Chapter 6

Quill quickly prepared the meal and brought it to the hospital. When he arrived, Nora tilted her small head upward while her lips curved into a knowing smile as if she had expected this all along. The next moment, she sweetly turned to Corey. "See? I told you he wouldn't be mad at me. He loves me so much; how could he blame me for something so small? So, Daddy, you don't need to feel guilty about it either." Neither father nor daughter paid any attention to Quill, who stood silently to the side. They chatted with each other as if he didn't exist. Unbothered, Quill set the food on the table and left without saying a word. After that day, Quill didn't visit Nora again. Both she and Aspen were busy bonding with Corey and had no time for him. He, in turn, enjoyed the peace and quietly continued clearing out his belongings. When all traces of him were gone from the house, he took a photo out of his pocket. The picture showed two people—a woman with delicate, alluring features, holding a child who bore a striking resemblance to her. Both of them were gazing at the camera with eyes brimming with love and tenderness. Quill's fingers gently traced the edges of the slightly yellowed photo. His eyes filled with longing as he murmured to himself, "Just three more days, and I'll be back with you…" He was lost in his thoughts, entirely absorbed in the memory. That was until a slender, pale hand suddenly snatched the photo away. Startled, he looked up to find Aspen, Nora, and Corey standing behind him. He had no idea when they had entered. "What do you mean by 'just three more days'?" Aspen asked, confused by his words. She then glanced at the photo in her hand, and her expression shifted to one of burning anger as her gaze landed on the faces in the picture. Her grip on the photo tightened, and her eyes locked onto him with an intensity that could pierce through. "Who are the woman and child in this photo?" she demanded. Seeing her mother's intense reaction, Nora grew curious and grabbed the photo to take a closer look. The moment her eyes landed on the woman and child, her face twisted in anger. "Who are these two? What's your relationship with them?" she demanded. For reasons she couldn't understand, an overwhelming jealousy surged within her as she stared at the girl in the photo. Her grip on the picture tightened unconsciously, even bending it. Quill's heart skipped a beat as he noticed the damage, and he quickly snatched it back from her hands. He looked at the creased photo, and his heart ached at the sight. Pain flashed in his eyes as he spoke, "They were old friends of mine. I haven't been in contact with them for a long time." His explanation was vague, and Aspen frowned, clearly skeptical. Meanwhile, Corey glanced around the room and commented, "Why does the house feel so empty?" Nora looked around as well and immediately noticed something unusual upon hearing this. Her brows furrowed in a manner that mirrored Aspen's. "You've been throwing things away for days. Why is so much gone? You'd better not have thrown out anything that isn't yours." The repeated comments seemed to trigger something in Aspen. Her expression changed sharply, and she turned and rushed toward the study without another word. Moments later, the door flew open again. Aspen emerged, her face dark with fury. She grabbed Quill's wrist tightly. "Did you throw away the pearl necklace I kept in the study?" "Pearl necklace? What pearl necklace? Are you talking about the one I left behind years ago? Aspen, you still kept that?" Corey asked. Quill, of course, understood the significance of that necklace. Corey took almost everything when he left, but he forgot the pearl necklace. From that moment on, it became the object that carried all of Aspen's memories and emotions about him. Now, realizing it was missing, Aspen's grip on Quill's wrist tightened. Her expression was severe. "Find it for me. Now!" A wave of helplessness swept over Quill. "I've never touched your things." But the look in her eyes was clear—she didn't believe him. "No one else has access to my study except you. If you didn't take it, who did? Quill Milton, I'm giving you one day to find it!" she ordered.