Chapter 428

Pinecrest was famous for its cherries, and right now, it was the height of cherry season.

Porter sat beneath a cherry tree, watching Lennon scramble and hop around, picking cherries with childlike excitement. A rare smile broke through his worn features.

Catherine was crazy about cherries, too. Every year, when the cherries were ripe, they’d head out to the orchards together, picking the freshest ones straight from the trees. Porter thought, ‘If only she were still here…’

“Mr. Zuckerberg, are we making cherry wine again this year?” Lennon called out.

“Yeah,” said Lucia.

Porter gave a small nod. He never cared much for fruit, but every time they went cherry picking, Catherine would always come back with baskets overflowing. Cherries were delicate and didn’t keep long, so Catherine would turn them into cherry wine. On quiet nights, the two of them would sip it together under the moon, savoring the moment. But those tender, love–filled nights never came again. Still, every year, Porter made a batch of cherry wine. Some habits were just too deep–rooted to break.

“Mr. Zuckerberg, should we send some to Lunova?” Lennon asked. “We could fly them over. They’d still be fresh when they get there.”

“No need,” Porter said.

“But you still miss them, don’t you…” Lennon pressed.

“Just seeing them happy from afar is enough for me,” Porter replied. He closed his eyes and drew a cross.

Lennon shook her head, baffled. He obviously cares about his family, but he keeps himself apart, never stepping back into the world. Doesn’t he ever feel like he’s missing out?’ Lennon wondered. ‘I wonder if Dan ever managed to make the Life Elixir. And is Amelia finally cured?‘ Lennon thought.

Outside the cherry orchard, things suddenly became noisy—cars and voices everywhere. Porter opened his eyes, ready to leave with Lennon. After years spent in seclusion, he longed for the hustle and bustle of the outside world. Whenever anything out of the ordinary happened, his first instinct was always to slip away. But Lennon was still young, and she loved a good spectacle. She deliberately dragged her feet tidying up, constantly peeking out to catch a glimpse of the commotion.

“Lennon, how many times have I told you? Stop being so nosy,” came Porter’s quiet, steady voice.

Lennon had no choice but to hurry up.

Porter and Lennon stepped outside the cherry orchard—and stopped in their tracks.

At the entrance stood Daniel, with Amelia and Landon right beside him.

When Daniel saw Porter, he was visibly emotional. “Dad…”

Amelia, meeting her real father for the first time, felt completely lost. ‘Should I go up to him? Should I admit who I am?’ she wondered, frozen in place.

“Go on,” Landon said softly, encouraging her.

If Amelia’s illness really was inherited from Catherine, then today, it would finally be resolved. As her father, Porter had both the duty and responsibility to cure Amy’s illness.

“Dad, I finally found you,” Daniel said, gripping Porter’s hand tightly, afraid he might run off.

Porter closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he was calm. He turned to Lennon.

“I swear I didn’t say a word!” Lennon protested quickly.

“I found you on my own,” Daniel said.

Porter took a deep breath. “I’ve left the world behind…”

“The Life Elixir is here,” Daniel pulled out a small bottle. “Tell me, will it cure Amy? Can a pregnant woman take it? Are there any side effects?”

Amelia was stunned. ‘What Life Elixir? I’ve never even heard of it!’ she thought.

“Yes, it can cure her.” Porter finally turned to look at Amelia, his gaze softening as he faced his daughter. He didn’t need any dramatic scene or big reveal—he just knew, deep down, she was his child.

Amy looked so much like Catherine, Porter couldn’t help but feel a pang of nostalgia every time he saw her. Whenever he saw her as an adult, it was like Catherine’s youth had come back to life right in front of him.

‘I… I…’ Amelia stammered, wringing her hands nervously.

Landon teased, “What happened to that fiery temper? At home you boss me around, but now you’re acting like a scaredy–cat.”

Amelia shot him an embarrassed glare. “Seriously? Can you not pick the worst possible moment?”

“What’s there to be afraid of? My father–in–law knows you better than anyone,” Landon looked at Porter. “Isn’t that right, sir?”

Porter nodded, gently moving past Daniel and walking straight to Amelia. “Amy, it’s me—your dad.”

“Dad…” Amelia’s voice caught in her throat. After all these years, she was finally reunited with her real father.

“My dear Amy, I’m so sorry…” Porter sighed. “Landon came to see me, but I just didn’t have the courage to face you.”

