Chapter 72
lan’s ears perked up upon hearing Maja’s familiar voice. He looked up to see her approaching him, and as he glanced at the dog tag number, it struck him as rather familiar. Coco, sensing Maja’s presence, immediately jumped up, her tail wagging vigorously.
Maja found it inappropriate to hand the wad of cash to lan directly and instead offered it to Jeff, his assistant.
“Thanks a lot. Coco sneaked out while we weren’t watching. We’re really sorry for the trouble.”
Jeff hesitated for a moment before calmly accepting the money.
As Maja took the dog leash from him, she noticed the Hermes logo engraved on it. The tip she gave probably wouldn’t even cover the cost of the leash.
All of a sudden, Maja felt like giving them money was not only an insult to lan but also to his assistant.
Nevertheless, the money was already out of her hands, and asking for it back would only add to the embarrassment.
Fortunately, lan shut down his laptop and removed his Bluetooth earpiece. Maja quickly shortened the leash, afraid Coco might offend him. lan paused slightly as he passed her. Coco, looking very pleased, stuck out her tongue, eyes gleaming. It seemed like she liked him.
lan raised an eyebrow. “Penny?”
Before Maja could respond, Coco started barking as if answering him. Ian chuckled and walked away. Maja felt her face getting hot. She looked down at Coco.
“He wasn’t calling for you. What are you getting excited about?”
She rubbed Coco’s head, causing her tail to wag even harder.
Maja had no choice but to call Maria and inform her that Coco had been found. Maria finally relaxed, and Maja placed Coco in the passenger seat before driving back to Rosewood Manor. Upon their arrival, Maria checked Coco over to ensure she was unharmed and let out a sigh of relief.
“Ms. Pennyfeather, I’ll make sure to watch her properly next time.”
“Maria, Coco is lively. Always remember to close the door.”
“Of course, I’ll remember.”
Maja nodded and remembered that tomorrow was her mother’s death anniversary. She packed a few clothes, called Daly Elston, and told him she’d be back in town tomorrow. “Maja, are you coming back? Did your father say anything about…that incident?”
“Uncle, it’s not your fault.”
Daly sighed, “How is it not my fault? We have some prime steaks at home. Take some for your father this time.”
“Sure.”
Maja knew Daly felt guilty. Not accepting his gifts would probably make him feel worse, so she agreed.
That night, she revised her plans multiple times before finalizing the draft based on the limited information she had. Then she sent the draft to lan.
If he agreed, she could immediately create the construction drawings.
However, as lan didn’t respond, likely due to his busy work schedule, Maja made assumptions and continued with her preparations.
The next morning, she packed her bags into the car, bought a few bottles of fine wine at the mall, and drove off to the county town.
As she was about to exit the highway, she saw a Bentley in the distance.
A Bentley in such a poor county town?
She glanced at it briefly, not bothering to check the license plate, and smoothly exited the highway, heading towards Daly’s house.
Daly was already waiting downstairs. Seeing Maja, he smiled and went to greet her.
Maja parked the car and opened the door.
“Uncle, have you been waiting long?”
Crystalbrook Valley was the poorest county town in the city. Despite the high-rise buildings and shopping malls in the town center, Daly’s house remained an old brick house.
“Maja, you’re finally here. I was worried about you getting stuck in traffic.”
Maja opened the trunk and handed Daly the wine she bought. “Where’s Auntie?”
“She’s inside cooking. You love her creamy seafood pasta, right? She’s been preparing since early morning.”
Daly took her luggage and they walked inside together.
Maja remembered the car she saw on the road, “Uncle, has our small county town been seeing a lot of tourists lately?”
Daly laughed, “Yes, our town is developing. The government plans to turn it into a tourist attraction. This whole area will become a tourist zone. Many big shots have already come to scout the place.”
