Trip to Raven town

"Are you sure you want to go alone, boss?"

Cole had slept in Allie's penthouse last night since they finished late. He was used to staying at her place, so he had a few clothes stored in one of the rooms. When he woke up, he found Allie's duffel bag in the living room. She was getting ready to leave.

"Yeah, you need to be at Code Vision to do some work in my place. Call or text me if there's anything I need to know."

Allie tied up her hair and wore comfortable clothes. She grabbed a toast Cole had prepared before she left. Chloe hadn't slept at her place last night, so Allie texted her that she wouldn't be around for a few days and also to notify her that she would be borrowing her car.

Chloe had left her other car in Allie's building, and Allie took advantage of it. She needed a faster vehicle to get to her destination, and Chloe's car was a Porsche Cayman. Obviously, it was a way better option than her old Toyota.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were going on a trip?"

Allie was two hours down the road when Chloe called her.

"It's an urgent matter and you didn't sleep at my place last night. Where were you? Found your own place?"

"Nah."

"Oh, let me guess. You slept at your husband's house?"

"Husband's house!" Chloe exclaimed, as if horrified. "It's conjugal property, so it's our house. I've put money into it too, so it's ours. Not his alone."

Allie smiled a bit. "So you admit you were with Ron last night. Hmm, thought you were divorcing him."

"I am! I will, very soon! I just had to be there last night because he called…and he was sick!"

"Mmm," Allie didn't say more. She knew exactly what was going on.

"Whatever! Anyway, good luck on your trip and take care."

Allie stopped by a restaurant for lunch and got back on the road again. She had to take a detour due to a road blockage from an accident, so she took a longer route. In the end, she arrived in Raven Town much later than she expected.

Cole had made arrangements last night and found her a small hotel in the town. She went straight there to rest. She would be looking for Lyla Ferrer tomorrow morning.

They had tracked Lyla Ferrer's house, so finding her wouldn't be a problem. But Allie could only hope nothing would go wrong.

Meanwhile, in Mori's Mansion, Evan stood by the huge windows of his bedroom. He was holding his phone, looking at a certain name in his contacts.

Green-eyed Fox.

The name made Evan smirk. He wondered what the woman was doing right now. From what he knew, she had left the city to go to Raven Town. When he heard about it, he immediately knew what she was up to.

While he was looking at his phone, Evan heard the butler's voice from outside.

"Master Evan, the madame has asked for you downstairs. Dinner is served."

~*~

Allie went to the café next to her hotel for breakfast the next morning. The day began with a drizzle and soft morning sunlight obscured by thick clouds.

Raven Town was the farthest town in

south Claymount, and it had a small population, so Allie wasn't surprised that the café wasn't as crowded as the cafés in the city.

After her quick breakfast, she drove to Lyla Ferrer's house, following the location through Waze. From what she found, it was the house of the Ferrer family where Lyla's parents lived.

Soon, Allie parked her car in front of a fenced, two-story house with a huge lawn where a middle-aged man was working in the garden. He noticed Allie's arrival and opened the fence door.

"Hi, how may I help you?" The man had a friendly tone and a warm smile.

Allie had also made a quick background check of the Ferrer family, so she knew what Mr. Ferrer looked like. She recognized the man in front of her as Lyla's father. She was glad she was in the right place.

"Hello, may I ask if Miss Lyla Ferrer is here?"

"Oh, so you are looking for my daughter."

Allie nodded. "Yes. You must be Mr. Ferrer."

"Yes, I am. I would like to invite you inside, but Lyla is not around at this time. She just left half an hour ago."

Allie's face fell. Where had she gone?

"Don't worry. If it is urgent, you can find her in no time. She's at the orphanage just beside the town church."

"Thank you, and sorry for the trouble."

Mr. Ferrer smiled. "No worries! Drive safely, young miss."

Allie went back to her car. It wasn't hard to find the town church because it was a landmark, and the town only had one church.

While driving, Allie thought that Mr. Ferrer must be a sweet and loving father. Lyla's agreement to Evan's proposal would save her from trouble, but thinking about the warmhearted Mr. Ferrer getting heartbroken because his beloved daughter married a man like Evan Mori made Allie's stomach twist.

Why did Mr. Ferrer have to appear so warm and loving, anyway? It just reminded her how unlucky she was as a daughter because she didn't have such a father.

She parked her car outside the gated orphanage. Walking inside, she saw the big lawn in front of the two connected old buildings.

There were children playing around, walking, running, and some were just watching. A woman who appeared to be one of the caretakers of the orphanage approached Allie.

"May I help you?"

"Um, yes. Is Miss Lyla Ferrer here?"

Before the woman could answer, Allie heard someone from behind.

"Looking for me?"