone who knew her could tell that she was averse to being touched. The person who wanted to touch her last time was put in the hospital and lay in bed for three months before being discharged.

Calvin held Myrna's left hand firmly. Myrna's palm was sweating a bit as she looked up at Calvin.

She thought Calvin didn't need to hold her hand when he wanted to help her out.

Myrna wanted to take back her hand, but when she saw the Stark family looking at them from a distance, she swallowed the words she was about to say.

She didn't glance at Luther, let alone talk to him.

"Hmm," Myrna replied, followed Calvin into the private room under the gaze of the Stark family.

The people from the Stark family, including Luther, were dumbfounded.

Different from other restaurants, Watershed Restaurant attracted lots of customers. The Stark family could only book an ordinary compartment by pulling a few strings, but Myrna followed Calvin into a private room.

It showed that there was a wide gap between the Stark family and the Larson family.

Stephanie tightened her grip on Amy's hand. Her eyes flickered as she looked in Myrna's direction and whispered, "Grandma, did you hear what that man just said? He said that Myrna's biological grandfather was in that private room..."

Wasn't Myrna's family from the countryside?

How could they book a private room at Watershed Restaurant?

At this thought, everyone in the Stark family looked bad. However, there were outsiders around, so it was inconvenient for them to discuss it. They had to set aside their doubts and follow the waiter to the place they had booked.

***

Calvin led Myrna to the private room.

He pushed the door open and saw several people inside.

Myrna followed Calvin in.

Harold Payne, who was sitting in a wheelchair, asked someone to push him over and excitedly grabbed Myrna's hand. With tears in his eyes, he said, "Are you Myrna? Good girl. After all these years, I finally found you. I was afraid that I would die before I found you. Then I'd be ashamed to see your mom after I died..."

Myrna looked at Harold's gray hair. Judging from the expression on his face, he didn't seem to be play-acting. His bright piercing eyes were now filled with tears, indicating how excited he was. Moreover, his hand was trembling. Myrna had never felt this way before, and she also became as emotional as the elderly man who was holding her hand and chattering.

Harold had seen much of the world. He lost control of his emotions for a moment, but gradually, he managed to control himself. However, his eyes were still red because he had tears in his eyes before. Holding Myrna's hand, he began to introduce the people in the room one by one.

"Myrna, this is your dad, Charles Payne. He's a teacher."

Calvin raised his eyes and leaned against the wall, watching Harold introduce the members of the Payne family to Myrna.

Charles was a professor at Craydon University, but Harold just said that he was a teacher.

Charles wore a suit. His eyes were red as he clenched his hands into fists as if trying to control his emotions.

Myrna had a vague idea of her father, but Harold was waiting for her to greet Charles. She pursed her lips and looked at the middle-aged man with clear eyes. "Dad."

"Good girl." Charles' eyes turned red, and he quickly looked away, afraid of revealing his emotions.

Harold breathed a sigh of relief and gently introduced the other members of the family to Myrna.

"That's your uncle, Patrick Payne, his wife Camryn Payne, and his daughter Kristin Payne. Patrick is a businessman, and Kristin is about your age. You've seen her brother, Blake Payne."

Myrna looked over and saw a girl about her age standing next to a couple. Kristin and Camryn looked indifferent. They reluctantly nodded to Myrna for Harold's sake. Patrick looked nice and greeted Myrna affectionately.

"Nice to meet you guys," Myrna greeted gently.

Harold was full of joy. He didn't want Myrna to immediately fit into the Payne family. He was satisfied to see that Myrna didn't resist.

He took Myrna's hand and asked, "Are you hungry? You haven't had lunch yet, have you? Come on, let's eat. Charles, let the waiter serve the dishes."

"Okay."

The Payne family was enjoying themselves at lunch. Harold kept filling Myrna's plate.

He asked her about the past.

Myrna answered all the questions briefly yet sincerely.

Harold suddenly stopped talking. Then he hemmed and hawed. "Myrna, I heard you took a year off school. You will be a senior this year. Which high school do you like to go to? Do you have a name in mind?"

Myrna buried her face in the soup.

When she heard the word "high school", her eyelids drooped.

She would've never thought about going to school if Harold hadn't brought it up.

As far as Myrna was concerned, a high school or college diploma was what meant for school, but she no longer needed this thing.

Myrna fell silent for a while. Then she looked up and shook her head. "Nope."

Kristin Payne let out a sneer. She figured Myrna hesitated because Myrna had poor grades and might not be able to pass the test. Thus, there was no point for her grandfather in asking which school Myrna liked to go to!

Myrna wouldn't get in even if she wanted!

Calvin sneaked a peek at Myrna, who concentrated on eating. He leaned against the chair and asked casually, "Melcester Central High School is a good choice."

