Fanny could tell I was holding back the truth, but she didn't press the issue. Instead, she said,

"Fine, keep me posted. By the way, where are you off to today? You're welcome at my place if you're not up for heading back to the Wagner family.

", Fanny was working the night shift, so crashing at her place was the perfect arrangement., I didn't want to return to the Wagner family, especially now that Conrad and I were sharing a room. But constantly staying at Fanny's wasn't ideal, either. Even though she was single, nobody liked their persona space invaded.,

"Sure,

" I didn't refuse. It was better than staying at a hotel until I found a place to live., Even though I had a place to sleep for the night, I didn't head straight there. Instead, I drove to the outskirts of town. The area was the old part of town, but it was densely populated, mainly by renters attracted by the cheap rent., I had come there because it was where my family home was. Before my parents passed away, the three of us lived there. Back then, it wasn't the old part of town. The economy was booming, and everything was easily accessible., But ten years had changed everything, and the area had lost its former glory. Most of the houses in our neighborhood got rented out, but ours remained vacant, preserved as it was. My parents' clothes and shoes were still in their places, untouched., Whenever I missed them, I could visit, even though my visits had become less frequent over time. Eventually, they began to fade from my memory and my life., It took me half an hour to drive there. I grabbed the keys from the glove compartment and went upstairs to unlock the door., As soon as I entered, I caught the musty smell of a long-deserted home. A layer of dust covered the furniture, and the power was off due to the long absence. Luckily, I had the account details and quickly paid the electricity bill online. Power was back shortly after., With the lights on, I walked through each room, ending in my bedroom. Seeing the pink sheets on my bed, I made a decision. I didn't need to go anywhere else. I would stay here. Although it was a half-hour drive, it wasn't too far, considering my commute from the Wagner family to the office took about the same time., Once I made up my mind, I started cleaning and didn't stop until 10 p.m., by which time the place was spotless. However, my phone remained silent throughout, save for a message from Fanny, The lady and the child are alright., Knowing they were okay meant the intern wouldn't lose his job., That night, I slept in my parents' home for the first time in years, surprisingly not scared but comforted., I didn't go to the office but headed to the amusement park the following day. While reviewing a report the day before, I noticed a discrepancy from the original design and wanted to check it on-site., As expected, there was a difference. I called the project manager, and after discussing it on-site, we had a plan by noon., Realizing I needed to pick up some things for the house, I went to the mall, where I ran into Haley., It seemed she was all good, but her panic the day before had been quite alarming., It was clear to me then. Haley's act was just for Conrad's benefit to get his attention, and it worked. Conrad denied having feelings for Haley, and I found that hard to believe, but his actions toward Haley were undeniably strange., Haley was explaining her preferences to a sales associate.

"Nothing too flashy. I want something mature and low-key, maybe even a little austere.

",

"For your boyfriend, perhaps?

" the sales associate guessed., Haley just smiled, not confirming., Boyfriend? I was curious. But I kept my distance, heading to another section to pick my bedding., But fate had it that we would run into each other again at the checkout. When Haley handed her card to the cashier, I froze. It was a card linked to Conrad's account., Search the website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.