Three Years Later, He Came Back Begging novel Chapter 217

Bonnie nodded to show she understood. She came prepared, after all. Patton had warned her already. Lawsuits could easily drag on for a year or two. In the end, it was all about who could outlast the other.

They changed the subject, leaving all that negativity behind. The car rolled on through the snow, crawling along so slow they lost an extra twenty minutes to the weather.

It was nearly ten thirty by the time they finally pulled up at The Cabinda School's faculty apartments. Aiken parked by the curb and went around to grab things from the trunk. Bonnie jumped out to hold the umbrella for him. When she saw all the bags he was lugging, she couldn't help but sigh. “I told you not to bring anything.”

“How could I show up empty-handed my first time here? Next time, I promise I’ll leave the gifts behind.” Aiken grinned at her.

He fished a smaller, fancy gift bag from the pile and handed it to her. “This one’s for you. Happy birthday.”

Bonnie peeked into the bag. There was a wooden box inside, carefully tucked away, but she couldn't tell what was in it.

Aiken balanced the rest of the gifts with one hand and took the umbrella from her, holding it overhead. “Let’s get inside. It’s freezing. Put your hands in your pockets, will you?”

Bonnie caught a snowflake in her palm anyway, laughing as her hand turned pink from the cold. “I love the snow. Ski season’s finally back.”

Aiken chuckled. “Go wild after your exams. Once you start working, squeezing in a trip’s not as easy.”

Bonnie nodded in agreement. She pulled her hand away from the snow and reached into the gift bag for the wooden box. As she opened it, she said, “This year I want to go to Xinjiang. I’ve been to pretty much every other ski spot already…”

But her sentence faded when she saw what was inside. She stared in surprise. “Wait, you can do woodworking? You carved this? It’s incredible.”

Inside the box, nestled in dried grass, was a tiny wooden version of herself—down to the details. Little black coat, that milk-tea colored scarf Aiken had given her, and he’d even carved in the pattern on the scarf.

Bonnie’s eyes crinkled as she smiled. She held the figure up to the swirling snow. The tiny face looked calm and happy, as if even this little wooden version of herself was smiling.

Aiken nodded politely.

The two of them strolled off under the umbrella. Aiken walked straight and proud in his police uniform, shoulders dusted with snow, while Bonnie chatted beside him, every so often looking up to say something to him.

Sadie watched them go with obvious approval. No wonder Shirley was in such a good mood these days. She’d found herself such a handsome, impressive son-in-law. Honestly, he looked as good as that guy Bonnie dated back in college.

As an old friend of Shirley’s, Sadie really hoped things would work out smoothly for Bonnie this time.

But as she turned away, something caught her eye—a figure stepping out from behind the trees at the entrance. Through the falling snow, it almost looked like a snowman come to life. He was covered in snow, just a thin black cashmere coat against the freezing night, carrying a single bag at his side. The way he moved looked so lost, so alone, like someone left behind by the storm.

He didn’t know where he was headed, but with the snow whipping around him, he couldn’t stop. He could only keep walking ahead, never once looking back.