Chapter 2 Long Time No See

In the meantime...

A wave of nostalgia hit Rebecca Luo when she stared at the mottled walls of the old house in the suburb. However, when she reached out, her hand stopped in midair. She bit her lip and finally looked down into her son's big eyes. Then she knocked on the door.

Shortly after, the door opened and a kind and slightly elderly woman came out. Seeing Rebecca Luo, the woman's eyes brimmed with tears. She stared at Rebecca Luo without blinking, fearing that she would disappear from her sight next second.

"Mom, I'm back!" announced Rebecca Luo as tears welled up in her eyes too. No one knew how hard the past seven years had been for her and her son, Randy.

The events of the past replayed in both women's minds. Those painful memories had never disappeared from their hearts.

"That's great!" said Carla Luo in a choked voice.

"Hello, Grandma. I'm Randy!" The little boy introduced himself, who was standing beside his mother. When he saw that their eyes had turned red, he suddenly smiled brightly, hoping to cheer them up.

Turning her attention to the boy, Carla Luo froze for a moment. Then she smiled tenderly and bent down to look into Randy's eyes. "Good boy. I'm your grandmother!"

Rebecca Luo's heart soared at the endearing sight of her mother and her son getting along. The vision that appeared countless times in her dream had finally come true today. Although she had been through a lot in the past, at this moment, she only felt happy and content.

Carla Luo was still chatting away merrily with Randy when she suddenly realized that they were still standing at the door. She quickly let them in.

However, before closing the door, Carla Luo checked the surroundings warily. Although the men in black had stopped monitoring her house in the last three years, she was still worried about being discovered by that horrid man. It was not easy for Rebecca Luo to live a normal life now, and her mother didn't want that man to ruin her life again.

Carla Luo was observed closely every day in the first four years after her daughter left. Mysterious men invaded her privacy, following her wherever she went. That man wanted to find her daughter at any cost. He hunted her like a crazed beast, but it was all in vain!

The old house was spotless. Flowers adorned the yard and their fragrance was carried by the gentle breeze to Rebecca's nose, refreshing her mind, body, and spirit.

"Mom, how about you now?" Studying her mother's face, she found that age had taken over her pale face, and a few strands of white hair had appeared at her temples. She could not help but feel sad.

Her mother had always been a gentle, caring, and generous person. She reminisced how she would help her mother comb her long and smooth hair. They hadn't seen each other for seven years, and her mother's hair had greyed during this time.

"I'm fine! The doctor said that I'm a little weak so I just need to rest. If I wasn't okay, the doctor would not allow me to leave the hospital." Carla didn't want her daughter to worry about her, so she only told her part of the truth. The doctor had strongly advised her to rest and not tire herself out. Otherwise, her body would not be able to bear it.

"Mom, do you want to live with me? You can have Randy as your company too." She didn't want to leave her mother alone anymore, but as long as that man was in the same city, she would continue to live in fear. So it would be the best if her mother agreed to her suggestion.

"This is where I want to live for the rest of my life!" said Carla with a resolute expression, her eyes lighting up. She wanted to end up on the ground where she was born.

Rebecca shot her a confused look. She didn't expect her mother to have such strong feelings towards this place. However, she was worried about letting her mother live here alone too.

"Don't worry about me. You can leave at night. He doesn't monitor me now anymore, but the longer you stay here, the more dangerous it will be for you, especially with Randy in the picture." Although Carla was thrilled to see her daughter and wished she didn't have to leave, she didn't want to put Rebecca at the risk of being found by her tormentor.

Carla would never forget the last time when she saw her daughter, who finally got away from the devil seven years ago. Her bony figure, glassy eyes, and the shocking bruises on her body, broke Carla's heart into pieces. Her young and beautiful daughter was destroyed by that evil man, and she blamed herself for it.

Slightly frowning, Rebecca stared at the flowers blooming in the yard, and then looked at Carla. "You are my mother. How can I let you live here alone?" she said with concern.

"I'm fine now and can take care of myself. Besides, if, someday, I can't move around by myself, I will go to the nursing home or hire a nanny. So don't worry about me. What I want most now is your freedom and happiness!" Carla held Rebecca's hands and realized that they had become rough. She lowered her head and stared intently at her daughter's hands. They used to be so soft. She must have suffered so much in these years. Saddened at her plight, Carla tried to hold back the storm of emotions rolling inside her.

"Mom!" Rebecca felt guilty for not being a good daughter to her mother. She felt that she had abandoned her mother since she left home at the age of nineteen. Even now Rebecca had to keep moving to different places with her son because of that man.

"Well, you'd better leave now! You can come back to see me when you are safe," said Carla lovingly. Turning to look at Randy, who had been sitting quietly, Carla said, "I will miss you. Be a good boy and listen to your mother, okay?"

"Yes, Grandma. I promise! And I will miss you too. I will come back with Mom to visit you again," Randy said, smiling sweetly. He liked his kind and gentle grandmother, so he suddenly leaned in and dropped a kiss on her cheek.

Carla was taken by surprise for a moment, but then she quickly came to her senses. Laughing happily, she hugged Randy hard before letting go. Then she took his little hand and said to Rebecca, "I'll see you out. You can pack up and fly back now."

Rebecca opened her mouth twice, but in the end, her words was still stuck in her throat. She had originally planned to stay with her mother for two or three days, but when she saw the panic in her mother's eyes at the mention of that man, she felt sorry. She had to listen to her mother and leave.

There were very few taxis in this quiet suburb. So she had to take a bus to the urban district. She held Randy's hand and walked towards the bus station.

"Mom, why did Grandma say that you would be in danger here? Isn't this your home? Why can't we stay here with Grandma?" He was bursting with curiosity when they were at his grandmother's home, but when he saw their serious expressions, he decided to wait until he was alone with his mother. Now that he had the opportunity, he bombarded her with all the questions he had.

"There are bad people here and I'm not strong enough to fight them. If they find us, I will be taken away by them," Rebecca answered simply, knowing that although Randy was young, he was mature in his thinking.

"Mom, when I grow up, I will protect you and punish those bad guys," Randy announced firmly, looking at his mother. He was the only man in the family, so he had to shoulder the responsibility of protecting her.

"Okay, honey. I was so happy to..." Rebecca suddenly stiffened and her lips trembled at the sight before her. A man was standing in front of a car. If she hadn't been holding Randy's hand, she would have collapsed by now.

Randy was an intuitive little boy and immediately sensed that something was amiss with his mother. His eyes followed her gaze and he saw the man wearing a black suit. Even though he was standing there quietly, he attracted everyone's attention. He was a born king, emitting an aura that was both regal and oppressive.

"Hello, Rebecca, long time no see!" Blood lust shone in the man's eyes when he saw that Rebecca was no longer as innocent as before. Instead, she had a mature and attractive air around her. He could not help but gulp hungrily. In the past seven years, he had missed her like crazy but he could only contend himself by spending those long nights with her photos.

This time, no one could stop him. If he lost her again, he would definitely go crazy!