Hu Lei sighed with exasperation as she listened to her father. Her decision to return to their home in Supreme City had unsettled him. She had travelled with him around the world for twelve years. She had never been truly alone. How could he not be worried?

“I have been back for three months, and I am still alive.” She spoke with a laugh.

“You think old Bai has not told me about your days in the Manor?” her father asked.

“That old man has great interest in gossip.” She replied through gritted teeth.

The old butler had been maintaining their home for the years that they had been away. Though he remained the manager of the estate without supervision, he was a man with traditional values. He considered the Hu father his master. He did not waver in his loyalty. Unfortunately, that meant that he would not hesitate to sell out the young miss.

“If you have true desire to live a normal life in Supreme, I will not stand in your way. However, you cannot remain sequestered in the Manor.” This response was not unexpected.

There was a hint of sadness in the voice, causing Hu Lei to flinch. She had not left the house, except for a few occasions since she had been back. It was not like she wanted to be a hermit. She really wanted to know how to have a normal life in the city. However, she did not where to start.

There was no need for her to leave the manor because she had everything she needed. Even if she did not have something, she did not know where she could go. Supreme City had changed tremendously over the years. She did not remember anything about it. If she did walk out of the house she would probably get lost.

“I am fine, Dad.” She said softly.

“Lei’er, I know that the events of your childhood still haunt you. So many things went wrong during that time. Perhaps taking you with me was not the right decision. Maybe you could have had a normal life.” The rough voice held a tinge of regret.

Hu Lei’s eyes darkened and her face became stiff. She did not like talking or even hearing about her years as a child. The memories always caused darkness to cloud her mind and attempt to pull her into that abyss of captivity. As she felt that suffocating feeling, she consciously took a deep breath and suppressed the darkness.

“Dad, you know that is not true. Though I was a child then, it was also my decision to leave with you.” She added a light tone to her voice as she always did to keep father from worrying.

The man on the other end of the line sighed.

“Have you seen your mother?”

“She has her new family, and she has not gotten in touch. It is obvious that she has no interest in me.”

Hu Ming did not know what to say. He wanted to defend the woman that he had once loved, but the words remained stuck in his mouth. He did not want to provide empty platitudes. His priority was for his daughter to live a full life. The past was the past. There was nothing that could be changed at this point.

He chose to avoid the topic altogether.

“You should not worry about unnecessary things. Let nature take its course. Right now, you should only focus on your new job.” He spoke with a hint of excitement.

Hu Lei felt a chill run down her back at the sudden joy in her father’s voice.

“What did you do?” she demanded.

The man coughed lightly in guilt

“Lei’er, you know that father is your number one fan. But I am worried about you. You cannot remain locked up forever. I want to help you have a normal life. I know that you wanted to go back because you feel that you have missed out on so much. And I agree. However, you will not get anywhere if you do not experience new things.” The preaching voice sounded quite righteous.

“What did you do?” Hu Lei asked again with creeping killing intent.

Again, her father coughed lightly before speaking.

“It is not a big deal. I reached out to an old friend. I helped him a long time ago, so he owed me a favour. Anyway, you will be working in his company for some time. Don’t worry. I made it clear that you will only be there on a part-time basis. If you do not like the work, you can just resign.”

“You promised not to interfere with my choice to come back to the country.”

“I am not interfering. I am merely helping you achieve your goal to enjoy the Supreme City life.” He said with a nervous laugh.

“You are splitting hairs. I wanted to accomplish my goal without help.” Hu Lei sounded angry.

“Everything you have achieved up to now has been without my help. However, I know that building a social life in that city is not easy. In some ways, it is harder than travelling to new countries and learning everything from scratch. Do not worry. If you do not have capabilities, my old friend will not accept you.” He said with a loud laugh.

Hu Lei sighed in an attempt to sooth her anger. Did this old man think that his words made everything alright?

“I don’t know about this.” She said softly.

Sensing her capitulation, her father knew that their call had to end before she changed her mind.

“You will receive the details of the position in a few days. You will be great. Bye.”

Before Hu Lei could speak, the call was disconnected. She wanted to laugh at her father’s antics, but she was also a little afraid.

It was one thing to return to her hometown. It was another to attempt to blend in into a normal work environment where people had colleagues, water cooler gossip and after work happy hours. She knew that beyond her façade, there was a darkness lurking. Could she suppress it in the city where everything begun?