"Melcester Central High School?" Harold was stunned. He planned on taking Myrna back to Nemmington. Then he remembered that Myrna was Calvin's fiancée! There were too many people with ulterior motives in Nemmington, so he couldn't protect her. Harold pondered for a moment and agreed, "Melcester Central High School is good. They have good teachers. What do you think, Myrna?"

Melcester Central High School?

Myrna pursed her lips. She didn't want to stay in Melcester.

Myrna raised her head to meet Calvin's expectant eyes. Strangely, she nodded. "Whatever."

"Melcester Central High School it is, then!"

Harold was convalescing in Nemmington. Charles also worked there. If Myrna chose to stay in Melcester, Harold had to ask Blake and his family to take care of Myrna.

Harold glanced at Kristin and frowned. Then he said to Myrna, "Your cousin bought a house in Melcester. It's your final year in high school. Except for the school, you can stay with him temporarily."

As soon as Harold said that, Kristin, Myrna's uncle, Patrick Payne, and her aunt, Camryn Payne, had disapproving looks on their faces.

Blake did have his own house. They didn't understand why Harold arranged for Myrna to stay with Blake. Was Harold wary of them?

Kristin curled her lips and didn't try to hide her discontentment.

Patrick felt a little awkward. Camryn, who sat gracefully, wiped her mouth and seemingly disdained to be part of this.

Calvin said calmly and seriously, "I will also stay in Melcester for some time. I can look after her."

Myrna suddenly turned to Calvin, locking eyes with him.

His eyes...

Myrna almost choked on the soup. She hurriedly averted his gaze.

***

Stephanie and Luther were eating absent-mindedly in the next room.

They talked about meeting Myrna and spaced out a few times.

Luckily, Amy was close to Oliva Herring, so Stephanie was sure that she could get into Hebbury College of Art.

Stephanie felt relieved.

Everyone was pleased after the meal.

Amy, Luther, and Celia went to see Oliva and her daughter off. Stephanie followed behind.

Outside Watershed Restaurant, Lawson saw Stephanie look bewildered and her face pale. He walked to her and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?"

Stephanie looked at his determined eyes, bit her lip, shook her head, and responded, "Nothing. I'm a bit under the weather."

Stephanie had been in poor health since she was a kid, so Lawson didn't overthink too much. He took a look at their parents, who were walking ahead and making small talk, and asked, "Should we go to the hospital?"

Stephanie lied. She didn't feel sick. She grabbed Lawson's arm and faltered, "No need, Lawson. It's always like this after I stay in one room for too long. I just need some fresh air, and I will be fine."

Lawson caringly stroked her back and whispered, "You should tell me that you feel sick sooner. They won't blame you."

Stephanie stared at his handsome face and felt relaxed. She bashfully held his hand and crooned, "I know."

Then Stephanie seemed to remember something and said with faked sympathy, "I saw my sister just now. Why was she at Watershed Restaurant? My father said her parents came from River Town. There is only one train to Melcester every day. Didn't she get the ticket?"

Hearing it, Lawson knitted his brows. He looked back at Watershed Restaurant, uttering carelessly, "Probably."

Stephanie bit her pink lips and said hesitantly, "In fact, before my sister left, she was fighting with my grandma. She didn't take the money that my father gave her and accused us of chasing her away! Between you and me...Lawson...do you think I'm too greedy? Shouldn't I vie with my sister for you?"

"This isn't about you!" Lawson was disheartened to see Stephanie get misty-eyed and immediately consoled her, "I fell in love with you first. Myrna...she will wish us the best."

Stephanie was fragile. The only brave thing she ever did was be with Lawson. As a man, Lawson thought he must be responsible for her.

Lawson didn't trust another man to take care of Stephanie, so he had to turn Myrna down and say sorry to her.

"OK."

Stephanie noticed that Lawson was indifferent when he spoke about Myrna and felt much at ease.

She was also guessing the reason that Myrna came to Watershed Restaurant.

Perhaps, it was a coincidence like what her grandma said.

***

Stephanie contained herself and put on a smile. Suddenly, she saw a person walk out of the restaurant from the corner of her eye.

It was Myrna!

Myrna wore the same T-shirt and plaid shirt that she chose before going out at noon and the same light blue short jeans to show off her beautiful white legs.

Myrna's facial features were distinctive. Her eyes were as dark as ink. Her eyelashes were long and curved. An irresistible charm was exuding from her body.

Apparently, Lawson saw Myrna. He exclaimed in surprise, "Myrna?"

Except for Myrna, Lawson also saw other people.

When Luther, who was walking in the lead, heard the cry, he paused and looked over at Lawson.

