Facade of Love

Chapter 339 Orphanage
Perhaps due to the snowfall, I was in a good mood. I quickly changed into warm clothes and prepared to go out for a walk.
My mother and Maxwell returned to the living room, where a steaming breakfast was ready. While I ate my yogurt, Maxwell
asked, “Are you going to the office today?”
I nodded and asked in return, “Aren’t you going?”
He raised an eyebrow and replied, “It’s the weekend. Don’t expect me to work overtime. I have other plans.”
I had forgotten that it was the weekend today. It suddenly dawned on me. I asked, “Are you both going to the orphanage?”
My mother and Maxwell both nodded, and my mother asked, “Are you coming too?”
Earlier, I had forgotten it was the weekend and had planned to go to the office. However, the snow today had put me in a good
mood, and I could not help but think about what Idris had mentioned earlier about the wintersweets in the backyard of the
Young’s old manor.
Seeing me silent, neither of them pressed for an answer. After breakfast, we all packed our things, and they both left.
I had intended to go to the office, but the beautiful snow outside made me feel playful. So, without really thinking, I decided to
follow my mother and Maxwell and joined them as they left the house.
During the car ride, I noticed that we were not heading directly to the orphanage. Curious, I asked, “Are we going somewhere
else first?”

My mother replied, “We’re picking up Alice. She’s coming with us.”
Alice...
It did not take long for us to arrive at a residential area where Alice seemed to have been waiting for us. She was dressed in a
thick pink down jacket, her medium–length hair tied up in a bun, making her look young and lively.
Maxwell was driving, and my mother was in the front passenger seat, so naturally, Alice and I sat in the back together.
When she saw me, Alice seemed surprised at first, but then she flashed me a friendly smile. Since I did not know her very well, I
returned her smile politely and then looked out the car window, lost in thought.
My mother and Alice seemed quite close, chatting all the way there. Occasionally, Maxwell would join in with the conversation,
but I could not find a way to participate, so I remained silent.
Halfway through the journey, my phone received a text message from Idris.
I glanced down at the message, which read: [Not going to the office today? Doing anything else?]
Chapter 339 Orphanage
2/3
At first, I did not quite catch on, but after a few seconds, I glanced at the rearview mirror and noticed two black cars behind us. I
suddenly remembered that Idris had mentioned arranging bodyguards to follow me last night.
No wonder he knew so quickly that I was not going to the office today.

I replied to the message with a simple: [Yeah.] Then, I turned off my phone.
Maxwell probably noticed the cars behind us as well, as he cast a meaningful glance at me through the rearview mirror.
Unintentionally meeting his gaze, I shot him a warning glare to keep quiet.
Alice, noticing the interaction between Maxwell and me, smiled at me and said, “Yvette, you look much prettier than the last time
I saw you.”
I smiled and replied, “I must have looked quite disheveled the last time.”
She gave a slight smile and remained silent.
At the orphanage.
After getting out of the car, Maxwell and my mother started unloading things from the trunk. The director of the orphanage came
out to greet us with a smile and exchanged greetings.
It was my first time here, or at least the first time I could remember, since I probably came here when I was very young and had
no memories from the time. This place seemed a bit remote, and as I observed, some of the facilities appeared to be aging,
indicating that it had been around for a while.
“Is this your first time here?” Maxwell asked softly in my ear, noticing my curiosity as I looked around.
I nodded and turned to him, asking, “Do you come here often?”
He shrugged and said with a calm face, “I lived here for a few years when I was a child. Later on, when I was in school, I would
come back here sometimes. When I went abroad for my studies, I would return here at least once a year, but recently, I’ve been
coming occasionally.”
The realization hit me. He had lived here before?
Now it made sense why he seemed so familiar with the director earlier.
“The children are still napping right now. They’ll wake up in a while. Come, follow me to the office, and I’ll get you some water.”
The director was a gray–haired grandmotherly figure, and her age showed in her appearance. She smiled and spoke as she led
us.

We followed her around an old basketball court and arrived at a building.
The environment here appeared weathered, but it had all the necessary facilities, though some of them seemed quite old.
In the director’s office, after she poured each of us a glass of water, she smiled and spoke to us, mostly about the children at the
institute. She told us about kids who were deliberately abandoned on the streets, and had no contact with their parents, as well
as some who lost their parents due to accidents and had no legal guardians, so they ended up here.
The snow outside was falling heavier, and I could not resist the urge to go out and see it for myself. My mother, noticing that I
kept looking outside, sighed. “Alright, bundle up tightly,