Zoe Rhodes was just worrying about having no one to go with her to Porten.
And just like that, Julian Bennett had suddenly returned.
"Are you okay?!" The moment she saw him, Zoe Rhodes gave him a thorough once-over from head to toe. Only after confirming all his limbs were intact did she breathe a sigh of relief.
"I'm fine." Julian Bennett waved dismissively, ushering her into the car so they could go eat and talk.
Over their meal, he explained what had happened. "I wanted to come back right away, but I was worried the family was keeping too close an eye on me, so I faked an illness and holed up in Porten for a few days."
"They took my old phone, so I got a new SIM card, but I didn't dare contact you."
"So they really found out?"
Julian Bennett thought for a moment. "Not exactly."
"In any case, they didn't end up suspecting me."
Zoe Rhodes let out another sigh of relief. "Well, that's good."
