When Family Became a Place I Couldn’t Return To novel Chapter 214

Gregory suddenly stopped in his tracks, turning around to fix his gaze on Nelly. For a few long moments, he just stared, his eyes searching her face.

“You…”

“Gregory, it’s me. Nelly. Do you remember?” Nelly stepped closer, peering up at him, just as curious and careful as he was.

Her memories from childhood were mostly a blur, but the shape of his face was still familiar. He had grown a beard, and his temples were streaked with gray, but the strong lines of his face were the same. Even with age, she could still see the handsome man she remembered.

“Nelly.” Gregory’s lips parted and a slow, warm smile began to bloom.

Nelly nodded, and before she could stop herself, she wrapped her arms around him in a quick, emotional hug.

She’d only been seven when her mother died. Gregory, who had said he was a close friend of her mother’s, had come to the hospital, taken her hand, and helped her through everything, including the funeral. For almost a year before she went to the orphanage, Gregory had been the one looking after her.

He never really had a steady job. Back in Westhaven, he worked as a private detective, picking up cases to help people find who or what they’d lost.

Nelly had been just a kid, but Gregory never treated her like someone who needed protecting. He taught her to be his little assistant, and together they’d handled all sorts of strange cases and odd jobs.

Most of those memories had faded, but she could never forget how sharp Gregory’s mind was, or how good he was at what he did.

He once told her he’d served in the Special Forces, and that he loved criminal investigations. Gregory had an incredible memory and a real talent for solving mysteries. During the year they spent together, he even helped the police crack some major cases.

His so-called detective agency was pretty much just him, sometimes with someone like Nelly tagging along, unpaid but eager to help.

Still, whenever he took on a case, he always managed to get results that the police couldn’t, especially when it came to finding missing people.

Gregory stood there for a moment, stiff and uncertain, before he gently reached out and brushed his hand over Nelly’s hair.

“It’s been so long. Look at you. All grown up… I almost didn’t recognize you.”

His tough expression softened as he watched her, the affection in his eyes unmistakable.

He remembered her as a little girl, always on the verge of tears, small and lost in a world too big for her. Now she looked strong and confident, like life had treated her kindly.

“Yeah, you’ve changed a lot too, Gregory. At first, I could hardly believe it was really you.”

As soon as she said it, Gregory seemed to remember something important. He quickly opened a drawer and started searching for his wallet.