Oliva was held by her daughter. When she saw Harold, she suddenly stopped chatting with Amy.

Oliva instructed her daughter to walk her to Harold and greeted Harold with a smile, "Mr. Payne, why are you in Melcester?"

Mr. Payne?

The Starks were dumbfounded!

Celia suddenly thought of something. She glanced at the Paynes, and her expression changed.

The Payne family?

Would it be the family that Celia heard about?

The upper class in Melcester was also divided into three classes. The Stark family was a newcomer and in the lowest class. The Cooper family was one class higher than the Stark family because they had some politicians.

As for the most powerful families, the Payne family and the Herring family were definitely at the top, as well as the Grant family. The Cooper family could barely enter the circle.

The Payne family was the most powerful one among them.

The Payne family had its secret backups in Nemmington. Harold was themanofthemoment in Melcester when he was young.

As Harold was getting older, his health condition was getting worse. He moved to Nemmington for recuperation ten years ago and rarely came back since then.

Younger generations heard his name but hardly met him in person.

Harold was in a good mood when seeing them. He said in a loud voice with a smile, "I came back to bring my granddaughter home."

"Granddaughter?" Oliva looked at Myrna, who was quietly pushing Harold's wheelchair.

Having fair skin and a slim figure, Myrna appeared stunningly beautiful.

"So it's the girl. She's so beautiful!" Oliva wasn't exaggerating. The Payne family all had delicate facial features, but Myrna's were exceptional.

Harold couldn't help but laugh. "She's so young. It's a bit early to think about appearance."

Despite saying so, Harold didn't bother to hide his pride. He introduced Oliva to Myrna, "Myrna, this is Oliva."

Myrna raised her eyebrows slightly and said sweetly, "Hello, Oliva."

Oliva immediately took off the bracelet from her wrist and stuffed it into Myrna's hand. She said guilty, "Oh my, you're so sweet, Myrna. I didn't know your grandfather took you here for lunch today. Otherwise, I would have prepared a good gift for you. I have worn this bracelet for years, and it's very precious to me. It can bring people good luck. I hope you'll like it."

Myrna tried to decline it but failed. After Harold persuaded her, Myrna accepted the bracelet against her will.

After sending Myrna a gift at their first meeting, Oliva began chatting with Harold contentedly.

Members of the Stark family, including Celia, were all stunned. Amy and Luther were especially surprised.

Their faces were pale and sullen. Luther stood there still, hesitating whether to talk to them.

Stephanie felt as if being struck by lightning. Her delicate face was as pale as a sheet.

She pinched her fingers and murmured in disbelief in a voice audible only to herself, "Aren't Myrna's parents from River Town? How could Oliva know her family?"

It seemed that Oliva not only knew him but even deliberately acted to be close to the elderly man next to Myrna.

How did Myrna know such powerful people?"

***

Oliva chatted with Harold for a while and then asked Myrna, "Is Myrna a high school student now?"

"Yes, and she's about to start her senior year," Harold replied with a smile.

Oliva looked at Myrna and asked, "Which high school?"

Harold didn't hide anything and answered casually, "Melcester Central High School. She took a break from school a year ago and had to choose a new one. I asked her opinion, and she thought Melcester Central High School was okay. Then she temporarily stays here for school."

Stephanie and the Stark family all heard the name of Melcester Central High School despite their absent-mindedness. Stephanie's lips finally drained of color. She could barely stand.

She thought, "Melcester Central High School?

Is Myrna going to study at Melcester Central High School?"

When she was taking the high school entrance examination, her family had worked hard to get a place for her in Melcester Central High School, but Harold sounded like it was a piece of cake for him. The huge gap dazed her.

Stephanie was not in the mood to listen to anything Oliva said afterward.

It wasn't until Myrna followed Harold and the others that Stephanie came back to her senses. She heard her grandma, Amy, greeting Oliva, who was of a higher status than them.

"Who was that elderly man just now?"

Oliva didn't know their relationship with Myrna, so she replied casually, "Oh, you mean Harold? He's an old friend."

Amy asked doubtfully, "What kind of friend? Why haven't you brought him up before?"

"I seldom see him, so I didn't mention his name specifically." Oliva and Amy had a good relationship, but after all, the Stark family couldn't reach the real top circles in Melcester. Harold had some connections with the higher-ups, so even Oliva must be cautious. She didn't want to reveal Harold's identity to irrelevant people, so she just smiled and said, "Well, Harold can be considered as my teacher."

Oliva loved painting. Since Harold was a master of painting, Oliva had asked him for advice several times.

It was fair for her to call Harold her teacher.

"I see." Amy finally understood everything.

