Ian and Vivian were glad to see Matteo recovering. When Ian learned that Matteo wanted to eat something, he rushed downstairs to tell Wendy.
A burden lifted off everyone’s chest when they knew about it.
After attending to Matteo, Sasha went downstairs to help Wendy in the kitchen.
She was shocked to find Frederick still around after all this time. He sat alone on the couch watching the news on the TV while drinking tea.
Is he… waiting for me?
Sasha suddenly felt uncomfortable.
He must have heard about the Sanders. After all, it was impossible that the Hayes were not informed about it. He probably stayed back to wait for her because he wanted to talk about this.
“I heard Matteo’s getting better? Come over and have a seat.”
As she expected, the old man gestured at her to go over when he saw her.
Sasha straightened her stiff body and walked over.
“Do you remember this black tea? It’s the local specialty of the area your family used to stay. Do you want to try some?” Frederick asked, passing her some tea leaves in a bottle.
Sasha felt an urge to cry looking at the tea leaves.
She was surprised Frederick still remembered this.
Sasha sat down beside him and for a brief moment, she forgot what he told her at the Emmanuel family’s gathering.
“I heard your dad got time off for good conduct,” he said as Sasha made tea.
Sasha looked up in surprise and smiled in excitement.
“That’s good news!”
This means she could see her father sooner.
“Yeah. His sentence was reduced by three years. He’s been in there for six years, so that means he only has to serve his time for one more year with the three-year reduction.”
Frederick seemed to be in a good mood as well.
Sasha tilted her head in confusion.
He’s only sentenced to ten years of imprisonment?
I thought it’s fifteen years? Or did I get it wrong?
Sasha brushed off the thought and focused on the good news instead. She could not wait to see her father.
“Can I go see him anytime soon? I’ve been away for a few years. I think it’ll be good to see him again.”
“Sure. You can drop by anytime. I’ll make the necessary arrangements.”
Frederick agreed without much thought.
Things seemed to have improved between the two of them. For a short moment, they seemed to have found the long-lost harmony between them again.
“Is there something you want to talk to me about? Is it about the Sanders?”
Sasha decided to bring this up since Frederick did not mention it at all. She was grateful for what Frederick had done for her, so she decided to reciprocate his goodwill, but to her surprise, the old man shook his head.
“No. I’m just here to tell you about your dad. As for the Sanders, I’m leaving it to Sebastian. That’s his own issue anyway. I know he trusts you a lot, so I’ll just let him deal with it himself,” Frederick replied, sipping the tea Sasha made for him.
“I’m also here to apologize. I had my own bias against you, but in hindsight, I shouldn’t have felt that way. I watched you grow as a kid, I should know better than anyone else what kind of a person you are. I shouldn’t have doubted your feelings for Sebastian. I hope it’s not too late for me to ask for your forgiveness.”
Sasha was not expecting this from Frederick at all.
Not only did he not question her for what happened, he even apologized for his past behavior.
All this felt so surreal to Sasha.
For the first time after such a long period, Sasha felt she could finally let her guard down and open up her heart to another person. She felt like she could finally stop being paranoid all the time. When she saw Frederick getting ready to leave, she quickly got up and sent him off.
“You don’t have to apologize. I’m in the wrong too…”
“But I know you did it because you wanted to protect him. That is enough for me.”
With that said, Frederick left.
He finally acknowledged Sasha and approved of her existence in Sebastian’s life. He knew he could trust his son in her hands for the rest of his life.
By the time Sebastian reached home after getting the news, Frederick had already left and things had died down.
Matteo was resting upstairs while Sasha and the two other kids were keeping him company in his room. The huge house fell into an unbearable silence as night descended without the children playing around.
The unusual quietness made Sebastian uneasy.
