Miss Lowell was taken aback by the title. She hadn’t been "Professor Lowell" for many years.
She looked at Roman Rhodes and asked hesitantly, "I’m sorry, you are?"
Roman Rhodes replied excitedly, "Miss Lowell, it’s , Roman Rhodes! Don’t you rember ?"
Seeing Miss Lowell’s confused expression, Roman Rhodes continued to explain, "My mother was Yolanda Walsh. Do you rember her? She was in your departnt and lived next door to you in the faculty apartnts. My dad was in the army back then, so my mom was raising us on her own. You often helped her look after and my little brother."
lody Sumrs listened quietly from the side, a little surprised. ’So Miss Lowell and Officer Rhodes have this kind of history together.’
His reminder stirred a mory buried deep in Miss Lowell’s mind. She smiled at Roman Rhodes and said, "So it is you. You and your brother were just little kids back then. Ti really flies."
Back then, Roman Rhodes’s father was in the army, so Roman and his younger brother, Holden, lived with their mother in the school’s faculty apartnts.
Yolanda Walsh wasn’t in good health and often fell ill. Miss Lowell, who lived next door, would help her take care of the two children. Whenever Yolanda was hospitalized, she would also bring als to Roman and Holden, who were left at ho by themselves.
Back then, neither Roman nor Holden were doing well in their studies, which was a headache for Yolanda Walsh. Miss Lowell would patiently tutor them while doing her laundry.
Later, when Yolanda Walsh passed away, Roman and Holden lost their mother. It was Miss Lowell who comforted them through that painful ti.
Not long after, elders from the Rhodes Family took Roman and Holden abroad. Before leaving, neither of them could bear to part with Miss Lowell. The two boys hugged each other and cried for a long ti.
Later, the Rhodes Family moved back to Anworth, and Roman went back to the university to see Miss Lowell, but he was told that Professor Lowell had already resigned.
Roman Rhodes was about to say more when his phone suddenly rang. He answered it and listened for a mont, his expression turning serious. "All right," he said. "I’m on my way."
After hanging up, Roman Rhodes said to Miss Lowell, "Miss Lowell, sothing urgent has co up. I’ll co by to visit you properly another day."
Miss Lowell just smiled and replied, "That was all decades ago. You young people are busy. You don’t need to make a special trip."
Roman Rhodes paused at her words, but since ti was tight, he didn’t say anything more. He just nodded and left.
*
After the policeman left, lody Sumrs linked her arm through Miss Lowell’s and asked curiously, "Miss Lowell, so you and Officer Rhodes really do have quite a history."
"You silly girl, that’s all in the past. Don’t bring it up again. This old woman can barely rember it all," Miss Lowell said, gently patting lody’s head. "I need to get back to seasoning the at filling. It’s the New Year. Let’s not let these things ruin the festive mood."
After Miss Lowell went inside, Winnie Sumrs, Colin Sumrs, and Grace Sutton ca out to the front yard. They had just gotten alcohol and disinfectant from the storage room, ready to scrub away the pool of blood Silas Lancaster had left behind.
The more Grace Sutton looked at the blood, the more she felt it was a bad on. "That damn little bastard," she complained. "Leaving a pool of blood in our yard on New Year’s, of all days. What terrible luck!"
Winnie Sumrs sighed, blaming herself. "It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have let them in. None of this would have happened otherwise."
Grace Sutton quickly comforted her. "Winnie, how can you bla yourself? I saw how they were dressed—they looked like such respectable people. I probably would have let them in too if I were you. Who could have known they were all a bunch of animals?"
lody Sumrs quickly chid in, "She’s right, Mom. The Lancasters are like leeches. Even if you hadn’t opened the door, they would’ve just lingered at the gate and refused to leave. If you’d driven them off, they would’ve just co back in a day or two. This was bound to happen sooner or later."
But Colin Sumrs suddenly spoke up. "lody, I overheard you telling Officer Rhodes that those three from the Lancaster family were groveling and wanted to move in with us. What’s that about? Aren’t the Lancasters supposed to be rich?"
lody Sumrs smiled and replied, "The Lancaster family is bankrupt, Uncle. Last month, the state initiated compulsory enforcent against a large number of indebted companies and individuals. The Lancasters were already drowning in debt, which is why they were trying to marry off again and demand eight million from us. I’m guessing after the enforcent actions, the family was left penniless, and that’s why they wanted to move in with us."
Winnie Sumrs was stunned. ’No wonder Elaine Hughes looked so different today. She’s fallen from her pedestal as a wealthy socialite.’ She sighed, thinking how unpredictable life could be.
Grace Sutton curled her lip in disdain. "And they call themselves parents. They never gave lody a second thought when they had money, but now that they’re broke, she’s all they can think about. Trying to co here and freeload off us for food and a place to stay. The nerve!"
Upon hearing that, sothing seed to click for Colin Sumrs. He let out a long "Ohhh..." and said, "That explains it. Hollis from property managent ntioned that so hoowners in our complex have had their properties frozen for judicial auction. So it’s because the state is liquidating assets."
Grace Sutton clutched her chest, asking with lingering fear, "Good thing we paid for our villa in cash. If we had a mortgage, would it have been repossessed too?"
lody Sumrs shook her head and reassured her, "It would’ve been fine even if we hadn’t paid in full. As long as you’re making normal loan paynts, the house won’t be liquidated. And even if paynts were missed, if it’s the owner’s only property, they get to keep it." ’At least, that’s the policy for now,’ she added to herself.
Colin Sumrs snorted. "I rember when that Lancaster CEO stord into the supermarket, demanding eight million from us. He brought a whole crew of bodyguards and lawyers, and he was so arrogant he looked down his nose at everyone. Well, the tables have finally turned!"
The four of them chatted as they cleaned, and soon, the bloodstain was almost gone. Still not feeling at ease, Winnie Sumrs sprayed another layer of disinfectant over the spot.
The family had just finished putting the cleaning supplies away when the doorbell rang again.
This ti, the Sumrs family didn’t let their guard down. Only after checking the security monitor and confirming it was indeed the three mbers of the Lynch family did they hurry to open the door.
lody Sumrs ran to open the door and greeted them, "Crystal, Mr. Lynch, Lynch, you’re here! Co on in!"
Crystal Lynch was holding a large bowl of fried atballs. It was hot outside, and she’d walked all the way from her apartnt building to the villa complex. Beads of sweat had ford on her forehead, and she greeted lody with a wide smile. "lody, Happy New Year! Hope we’re not intruding!"
Following behind her, Finn Lynch and Shawn Lynch were also carrying gifts, including a giant ham.
They walked in and greeted the Sumrs family at the door. "Happy New Year. Sorry to intrude."
Seeing all this, Colin Sumrs quickly replied with a polite wave of his hand. "You didn’t have to bring anything! Just having you here is more than enough. We have plenty of everything!"
Winnie Sumrs chid in, "Yes, really, you shouldn’t have. It’s so hot outside. Co in, co in and have a cold drink."
The group walked into the living room and took their seats. Grace Sutton brought out a pitcher of freshly squeezed orange juice with crushed ice and poured everyone a full glass.
Crystal Lynch cupped the cold glass of orange juice and eagerly took a few large gulps. She felt herself enveloped by the cool, sweet citrus fragrance, the oppressive heat of her walk lting away.
lody Sumrs smiled and asked her, "What took you so long? The sun’s high in the sky now; it must be scorching out there."
Crystal Lynch finished her orange juice in one go, let out a long sigh, and said to lody, "We actually left first thing this morning. But you’ll never believe it—we ran right into a robbery just as we were entering the villa complex!"
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