Myrna's poor relatives were from River Town. If Harold was a good teacher, he would be well-known in the local area.

Amy knew that Oliva was obsessed with painting. Judging from the elderly man's age, he might have some achievements in this field.

A few TV series were often about some kind of expert appearing in the countryside. Unfortunately, Harold wasn't a famous teacher.

"I heard before that one of his biological granddaughters was lost when little. I didn't expect that after such a long time, Harold would finally find her.

"Since the girl has been found after she got lost for that long, her real grandfather will definitely treat her as his favorite.

"That girl is so lucky. I heard that Harold found the information about his granddaughter on the Internet. The girl posted how her adoptive family treated her on the Internet. It can be seen that she wasn't treated fairly... I don't know if that family will regret it one day."

The Stark family members felt dizzy as they couldn't believe what was going on. They were so embarrassed and ashamed that they couldn't even say a word.

Luther's face burned because he had just thought that Myrna was chasing him to ask for money. His heart, liver, spleen, stomach, and kidneys seemed to be displaced. He was too embarrassed to give any answer.

Amy, in contrast, looked coldly at Myrna's disappearing back with an unfathomable expression. "He's just a teacher. Why would we regret it?"

"Teacher? Does Amy misunderstand something?" Oliva wondered.

Since Myrna had left, Oliva didn't say anything more.

The Payne family's car arrived outside Watershed Restaurant.

The second Myrna left the restaurant, her phone buzzed nonstop.

Myrna fished her phone out of her pocket, glanced down at it, and stopped walking.

"Mya, what's wrong?" Harold watched Myrna's every move and asked apprehensively.

"Did you forget something?"

"No."

What she wanted to take was somewhere else.

Myrna slipped the phone back into her pocket, looked up, and consulted with Harold. "Grandpa, I want to go to a place first."

Harold just found her. He wanted to give her everything, so he said without hesitation, "Where do you want to go? I will ask Blake to drive you there."

Displeasure flashed in Kristin's eyes as she interjected, "Grandpa, I have a press conference to attend later. Blake already agreed to give me a lift."

Kristin was known for her beauty and intelligence in the showbiz. She starred in a lot of TV series before she even graduated.

She was kind of a big deal in Nemmington.

"Can't you ask the chauffeur to take you there?" Harold didn't approve of Kristin working in showbiz because of the Payne family's social status, but Patrick and Camryn were in favor of this. Harold couldn't stubbornly deprive the young people of their own opinions.

Kristin curled her lip, dissatisfied. Then she held Harold's arm and complained, "Blake and I made a deal!"

Kristin looked at Myrna with hostility and said, "Let the chauffeur take Mya there."

Myrna sensed the hostility and responded lightly, "No need for the trouble. I'll take a cab there myself."

"Not going to happen!" Harold immediately opposed it!

Harold relaxed his eyebrows and thought for a while. Then he looked at Calvin and asked, "Calvin, are you free? Can you drive Mya to the place where she wants to go?"

Kristin bit her pink lips, her expression changing slightly.

Kristin didn't care about whether Blake gave her a ride or not. She cared about whom Blake gave a ride to! She wanted to spend more time with Calvin alone. But if Calvin had given Myrna a ride, her persistence would've gone for nothing.

Kristin held Harold's arm reluctantly and cut in, "Grandpa, Calvin is busy. How about letting Blake drive her? I'll take a cab."

"Didn't you make a deal with Blake?" Harold fixed his eyes on the tall and handsome man and inquired, "Calvin, are you free?"

It would be fine if Calvin said he wasn't.

Calvin hunched his shoulder and glanced at Myrna who was texting. He asked Blake to give him the car key and said to Harold seriously. "Yes. I will give her a ride."

Kristin scowled.

Kristin faked a smile and advised, "Calvin, you must be tired after you came back from Rainville. Let Blake drive Myrna!"

Camryn knew what Kristin was thinking. She also wanted a son-in-law as noble as Calvin.

Camryn, who remained silent the whole night, said suddenly, "Yes, Calvin. Let Blake take her there."

Blake didn't pick up on the small details and carelessly patted Calvin's shoulder. He whispered, "Haven't you slept well in the last three days? You should get some rest. I'll give Mya a lift."

"No. I insist."

Blake was speechless.

Calvin took the car key from Blake. Without looking at Kristin, he walked to Myrna, lowered his beautiful upturned eyes, and asked slowly, "Where do you want to go?"

Myrna didn't want to owe anyone a favor!

Myrna found Kristin standing a few meters away and glaring at her. Camryn was also staring at her with indifference and disgust.

Myrna took a glimpse of Calvin, who decided to give her a ride without rhymeorreason.

She felt her temples suddenly aching.

She thought having a friend like Blake...was really annoying!

