She could count the number of middle-aged women she knew on one hand.

Beatrice? No! Waverly? No! Felicity? No! Gwendolyn? No! Sophia? Yes, that's right. My mother.

This woman resembled Sophia, her mother in name.

She didn't remember much about Sophia's appearance because the latter passed away when she was still a child.

However, Sophia's blurry facial features tucked away somewhere in her memory resembled this woman's.

Moreover, this Aplothian woman's name was Sofie. All of these reminded her of her mother.

Artemis seemed to have noticed the sudden change in Bailey's mood and asked, “What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

Bailey pursed her lips and shook her head. “I'm fine. Seeing Ms. Carr brings back memories. I'll tell you more after the banquet is over.”

Maybe I'm overthinking this, and I've got the wrong person. My mother perished in that fire. No remains could be found. How can this woman be my mother? Wait. There were no remains? There was nothing left of her body...

As she honed in on that phrase, mixed emotions overwhelmed her.

Is there such a coincidence in life? There were no remains discovered in that fire, not even a piece of clothing. Only an empty casket was buried. Then, an Aplothian woman returned after many years with a similar name and appearance. Is it really just a coincidence?


“Mr. Luther, nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you.”

A gentle voice rang outside beside her ear, jolting Bailey back to her senses.

She raised her head and realized that Sofie and the others had approached them.

As their eyes met, she could see serenity in Sofie's eyes.

The older woman had a look of peace and elegance in her eyes. Perhaps only people who had gone through many ordeals and weathered many storms could wear such an expression.

After Sofie shook hands with Artemis, she beamed. “I'll be relying on your care and guidance in Hallsbay, Mr. Luther.”

“No problem.”

Artemis' reply was perfunctory for he was quite distracted. All his attention was on the woman beside him.

Sofie's gaze shifted away from him and onto Bailey.

“You must be Ms. Bailey from the famous Jefferson family. You guys are a match made in heaven, as though you're destined to be together.”

With that, she extended her right hand toward Bailey.

Bailey looked at her long slender fingers with a complicated expression.

After a moment, she slowly extended her hand for a handshake. She then said casually, “Did you used to live in Hallsbay? I thought I saw an old friend when you walked in just now.”

Sofie raised a brow before smiling. “Well, sometimes we find strangers who look alike too. I guess I must be fated with your old friend to have a similar appearance to her.”

Bailey smiled and withdrew her hand naturally. She turned her head to Artemis and stated, “It's quite crowded here. I'll go outside to get some fresh air. You can carry on.”

Worried, Artemis' grip on her waist tightened. “If you're feeling unwell, I can send you back first. There are all sorts of people here, and I don't feel comfortable letting you go by yourself.”

“I'm fine.” Bailey pushed him away and pointed at Zayron, who was at the side. “I have this troublesome brat to accompany me, so nothing will happen to me. You guys can continue chatting. I'll go out and take a breather and will be back soon.”

Artemis narrowed his eyes while staring at her. Seconds later, he gave in and sighed. “Fine, then. You have a mind of your own, so I can't control you, or you will complain that I'm bullying you again.”

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

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