“He told me…” Amelia stammered, suddenly shy and nothing like her usual sharp–tongued self.

Porter looked at his daughter, eyes full of tenderness and regret. “There’s another reason I stayed away. Joanna.”

“Yeah, I understand,” Amelia said softly, trying to reassure him. She just nodded, not saying anything else.

Porter had so many regrets and apologies bottled up inside, but seeing Amelia like this, he realized she didn’t seem to need any of that. He honestly didn’t know what else to say.

They stood there, looking at each other, hearts racing with emotion, but words just weren’t enough. Maybe they didn’t need to say anything at all. They’d long accepted each other’s existence, and now, whether they met or not, it didn’t matter anymore—they’d already made peace with it.

“Dad, you picked so many cherries?” Daniel asked. “Amy loves cherries, just like Mom used to.”

“Go ahead and load them all up in the car,” Porter told Lennon. There were several huge baskets—no way anyone could finish all that.

Landon quickly jumped in. “Just a few is enough for us. We can’t eat that many.”

“Alright then. I’ll bring some cherry wine over for you guys once it’s ready,” Porter said.

Daniel’s eyes widened. “Dad, you actually know how to brew wine?”

Porter chuckled. “Your mom taught me, way back when.”

Now that his kids were standing right in front of him, bringing up his late wife didn’t hurt nearly as much as it used to. If he didn’t have to worry about Joanna stirring things up, he’d probably just go home with them.

“Mom was awesome, wasn’t she?” Amelia asked in a quiet voice.

Porter’s face shone with pride. “Absolutely! Catherine was the coolest girl in all of Lunova.”

Amelia smiled, tilting her head up to the sky as she blinked away her tears. ‘Mom, are you watching from up there? Dad’s bragging about you!‘ she thought. ‘If it hadn’t been for Joanna, you and Dad would’ve been the happiest couple on earth.‘

“Porter, can we talk in private?” Landon said.

Porter nodded.

Amelia frowned in confusion. ‘Wasn’t today supposed to be about reuniting with my dad?‘ she wondered.

Daniel came over and said, “Amy, let’s take a walk through the cherry orchard.”

Amelia felt a little uneasy. ‘What are they going to talk about?‘ she thought.

“It’s about Project Azureveil—something to do with the Zuckerbergs, but let them talk it out. We don’t need to get involved,” Daniel said with a gentle smile.

Lennon grinned, “Amy, I know exactly which tree has the sweetest cherries. Come on, I’ll take you there.”

“Okay, I guess,” Amelia replied. She kept glancing back over her shoulder with every step, clearly distracted. ‘Landon quit Project Azureveil ages ago. Why are they still giving him assignments?‘ Amelia wondered, puzzled. ‘Besides, Dan’s the one in charge now. If Project Azureveil needs anything, shouldn’t they be reaching out to him instead?‘ Amy thought.

“Amy, when’s your due date?” Daniel asked, clearly trying to change the subject. He started chatting about Edith and Maisie instead, totally distracting Amelia from her worries. Sure enough, Amy’s attention was completely diverted.

Landon, worried someone might be eavesdropping, made sure to have the conversation with Porter inside the car.

Porter was clutching the Life Elixir, already guessing what Landon was about to ask. “So, what do you want to know?”

“Porter, just how many people know about the resurrection spell?” Landon asked.

Porter wasn’t too happy about it. “Daniel told you, didn’t he?”

“Yeah,” Landon replied.

“That kid just can’t keep anything to himself,’ Porter thought, shaking his head.

“Honestly, Porter, I don’t care about any of that. My only concern is keeping Amy and the Zuckerbergs safe,” Landon said.

Porter paused, uncertain.

“If you’d rather not say, that’s okay. Just tell me—will this ever happen to Amy again?” Landon asked, worry clear in his voice.

“No,” Porter replied. “Her condition really is inherited from her mother, but the Life Elixir will completely cure her.”

“That’s a relief.” Landon let out a long breath. He finally relaxed, but the tension in his eyes lingered. Still, he couldn’t shake off the nagging worry in his heart.

“Porter Marvel actually figured out the book. He’s dead set on believing resurrection magic is real, and honestly, I’m worried about what he might do next. Do you have any advice?” Landon asked.

“Kill him,” Porter’s eyes flashed with a cold, dangerous glint.