Myrna put her phone back into her pocket and said without making eye contact with the Paynes, "Lakeside Road."

In a quiet alley of Lakeside Road, the black Phaeton slowly came to a halt.

Myrna unbuckled the seat belt, took her bag, and said to the man in the driver's seat, "Thank you."

Calvin raised his chin slightly. One of his hands was holding the steering wheel, the other propping against the window. There was a brown beaded bracelet around his wrist as if it contained magic and was used to tame the beast. Calvin glanced at the door and found there was nothing special about this place. Then he said, "Do you want me to go with you?"

Myrna refused without hesitation. "No. I'm fine by myself."

Calvin squinted his eyes and didn't say anything.

Myrna couldn't wait to get rid of Calvin. She closed the car door, waved at him, and said, "I'm going in!"

"Sure."

Calvin watched Myrna eagerly march into the two-story white building and took out his phone.

He lived in Nemmington long enough to know the value of every inch of the land in Melcester.

The house Myrna entered was in the prime location in the south of the city. It would cost a fortune to buy the land and build a private studio here.

Blake told Calvin that Myrna's foster parents were rich, but they didn't treat Myrna well. They even refused to give Myrna a good education.

How did Myrna know this place? It seemed that she came here a lot.

Calvin took a picture of the house.

Soon, he received a message.

"I know this place! There is a psychological clinic at Lakeside Road. It's hard to get an appointment here! It's also expensive. Mr. Larson... Do you have mental issues? Please don't feel embarrassed and get yourself a therapist!"

"Fuck off."

After Calvin replied to the text, he arched his brows and looked at the girl who disappeared into the building.

A psychological clinic?

Expensive?

Calvin had read the files about Myrna. There was nothing out of the ordinary. However, after he got to know her, he was surprised to find that she was different from what the files described.

When Calvin prepared to send another message, his phone screen lit up.

Calvin picked up the call and said huskily, "What's up?"

"Mr. Larson, your son is missing!"

Calvin's face was immediately clouded over. He clenched his jaw and no longer cared about the psychological clinic. He started the engineer, turned the car around, and asked, "Where are you now?"

The car hurtled out, as fast as lightning.

Chapter 12 Allow No Touch

In the psychological clinic, Myrna walked through the long corridor with ease and got what she wanted in the counseling room.

The psychiatrist was unexpectedly young in his early twenties at most. His pair of slanted eyes were more seductive than Blake's. He was wearing a V-neck black T-shirt under a big white gown, and the collar was almost down to the chest. He wasn't satisfied yet and still wore a silver skull necklace around his neck. The teeth of the sterling silver skull shine sharply and domineeringly in the sun.

But he really couldn't control his mouth.

"Myrna, why did you keep hanging up on me?"

Myrna poured all the pills into the gum box and then threw the labeled medicine bottle into the trash can without raising her head. "I was having lunch."

She felt more relaxed in this place and stood idly.

Martin Clough didn't accept her explanation. He leaned forward and forced Myrna to look at his extremely handsome face. "Is lunch more important than me?"

Annoyed by him, Myrna frowned and pushed away his face. "Don't come near me. I'm afraid I would punch you."

"Tsk, are you going to kill your husband?"

Martin leaned back and kept some distance between them. He said with a handsome face filled with resentment, "I'm your boyfriend after all. You don't have to be so ruthless, right?"

Myrna corrected his wrong choice of words. "Ex-boyfriend!"

Martin disagreed, "Ex-boyfriend matters! Anyway, you broke up with Lawson. I have been your back-up for so long. Why don't you consider dating me seriously?"

Martin liked joking, and sometimes Myrna couldn't figure out whether he was joking or being serious. She impatiently pushed his hand away and frowned. "I won't think about it! Haven't we tried it before? You couldn't turn me on."

He couldn't turn Myrna on?

"You're pretty sure of that only after spending three days with me?" Martin only felt gloomy, and his handsome face darkened with anger. He gritted his teeth as if squeezed out words from between them. "As long as you are willing to try again, I'll prove to you that I can turn you on!"

Three days. Only after three days, Myrna dumped him.

He didn't even hold Myrna's hand. Now Myrna claimed he wasn't sexually attractive.

"I'll make it impossible for you to get rid of me!"

Myrna glanced at the man who was quite angry. She said coldly and mercilessly, "No. You can't."

"Fuck!"

Martin didn't know how to reply. He held his forehead and argued with her angrily, "What do you mean by saying I can't? Myrna, it's obviously your problem, okay? What the hell do you think is wrong with you? When a man touches you, you feel disgusted and depressed. I have consulted the most popular gigolo in Melcester. He has met countless women but has never heard of this kind of thing. I have seen only one similar case like yours."

