I Walked Away Seven Years Too Late But Right on Time novel Chapter 236

Luke sat alone in the dining room eating his food. Eleanor and Arthur Lawrence sat on the sofa watching their son, occasionally exchanging glances but remaining silent.

Of course they knew where their son had gone.

He hadn't come home for Christmas. He had claimed he was busy.

Eleanor had assumed Luke was finally willing to socialize and attend some events. But she later learned from his secretary that he hadn't been with any colleagues that day.

Eleanor immediately thought of that apartment—the one Eileen Harper had described, filled with all of Sophie's old junk.

For The Festival of Lights, he didn't come home. For Valentine's Day, he didn't come home either.

And for Sophie's birthday, he naturally went back to that apartment to mourn the past.

Seeing her son so stubbornly fixated on the past made Eleanor sick with worry.

During this holiday break, while Luke was in Seattle, she took the family register and went to the property management. She told them her son was traveling and she was worried he had left the gas valve open, claiming he forgot to leave her a key.

The management kept a spare key, and they sent a cleaner over once a week anyway.

Accompanied by the property staff, Eleanor stepped into the apartment for the first time, and panic set in immediately.

Seeing it with her own eyes was far more shocking than just hearing about it.

Sophie's clothes, shoes, and bags were neatly arranged in the closet. Sophie's used pillows still sat on the bed.

How could a person trapped in his memories ever start a new life?

She had a strong urge to throw everything away right then and there, but she lacked the courage. She was terrified her son would cut ties with her entirely.

Truthfully, ever since she saw the engagement ring on Sophie's finger, she had repeatedly urged Luke to sell the place and throw out all of Sophie's belongings.

Luke never argued, but he never complied either.

His passive resistance drove Eleanor insane.

Since the new year, she frequently showed Luke photos of young women. This one was a friend's niece, that one was an old classmate's relative.

She hoped Luke would find someone appealing enough to go on a date.

But Luke always said no.

In October, for Eleanor's sixtieth birthday, she decided to change her usual low-key habits. She normally just wanted a family dinner.

This time, she insisted on inviting friends to celebrate, notifying Luke well in advance that he absolutely had to attend, no matter how busy he was.

Luke's response nearly made Eleanor choke on her own anger.

"Let it go. The company's annual audit is starting, and he's very busy right now. Don't add to his stress," Arthur advised from the side.

"Let's go take a trip. Stop staring at him all day long. We interfered too much in his life before. Let him make his own decisions from now on."

Arthur drove Eleanor south, acting like migrating birds fleeing the winter.

If they didn't leave, Luke would be annoyed by the constant tension, and Arthur couldn't handle it either.

Luke was indeed busy. At the end of the year, his company hired the accounting firm they had worked with for years to handle the audit. The auditor sent this time was someone he had crossed paths with twice before. He just hadn't remembered her name.

"Hello, Mr. Lawrence."

Luke shook her extended hand. "Hello."

Zoe caught the fleeting look of embarrassment in his eyes. She handed him her business card once more. "I'm Zoe Zeller, in charge of your company's audit this time."

Luke pulled out his own business card and handed it to her with both hands.

"Luke Lawrence." Zoe repeated his name softly, teasing, "It wasn't easy. It took three meetings to finally learn Mr. Lawrence's name."