Chapter 2 An Unexpected Encounter

• The doctor noticed Damon's suspicious gaze. He quickly pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it over.
• Damon glanced at his assistant, Dave Feron, who immediately took the paper. Dave opened it and held it up to Damon's eyes.
• The bold words 'Death Certificate' made Damon's breath catch slightly. He quickly scanned the document, feeling a sudden tightness in his chest.
• The death certificate was indeed for Ava. Could she really be dead?
• Damon's thoughts drifted to the gentle, smiling woman who used to stand beside him and hold a cup of coffee in her hand. Those memories were still vivid in his mind.
• "Mr. Lindon, you should believe it now. As for this baby ... " The doctor kept his head down, not daring to meet Damon's piercing gaze, as his sharp gaze was fatal.
• The doctor's voice jolted Damon back to the present. He took the baby from the doctor's arms. Without a word, he walked straight into the mansion.
• Meanwhile, Ava anxiously waited in the departure lounge at Osten International Airport. She hurriedly boarded the plane with a chubby baby in her arms after receiving a message from her best friend confirming the mission had been accomplished.
• ...
• Five years later, at Osten International Airport.
• A woman and a child walked through the airport and became the center of attention.
• The woman wore sunglasses and a black mask. Her face was concealed, but her slender figure created a striking silhouette.
• Following closely behind was a cool-looking little boy who dressed stylishly.
• The boy had bright eyes and handsome features. He exuded an air of nobility with every move.
• He carried a cartoon backpack and a small suitcase.
• The onlookers that passed by the two couldn't help but stop and stare at the boy.
• "Wow! This little boy is so cool! Is he an actor?"
• "I wonder how good-looking his parents are for giving birth to such an angelic-looking child."
• "Could the woman beside him be his mother or sister? Both of them have such a great demeanor. They don't look like ordinary people!"
• The comments went on and on.
• Zeke Mitchell seemed accustomed to the attention. He politely bowed to the crowd.
• "Thank you, everyone, for your kind words!" His childish voice caused the crowd to cheer.
• "Oh my gosh, he's so adorable. I really want to take him home!" Another excited voice came.
• The crowd laughed, their hearts melting at Zeke's polite demeanor.
• "Whose child is this? He's so well-mannered!"
• "What a well-raised kid! How do his parents do it?"
• More compliments came from the crowd.
• Ava turned around to find that her son had taken off his face mask and sunglasses. Ava touched her forehead in frustration, then frantically scanned her surroundings before hurriedly telling her son.
• "Zeke, put your face mask and sunglasses back on. We need to make a move now, or it'll be dark soon."
• With his mother urging him with a serious expression, Zeke obediently complied and followed Ava.
• Ava looked at her son and had no words. This was a common occurrence during each outing. His confidence seemed innate, and she wondered where he picked that up from.
• Just then, there was a loud bang.
• Bang!
• Ava collided with another woman, and both fell to the ground.
• Rubbing her sore knee, Ava noticed her sunglasses had fallen off.
• Zeke was shocked by the sudden situation. When he saw Ava sitting on the ground, he quickly ran over and squatted down beside her. Just as he was about to speak, a sharp, piercing voice rang out.
• "Are you blind? How dare you ... ?" The woman's voice trailed off when she saw Ava's face. Her eyes widened in shock, and her mouth hung open.
• Ava also recognized the woman and gasped. Her mind was racing with a mix of disbelief and frustration.
• How unlucky could I get?
• Back in the country for barely an hour, I'd already run into Damon's sister. What rotten luck!
• Ignoring the pain in her leg, Ava quickly grabbed her sunglasses and put them back on. She hurriedly walked towards the exit, pulling her suitcase behind her.
• Silvia Lindon watched Ava leave, finally snapping out of her shock. She scrambled to her feet.
• Did I just see my sister-in-law, Ava? But wasn't Ava supposed to have died in childbirth five years ago?
• She rubbed her eyes hard, doubting her own vision.
• "Silvia." A deep, magnetic voice sounded nearby.
• Damon waved his hand in front of her face when she didn't respond.
• "Arghhh!"
• Silvia suddenly snapped back to reality. When Silvia recognized her brother's familiar face, she exaggeratedly grabbed Damon's arm and exclaimed.
• "Damon, I think I just saw Ava."
• "Ava?" Silvia's sudden outburst surprised Damon.
• "I'm telling the truth! Ava is alive," Silvia said, still staring in the direction Ava had gone.
• Damon froze for a moment, then shook his head. Silvia must have been mistaken. He had seen the death certificate himself.
• He picked up the suitcase that had fallen to the ground and strode toward the door. Since Damon didn't believe her, Silvia quickly followed.
• She continued to chatter in his ear and said, "Damon, you have to believe me! I'm not lying. She looks exactly like Ava."
• Damon ignored her. He passed the suitcase to the driver, shoving her into the back seat before getting in himself.
• Hidden in a corner, Ava watched Damon's car drive away, finally exhaling a breath she didn't realize she was holding.
• Zeke finally came up to his mother. He panted heavily as he leaned against the wall. Zeke noticed her mother acting strangely. Wasn't it normal to run into acquaintances when returning to your hometown?
• He followed Ava's gaze until he saw the man, who resembled an older version of himself. Zeke was stunned.
• That man looked exactly like him.
• "Mommy, who were those people? Why were you hiding from them?" Zeke finally had the chance to ask.
• "Bad people. They used to bully Mommy. Remember, if you ever see them, make sure you stay far away, okay?" Ava turned to Zeke, seriously instructing him.
• The boy protested, "But …"
• "No buts. Just do as I say!" Ava interrupted him.
• Her son was exceptionally smart, and his wisdom was beyond his age. She feared he would ask questions she couldn't answer.
• "Okay!" Zeke replied absentmindedly.
• Inwardly, he thought to himself, No rush! He would investigate everything on his own. Once they had settled, he would sort out all the people around her. Such small matters wouldn't be difficult for him.
• Ava was relieved that Zeke had stopped questioning. She took his hand and hailed a cab.
• They headed towards Springhill, where her mother used to live.