"Aunt Freya? Is that you? You've changed so much!"

"Alicia? What brought you here? I've been looking for you all for a long time!"

With tears in her eyes, Freya went forward to hold Alicia's hands and said, "Come in and sit with me. We'll talk!"

She then attended to the customers who were still inside the store.

"Hi everyone, please excuse us but something cropped up today, so we'll have to close our shop early. You're most welcome to come back tomorrow!"

"I'm sorry. Thank you for your understanding."

After shutting the door, they went to the back to which Alicia discovered that the perfume store was actually two-storeyed with the first floor as the store, while the second floor as a partitioned living space. With only a space of 400 to 500 square feet, there was a bed on one side while the kitchen and washroom on another. While it didn't seem spacious, the place had been tastefully decorated. Inside it was full of women's items. Even the bed seemed to be slightly larger than a single bed.

After a quick study of the place, Alicia found it a little hard to accept.

Obviously, those were all that she owned.

Based on her memory, back then, Aunt Freya was a popular celebrity personal assistant in the industry. She was adept at all kinds of jobs. Whether her relationship with Sebastian had been as uncomplicated as how it looked, her income alone could afford her mansions and branded goods decades ago. How could she be nestling in such a tiny space now?

At the very least, she should have a workplace separated from her residence. After working for more than 20 years, couldn't she at least afford an apartment?

Or was she broke?

Thinking about this, Alicia found it hard to believe!

schemed against by someone else. But she recalled that her aunt, as a woman of her time, was rather conservative in her investments. Back then Alicia's father had given her suggestions, but she said she didn't have high hopes of getting high returns from investments, she had always preferred the

visibly spotted with just one single look across the room, Alicia noticed that there was a sizeable and ornate altar with shiny figurines, with the rest of the decorations being plain and simple. Had she

tune with

fixed on the altar, Freya brought out some refreshments and said, "I didn't expect to bump into you here! I don't have anything better to serve you, so I hope you won't

for her. She

caressed her face and brushed aside her. Freya smiled,

for a while actually, but I didn't have the courage to contact you at all. Then I went to Bayton City once because I really miss all of you and I had planned to just look at things from afar, but only to find out that the Blanchard family had been declared bankrupt. The mansion was even seized by the court. I asked around for your family's information

got

what had happened over the past few

Dad is recovering and still

want them disturbed. Just recently Mom accompanied him there. Maybe we could've met if we had bumped into you earlier. Anyway, there'll still be chances. When mom and dad are settled down, we could find a time for a video call session! And let's gather when they return. They'll be so happy to see

everyone's fine. It's good that all of you had made it through! I had never expected so many things to happen. It so

got dewy-eyed, Alicia noticed the endless sadness in her eyes, which, at a deeper level, had a tinge of envy

to herself coupled with her raddled face, Alicia held her arm and clutched her

open a perfume shop here? I just saw that Uncle Sebastian will be coming

story. We... we have been

clenched her fists and held her tightly as she spoke, Alicia could clearly feel her resentment Just as Alicia was about to say something, Freya released her hand. Alicia then saw her picking up an emerald

quite a while, not

fabric. It was obvious that she seemed to like it a lot. The beads on the bracelet were in shades of emerald and jade, which looked crystalline. Alicia réckoned that the bracelet must have been

Alicia, "When I have the time, I'll tell you my

them went on to chat about almost everything. That night, Alicia and Freya shared the same bed. It seemed almost like the two cold and lonely hearts, after floating in the sea, had finally found a place to dock, thus finding momentary warmth and comfort in each

and only went to sleep late

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

Comments ()

0/255