Chapter 22 The Setup

Inside Shoal Castle. Loria was pruning the flowering branches in the garden unhurriedly while Colby sat quietly on the recliner and looked at her, his eyes full of smiles. Following her instructions, the roses in the garden had been removed and replaced by her favorite cosmos. The familiar fragrance of flowers hit her in bursts, distracting her. Colby called her, pulling her thoughts back. The evening afterglow was about to fade away. Colby looked at his watch and said, "The stage should be set up. It's time for us to go." Loria turned to look at Colby and put down the scissors unhurriedly. She sat on the chair and picked up the coffee cup. Looking down at her watch, Loria said, "No hurry. I want to appreciate the freshly pruned flowers." She would make Ives and his family wait and didn't want to waste the opportunity of upsetting them. In Peters Mansion. "D