Chapter 182: Dragon and Phoenix Twins

Sensing a gaze on her, Amanda Vance looked up just in time to see a door click shut. It seemed there was a small figure inside, but the door closed too quickly for her to get a clear look.

’A child in the Ford family’s home... that must be Colt.’

Samuel Ford also heard the noise from upstairs. He glanced up and frowned, wondering what had gotten into the boy this time.

Ignoring the boy, Samuel turned to the grim-faced Mr. Ford beside him. "Dad, I’m sorry. Dr. Vance told me yesterday that she was coming, and I meant to tell you, but I got busy and forgot."

’He’d forget?’

Mr. Ford’s expression darkened even more at his son’s words. It was obvious Samuel had been afraid he wouldn’t let her come, so he’d intentionally acted first and reported it later.

Mrs. Ford nudged him with her elbow, signaling for him to be more pleasant. Then, she walked over to Amanda Vance with a warm smile. "Wonderful, wonderful, we’re so glad you’re here, Megan. I was just thinking of inviting you over. And thank you so much for curing the old man. It’s all thanks to you that he’s in such good health now."

Her words were also a reminder to Mr. Ford that Amanda was his savior, and he shouldn’t repay her kindness with ingratitude.

Mr. Ford fell silent at her words. He looked at Amanda, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes again.

A polite smile graced Amanda’s lips, but she paused when she saw his expression. It seemed that ever since he had woken up, he always looked at her this way.

A mixture of pity and resistance, the two emotions so intertwined that she couldn’t tell whether he liked or disliked her.

She offered a small smile and said, "I apologize for showing up without any prior notice. Please forgive the intrusion."

Looking at her, Mr. Ford sighed. "Come and sit."

"Thank you."

Amanda thanked him politely and handed the gift she was holding to Samuel Ford. Mrs. Ford guided her to a seat and then brought her a glass of water. "What brings you here, Megan?"

"There’s something I was hoping to ask Mr. Ford for help with."

"Oh? What is it? Just tell us. No matter what it is, I guarantee we’ll take care of it for you." Regardless of Mr. Ford’s attitude, Mrs. Ford was still very fond of her. The affectionate look in her eyes was the same as always, which helped Amanda relax a little.

Knowing that Mr. Ford probably wasn’t too happy to see her right now, Amanda didn’t beat around the bush. She took out the Jade Pendant, placed it on the coffee table, and slid it toward him. "Mr. Ford, do you recognize this Jade Pendant?"

Mr. Ford picked it up and examined it, a hint of surprise in his voice. "This was made by Mr. Sullivan?"

Although it was a question, it was filled more with awe. He was clearly extremely familiar with the renowned Mr. Sullivan; otherwise, it would have been difficult to recognize his work at a glance.

Amanda nodded. "Yes. I bought it at an auction yesterday."

"An auction..." Mr. Ford repeated the word, a wistful look in his eyes. He looked up at Amanda. "What do you want to ask me?"

Amanda sat up a little straighter and leaned forward slightly. "I’d like to know more about Mr. Sullivan. Anything at all, as long as it’s related to him."

A look of confusion appeared in Mr. Ford’s eyes, and Mrs. Ford also asked quizzically, "Megan, why are you suddenly asking about this? Mr. Sullivan and his entire family moved abroad a long time ago. You must have been just a child back then."

Amanda nodded. "I wasn’t even born yet."

’Well, there you have it. They never crossed paths, so why is she suddenly asking about him?’

After a moment’s thought, Amanda took a piece of paper from her bag and handed it to them.

Mr. Ford unfolded it with a questioning look. It was a drawing of a jade pendant, and this pendant...

His expression grew solemn. He placed the jade pendant he was holding next to the drawing, then leaned back slightly, the astonishment in his eyes deepening. "This is..."

Amanda explained, "The jade pendant in the drawing was left to me by my mother. As you’ve probably noticed, the two pendants are a matching pair."

Mr. Ford nodded. He had always been fond of studying antiques and calligraphy, and he was deeply familiar with Mr. Sullivan’s style, so he could naturally tell at a glance that the two pendants were a pair.

However, it seemed this particular pendant had never appeared among Mr. Sullivan’s known works.

He rubbed the jade pendant, then raised his eyes to Amanda. "What did you just say? This belonged to your mother?"

Amanda nodded. Seeing a flicker in his expression, she quickly pressed, "Did you remember something?"

Mr. Ford looked at her, hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded. "I did recall something, but I’m not sure if it’s the answer you’re looking for."

"Please, tell me." With her mother involved, a hint of urgency appeared on Amanda’s face.

After a moment of contemplation, Mr. Ford began to speak slowly. "Mr. Sullivan was a man of high principles. He never carved the same thing twice. He pursued uniqueness, never making duplicates, and rarely created matching sets—unless they were intended for a pair of lovers, or for siblings."

Mr. Sullivan specialized in jade carving. The ancients loved to wear jade as a symbol of identity and status, and Mr. Sullivan enjoyed emulating their work. This included things like mandarin duck pendants or dragon and phoenix pendants, which come in pairs. They aren’t identical, however; each is one half of a whole that becomes complete when joined together.

"I heard that Mr. Sullivan had a pair of fraternal twins. I imagine he would have made a pair like this for his own children. However, I also heard his daughter was in poor health from a young age and was raised at her mother’s family home. I never met her myself."

Amanda’s eyes widened. Her mother’s surname was Su, and Mr. Sullivan’s surname was also Su. Combined with a jade pendant that had never appeared on the market, it was hard for her not to connect the two.

Mr. Ford looked at her, his gaze filling with sympathy.

Samuel Ford, who had been silent until now, had clearly caught his father’s expression. He suddenly spoke up, asking, "Then why did Mr. Sullivan retire from carving and move his entire family away?"

Someone who loved jade carving so much should have preferred to stay in the country. To completely abandon his passion and move to a foreign land... it seemed like something major must have happened.

Something tragic, even.

Amanda had thought of this too and looked at Mr. Ford with earnest eyes.

Seeing her expression, Mr. Ford’s heart softened further. He sighed. "The story goes that Mr. Sullivan’s daughter brought a man home one year, wanting to be with him. But Mr. Sullivan refused to give his blessing, so Miss Sullivan eloped with the man. Later, for some unknown reason, she returned home pregnant, but the man was nowhere to be found. Mr. Sullivan was furious. Being the proud man he was, he couldn’t accept it and wanted to throw her out of the house. It was only Mrs. Sullivan’s pleading that stopped him. I heard, however, that Miss Sullivan left again afterward. As for where she went, I don’t know. Mrs. Sullivan fell gravely ill from worrying about her daughter, and not long after that, the Sullivan family moved away."

He didn’t know the exact details of what happened in between, but he imagined it wasn’t pleasant.

The Sullivan family’s departure was likely an attempt to leave that painful place behind.

Amanda was stunned, her fingertips trembling slightly. After a long moment, she swallowed hard, suppressing a sob as she asked, "Mr. Ford... do you know what Miss Sullivan’s name was?"

Mr. Ford thought for a moment. "I can’t remember her full name, but I think it had the character ’Wan’ in it. I heard it was because the evening sky was beautiful on the day she was born. They originally wanted to name her Xia, but Mrs. Sullivan thought it was too rustic, so they went with Wan."

CRASH— Amanda’s hand went limp, and the glass fell, shattering on the floor. The water that splashed onto her foot went completely unnoticed.

She stared at him, dumbfounded. Her mother’s name... was Vivian Sullivan.