Myrna couldn't help but wonder. "Where?"

Martin cured his lips and stared at her with a half-smile. "'Virgin CEO Falls for Me'."

Myrna frowned and felt surprised.

Martin stared at her fair-skinned heart-shaped face. She appeared cold, indifferent, and a bit innocent. His desire to tease Myrna faded away.

Martin couldn't get angry anymore, so he took a sip of cold water to cool down. He waved his hands like a deflated rubber ball. "It's just a novel. It's fine if you haven't heard of it."

In Martin's mind, the novel told a cheesy love story that was almost impossible in real life and not worth his recalling.

However, the male protagonist had similar issues with Myrna. He didn't allow any women to touch him. If someone did, he would lose his temper.

Seeing that Myrna had put away the pills, Martin didn't stick to the topic. Instead, he worriedly warned, "Take as few pills as possible. If you really can't sleep at night, take one pill. If you feel fine, try not to take it."

"Okay."

This was not the first time Myrna had taken this kind of pill. She knew their effect and readily agreed.

After grabbing her things, she picked up her backpack, threw the pills in, and prepared to leave.

Seeing that she was about to leave, Martin stopped her and asked, "Where are you going?"

Myrna picked up her things and said casually, "I'll go home."

Martin immediately frowned. "Which home? Didn't the Stark family kick you out?"

He remembered the phone call he had with Myrna before and stared at her for a moment. "You mean to go back to live with your biological parents?"

Myrna didn't like being too close to any men, so she took a half step back and admitted casually, "Yeah."

Martin naturally saw her move, and his eyes darkened. He felt depressed but helpless, so he could only pretend that he didn't see it. After all, out of sight, out of mind. "You hung up on me a few times because you were having lunch with your biological parents' family? You've met them. What kind of people are they?"

Myrna recalled and said slowly, "I haven't learned them more, so I don't know. I only saw my biological father. My biological mother is said to have passed away. Her death reason is not clear yet, and I will check it out. The rest... Grandpa is very good to me."

"Grandpa..." When Martin heard this, he knew that she had not acknowledged her biological parents but her grandfather.

Martin's heart sank. He asked seriously, "Do you really want to stay and investigate your real parents?"

Myrna didn't know why he kept asking the same question. But she was still very patient and nodded. "Yes. Every leaf has its roots. I want to know who I am and where I come from."

This reason was impeccable.

Even if Martin wanted to take her away, he had to suppress the thought. He frowned. "Then what are you going to do next? Going back to River Town with your biological father?"

Myrna said, "They are from Melcester."

Martin looked puzzled and said, "Melcester? Didn't you say that your biological father is from River Town?"

Myrna couldn't explain clearly. "I haven't figured out the details yet. Luther told me that they are from River Town, but they don't seem to be."

"What's your biological father's name?"

Myrna thought about it for a moment but didn't remember it. She rubbed the bridge of her nose, for she didn't like this kind of questioning. "His surname is Payne."

"Payne?"

The Payne family was quite powerfully rooted in Melcester. The elderly members of this family were even related to the Larson family in Nemmington.

Martin looked at Myrna with deep eyes and stopped the absurd guessing.

Myrna's real father couldn't have anything to do with the Payne family.

Myrna had put away her things. She took a medicine bottle out of her backpack and threw it to Martin.

Martin quickly caught it.

Myrna slowly picked up her backpack and said softly, "This month's medicine."

Three years ago, a pill able to enhance bodily function began to circulate on the black market in their country. It was said that the effect was comparable to panacea. It could prolong people's life and make them feel refreshed.

As soon as the medicine was sold on the black market, all the major forces wanted to control its sale. Only three pills would be auctioned on the black market every month, and every auction causes quite a stir.

"Three more?" Martin carefully checked the pills in the bottle. The small white pills looked no different from jelly beans.

But one pill could sell at a shockingly high price on the black market.

Martin once asked Myrna if the pill was indeed so magical. After all, he had seen Myrna put the legendary magic pill into her chewing gum box like jelly beans and chew two pills whenever she was upset or simply idle.

"I'm busy. I don't have much time to make more."

Myrna kept one of her legs crossed on the edge of the chair next to her. She had fair skin, long legs, and a slender waist. Her beauty was bright and stunning. There was a red mole on her slender neck, attracting people to bite it off.

Martin put the precious pill bottle away and glanced at her after hearing her words. He said through gritted teeth, "You are busy? I think that you even have a lot of time to find your family."

Myrna said seriously, "I'm really busy."

Her absent-mindedness made her words unconvincing at all.

"Tsk." Martin didn't bother to argue with her. He seemed to have remembered something and said, "By the way, some people from Nemmington were looking for you and they were here. A patient with a high status seems to want your treatment."

