The Apple of My Eye
Chapter 94 Cindy

Charles helped Autumn check her baggage in, got her boarding pass and took her to the security checkpoint. "Go," he told her. Autumn turned to him and with a gentle wave, said, "You go home now. I'm leaving."

"Bon voyage!" Charles watched her leave and did not turn away until she was out of his sight.

He already began to miss her. He now knew what it was like to miss someone.

On the plane, Autumn took a blindfold out of her coat pocket, and asked the stewardess for a blanket, ready to sleep. She was about to fall asleep when there came a familiar voice. "Can I sit here?" She quickly took off the blindfold and saw Sam standing by her seat, smiling. Then he sat down at the empty seat next to her before she could answer him.

Autumn was baffled. It wasn't until Sam fastened his seat belt that she understood what was going on. "Why... why are you here?" she asked.

"Surprised?" Sam shot back with a smile. Wendy had told him about Autumn's flight. He didn't know how she got the information, but upon learning it, he booked the same flight almost without hesitation. "Yes. How did you know that I was going to Z City?" Autumn asked again, frowning.

"Relax, it's just a coincidence. I have an appointment with a client in Z City to sign a contract today. I wasn't expecting to see you here either. It looks like the trip won't be too boring," Sam answered, still smiling.

"Really?" Autumn didn't believe him.

"Of course. Get some sleep if you're sleepy. I'll wake you up when the plane lands," Sam said.

Autumn was really sleepy, so she put her blindfold back on and fell asleep. Sitting next to her, Sam was deep in thought.

When Wendy told him about Autumn's flight, he was actually a bit hesitant. But when he found out that Autumn's destination was Z City, he immediately decided to join her.

When Autumn was very young, he told her that Z City was a beautiful city with mountains and seas, and that it was romantic just walking on the beach hand in hand with a loved one.

And he also told her that he was sure to propose to his future wife in Z City.

So now was the perfect time to be with her there. He thought that... Autumn was going to Z City because of what he had said.

What Sam did not know was that Autumn wanted to go to Z City mostly because of Chris's recommendation. Z City was not far from Y City, and the scenery was wonderful. The other reason was that her grandmother once said she also wanted to visit this place one day.

She had already forgotten what Sam had said about it.

When the plane was about to land, Sam woke Autumn up, offered her a glass of water, and said, "We are landing soon. Have some water to drink."

"Have we arrived in Z City?" Autumn asked, rubbing her sleepy eyes. When they got off the plane, she took her luggage, ready to leave, but Sam stopped her and offered, "Let me take you to your hotel." He pointed to his car.

"No, thank you." She came here to be alone for a few days, and she had gained a good understanding of this trip before coming. Besides, she thought it would ruin the fun if everything was arranged. So she refused Sam's arranged car. "Don't you have an appointment? Go and do your thing. I can go around by myself. Don't delay whatever you came here for." Autumn said.

Obviously, the appointment was just Sam's excuse to join her. Since the HKind Group had a branch office in Z City, he easily arranged for a car to pick him up.

He knew that he could not rush things, so he did not insist and nodded. "Then be careful. I'll be here for a few days. Call me if you need anything," he told Autumn. "Okay." Autumn replied with a nod. When Sam left, she took a taxi, planning to leave her luggage at the hotel before exploring the city.

The room Charles booked for Autumn had an ocean view. The room was beautifully decorated, and what pleased Autumn the most was the large French window.

She could clearly see the entire seaside. Some clouds had just moved in front of the sun and sunlight filtered through them, making the sea sparkle. There were couples walking barefoot on the sand. When the waves hit, they would run, chase and play around the water. Everything there was perfect.

After changing into proper clothes, Autumn joined the people at the beach wearing a sun bonnet.

She was in a bright mood, just like the blue sea and the bright sky.

Standing on the beautiful seaside, she could hear her heart beating.

"Excuse me, I can't replace my mom..." She was savoring this rare moment of pleasure when she heard the soft, broken voice of a child.

Looking down, she saw a little girl tugging at the corner of her dress, her big eyes full of tears.

"What's wrong?" The little girl had bright eyes and small, chubby hands, and wore a pink princess dress, which melted Autumn's heart. She stooped down, looked at the girl and gently asked, "What's your name?"

"My name is Cindy..." The girl sobbed, "Can you help me replace my mom?"

"Sure." Autumn then took Cindy by the hand, and asked, "What does your mom look like?"

Cindy thought for a while with a head tilt before she seriously answered, "My mom has big eyes, just like you."

"..." "That won't help.' Autumn thought.

"Can you tell me where you and your mom got separated?" she asked Cindy. It was getting dark, and Autumn was getting a little worried.

"Over there..." Cindy pointed in one direction and told her, "My mom asked me to wait for her over there, but I ran after a seagull and now I can't replace her..."

"Don't worry, I'll help you look for your mom." Cindy looked frightened and clung to Autumn, her chubby little hand clasping hers.

She had been waiting for a long time before Autumn showed up. As Autumn looked like her mother, she knew she must be a good person, so she asked her for help.

"Are you scared?" Sensing Cindy getting really anxious, Autumn picked her up. "Let me tell you a story. "Once upon a time, there was a little rabbit with an injured eye. One day he met a big rabbit. The big rabbit said, 'I'll take you to a wonderful place. When your eye heals, you can see the most beautiful scenery in the world...""

During the story, Cindy became less afraid. Leaning on Autumn's shoulder, she listened closely and occasionally asked questions. Autumn finally arrived with Cindy at the place where the girl pointed to earlier. "Cindy, did your mother ask you to wait for her here?" she tried to confirm.