Thirty thousand residents from the refugee camp had already moved into resettlement housing. At this rate, the camp could be completely dismantled in another two months.
Ronan Kendrick got busy again, and Evelyn Ford didn’t ask what he was up to. Liam Sterling would bring over fruits, vegetables, and various meats every day. The neighbors didn’t dare to come visit, but every day, people would watch them from their yards or balconies. Subsequently, all sorts of absurd rumors started spreading again.
Evelyn was busy organizing the supplies in her space. Ethan Dawson had fully recovered, so Evelyn brought him in as well, but his task was to plow the land.
The black soil now spanned over a thousand mu. Evelyn left it all for him to cultivate. Ethan stared at the endless wasteland and forced a stiff smile.
"I’m supposed to plow all this by myself?"
"If you get bored, here’s an MP3 player and some headphones. You can listen to music while you work. That way, you won’t be bored."
Ethan Dawson scratched his head. "It’s not about being bored. I’m worried I won’t be able to finish all this work by myself. Are we in a hurry to plant the seeds?"
"No rush."
"That’s good. I thought you were in a hurry to plant." Ethan estimated that even with a mini-tiller, it would probably take several months to cultivate so much wasteland.
"The diesel is over here. Help yourself. Remember to rest. I’m not responsible if you work yourself to death."
Ethan Dawson laughed heartily. "Don’t worry, I’ve got plenty of strength. I won’t die from exhaustion."
Evelyn appreciated his attitude. He wasn’t like Quincy, who would work for an hour and then rest for two.
Quincy... refused to be dragged into the comparison.
Peaceful days always flew by. One day, while Evelyn was playing chess downstairs with Taylor Vance, Winnie Miller and her family from next door showed up again.
Evelyn assumed they were there to cause trouble again, and her expression turned cold.
’Will this never end?’
"The Miller family is out of the hospital?" Taylor was also surprised to see them. The scene of them being carried away, half-dead, after Ronan beat them and threw them out was still fresh in his mind.
"Miss Ford, we’ve come to apologize." Winnie Miller was the first to enter, carrying several things in her hands. Her family had been in the hospital, and she had been taking care of four people by herself, sometimes having to look after Seth Scott as well. After just a few days, she had dark circles under her eyes and looked utterly exhausted.
"Apologize?"
Evelyn looked at the family of five. The Millers had three children. Winnie’s parents were both researchers, and her older brother and sister also worked at a pharmaceutical factory. As a result, their family was well-off and considered prominent figures in Kestrel Villa. Winnie was the youngest child, born late in her parents’ lives, and was doted on at home.
"Sit," Evelyn said. Only then did the family of five dare to enter the house and sit down.
"Miss Ford, the previous incident was our fault for not understanding the situation. We are truly sorry. We misunderstood Mr. Kendrick. We came here today specifically to apologize to him, and we hope he can be magnanimous and forgive our recklessness."
They seemed sincere, but their sincerity was laced with a hint of fawning and fear.
Evelyn didn’t dwell on it. She had no intention of dealing with her neighbors and just wanted to get rid of them quickly.
"Apology accepted. You can leave now."
The Millers had thought it would take some convincing to be forgiven, but they hadn’t expected it to be this easy.
While in the hospital, they had heard many rumors about the "tigress" before them. That kid from the Scott family was still lying in a hospital bed. To avoid being beaten by her, they all knew what was good for them. They put down their gifts and prepared to leave.
"Take your things with you."
"It’s just a small token of our apology. Please, Miss Ford, you must accept it. Otherwise, our consciences won’t be clear."
Evelyn’s tone was flat. "Take them."
She didn’t want any more rumors spreading about her accepting bribes or stealing from others.
"Okay, we’ll take them right away. Please don’t be angry, Miss Ford."
Seeing them so terrified, Evelyn felt a bit frustrated. ’Has my reputation really crumbled to the point where everyone fears me?’
"Miss Ford, this is a scarf I knitted for you. It’s my apology gift. I’m sorry for what happened last time."
Looking at the pink scarf in the bag, Evelyn frowned. Fabric was very precious. The scarf was new, and the design was pretty. Winnie Miller was quite skilled.
"I accept your apology. That incident is in the past. Take your gift back with you."
"Okay." Winnie didn’t press the issue. She picked up her things and was about to leave when Evelyn suddenly remembered something and called out her name.
"Has your situation been cleared up?"
Winnie Miller shook her head. "No one would believe it, and no one cares about the truth. It’s okay. After a while, no one will remember."
A trace of sadness lingered in Winnie’s eyes. "I just never thought my best friend would do this to me."
After Winnie Miller and her family left, Evelyn and Taylor Vance resumed their chess game.
"Wherever there are people, there’s conflict. It’s unavoidable." Seeing Evelyn frowning, Taylor offered some words of comfort.
"I know. I was just wondering if Ronan threatened them or did something. Why else would they come here to apologize? And with that attitude."
"Ronan might not talk much, but he’s not an unreasonable person. It probably wasn’t him."
Evelyn gave Taylor a complicated look. He really saw Ronan through rose-tinted glasses.
"Our family’s less-than-stellar reputation has just gone from bad to worse," Evelyn couldn’t help but laugh. Quincy had told her the neighbors at Kestrel Villa had given her many nicknames: Queen, Tigress, the Demon Queen, Lady Bandit... To be honest, she liked all of them.
"That’s for the best. No neighbors dropping by means more peace and quiet for us." Taylor placed a piece on the board and raised an eyebrow. "Evelyn, my apologies, but I do believe I’ve won."
Evelyn took a piece of chocolate from her space. She never expected Taylor to like chocolate so much that he’d insist on playing a game of chess with her every day just to win some from her.
"Why isn’t Ronan back yet?" Evelyn was practically turning into a waiting wife statue.
"He’s been very busy lately. It seems there’s a lot going on at the base."
Speak of the devil. The sound of an approaching car came from outside, and Evelyn stood up.
"Ronan’s back."
Not only had Ronan returned, but he had also brought someone with him.
Seeing Rhys Chase, Evelyn couldn’t help but marvel at the power of gene-editing; it could truly craft a person to absolute perfection.
Although Rhys was forty-five years old, he looked to be in his early thirties. He wore a camel-colored trench coat and gold-rimmed glasses, looking as handsome as a male lead from a TV drama.
However, compared to the young and handsome Ronan, Rhys could only score a ninety.
"Mrs. Kendrick, I’ve heard so much about you."
Evelyn raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Chase, please come in."
With a stranger’s arrival, everyone else in the house immediately went on high alert. Ronan introduced Rhys’s identity and then dropped a bombshell.
Rhys Chase would be staying here for a few days.
"I apologize for the intrusion. My assistant will deliver some food supplies. I’ll be leaving in a week at most. During this time, I’ll be in your care."
The others... ’He’s not Japanese, so why is he saying ’I’ll be in your care’?’
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