06

Meanwhile, Amelia had no clue that her hesitation and vague words had led Samuel to misunderstand and spill some of her private information. She was busy getting ready to head out.

As she slipped on her shoes, she shot a text to Matthew: [I'll come to the office to find you.]

She needed to give Matthew a heads-up about the photo leak today so he could brace himself. Plus, she wanted to see if Matthew had any news about her son.

Amelia had just come back to the country and hadn't built up her own network and influence yet, so Matthew's help was super important.

Matthew replied quickly: [Okay, I'll wait for you at the office. I'll also introduce you to some people.]

"Mommy, are you going out?" Elsie ran over and hugged Amelia's leg.

It was likely that Elsie was experiencing some difficulty readjusting to being back in the country; since her return yesterday, she had been sleeping almost incessantly, waking up a few times in between to eat before succumbing to slumber once more. Now, she seemed full of energy.

Amelia looked at Elsie's chubby face and gave it a pinch. "Yep, wanna come with me?"

Elsie pouted and let go of Amelia's leg. "No!"

Amelia sighed. "When are you going to stop hating going out?"

Elsie was a weird kid. She was great with people but hated exercise and going out, which worried Amelia a lot.

"I saw a kids' area outside yesterday. Instead of staying home, you could go play there and maybe make some new friends." Thinking about the boy with autism she saw yesterday and the group of rowdy kids, Amelia hesitated and added, "Remember what Mommy always says? Treat every kid with kindness..."

"Don't bully others, and don't let myself be bullied." Elsie finished the sentence for her, nodding.

Amelia smiled and ruffled her hair. "That's right. You're so smart, Elsie."

Early in the morning, Sawyer noticed that Alexander, who had made him go to bed last night and stopped him from looking for Amelia, had finally left. Taking his chance, he sneaked past the servants, dragged a small stool into the garden, and sat there deep in thought.

Suddenly, he heard a noise nearby, and his eyes shifted.

Next door, Elsie was in a bit of a pickle. She loved building models, and as soon as Amelia left, she ignored her mom's advice to go out and make friends. She dashed to her room, grabbed the airplane model she had built, and went to test it out.

But the airplane went haywire, twisting in the air before crashing into the neighbor's yard! She watched in dismay as her freshly built model fell into the garden next door.

'What should I do now?' Elsie thought, staring at the high wall. 'Should I go next door to get it? But I really don't want to go out.'

Suddenly, an idea popped into her head. She quickly ran back to her room, grabbed a drone, tied a small basket to it with a string, and put a note inside that read: [Hello, my model airplane has fallen into your yard. Could you please return it to me?]

Sawyer stared at the crashed airplane model a few steps away for a while, then finally walked over to pick it up. He observed for a moment, then swiftly reached out and manipulated it; the once shattered model instantly returned to its original form.

Just then, Sawyer heard the buzz of a drone overhead. He looked up and saw a drone with a basket attached, hovering above the lawn.

He hesitated for a moment, then walked over, making sure to avoid the drone's camera.

The note read: [Hello, my model airplane has fallen into your yard. Could you please return it to me?] There was also a cute smiley face drawn on it.

After staring at the note for a while, Sawyer pursed his lips, placed the airplane in the basket, and waved at the drone's camera.

Elsie didn't dare to use the drone to look around. She decided that if there was no response within two minutes, she would retrieve the drone and go next door to get the plane herself. But soon enough, she saw movement on the screen.

She excitedly operated the drone to return, and took out her beloved model from the basket, finding that it had been repaired and the sensor problem she had been struggling with was also fixed!

She spun around in excitement. "Great, now I don't have to worry about the plane veering off course!"

Thinking the neighbor was so kind, she excitedly wrote her contact info on the note and sent the drone back. [Do you also play with models? You're impressive! Can I be friends with you?]

Meanwhile, Amelia had arrived at Matthew's company.

The receptionist, who had obviously been instructed, greeted her as soon as she walked in. "Ms. Johnson? Mr. Moore is waiting for you upstairs. I'll take you up."

This company was not part of the Moore Group; it was established by Matthew himself, and Amelia held a portion of its shares. That was why Matthew had told her over the phone to introduce her to some people.

There were many curious glances directed at her along the way, but no one overstepped any boundaries, showing that Matthew managed his company well.

The secretary knocked on the door and led Amelia into Matthew's office. Matthew, who was working in a casual knit sweater, looked up, and his eyes behind his frameless glasses showed a gentle smile. "Why didn't Elsie come with you?"

Amelia shook her head. "I wanted to go out and look for news about Leo today, so I didn't bring Elsie along."

Matthew's smile faded a bit, showing a hint of guilt. "I'm sorry, Amelia; I haven't made any progress yet."

Matthew also found it unbelievable. Although he hadn't fully taken control of the Moore Group, he should possess sufficient influence to unearth Leo's whereabouts. Yet, the clues kept getting interrupted midway, as if some force had erased all traces of Leo, which was something beyond the capabilities of the Johnson family and the Davis family.

Seeing the worry on Matthew's face, Amelia smiled. "Matthew, it's not your fault. Ava wouldn't have acted like that without a well-thought-out contingency plan. After all, abandoning a baby is a crime. You've been assisting me for so many years, and I haven't even had the chance to properly thank you."

Matthew interrupted her. "Why are you still so polite? I truly consider Elsie as my own daughter and treat your matters as my own."

Amelia chuckled. "That's exactly right. So there's no need for such ceremonies."

After telling Matthew about the photo leak and casually touring the company, Amelia said goodbye.

Matthew escorted her downstairs, opened the car door for her, and watched her drive away before heading back upstairs.

Meanwhile, in a nearby shopping mall, Alexander, who was patrolling with his subordinates, saw everything clearly.