Chapter 163: Samuel’s Movements

They continued talking for a little while, mostly about ordinary things. Richard mentioned that work had been keeping him busy, while Ethan made a few casual comments about the school and the children.

As they spoke, Ethan glanced towards the school entrance.

Several students were beginning to come out in groups. Some were chatting excitedly with their friends, while others hurried towards the adults waiting for them.

It wasn’t long before he spotted Nora.

Her white hair made her easy to recognize even from a distance. She was walking beside Alexa, and the two girls seemed to be discussing something. Nora said something that made Alexa laugh, and the latter briefly covered her mouth.

Ethan watched them approach.

He also noticed another familiar face among the children. It was Vincent’s son.

The boy was walking with a few other students, carrying his schoolbag over one shoulder. Ethan recognized him, but the boy didn’t notice him. He continued walking with his companions, completely unaware that Ethan was nearby.

Ethan didn’t give it much thought. His attention soon returned to Nora and Alexa.

"Daddy!"

Nora spotted him and quickened her steps. Alexa followed beside her, and the two girls soon reached their fathers.

"Hello, Uncle Ethan!" Alexa greeted him with a cheerful smile.

"Hello, Alexa. How was school today?"

"It was fine."

"Just fine?"

She nodded seriously. "Yes. We had Mathematics today."

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "And how did that go?"

"I understood everything."

"That’s good."

Meanwhile, Nora had moved closer to him. She looked up at Ethan, and he reached out to straighten the strap of her schoolbag.

"Did you have a good day?"

"Yes, Daddy."

"Good."

Richard smiled as he watched them. He then turned towards his daughter and adjusted the strap of her bag.

"Come on, Alexa. We should get going."

"Okay."

Alexa looked at Nora again. "See you tomorrow!"

"See you tomorrow," Nora replied.

The girls exchanged a few more words before separating. Alexa waved at Ethan, who returned the gesture, and then walked away with Richard.

Ethan watched them cross the street towards their home before opening the passenger door for Nora.

"Get in."

Nora climbed into the car and settled into her seat. Ethan closed the door, walked around to the driver’s side, and got in.

After fastening his seat belt, he started the engine and pulled away from the school.

For a while, neither of them said anything. Nora looked out of the window, watching the familiar buildings pass by, while Ethan focused on the road.

A few minutes later, he glanced at her.

"Did you copy the notes you missed yesterday?"

Nora turned towards him. "Yes."

"Really?"

She nodded. "I copied everything from Alexa."

Ethan smiled and gave her an approving nod. "Good. That’s what I like to hear."

"I didn’t want to miss anything."

"That’s sensible. You should always make sure you catch up whenever you miss a class."

"I know, Dad."

He chuckled softly. "Of course you do."

Nora looked back out of the window, and Ethan returned his attention to the road.

It was a fairly ordinary afternoon. The shop had survived the morning rush, Evelyn had received the day’s earnings, and Nora had attended school and caught up on the work she had missed.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly. But Ethan hadn’t forgotten about the delivery truck.

His message to the supplier was still unanswered, and he intended to find out exactly what had happened. He wasn’t going to jump to conclusions, but he wasn’t going to dismiss the possibility of foul play either.

For now, he would wait. There was no need to let an unanswered message ruin the rest of his day.

Ethan glanced briefly at Nora, who was humming a tune under her breath while looking through the window. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly.

At least, he had something much more pleasant to think about on the drive home.

After returning to the shop, Ethan parked his car and helped Nora out.

"Go and get yourself something to drink from the juice shop," He told her. "Gilbert and Maya should be there."

"Okay, Dad."

Nora happily ran towards the juice shop while Ethan headed into the main shop.

Evelyn was attending to a customer, so he didn’t interrupt her. Instead, he walked towards the couch at the side of the shop and sat down, stretching his legs.

He had spent most of the morning moving crates around. Even though his increased Stamina made the work considerably easier, he still appreciated having a moment to relax.

