Chapter 240
“Darn, are you serious?” Carlisle asked as he stared in disbelief,
He had realized that the elderly woman was stubborn, but the extent of her obstinacy was unexpected.
He couldn’t help but wonder if she really would go to such lengths
ver their altercation.
Meanwhile, Wanda inquired quietly, “Is there another place we can disembark?”
The boatman shook his head,
*This is the only entrance and exit!”
Wanda’s face tightened with worry as she weighed their options.
Her mind raced to the possibility of arranging for an escape via helicopter through Shein, but she quickly dismissed the thought.
The repercussions of Shein discovering their date were too severe, especially for Carlisle.
She then contemplated reaching out to Lethan and Shania. She pulled out her phone and hovered over
Lethan’s contact.
Seeing her actions, Carlisle gently took her hand.
“What are you doing?”
“Calling Uncle Lethan for help,” Wanda replied.
“There’s no need to involve him. I can handle this,” Carlisle asserted.
“How are you going to handle it?”
“I have connections in that world, too,” he said calmly.
“You’re not supposed to hang out with those people!”
She remembered the menacing thugs she had seen at the ice rink a few days earlier and feared Carlisle was getting too close to such elements.
Carlisle reassured her gently while holding her close.
‘Don’t worry. I won’t be spending time with them.”
His involvement with Heath’s underworld connections was not a matter of choice but necessity, intended
only for self–protection and nothing more.
The sun began to set, casting a rosy glow over the river that bathed everything in warm light.
Wanda snuggled deeper into Carlisle’s arms. Her eyes were fixed on the twilight beauty of the western
horizon.
Upon reaching Yearning Island, which was about the size of a soccer field and equipped with a dam
Chapter 240
downstream to prevent flooding, Carlisle led Wanda up the stairs onto the island.
Leon carried his camera and trailed behind them, capturing moments Intermittently.
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The island’s atmosphere was lively. With a wide asphalt road lined with vendors selling treats like cotton candy, lollipops, popcorn, and freshly squeezed juices. Even bike rentals were available.
Lanterns and fairy lights were strung from the trees. They were already lit even though it wasn’t fully dark yet, creating a festive and inviting scene.
“Carlisle, I want some cotton candy.”
Wanda’s eyes landed on the colorful cotton candy.
A nostalgic memory surfaced of a similar outing with her mother, who had refused to buy her cotton
candy, deeming it unhygienic.
“Sure. Let’s go check it out!”
Carlisle led Wanda to the cotton candy stand, where the spinning machine, though looking a bit worn and dusty on the outside, produced pristine fluffy cotton candy.
The vendor was a seasoned man in his 50s. He expertly twirled a stick, wrapping the sugar strands around it before placing the finished product on a nearby hay bale.
Carlisle approached the vendor, noticing the absence of any price signage.
He decided not to inquire about it and instead requested, “Sir, two cotton candies, please!”
The vendor queried. “How much do you want to spend?”
Carlisle asked curiously, “What are the options?”
“There’s a dollar, two dollars, five dollars, and the most expensive one is ten dollars,” the vendor
explained.
Intrigued by the pricing structure, Wanda asked, “Does the price determine the size of the cotton candy?”
The vendor nodded in affirmation.
Wanda smiled and said, “Then I’ll have the three–dollar one.”
Carlisle stroked his chin thoughtfully and then suggested, “How is a three–dollar one enough? Let’s get
two ten–dollar ones!”
