Chapter 885

chapter885

This time, Carlson Smith didn't try to stop them. He watched their retreating figures, his eyes blurring with tears as a wave of warmth spread through his chest.

Just as Roseanne reached her room, she paused. Mamie stopped behind her, curious. Roseanne gestured toward the adjacent bedroom door. Mamie understood and gently pushed it open a crack.

Well, what do you know. Scales was sound asleep, snoring away. He hadn't even bothered to get up and pretend.

I can't believe him, Mamie whispered.

"Carlson probably really thought he went to the bathroom," Roseanne mused.

"No wonder..." Going to the bathroom was just an excuse to crawl back into bed.

"Wait..." Mamie suddenly paused. "Doesn't that mean we lost out? We actually got up, got dressed, and walked all the way to the door."

Roseanne nodded thoughtfully. "... Yeah, we totally lost out."

The rooster crowed at the break of dawn. The sun was up, but the fog hadn't lifted. Pushing open the main door revealed a large patch of farmland, with rolling mountains in the distance.

"No wonder they call this the mountain province!" Mamie exclaimed. It's all I've seen since we got here."

A sliver of red appeared on the horizon. Carlson glanced at it. "Looks like the sun might come out today."

Really?!" Mamie's face lit up. Finally, a break from the biting cold.

Just then, Mr. and Ms. Smith woke up. The village doctor had said Ms. Smith shouldn't stay in bed all the time and needed to walk around a bit. So every morning, Mr. Smith would help her take a couple of laps around the yard.

When the couple saw that Roseanne and her friends hadn't left, they panicked. "Did Jean refuse to take you?! Old Chen, go get Keen, or maybe Gemma's grandson.....

"Auntie, don't worry about it," Mamie said quickly. "We decided not to go."

Ms. Smith was stunned. "You-you kids! Why won't you listen?! You have to go, you can't stay here... Carlson, say something! Convince your friends!"

The three of them turned to look at him.

After a moment of silence, Carlson slowly looked up. "Mom, let them stay. They're not going to leave."

"You-you-oh, what have we done..." she lamented. "They came all this way to see you, and with our situation, we have nothing to offer them. The least we can do is keep them out of danger!"

Carlson nodded. "I know. But they want to help us."

Before, Carlson never accepted help

from anyone, nor did he want

anyone's pity. His pride was almost off putting at times, but it gave have him a sense of security; he didn't owe anyone anything. But... Roseanne and the others were different. She said they were friends.

Friends...

In the end, Mr. Smith could only sigh in resignation and went into the kitchen to prepare breakfast. If Moore brothers came again, he

thought to himself, he would

do

what he did yesterday grabta knife. and stand in their way. He would give his own life before he let any harm come to these kids.

At ten in the morning, the Moore brothers showed up again.

Roseanne, Mamie, and Scales

sense

exchanged glances, a strang them

of calm settling over them. Let them come. Who was afraid of whom?

Having mentally prepared, they

weren't flustered.

Fabian kicked over a wooden stool in the corner as he entered, sending it clattering

to the floor. Jay followed close behind, his club "accidentally" knocking over the washstand behind the door.

Mamie's temper flared, and she almost leaped to her feet. But then she

remembered what Roseanne had said last night, took a deep breath, and sat back down.

Fabian's eyes swept over them. "Well, look at that, everyone's here. Perfect."