Chapter 227
The more Bonnie thought about it, the more pleased with herself she became.
Worried that Caitlin might not have noticed her waving at Fallon earlier, she raised her hand again and called out, “Cousin, I’ll come see you tonight p>
Even though Fallon was at work, her boss, Kelley, was lenient about such things, so she looked up from her desk and waved back. “Sure, Bonnie p>
After that exchange, Bonnie glanced smugly at Caitlin.
Hmph. Country girl.
Did Caitlin really think she could compete with her? Someone like Caitlin, straight from the sticks, would never have anything to do with the Richards family. Not in this lifetime.
Meanwhile, Caitlin hadn’t spared Bonnie a single thought. She hadn’t even realized Bonnie was there. Her gaze was fixed on someone in the crowd-on Mr. Willis, in fact. She was so absorbed that she didn’t even notice it herself.
It wasn’t until Celeste nudged her. “Catie, what are you looking at p>
Caitlin blinked and finally tore her eyes away. “I feel like I’ve seen that man somewhere before p>
“You mean Mr. Willis?” Celeste followed her gaze. “That guy in the middle? The one with the commanding presence p>
Caitlin nodded slightly. “Yeah, him p>
Celeste grinned. “That’s Mr. Willis, head of Starlight Entertainment. He’s always popping up in entertainment news and business reports. It’s not surprising if you recognize him p>
“Oh, I see.” Caitlin smiled, relieved. “Maybe I saw him on TV or something p>
Celeste tucked her arm through Caitlin’s, eager to share what she knew. “Hannah and Old Mr. Richards had eight sons and one daughter. All of them turned out to be stars in their fields-real powerhouses. In Neon Spire, the Richards family practically runs the city. My dad talks about them all the time p>
No wonder Celeste seemed to know so much about the Richardses.
Caitlin nodded with a smile. “Raising so many kids, and all of them successful- Hannah must be so happy in her old age p>
When you get old, there are really only two things you want: to stay healthy, and to be surrounded by your children and grandchildren. Hannah seemed to have both.
But Celeste shook her head. “Nothing in life is perfect p>
“Why not?” Caitlin asked, curiosity getting the better of her. Normally, she wouldn’t pry, but today was different. For some reason, she found herself wanting to know more about the Richards family-especially after seeing Willis.
Celeste squeezed her arm. “Let’s grab our luggage, and I’ll fill you in as we walk p>
“Okay.” Caitlin fell into step beside her.
Celeste continued, her voice dropping a little. “Hannah was happy, once. But nineteen years ago, a car accident took her only daughter, Carey Richards. In that crash, she lost not just her daughter, but her three-month-old granddaughter, Freya. The only survivor was her son-in-law, Stuart-and he’s been in a coma ever since, trapped in a hospital bed, nothing but a shadow of himself p>
There are three great sorrows in life: losing your father as a child, losing your spouse in middle age, and losing your child when you’re old. Hannah suffered that last and deepest pain. How could anyone be happy after that?
Celeste sighed, then went on. “The crash sent the car over a cliff. They never found Carey or Freya-no bodies, no trace. All these years, both the Richardses and the Gonzales family have held onto hope that Carey and Freya might still be alive, somewhere. That’s why they’ve never stopped searching for them p>