"Not interested."

Myrna wanted to find out more about the mystery of her family background.

"They have followed you to Melcester. They came with preparations and seem to have found out a lot of information about you."

Myrna didn't even tilt her head. She said coldly and ruthlessly, "Help me settle it down."

Martin was dealing with the illegal business. All the black markets in Melcester were under his name. His influence even extended to Nemmington.

She and Martin met by chance. She saved Martin once, and Martin also helped her.

It wasn't a deep friendship, but she had absolute trust in Martin. Martin was also one of the few people who knew her identity.

Martin agreed readily. Ever since the pills appeared on the black market, Myrna's reputation had been spread as a miracle doctor. Martin had been doing things for her for long. "Okay."

"Then I'll be excused."

Myrna delivered pills to Martin and got what she wanted. Showing no intention of staying any longer, she stood up and said, "If you have anything, call me."

Seeing that she was leaving, Martin suppressed the reluctance in his eyes. "Got it."

"The Stark family..."

When Myrna walked to the corner, Martin remembered what happened to her in the Stark's place. He wanted to punish the entire Stark family to vent anger for her, but Myrna had walked away. Martin thought he had better forget about it.

The Stark family were idiots.

They were complacent when treating the fish eyes as pearls.

They ruined their best chance to thrive.

After leaving the clinic, Myrna was not in a hurry to go back. She waved for a taxi on the roadside and came to the shopping mall on East Road to buy groceries.

Myrna's backpack only contained one piece of clothing besides her laptop.

There was traffic control near the mall area, so the taxi driver couldn't get the car any closer after driving to the intersection.

"Young lady, the front area is closed. I can't get in. You have to walk a bit by yourself. Is that okay?"

"No problem."

Myrna looked at the charge on the meter, took out the money, and gave it to the driver. Then she got out of the car.

The roads on both sides were above the river. After crossing the bridge, she could reach the shopping mall in the city center.

Myrna hadn't walked a few steps when she heard someone shouting from the left side ahead. "Someone fell into the water!"

Many people were walking on the road. Some people immediately came to have a look.

"Oh my, someone fell into the water."

"I just saw a kid pick something up at the riverside and slip down."

"Who can swim?"

A guy shouted in the crowd.

Among the large group of onlookers, few people knew how to swim.

Stephanie and two girls from her class happened to be among the onlookers. As an accident happened, they stood together on the bridge and looked down. The water was so fast and scary. One of the girls whispered to Stephanie, "Stephie, I remember you signed up for a swimming class during the summer vacation..."

An elderly man standing next to her heard it. He was overjoyed and said, "Girl, you can swim, right? That's great. The child is about to drown. Please save him..."

The elderly man had a loud voice and attracted people around.

Everyone wanted to save the drowning boy, but no one knew how to swim.

Stephanie looked at the water under the bridge. The river water could not be as clean as the water in a high-end swimming pool. As soon as she saw the turbid river water, she immediately frowned. Disgust flashed through her eyes. The water was so dirty, and its flow was so fast. Her life might be in danger if she got down into the river. She wouldn't risk her life for a kid she didn't know.

But with so many eyes looking at her expectantly, she couldn't bluntly refuse. Stephanie bit her lip with soft watery eyes and pretended an embarrassed look. "I only learned swimming in the summer class for a few days. I don't swim well... I may not be able to rescue the boy even if I go down. I can call Lawson to come over. He is also nearby."

She took out her phone and assumed a kind-hearted attitude while making the phone call.

The elderly man next to her wanted to say that it would be too late to call people over. But Stephanie was unwilling to go down the river to save the boy. The elderly man could only stand on the roadside with worry.

The waves in the water were so high that the struggling child was about to be submerged.

Some of the onlookers called the police. Others tried to find ropes, basins, and other things that could float...

At this time, a slender figure squeezed through the crowd decisively, put the bag on the side, and jumped into the river.

"Myrna?" One of the girls who followed Stephanie recognized Myrna. She screamed and said to Stephanie who was calling Lawson, "Stephie, isn't that your sister?"

Everyone in Melcester Central High School had heard that Myrna wasn't the real daughter of Stephanie's parents. They also heard that Myrna's biological parents came to visit her and the father was a poor teacher in River Town.

Why didn't Myrna follow them back to River Town and instead come here?

Stephanie also opened her mouth in surprise. She didn't expect the person she met in Watershed Restaurant to show up here again.

What should she do? She even called Lawson to come over...

***

The water below flowed very fast. When Myrna got into the water, she realized that it was not that easy to bring the boy up.

The boy became unconscious after drowning. He grabbed her neck and kept flopping around. If this continued, she would only be dragged into the vortex.

