Chapter 36
Chapter 36 Emmett Looks Solemn
The first time Cole laid eyes on Savannah, she was wearing a plain white t-shirt and dark blue jeans. With a light pink bow on her ponytail, she looked like a dainty spring flower in an open field. He quickly rushed to help her with her luggage, and since then, he had been deeply captivated by her.
Every encounter they had on campus was deliberately planned by Cole as he figured out her daily routine. Given that Savannah was a freshman that year, he thought he had plenty of time to pursue her. But unexpectedly, she was expelled during her first summer break, and she never returned to college after that.
Cole couldn’t believe that he could no longer see the girl he had fallen in love with. He went to the office of academic affairs to find out why Savannah was expelled, but he was simply told that she had committed a serious crime and that he should not inquire any further. Regardless of how many times he demanded an explanation, the office of academic affairs did not reveal anything else. Left with regret, he completed his remaining years of college as Savannah slowly faded away from his memory.
However, to his surprise, he crossed paths with Savannah again just over a month ago. Though she was a lot thinner now, she looked exactly like how she was back in college, and her spirit was less energetic. Cole still couldn’t believe that such a lovely girl would commit a serious crime; he was convinced that there was more to the story.
No matter how terrible Savannah described her situation to be, he still wanted to help her. Moreover, he hoped to realize the dream he had back in college and pursue her successfully. It wasn’t easy for them to finally meet again, and he definitely wouldn’t let her go so easily. “Savannah, no matter how complicated you think your life is, it doesn’t bother me at all. Just tell me what’s wrong, and we can face all your problems together!” Cole reached out to her and held her in his arms. Savannah widened her eyes and looked at him in shock. “Cole Christensen, what do you think you’re doing?! Let go of me!” she yelled and struggled in his arms like a helpless bird. “Savannah, can you let me hug you for a while? Ever since
I first… laid eyes on you, I… I…” He mustered his courage and tried to profess his love for her. “No… Stop it. I trust you so much. I can’t believe you would do this to me!” Savannah interrupted him. She immediately pushed him away as soon as he let go of her while tears rolled down her cheeks. Cole didn’t bother to finish his sentence as he knew deep down what her answer would be, so he said softly, “I’m sorry. I didn’t think we would have the chance to meet again, so I was feeling rather overwhelmed.
Can we still be friends?” Looking like a frightened little bird, Savannah took a step back and said nothing. Seeing that, Cole quickly raised both his arms to indicate that he would not act so rashly again. Nevertheless, she hurriedly shut the door and avoided him as she went downstairs. He followed her from behind but maintained a certain distance. When Savannah reached the main road, she hailed a cab and quickly got in. Before she left, she said to Cole, “
You won’t understand. My problems are far too complicated, and I will only drag you down if you get involved. We can’t meet again, but in my heart, you will always be my most respected friend.” As he watched Savannah’s taxi speed away, he became overwhelmed with a feeling of loss and heartache. He always felt that Savannah could use his help whenever she faced problems. I may have been a little impulsive earlier on, but can’t we still be friends?
Meanwhile, Savannah wiped away her tears in the cab. She genuinely regarded Cole as her best friend, and she wanted to thank him for helping her during her most difficult times. However, because of her current circumstances, it was best for her not to maintain any contact with him. Cole was indeed a good person, and she did not want him to get caught up in her mess. Upon reaching the gym, Savannah rested in the lounge for a while until it was finally time to leave.
When the chauffeur saw her walking out, he quickly pulled up to the entrance to pick her up, then she instructed him to drop her off at Mashion. During the handover of the company, Emmett had found some discrepancies in the handover documents. The person who tried to kill him that day had intentionally tried to mess things up. Thus, Savannah wanted to point out these discrepancies to Javon so the company’s future operations would not be disrupted.
Meanwhile, in his sea-front villa, Emmett walked out from the study and sat on the balcony as he watched the waves crashing in silence. Seeing that Emmett was in a rather bad mood, Nolan didn’t say a word. Right then, the caretaker of this house, Dolores, had prepared some refreshments and placed them on the round table on the balcony. She then said with a smiling face, “Congratulations, Mr. Quaker. You finally got married, and your bride comes from a wealthy family. Ms.
Yona must be smiling down on you from heaven.” Nonetheless, Emmett continued frowning and replied without even looking at her, “Thank you.” Thinking that he was dissatisfied with his new bride, Dolores wanted to query him further, but Nolan quickly tugged the corner of her apron and whispered,
“He’s not in a good mood. Just let him be.” Just like that, she left the balcony. The night before, Nolan had received a message from Emmett asking him to hire someone to track Savannah’s whereabouts. Aren’t they newlyweds? Could it be that Savannah is hiding something from him? I sure hope not. After some time, he could not help but ask, “Did the two of you argue last night? What did she do to make you so upset all morning?
At the rate you are going, you’ll have wrinkles before you grow old…” “Did you get someone to follow Savannah?” Emmett responded sternly. “Yes, I’ve already arranged for that,” Nolan answered. Emmett then asked, “What did you manage to investigate about the years she spent abroad?
” Nolan hesitated briefly before replying, “I couldn’t find anything at all. I checked with the fashion design institute that was listed on the certificate provided by the Avery family, and I couldn’t find anyone who knew her. On top of that, I couldn’t find any credit card records, rental history, or traces of her previous life in Ferropene whatsoever…”
“There is only one other possibility then. Her certificate is fake.” Emmett leaned backward and rubbed his temples. Nolan remained puzzled as he said, “That famous fashion design institute in Ferropene held an international awards ceremony two years ago. Savannah won an award, and her masterpiece was displayed in the college.
” Emmett was surprised to hear this, so he asked, “Could it be a mistake?” Nolan answered with utmost certainty, “I don’t think so. The investigator managed to get in touch with the judges of the ceremony that year, and they confirmed that the winner was a lady from our country, though her entry was submitted online. The winner’s name was indeed Savannah, and her ID number matches that of Mrs. Quaker’s.”