Chapter 238

Mrs. Richards was up early. A crisp winter morning, the air thin and cold. With Lunar New Year around the corner, the Richards household was buzzing—drivers were running errands, the front yard busy with cars pulling in and out. Exhaust fumes lingered in the air, adding a sense of liveliness. Yet under all that noise, there was a quiet sort of loneliness. Daniel Richards stood alone on the second-floor balcony. Dressed all in black that early in the morning, he looked out of place in a house preparing for a wedding. At least he was tall and well-built, with those signature Richards good looks, so it wasn’t entirely an eyesore—but still, he looked downright miserable. He didn’t look like someone about to celebrate New Year. Definitely didn’t look like a groom-to-be. While he stood there lost in thought, Mrs. Richards—the one from the other branch of the family—hurried by. She called out quickly, “What’s up with Daniel? He looks so down! It’s almost New Year’s—hasn’t Ella already gotten