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Chapter_205
Smiles lit every face in the Snyder dining hall.
Mr. Snyder Sr. beamed. “Why didn’t you tell me you were back home?”
Felicity grinned. “It was a last-minute decision. I invited two friends over for lunch.”
Her grandfather groaned. “At the main dining hall? What will everyone think?”
Angelica’s heart raced. The feast before them had rivaled any five-star banquet.
Then, in a sudden flutter of motion, a frail old woman—her hair pure white—reached out and touched Nash’s cheek. Her voice trembled like a leaf in the wind. “Ru… Ruby… you’ve returned?”
Felicity rushed forward. “Grandma, this is Nash, my friend!”
But the older woman only repeated, “Don’t stand between me and my Ruby,” and bit Felicity’s shoulder with surprising strength.
Felicity clenched her teeth against the pain while her parents hurried to comfort their mother. An embarrassed flush crept across Felicity’s face. “I’m so sorry, Nash—my grandmother isn’t always… herself.”
Nash offered a gentle smile. “It’s quite all right.”
Felicity turned to her grandfather. “Grandpa, I have another appointment. Nash, Angelica—let’s go.”
Moments later, she drove them to the airport. On the way, she organized an unannounced inspection of the Telfair Hotel, briefing several Sagen inspectors by phone.
By nightfall, Felicity returned home—exhausted but triumphant. As she stepped through the mansion doors, her eyes widened: Caleb was dangling from a ceiling beam, howling under their father’s disciplinary hand.
“Felicity… help me!” Caleb’s cries echoed through the foyer.
Felicity watched, torn between horror and the memory of her own many mischiefs. She brushed past him and called up the staircase: “Dad, where’s Grandpa?”
“He’s in his study,” Mr. Snyder Sr. panted.
Upstairs, in the dim second-floor study, Mr. Snyder Sr. exhaled a long sigh. He approached the heavy steel vault, his gnarled hand turning the combination lock. The door creaked open, revealing a hidden compartment at the back.
From within, he withdrew a single yellowed photograph and laid it gently on the desk. “This is the only picture we have of Ruby,” he said. “I know you miss her.”
The old lady’s hands trembled as she took the photograph, her eyes moist with tears. The image showed a graceful girl in a simple patchwork blouse and straw hat, her hair braided into two soft plaits. Though plainly dressed, her beauty shone through.
“Ruby… have you come home to see your mother?” Granny whispered as she caressed the photo.
A sharp knock at the door startled everyone. Mr. Snyder Sr. yanked the photograph back, secured it in the vault, and locked it with care.
Moments later Felicity reappeared in the doorway, sleeves rolled up and face alight. “Grandpa, I’ve shut down Hugh Sullivan’s hotel!”
He offered her a proud but wary smile. “The Green Bamboo Association is formidable. You must be cautious.”
Felicity squared her shoulders. “I accepted this role to dismantle them and bring peace to Sagen.”
Her grandfather nodded approvingly. “A noble goal—but they hold immense power. Their defeat won’t come easily.”
Undaunted, Felicity’s eyes flashed. “Then I’ll persevere for a year. If not, for ten years. Fifty years, if required. They cannot remove me from Sagen.”
Seeing his granddaughter so determined, Mr. Snyder Sr. placed a gentle hand on her arm. “You amaze me. One question remains: who was Ruby?”
Felicity met her grandfather’s gaze as the old photograph rested safely in the vault. In that quiet moment, she understood that some family secrets demanded time—and courage—to unearth.