Chapter 348
In the office of the leader of the Seventh Agency, Willow looked around the empty office with a furrowed brow. “Mom, is Lorenzo really getting a promotion?”
The new office was in a more remote location than the previous one and felt quite desolate.
Inside, there were just a few desks and some boxes that had just been moved in but not yet unpacked. If it weren’t for the decent walls and flooring, it would almost feel like an unfinished building.
So, Willow couldn’t shake the feeling that Lorenzo had been demoted.
Sydney had observed for a week, and while the new environment was indeed worse than the old one, Lorenzo had insisted that he had been promoted.
Lorenzo was known for his stubbornness. He never let himself be at a disadvantage, especially not this time when he had undeniable authority and leverage.
Besides, Alex was involved, and he wouldn’t let Lorenzo be shortchanged.
Lorenzo walked in carrying a box of files, and upon seeing them, his eyes widened with surprise and delight. “Mrs. Alvarez, Willow? What are you doing here?”
He quickly set the box down and pulled out two chairs. “Please, have a seat. It’s a bit messy here. I haven’t had a chance to organize…”
As Lorenzo spoke, he awkwardly scratched the back of his head, his face reddening. ‘If I’d known they were coming, I’d have had my staff tidy up!’
“I brought you some soup, Lorenzo.” Soup was perfect for the winter.
At the mention of soup, Lorenzo looked at Willow. Their eyes met, and Willow’s face turned bright red. Flustered, she lost track of her words.
“I… the soup my mom made isn’t…” It was that kind of nourishing soup…
Willow realized her mistake and bit her lip tightly.
“Willow, what’s wrong with the soup?” Sydney asked while pulling a thermos from her bag.
“Nothing… nothing’s wrong…” Willow almost let slip that she had stolen the soup her mother had made for her dad to give to Lorenzo.
Sydney didn’t notice anything amiss and didn’t think much of it.
She placed the soup on the table. “This soup might not be as good as it used to be. I’ve been burning the soup lately, so this one might be a bit less than perfect. Bear with it, and I’ll make you a
better one next time.”
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Lorenzo turned to Willow, a smile tugging at his lips as he tried to suppress a chuckle. “That’s because Willow always sneaks soup for me.
Willow bit her lip, blushing, and struggled to find words.
“Mrs. Alvarez, your soup is the best. I’ll have some right away,” he said.
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Sydney was a devoted mother, meticulously caring for her three children. The soups she made for them since they were young were nutritious and delicious.
For Lorenzo, this was more than just a meal. It was a unique source of motherly love that he cherished deeply.
Sydney looked at him, noting how much more mature he seemed now.
Joey’s situation had impacted everyone in the family, but the effect on Lorenzo was the most
severe.
“Lorenzo, I heard that your hand could be healed if you go to Riverview Hospital for surgery. Willow mentioned that you agreed to go ahead with the surgery. I’m here to ask when you plan to go,” Sydney said.
She had already known about Lorenzo’s injury. The best doctors had told her that it was beyond. recovery, and she had been heartbroken, though Joey’s situation had diverted all her attention.
Now that there was an opportunity for surgery, Sydney was determined to make sure he took it.
Willow was watching Lorenzo with hopeful eyes.
Although Lorenzo had promised Willow before, she worried that he wasn’t taking it seriously and was about to miss the last chance. While at home today, Willow had mentioned her concerns to Sydney, which led them both to come here.
Lorenzo looked at the two people he cared about most.
Willow’s anticipation was more intense than ever.
As for Sydney, after more than a year since Joey’s funeral, she had become more open–hearted. Though she had aged and hadn’t fully recovered, her resilient and gentle motherly aura had
returned.
It was as if she were his own mother, wishing for him to have the surgery and heal.
Losing Joey had deepened Sydney’s love and concern for Lorenzo.
He glanced at his watch. It was nearly noon, and the school would be breaking for lunch. “I’ll call Lea right now to schedule the surgery.”
He knew he had to listen to these two women.
“We’ll be with you during the surgery,” Sydney said, patting Willow’s head.
[I]
Joey’s death had made her realize how limited her time with her children was. She cherished every
moment.
She wanted to be a better mother.
From now on, Sydney was determined to take care of her two children and not miss any important moments in their lives.
Willow nodded at him, her face showing the shyness of a young woman coming into her own.
“Okay,” Lorenzo said firmly, feeling a warm rush in his chest and his eyes growing misty.
At Conrad University, as soon as class ended for lunch, Lea and Shannon went to the cafeteria. They had afternoon classes and planned to return only after finishing them.
While they were eating, Lea received Lorenzo’s call
She was somewhat surprised that he had scheduled the surgery so quickly, but then she heard Sydney and Willow’s voices on the line and understood.
‘So, this stubborn young man actually listens to them. No, more precisely, he listens to Willow,‘ she thought.
“Alright, I’ll arrange it right away,” Lea responded.
With less than a month until the final exams, Lea had a lot to get done. After the exams, she planned to spend the entire break working on research and development in the lab.
She scheduled Lorenzo’s surgery for the weekend.
After finishing lunch, Lea went straight to her afternoon class, taking a seat in the back row and immediately falling asleep.
Despite having stayed up all night, her current physical condition didn’t affect her much. She intended to use the whole day to catch up on the past two months‘ worth of missed coursework.
But with the complexity of Lorenzo’s surgery, which was far beyond the current highest level of precision, she needed to be in top form. Therefore, she had to make sure she got enough rest.
After sleeping for two hours at noon, Lea continued to sleep soundly during the afternoon class. “Lea? Lea? Lea…”
After a few calls, Lea slowly woke up, covering her mouth as she yawned and looked up to see the teacher calling her name repeatedly.
“Sorry to disturb your sleep. You’re not mad at me, are you?” The teacher’s tone was a mix of teasing and mild irritation.
He knew about Lea’s situation, but if Lea showed up for class, she needed to participate.
Otherwise, she should have stayed home and slept.
The classroom erupted in laughter.
Lea was momentarily at a loss for words and yawned again.
Shannon leaned closer and asked quietly, “Lea, you look so tired. Did you not sleep last night?”
Lea nodded.
“Were you with Alfred?” Shannon asked.
Lea nodded again.
Shannon leaned in even closer and whispered, “Even though you’re young, you still need to practice some restraint…”
They had apparently spent the entire night together.
Lea turned to her, and seeing her blushed, realized what Shannon had misunderstood. “No, we…”
“I understand, but Lea, you really need to be careful. Just in case, you know…” Shannon was worried that Lea might accidentally become pregnant but didn’t say it directly. “In short, you need to exercise some restraint.”
Lea said, “I…”
“Shannon.”
“Here.” The teacher called Shannon’s name, and she stood up quickly.
“Ms. Yancey, you don’t need to stand up. Just focus,” the teacher instructed.
Shannon’s face turned even redder.
Lea was speechless for a moment.
After calling roll, the teacher began the lesson, and Lea immediately fell asleep at her desk again.
The teacher walked over and tapped on her desk, but Lea remained asleep.
He sighed and said, “Ms. Berry, it seems you have a real talent for sleeping.”
The entire class laughed once more.
Shannon shook her head, letting out a helpless sigh
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