Leah immensely enjoyed being pampered. She straightened her back and swayed her hips, as she strutted behind a servant. The servant soon led her to the backyard, where Mrs. Sheffield was pruning her flowers.

Leah immediately put on a sweet and obedient expression and called out, "Aunt Yolanda!"

Mrs. Sheffield looked up and exclaimed with a warm smile, "Jasmine, you’re here!"

She then put down her scissors and wiped her hands with the handkerchief offered by the servant before she approached Leah.

In public, people called Jasmine Leah. However, Yolanda preferred to call her Jasmine.

"Aunt Yolanda, these tasks can be handled by the servants. Why are you tending to the garden yourself?" Leah walked over to Yolanda and linked her arm with Yolanda's. Then, she led Yolanda to a nearby wicker chair, where she began massaging Yolanda's back.

"I grew these flowers myself. I'm afraid the servants might ruin them! I don’t have much to do otherwise. Tending to the flowers is a way to pass the time."

Yolanda heaved a heavy sigh, touched by Leah’s thoughtfulness. "You’re the only one who cares for me. You even visit me, unlike that wretched Agni. He has been gone for years and never even bothered to call!"

At the mention of her son, Yolanda was filled with helplessness. There was a saying that once a daughter got married, she was not really part of the family anymore. However, her son was so inconsiderate. In fact, he was worse than a daughter who was married off.

Leah had initially planned to bring up the topic, but Yolanda beat her to it. "Have you heard anything from Agni?"

"No," Yolanda replied. "We’ve sent people to look for him and even used drones, but we still haven’t been able to locate him. I highly suspect he’s hiding in some remote mountain or forest."

Leah was already anxious about the situation. What Yolanda said only made her more determined to find a backup as soon as she could. What was she to do if Agni never returned? Waiting indefinitely was not a viable option.

Just as she finished massaging Yolanda's back, a servant arrived with tea. Leah quickly took the tray and presented it to Mrs. Sheffield.

In a fawning voice, she said, "Aunt Yolanda, Agni must have a reason for not coming back. Don’t worry too much! Even if Agni isn’t here, you still have me. I’ll take care of you as if you were my own mother."

Upon hearing this, Yolanda heartily laughed. "Good, you’re such a thoughtful child. Agni is so ungrateful to leave you hanging for years. Once we find him, I'll make sure he marries you, even if I have to tie him down!"

Leah blushed and shyly replied, "Aunt Yolanda, how can you do that? Agni has never met me. What if… he doesn’t like me?"

Yolanda held her hand and affectionately patted it. "You’re so beautiful, well-behaved, and an international supermodel. You're so amazing that Agni will definitely like you!"

On the inside, Leah smirked. She was not actually worried about never marrying into the Sheffield family since Yolanda liked her so much. However, just what was going on with Agni? Why had he not been home for years?

Could it be that he was dead?

At that moment, on Leiton Island, Agni was doing his morning exercises when he inexplicably sneezed three times.

"Achoo! Achoo! Achoo!"

He rubbed his itchy nose and muttered, "Moe, are you cursing me?"

Moe stared at him with wide, innocent eyes. "It wasn't me. You just have a cold."

"Nonsense! I’m not… Achoo!"

Before Agni could finish his sentence, he sneezed again.

"See, you really have a cold!" Moe quickly moved a few steps away from Agni, not wanting to catch a cold so soon after being bitten by a snake.

Back at the manor, after chatting with Yolanda for a while, Leah shifted the topic to the international design competition.

"By the way, Aunt Yolanda, I’ll be going to Metropol in a few days and may not be able to visit you."

Mrs. Sheffield asked, "You mean Metropol, the capital of Magniflora?"

Leah nodded. "Yes, this year’s fashion design competition is being held in Metropol. The organizers have invited me to perform at the opening ceremony. I’ll probably be gone for seven days ."

"Seven days?" Mrs. Sheffield looked a bit lost. Then, she seemed to have remembered something as she brightened up and said, "I think Thomas has a friend in Magniflora. Perhaps he can assist you while you’re there! I’ll call Thomas now and ask him to introduce you two. You're a young woman, and you're going all alone to a far-off place where you know no one. I’m afraid you might be taken advantage of."

Leah was delighted upon hearing that. With the Sheffield family’s connections, she was confident that she would have no problem of impressing the judges if she wanted to wear the winning design.

Yolanda was soon done with the call. She turned back to Leah and smiled. "Alright, you can go to Metropol with a peace of mind. Thomas will handle everything for you."

"I heard that the winning design in this competition will be showcased on the runway. Do you want to be one of those models?"

Leah was surprised by how direct Yolanda was. In an effort to not appear too eager, she nonchalantly replied, "Aunt Yolanda, the models for the showcase will be selected by the organizers. I would like to be one of them, but I’m afraid I might not catch their eye…"

Yolanda was a little displeased by her response and said, "Jasmine, you’re an international supermodel. If the organizers don’t recognize your worth, they will be blind fools!"

After some consideration, she added, "I just heard from Thomas that his friend is a partner in the design competition. I'll talk to him. You will be one of those models!"

"Aunt Yolanda, you are the best!" Leah hugged Yolanda's arm, feeling overjoyed.

"You are the daughter-in-law the Sheffield family has chosen. Naturally, we will treat you well. If not for how busy I am, I would have loved to accompany you to Metropol and pay respects to my old friend."

"Aunt Yolanda, you have a friend there?"

Leah was greatly surprised to hear that. Since the day she left the country and hidden her true identity, no one knew who she was or where she came from. To erase her past, she had even avoided returning to her homeland when her mother was imprisoned and when her stepfather and stepsister passed away. She never expected the fashion design competition to be held in Metropol, allowing her to step foot on familiar ground again.

"Yes, I had a dear friend in the capital, but she passed away ten years ago." Yolanda let out a deep sigh.

Leah realized she had struck a sore spot and quickly said, "Aunt Yolanda, could you tell me your friend’s name? After my performance, I can go and pay my respects to her on your behalf."

"How rare it is to find someone as kind as you. Thank you!"

"It's the least I can do!"

Yolanda looked at Leah with admiration. After a moment, she nodded. "Alright. I’ll send you the address."

Even if Yolanda could not go back herself, she still wanted someone to go in her stead. Soon, Leah received a text message on her phone.

'Charlotte Lawson, Serenity Grove Memorial Park.'

The message only consisted of six words, but it made Leah freeze in place.

Charlotte Lawson... Isn’t that Bruce’s ex-wife, Freya's late mother?