Upon hearing her daughter's words, Audrey couldn't help but pause. Thinking carefully, it really had been a long time since she had gone out simply to spend time with her daughter.

  Ever since her daughter started her second year of high school, her studies had become increasingly demanding. Audrey herself had hardly taken any days off in order to earn overtime pay. She couldn't even remember when the last time she went shopping with her daughter was, likely several years ago.

  This was the first time her daughter had returned home after starting university. Coincidentally, Audrey had just become unemployed and now had time. She should indeed cherish these next few days and dedicate more time to her daughter.

  Thinking this, Audrey smiled in relief: "Alright, let me take a quick shower and change clothes."

  Late September in Novastra was hot and agitating, the very wind carrying warmth.

  At the Waterside Sanctuary high-end private spa, as soon as they entered, the cool air, mingled with a pleasant fragrance, instantly dispelled the body's restlessness.

  "Grace, your mother and I are both getting on in years. Why bother with a spa? It's a waste of money, isn't it?"

  The dark and gold-toned lobby was understated yet luxurious, giving an immediate impression of expense.

  "What 'getting on in years'? Mom isn't even 45 yet, and Auntie is just over 40!" Grace said.

  Audrey smiled helplessly. "How is that not getting on in years? Your aunt and I are both middle-aged women now!"

  "Exactly, our children are already in university."

  "Age is just a number. What matters most is one's mindset. A youthful mindset is true youth." Grace linked arms with them both and stated earnestly, "It's settled that I'm in charge today. No one is allowed to spoil the mood. Just relax and enjoy yourselves."

  Seeing Grace's high spirits, Audrey and her sister exchanged a wry smile but both nodded and promised in unison, "Alright, you arrange it, and we'll enjoy."

  Only then did Grace show a satisfied smile.

  "Welcome to Waterside Sanctuary. Ladies, may I see your membership card, please?"

  The receptionist at the front desk wore a full black professional suit and addressed them with a professional smile.

  Hearing this, Grace asked softly, "This is our first visit. What should we do if we don't have a membership card?"

  "It's like this, Madam. Waterside Sanctuary operates on a membership system and does not accept non-members. If you are considering becoming a regular patron, you can apply for a membership card today. We would be delighted to welcome you as a member."

  The receptionist's attitude was professional and amiable, clearly the result of formal training. Grace's first impression of the place was consequently very positive. Just as she was about to nod and apply for the card, a surprised voice suddenly rang out from the side.

  "Audrey? Aurelia?"

  The voice was abrupt, startling the sisters, who had been intently observing their surroundings.

  Regaining their composure, they turned to look and were both shocked upon seeing the person nearby.

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  Audrey instinctively forced an awkward smile. " Louis? What a coincidence..."

  "Louis?" Aurelia exclaimed in surprise. Looking at his well-dressed appearance in a suit and the girl standing beside him, who appeared to be at least ten years his junior, Aurelia's pupils trembled slightly.

  In her memory, Louis was not like this. It seemed that achieving a class leap truly allowed one to be reborn.

  Louis unconsciously sized up Audrey. Although she had been overwhelmed by the demands of children and work all these years, Audrey's innate qualities still couldn't conceal her lingering grace and delicate features. If not for this, she wouldn't have given birth to two daughters as beautiful as fairies.

  "It must have been over a decade since we last met. You haven't changed much," Louis remarked with a sigh.

  Upon hearing this, the girl beside him immediately felt a sense of crisis, looking at Audrey with a vigilant expression.

  Audrey lowered her eyes and chuckled lightly. "How could I not have changed?"

  Aurelia stared at Louis from the side. Noticing the look in his eyes when he gazed at her sister was still as inappropriate as before, she immediately spoke up: "Louis, you are the one who has changed the most. Seeing how you dress now, if I ran into you on the street, I wouldn't dare to recognize you."

  Then she looked at the young girl beside him. "And this is?"

  The young girl was wearing a Dior suit dress and carrying a Fendi handbag. Everything she wore and carried was from top-tier luxury brands.

  When acknowledged, she instinctively raised her chin. With a smile on her face but a somewhat lofty tone, she said, "Hello, I am Louis's fiancée. My name is Linda."

  Louis nodded and smiled along, yet his gaze remained fixed on Audrey's face, as if trying to capture some reaction he hoped to see.

  Like disappointment?

  Or perhaps regret?

  Unfortunately, there was none. Audrey merely blinked in mild surprise.

  Aurelia even blurted out, "Fiancée? Louis, you never got married?"

  "That's right, I never found the right person," Louis replied, ostensibly answering Aurelia, but his eyes never left Audrey.

  Audrey could naturally feel Louis's gaze locked onto her. She thought it inappropriate in front of Linda, so she deftly changed the subject: "Are you here for a spa treatment as well?"

  "Yes, I accompanied Linda here."

  Linda tightened her hold on Louis's arm, pressing herself almost entirely against him, and said in a coquettish tone, "Louis brings me here twice every week. This is actually the first time we've run into acquaintances here."

  Sensing the somewhat odd atmosphere and noticing her mother's apparent reluctance to continue the conversation, Grace chose that moment to interject. "Mom, let's get our membership card and head upstairs first. The spa treatment takes two hours, and I've made dinner reservations for tonight. We shouldn't be late."

  "Audrey? Is this... Grace?"

  As soon as Grace spoke, Louis actually guessed her identity and even uttered her nickname.

  Grace was somewhat surprised and looked at her mother inquisitively.

  Audrey took the greatest pride in having raised three outstanding children. Mentioning Grace now actually put her more at ease. She smiled and nodded. "Yes, this is Grace. I'm surprised you still remember her name."

  "Of course I do! She was adorable as a child. Who would have thought she'd grow up so tall in what feels like no time at all. She really resembles how you looked in your youth." Louis gazed intently at Grace, momentarily lost in thought, as if seeing Audrey in her younger days and his own past self.

  However, Grace truly had no memory of this man. Yet, it wasn't hard to discern that he had once been fond of her mother. In her own memory, her mother actually had quite a few suitors, but she had never agreed to any of them.

  She had once asked her mother why she didn't find a reliable man to start a new family.

  Her mother had only smiled wryly, shaken her head, and said that having her and her younger siblings was enough. Grace knew that wasn't the real reason.

  At this moment, Grace simply greeted Louis politely: "Hello, Uncle."

  Not wanting to delay any further, Grace turned back to the receptionist. "Please issue a membership card for me."

  But as soon as the words left her mouth, Louis spoke up: "Use my card! I'll pay for it!"

  Saying this, he had already taken out a black card and handed it over, not seeking anyone else's opinion at all.

  The forcefulness and unconscious arrogance in his words and actions were strikingly reminiscent of a struggling underdog who, after being rejected by the one he loved, bides his time for years only to return in the triumphant guise of a successful man, forcefully trying to reclaim his dignity.

  In essence, he was subtly indicating that he was no longer the man he used to be, and that rejecting him had been her loss.