He leaned back against the couch and closed his eyes. A few seconds later, his phone pinged.

Ethan opened his eyes, reached into his pocket and checked the notification.

It was a message from Evelyn’s fruit supplier.

According to the driver, a car had suddenly emerged from an alley and rammed straight into the delivery truck. The impact had caused considerable damage, and some of the fruits had been destroyed in the process.

Thankfully, nobody had died, and the driver hadn’t suffered any serious injuries. Only a portion of the goods had been wasted.

Ethan read the message twice before typing a reply.

He expressed his condolences for the loss and wished the driver a quick recovery. After sending it, he dropped his phone onto the couch.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

’Samuel, you’re really going out of your way to make things interesting.’

He didn’t need to think too hard to figure out who was responsible.

The businessman who had visited the shop, the strange activities surrounding Evelyn’s business, and now this conveniently timed accident. It was becoming increasingly difficult to believe these incidents were unrelated.

Ethan chuckled.

He picked up his phone again, intending to call Vincent and have him look into the matter.

However, before he could dial the number, Nora walked into the shop.

"Daddy!"

Ethan looked up.

Nora was holding a cup of pineapple juice with both hands. She approached him and raised it towards him.

"Here. I got you some juice."

He glanced at the cup, then at her smiling face. "Thank you, sweetheart."

He put his phone down and accepted the drink.

Nora climbed onto the couch and settled comfortably on his lap. She then took out her iPad, unlocked it and began searching for a cartoon to watch.

Ethan watched her for a moment before taking a sip of the juice.

It was cold and refreshing.

"What are you watching?" He asked.

Nora turned the screen slightly towards him. "A cartoon."

Ethan rolled his eyes. "I can see that. What’s it called?"

She told him the title before pressing play.

Ethan leaned back against the couch, allowing her to settle against his chest. Soon, the two of them were watching the cartoon together.

He occasionally glanced at the screen, although he wasn’t particularly interested in what was happening. Nora, on the other hand, seemed completely absorbed in it.

A little while later, Evelyn came over to check on them.

She had just finished attending to a few customers and wanted to see what they were doing. However, when she approached the couch, she found Ethan and Nora quietly watching a cartoon.

Nora was sitting on his lap, holding her iPad, while Ethan rested his chin lightly against her head.

Evelyn stopped for a moment.

Seeing that they were perfectly comfortable, she decided not to disturb them. She simply smiled and returned to her work.

.......

Time passed, and the afternoon gradually turned into evening.

The shops became quieter as the remaining customers made their purchases and left. By then, the shelves and storage areas were almost completely empty.

Although the delayed delivery had caused them to lose some early customers, they had still managed to sell everything.

Evelyn checked the sales records while Cassandra helped with the final arrangements. Gilbert and Maya also finished cleaning their section of the juice shop.

It had been a tiring day, but a successful one.

Once everything was settled, Cassandra prepared to leave.

Her luxurious car was already waiting outside, with her bodyguards standing nearby. She exchanged a few words with everyone before getting into the vehicle.

"Goodnight, everyone!" She called out.

"Goodnight!" Evelyn replied.

Ethan raised a hand in farewell as the car drove away.

Not long afterwards, Gilbert and Maya also prepared to leave.

The two of them headed out together, walking hand in hand.

"See you tomorrow!" Maya said.

"Take care," Evelyn replied.

Ethan nodded at them. "Don’t forget to rest. You two have worked hard today."

"We will, Boss," Gilbert answered with a smile.

The couple continued down the road, still holding hands.

After they left, Ethan helped Evelyn finish checking the locks and making sure everything was properly secured.

When they were satisfied, he picked up Nora’s belongings and led his family towards the car.

Evelyn got into the passenger seat while Nora settled into the back.

Ethan entered the driver’s seat and started the engine.

"Is everyone comfortable?" He asked.

"Yes," Evelyn replied.

Nora nodded from the back.

"All right. Let’s go home."

The car pulled away from the shop, leaving the day’s activities behind.