the two-faced Adopted Girl Who Melted CEO's Ice-Cold Heart Chapter 539: Close to the Water Tower, First Catch Up and Th

After hanging up the phone, Delphine took Nicholas out of the house. The rented courtyard house was located in an old residential area. Though sowhat aged, the environnt was exceptionally quiet and quaint—truly a rare find in the land-hungry Imperial City.

As soon as Delphine stepped out, she ran into the landlord’s son.

"Miss Carter, heading out with the child?" The landlord’s son, a thirty-sothing man with thick eyebrows and big, lively eyes, had an impressive, sunny presence—a typical native of Imperial City. His features carried the subtle air of superiority inherent to locals. Native families in the city generally had substantial assets, living comfortably on rental inco alone each year; this naturally inflated their sense of pride, especially when dealing with migrant renters from other regions.

"Hello, Mr. Zamora." Delphine greeted him politely yet distantly.

"Miss Carter, you’ve just returned to the country, haven’t you? Where are you headed? I can drive you." Michael Zamora stepped forward warmly, his gaze subtly alight as he sized up Delphine. One glance was enough to tell she was a southern woman—delicate, graceful, with smooth ivory-like skin. Her exquisite features were striking, even more captivating than many celebrities. Michael’s heart stirred. The only drawback was the child she had in tow—either a product of unmarried motherhood or a second marriage.

Michael Zamora was caught between his desire to pursue her and his pride. While he was clearly attracted to her beauty, he couldn’t help feeling she wasn’t entirely worthy of him. Still, he thought, now that she was living on his property, proximity and convenience would give him the upper hand. He decided to pursue her first and work things out later.

"Thank you, but I’ve already called for a car," Delphine replied, her tone cold and distant. To reassure him, she deliberately opened the ride-sharing app on her phone.

These past few years, despite continually having Nicholas by her side, the icy aloofness etched into her personality had gradually softened into composure. Yet deep down, she still harbored an instinctive aversion to n, unconsciously maintaining a safe distance from them.

"You can’t rely on ride-sharing all the ti. From now on, Miss Carter, just let know where you’re going—it’s no trouble; we’re neighbors, after all." Michael Zamora’s smile faltered as he registered her frosty deanor. Inwardly, he spat in disdain—not once, but twice. A single mother dragging along a child—who knew what kind of ssy life she’d led in the past? Hah, staying in his family’s courtyard and still daring to put on airs.

Delphine found Michael Zamora’s gaze insufferable. As she led Nicholas out the door, her brows furrowed briefly before relaxing again. She was naturally distant, and since this was only a temporary stay, it was best to interact with them as little as possible.

This ti, Delphine had returned as an exchange student.

In the past three years, due to her father’s teaching engagents across multiple countries, she had applied to a university in France to study languages. The teaching thods abroad were diverse and liberating, with minimal restrictions. Delphine balanced her studies with travel-based learning alongside Nicholas, visiting various places.

This ti, she took advantage of the exchange program to bring Nicholas back to see if he could adjust to the local environnt.

The exchange school was Imperial City’s prestigious Linguistics University. She was majoring in French while also taking specialized courses in French viticulture and winemaking—fields of study where she felt practically no academic pressure as an exchange student.

Upon arriving at Imperial City Linguistics University and locating the appropriate departnt, she was t by a young, pale-skinned professor. After checking her docunts and verifying her details, the man adjusted his glasses and politely, in a very cultured manner, said, "Miss Carter, are you planning to bring this little one along to attend school?"

The refined young professor cast a glance at the strikingly attractive boy and gave a slight nod and smile, inwardly marveling at the sheer perfection of this family’s genetics. Yet, accompanying a child to school—it sounded rather impractical.