Facade of Love

Chapter 342 Overheard by Chance
With eamest eyes, Ariel offered me her well–won but dearly cherished stuffed rabbit
I was honestly taken aback that she wanted the backpack “You don’t have to trade,” I said. ” Consider the badpack a gift. Let’s
be friends, okay?”
The little girl paused, fidgeting for a few seconds before she shyly pulled a piece of candy from her cat and handed it to me. “For
you,” she said.
I was toured, a smile spreading across my face as I accepted the candy and handed her the backpack
With the backpack now in her arms, she beamed and scampered off to where the other kids were resting
Surprised, I turned to Idris. “How did you know she would like the backpack??”
littis looked as calm as ever. “She’s been eyeing that bag for a while. It was pretty obvious.”
Wel
He was quite observant, huh?
After we finished handing out items, with the snow coming down hard outside, we were concerned about the kids catching a chill,
so everyone stayed in to play.
I had never been great with kids, so I sat out, and Idris did too. He was like a statue when he was quiet

Concerned that he might be a bit out of place just standing around in the classroom, I invited him to join me in the hallway to
watch the snowfall
“This place is going to be tom down soon,” he said out of the blue. I turned to him, puzzled. ‘ What?TM
He arched an eyebrow and explained in his usual even tone, “This land is owned by Young Corporation. It’s included in the new
district development plan. They’ve got six months to
clear out.”
The news that he blurted out was unexpected. I looked at him and asked, “Where will all these kids go?TM
Finding a new home for them was not just about getting a roof over their heads. They needed food, clothes, and all the basics.
Without some outside help, the director could not make ends meet with just government aid.
Idris glanced down at me, a slight smile playing on his lips. “Do you really see me as some cold -hearted tycoon?”
I bit my lip and stayed quiet. It was not that I saw him that way. It was just that relocating all those kids would cost a fortune.
Business was business, and the land was the Youngs‘ to start with. The fact remained that if they did not find a way to help the
kids and just sent them packing, well, it would not be the first time something like that happened.
When I did not say anything, Idris chuckled, a bit of resignation in his voice. “You know, Grandma gave a lot to the orphanage
over the years. She’s got their futures all figured out.”
Madam Young.
That name hit me like a flashback to a decade ago. Madam Young was not just about

orphanages; she built schools in the mountains, donated to charities, and helped kids in the poorest places.
She was driven by a sense of guilt, pouring her heart into charity work as if she had something to make up for.
I kept these thoughts to myself as I wandered down the hallway, the falling snow painting a serene picture outside. “Getting
these kids settled, giving them a chance at a different life.... that’s something good, right?”
Idris’s phone buzzed, and he stepped away to take the call. I leaned over the railing, lost in the winter wonderland.
My mind drifted to Maxwell’s parents‘ untimely deaths. He has been digging for answers lately, and I wondered how that was
going. I knew the whole story but could not find the words to tell it.
It was like being caught between a rock and a hard place. On one side, there was the Youngs trust in me, and on the other, the
truth that weighed a hundred lost souls. Even after ten years, what could I say?
“Zoe, I’m really sorry, but I just can’t give you the answer you’re hoping for. You’re an amazing girl,” came a voice from the
stairwell that stopped me in my tracks. It was so familiar.
Maxwell
Zoe?
What was going on with them...?
I was about to bail when I spotted Alice coming our way, scanning the area as if she was on a mission to find someone.
Rather than walking up to her and crashing Zoe and Maxwell’s intense moment, I made my choice in a split second, ducked
back, and hid behind a stone column to stay out of her sight.
Their voices kept floating over from the stairs.
Zoe sounded like she was fighting back tears. “So, you’re turning me down?”
Everything went quiet for a few heartbeats, then Maxwell’s voice cut through, icy and firm, Zoe, we’re just not right for each other.
It’s on me. I should’ve been clear with you from the get -go and not strung you along. I’m not cut out for marriage or even dating.
I can’t give you the kind of security and peace of mind you’re looking for. I’m sorry, but I can’t return your feelings.”

Chapter 343 The Crushed Confession