?Chapter 494:


    Chelsea’s eyes gleamed with understanding as they exchanged a knowing nce.


    “Leah haspletely offended Meg. What makes her think Meg will ever speak well of her?”


    Returning inside, they helped wash and prepare the fresh fruits and vegetables. The room had grown tense, the earlier dispute leaving behind an uneasy silence.


    Chelsea, ever the one to break it, brightened her tone as she picked up a slice of fruit.


    “Meg, try these. They’re fresher than anything we buy, and they taste a little different.”


    She then turned to the director.


    “Ma’am, when we leave, would you mind if we buy some produce from you at market price?”


    The director’s smile softened.


    “Mrs. Ford, you are too kind. I will have someone pick a selection for you.”


    With that settled, the conversation gradually eased, and soon, they found themselves seated in the orphanage’s cafeteria. Over cups of coffee, Meg shifted the discussion toward something more pressing.


    “The orphanage’s relocation—how is that progressing?” she asked.


    The director sighed, a hint of weariness slipping into her voice.


    “The developers have ordered us to vacate within three months. They have promised a million inpensation for a new site, but money is not the issue. The children have grown attached to this ce. They do not want to leave. And once we move, we will lose the necessary documentation and legal rights to continue operating.”


    It wasn’t just about relocating—the very future of these children hung in the bnce.


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    Corrine leaned forward slightly.


    “Which real estatepany is behind this?”


    “The Hond family,” the director’s voice carried a hint of intrigue as she nced at Corrine.


    “I heard they only moved to Pree City a few years ago.”


    “I see,” Corrine murmured, lowering her gaze in thought.


    So, it was the Hond family.


    A wry smile tugged at the corner of her lips. Sometimes, the world really was too small.


    Chelsea, noticing the subtle shift in Corrine’s expression, reached out gently and took her hand.


    Corrine nced at her aunt and mustered a faint smile, as if to assure her that she was fine. But Chelsea was far from reassured. The past was not so easily buried. Even as an outsider, she had never been able to forgive what had happened all those years ago.


    After the meal, Meg suggested they take their leave. The children, reluctant to part, handed them baskets filled with freshly picked fruits and vegetables, their small faces lit with innocent smiles. Just as they were about to go, the director’s assistant stepped forward, holding out a napkin-wrapped object.


    “Miss Burgess, is this your hairpin?”


    Leah’s gaze fell on the diamond-encrusted pin, now smudged with dirt. In an instant, she recalled her stumble on the hillside. A flush of embarrassment crept up her neck, but she forced an awkward smile.


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