Dylan Summers saw the last guest out, and the smile on his face vanished instantly, his mood turning dark and sullen.
Heading back, he saw police officers going in and out of the house, and he felt a fire burning in his heart.
What was supposed to be a cheerful New Yearâs feast turned into a disaster because of Jade Carlson â such bad luck!
Just as he was about to curse and vent his frustration, he lifted his eyes and saw a group of people approachingâ
It was Purple Summers seeing Mrs. Jameson, Zara Jameson, and others off.
âMrs. Jameson, wonât you stay a little longer?â Dylan hurriedly put on a polite smile and made small talk, âIâm sorry for the poor hospitality today, and for the fright youâve had.â
Mrs. Jameson graciously waved her hand, âNo trouble at all; thankfully, it was just a scare. Youâll have your hands full with the aftermath, so we wonât impose any further. You carry on with your work.â
Purple said, âBig brother, Iâll see Aunt Jameson out.â
Dylan nodded, âGo ahead.â
Watching them leave, Dylan suddenly remembered something: Once, Purple had almost met with an accident when Laura Summers pushed her into the artificial lake.
He also thought of the housekeeperâs words about the Five Yin Tree, and he couldnât help but mutter to himself, âThereâs never been any trouble with that lake before. Whatâs happening all of a sudden? Itâs really bizarreâ¦â
Maybe he should call for a Taoist priest to take a look?
Considering his options, Dylan no longer wanted to just cut the tree down and be done with it. Instead, he felt that since he was going to sort out the houseâs geomancy, it would be better to formally invite a mage to properly adjust things.
â¦
After sending Mrs. Jameson, Zara, and Jane McCain off, Purple returned to the mansion.
She went upstairs to check on Atra Blanc and, finding her still asleep, tiptoed out and went down to the living room.
Cleo lay stretched out on the sofa, completely still and lacking energy.
Purple dragged her to the wooden floor beside the sofa, wiped her down with a warm, slightly damp towel, and then applied a special protective oil on her, gently smoothing it in.
âAre you really this upset?â Purple murmured while rubbing the oil in, âIs it really such a big deal over a woolen cover? Could you be any more sensitive about it?â
Mrs. Farrell had left in a hurry, the woolen cover still clutched in Little Babyâs hand, which was why Cleo was depressed.
Purple wanted to make it up to Cleo, but she didnât have Atraâs crafting skills.
She could only use words to comfort her pet, âWait until mom wakes up, and Iâll have her make you another oneâ¦â
Knock, knock.
As she was speaking, someone knocked on the door.
Purple looked over to see Nathaniel standing by the half-open door, gently tapping on it.
âThe police are here to understand the situation and want access to the surveillance footage from the hall cameras,â Nathaniel said in a flat tone.
âOh, give me a second,â Purple stood up and picked up her phone to make a call.
Nathaniel heard her say, âSend me the surveillance footage from the hall cameras, just from today⦠No, nothing happened to me, itâs just that mom fainted from shock⦠Itâs not serious, sheâs resting now⦠When will you be back?â¦â
After talking for a while, she looked up at Nathaniel and said indifferently, âIt will be sent to your phone in two minutes.â
Nathaniel stared at her coldly, âWas that call with Alexander?â
Purple didnât look at him, focusing instead on tending to her snake, and hummed in acknowledgment.
After a brief silence, Nathaniel asked, âWhat made you think of installing cameras there?â
âWith people coming and going without the habit of locking doors, having cameras is more secure,â Purple replied, âIn case something happens, itâs good to have proof.â
She spoke as if it were an everyday occurrence, but for some reason, Nathaniel felt an uncomfortable blockage in his chest.
He left with a stern face, thoughts of the dayâs events swirling in his head like a gust of wind, utterly disordered.
Lately, he often felt this way, his mind becoming suddenly troubled whenever he thought of something.
Nathaniel took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, lit one and started smoking.
Just then, Alexander called, and his opening remark was anything but pleasant, âThird brother, in the future, donât bother my sister whether itâs important or not.â