Chapter 258: Reunion

Knock! Knock!

With a soft click, a door opened, revealing Isaac to Victoria who quickly came out and looked around but couldn’t find Godfrey anywhere.

"Where’s he?" She turned to Isaac. Isaac shook his head and turned to Valentina who currently stood at the door. Both of them were expecting news about Godfrey, Isaac could see that from the look they gave him after scanning his surroundings.

"I’m here for a different reason, Mrs. Valentina."

Valentina’s eyes widened slowly as she noticed how Isaac addressed her.

"What other reason could there be?" Victoria responded harshly. She paused, took a deep breath, opened her eyes and asked calmly.

"Did you hear from him?"

"We didn’t," Isaac said heavily. Godfrey had gone rogue after Isolde’s death. For now, they knew he had to be at Pendragon Island but that was all.

"We found someone. To be more specific, someone found us and he introduced himself as Ronald Daniels." Isaac’s words made Valentina’s fingers tremble before she stilled them.

"M... My husband?" She gasped in disbelief. It couldn’t be, he had been dead for eighteen, almost nineteen years now.

"Would you like to come with us to confirm his identity...?" Isaac was stunned to see Valentina rush in to pick up her bag.

"Let’s go. Victoria, come with me."

All of them entered the truck Isaac came in and were driven to the Vagabond Camp. More Elite Class gathered as Valentina drew closer to the meeting hall for Elite Class Vagabonds.

Eventually, she stood outside the door.

"He’s inside," Arden told her. Thalia stood behind with her arms crossed. Lucy and Isaac also stood at the sidelines.

"Oliver is in there with him. We left him there to keep an eye on you know who. You’re worth a huge bounty so you have to be careful... even though we’ve already put a suppressor on him." After listening to all Arden had to say, Valentina steeled her heart.

There was no way her husband would suddenly come back to life after eighteen long years. It had to be because of the bounty... yet, knowing this, why did she want to open the door?

With a soft push, the door swung inward, revealing a large rectangular hall with gray walls. Two men sat on a long table.

Oliver sat on the left, sipping a can drink while the man opposite him just looked around. He had long, slightly curly golden hair that fell almost to his waist. It was thick and bushy.

His beard was shaved but was growing out once more. He had a broad back and prominent muscles on both arms.

There was this wild air around him but everything changed when he turned and their eyes met.

Valentina’s breath hitched. Her heartbeat roared in her ears.

Ronald rose to his feet, maintaining eye contact. His ocean blue eyes gazed at her for a while. "I heard it’s been eighteen years." His voice rang softly.

Oliver paused, eyeing the duo with surprise. Could this man be the real deal?

When Valentina didn’t speak, Ronald continued. "You look good. How’s our boy?"

Valentina raced down the staircase and into Ronald’s arms. Oliver swiftly left as he could hear her sobbing.

The door was quickly shut. Meanwhile, Valentina touched Ronald’s golden arm with teary eyes.

A few minutes later, Ronald sat on the table opening and closing the fingers of his restored arm. It felt really foreign trying to get used to it.

"White is phenomenal."

"I better not try to block a blow with this arm." He chuckled while Valentina watched him, a beautiful smile on her face.

"How have you been?" She asked gently.

Ronald looked at her. "Trust me, living with dwarves isn’t easy. You get to do a whole lot of heavy lifting."

Valentina chuckled.

Ronald suddenly cleared his throat, glancing at her. "Who are you with now? Those people were quite secretive. Was there any lucky man to take my place?"

Valentina’s face lit up with amusement. "Godfrey would bash their heads in. I think he scared a good lot of them away." She tilted her head with a charming gleam of love in her eyes. "He’s been my little husband. Somehow he loves his father even when he hasn’t met him in person or received any sort of gift."

A warm smile appeared on Ronald’s face. "So... still single?"

Valentina flashed a ring. "I’m married." It was the same ring he gave her. Realizing this, Ronald held Valentina’s waist and lifted her up. Valentina wrapped her arms around his neck, her face brighter than ever.

’I’ve seen the news but I have to get warm with my family first. That will come second.’

"You need a haircut, a proper one." Valentina chided.

***

"I can see where Godfrey got his charming eyes from," Thalia’s comment earned her a side glance from Arden.

"You saw it too, didn’t you? You think I didn’t see how you were infatuated with Godfrey?" Thalia sneered.

Arden scoffed while Lucy’s cheeks gained a faint pink hue.

"Don’t torment the innocent girl," Oliver said while looking at Lucy. Her eyes widened when everyone turned to her, including Isaac.

"W-What?!" Lucy’s face reddened. Did any of them know how she felt when the cold grip of death went round her neck under that pool as her peers laughed?

She could still hear the ice cracking as Godfrey shattered it and brought her out. He ended up bloodied after fighting the Polaris King bodyguards. That picture had not left her head and that wasn’t the only time Godfrey had intervened to help her.

She held her head high and looked away with a scowl.

"What’s going on here?" Dax looked at them. "He’s a widower and still mourning."

"The man became a widower and his father got to reunite with his wife. Talk about being unlucky," Oliver muttered.

"He won’t be the same," Arden sighed.

Just then, Elder Orion and John appeared in the corridor and approached them. When they got to the door, John’s face paled.

So did Orion’s.

"You said whoever is in there is wearing a suppressor?" John asked Arden.

"He is," she replied.

"Then why..." John almost stuttered as he felt an overwhelming pressure. Like a ferocious bear loomed over them. It was suffocating.

Fortunately, it all cleared when Gabriel stepped out of a spatial tear and knocked.

After knocking, he opened the door and saw Ronald sitting on a chair with Valentina beside him.

Valentina stood up and Ronald copied her move.

"That’s Gabriel. He watches over paradise, he’s also one of the main reasons me and Godfrey have been safe. Godfrey is quite fond of him too."

"Oh?" Ronald’s face brightened.

Gabriel smiled warmly.

"No need to be so formal... he’s like a son to me and I’m glad his father is back."