"If you move again, I'll beat you!"

Myrna's neck was scratched by the boy, and there was a burning pain behind her ears. She couldn't comfort the panicked boy in the water. Instead, she could only grit her teeth and threaten him in a low voice.

The boy's wet eyes were as beautiful as black gems. He seemed to have heard her words, and his force to grab her became gentler. His little face got dirty from the mud in the water. It was hard to see what he looked like.

Myrna waited until his movement became gentler and slapped him on the back of his neck to knock him unconscious. She held his limp body with one hand and swam to the shore...

The waves hit her several times. Since dragging a boy in her arms, she was forced to take a few sips of river water.

***

At the riverside.

Lawson arrived.

He quickly squeezed into the crowd with an anxious expression and instantly saw Stephanie and her friends. He walked over quickly, grabbed Stephanie's arm, and worriedly looked at Stephanie up and down.

"Stephie, are you okay?"

Seeing Lawson, Stephanie curled up her lips into a shy sweet smile and shook her head. "I'm fine."

Lawson signed in relief. "I'm so glad you're okay."

He then greeted Stephanie's friends. "Hello! I just want to thank you for taking care of Stephie for me. Let's have dinner together in the evening."

Stephanie's two classmates immediately had their eyes lit up and hurriedly agreed, "Thank you, Lawson."

Abbey was on better terms with Stephanie. She elbowed Stephanie with her eyes full of envy and flattered her, "Stephie, how lucky you are. You even have Lawson as your boyfriend."

Lawson was the man of the times in Melcester Central High School. He was admitted to a famous university with a high grade on the college entrance examination, and it was said that when he studied at Craydon University, he was also popular.

He was handsome and tall. Besides, he had a rich family. All the girls would be envious of Stephanie's relationship with him.

Stephanie blushed and pushed Abbey shyly. "Abbey, stop your nonsense."

At this time, another student who came with them said, "Stephie, will your sister be okay after she jumps from the bridge?"

Lawson had been the pride of his family since he was young, and he grew up under other people's compliments. Therefore, he didn't take the praise of Stephanie's friends seriously. He modestly smiled before he heard such a question. He asked in confusion, "Who jumped from the bridge?"

Only then did he realize that a crowd of people were encouraging the people under the bridge, so none of them paid attention to Lawson.

Stephanie was annoyed by her classmate's disruption. She wasn't as tactful as Abbey, and Stephanie grabbed Lawson's sleeves. "It's my sister. She jumped from the bridge.

"I wanted to save the drowning kid, but I am not a good swimmer, and the doctor said that I couldn't catch a cold, so, I was thinking about calling you. I didn't expect Myrna to jump from the bridge."

Lawson was stunned.

"Did you say that Myrna jumped from the bridge to save the kid?"

Stephanie nodded and said as if she didn't know anything. "I didn't hear anyone say that she could swim."

The water was turbulent, and if Myrna was swallowed by the waves, she wouldn't have to see her on the campus again.

***

At the bank, Myrna dragged the fainted kid onto the shore with all her might. She barely got ashore and saw the kid faint with his face livid. She knew that he was choked on a lot of water, so she propped herself up for first aid regardless of her sorry state.

"The kid is saved!"

The crowd cheered up and walked over to Myrna when they saw her save the kid.

Lawson looked over from afar, tilted his head, and asked in a low voice, "Should we go take a look?"

Stephanie didn't want Lawson to meet Myrna, but at the same time, she didn't want to show her scheme, so she reluctantly hummed and said "kindly", "I don't know how my sister is doing. Lawson, let's go take a look. If I can help..."

Not far away in the restriction area, a Phaeton car sped over, crushing the fallen leaves.

"Mr. Larson, your grandfather has called to ask why Alfredo didn't pick up the video call."

Alfredo was the apple of the eye of the Larson family. Calvin doted on him so much, and if not for treating Alfredo's illness, Gaven wouldn't have let him leave the capital. However, Alfredo was lost when the people taking care of him didn't pay attention.

The temperature in the car was low.

Calvin's face tensed up. He hadn't slept for three days, and his beautiful eyes were now bloodshot. Even the bracelet he was wearing couldn't cover his fury.

"Tell Grandpa that Alfredo is taking a nap and that he'll call him later."

"Yes, sir."

At this time, his earphone received a call.

Calvin put one hand on the steering wheel and answered the phone with the other. "Hello. Have you located him?"

"I have." Blake knew how important Alfredo was to the Larson family, and he didn't know how to tell Calvin the truth. "Calvin, I'll tell you the truth. Don't be mad."

Calvin's eyes were bloodshot, and he said coldly, "Speak."